Taking Back What The Enemy Stole

As I listened to Tauren Wells’ song “Take it All Back,” I was deeply moved by the phrase “what the enemy stole.” In that moment, God spoke clearly: the enemy couldn’t take anything I didn’t first surrender. I realized I had given so much away, and that’s where my prayer began—asking God to help me reclaim what I lost.

The opening line of the song reveals why I let go: “Fears got me living with the lights out.” Little by little, I dimmed my own inner light until it was barely shining. My calling felt overwhelming, as if it were too big for me, rather than being perfectly sized by God. I started listening to the lies—the ones that told me I was nothing, that I had nothing, and that it didn’t matter if I wrote at all. Staring at the blinking cursor, I closed my laptop so I wouldn’t have to face the guilt of simply being absent.

I sometimes get caught up in numbers—likes, views, followers—and that obsession crushes my dreams. Through years of experience, I’ve learned to believe my dreams aren’t worth much. Fear holds me back, not from failing, but from the possibility of succeeding. Failure is familiar because I’ve been convinced, through shame, that it’s who I am.

With ADHD, my writing naturally jumps around and feels unpolished. I run my work through Copilot to help me refine it, but sometimes the feedback makes me feel like my style isn’t good enough. I let AI’s judgment amplify my insecurities, and I started writing in a way that wasn’t true to myself. In that process, my voice was lost.

“Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.” — Isaiah 61:7

I want my blogs to carry God’s voice—not AI’s. When I use AI to proofread, it changes my tone. If I rewrite in a different style, what God called me to share fades away. I’m okay with AI helping my message be clearer, but not if I lose my authentic voice in the process.

Now, I am reclaiming what I surrendered so freely—my purpose. That’s what I lost. I gave away my “who”—the reader who needs hope, grace, and joy. I also gave away my voice. Apollo LTD’s song “Dreaming” came on as I prayed, with the bridge reminding me: “I pray that you’ll remember there’s a song that only you can sing.” That message hit me just as I was declaring, “I’m taking back what the enemy stole.”

Scripture is filled with stories of restoration. David’s psalms speak of being renewed, exiles returning, and Job’s redemption. What the enemy took, God restored—so that He would be glorified. Restoration isn’t about material gain, but my heart. My personal heart issue—disobedience and the belief that I have nothing to offer—comes from fear. Fear has stolen my voice and my calling, but God promises restoration.

Have you ever found yourself giving in to fear?

The enemy comes to steal, very much like a gull comes to take your lunch