Hi Mike,
It may be a little late but here's my story.
When you are in a physical group you feel safe and protected. Especially when you are doing some sort of "works" for salvation or for self satisfaction. e.g. helping others, giving up old habits etc.
Then when you leave that cocoon of protection and put your trust in God and His son you find that God is invisible and that God's cocoon of protection is difficult to sense and feel and understand. (I guess that is like; first the physical then the spiritual)
God's blanket of protection doesn't seem to envelop us all at once. Sure it's there, but it is hard to recognize and feel and believe. All of that comes with practice and as I'm sure you know, practice takes time and practice hurts those unused muscles and brain cells.
I've come to the point in my old life that it seems that my own failings are more of a temptation than Satan's wiles seem to be. Not always, I'm still tempted and seeking God's protection, but I'm also wrongly content to endure the failures of my life when my conscience tells me I should be honoring God with my best effort each and every day.
That is why scripture tells us to not fail to assemble ourselves together for prayer and fellowship and support such as we have here on the BT forum.
Keep on keeping on the journey is long but it is still just one day at a time.
Warm regards, Indiana Bob
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.