For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
When the Enemy Plots, God Plans: Speaking Life and Staying on Purpose
About this episode
Dr. Jerry Grillo joins Philip Cameron for a powerful conversation built around one of the most clarifying distinctions in spiritual warfare: the difference between God's plan and the enemy's plot. Drawing from Nehemiah 6, Jeremiah 29:11, and Psalms 33:11, Dr. Grillo unpacks how hell never acts — it only reacts. "When God's advancing, hell is reacting," he declares, reminding believers that every plot against their home, ministry, or marriage is simply evidence that God's plan is already in motion. Dr. Grillo traces the power of spoken faith back to creation itself, arguing that language was God's original gift to humanity — and that what we rehearse in our minds will eventually materialize in our lives. He draws a sharp contrast between the church's obsession with platform performance and the transformative power of the secret place, warning that "the platform creates a plot; it's the secret place where you find the plan." From Daniel in the lion's den to Shadrach in the furnace, Dr. Grillo anchors the message in Scripture: God's plan was settled before time began, and hell cannot unsay what God has already spoken. If you're a pastor or believer navigating confusion, division, or spiritual attack, this episode will reorient you to the unshakeable plan of God. Visit drjerrygrilllo.com to connect with Dr. Grillo for mentorship and ministry.
Part of our Faith collection of conversations.
Quotes worth sharing
“Once upon a time, in a place called nowhere, on the backside of nothing, before there was time, God had a meeting. And in that meeting, that lamb had already been slain and God had already won your victory before time began.”
“The plan of God moves you forward in confidence because the plan works by faith. I have to believe in the strategy and plan of God. You're called to God's plan. You're not called to plan out what God wants to do. You're called to obey what the plan has already been set up for you. The plot feeds on fear. So if I feed my faith, I manifest the plan. But if I keep listening to the voice of my fears, I'm gonna start manifesting hell's plot.”
“Don't get more focused on the secret place and get less focused on the platform. Quit creating every staff meeting about how the platform is gonna work, and start getting people together and talk about the secret place. Why? The platform creates a plot. It's the secret place where you find the plan.”
More by Dr. Jerry Grillo
What's Discussed
Dr. Jerry Grillo and Philip Cameron explore the critical distinction between God's plan and the enemy's plot, grounding the discussion in Nehemiah 6, Jeremiah 29:11, and Psalms 33:11. Dr. Grillo argues that hell never originates action — it only reacts to God's advancing plan. He connects the power of spoken faith to creation itself, warning that inner dialogue shapes destiny. He challenges pastors to prioritize the secret place over platform production, and reminds believers that God's plan — established before time began — cannot be undone by any plot. Practical application targets pastors, church leaders, and believers under spiritual attack.
- Kingdom Connections and Speaking Life
- Faith Comes by Hearing Yourself Speak
- The Devil Has a Plot, God Has a Plan
- Nehemiah 6 and Distracting the Builder
- Jeremiah 29 and Plans for Prosperity
- Ability, Accountability, and the Church Stage
- Secret Place Over Platform Performance
- Psalms 33:11 — God's Plans Stand Forever
Scripture in this episode
The counsel of Yahweh stands fast forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Episode Transcript
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Intro
Philip:Hey, welcome to Daily Faith Today. My name is Philip Cameron, and I am absolutely thrilled you are with us today. We have got a very, very special and important program. A dear friend of mine, God put us together. I believe in Kingdom connections. There are people you meet and you just, that's just, you're just bumping against them as you go through life. But once in a while, God puts together a connection, a Kingdom connection that immediately creates life and creates inspiration and creates a purpose for being.
Philip:And I met Dr. Jerry Grillo and my life has never been the same. And I know what he says means something, because the guys in the studio, whenever he comes on before the show comes on, they turn all the speakers on because they want to hear what he is gonna say. And that's a sure sign that he's speaking life into our ministry. And so he's with us today. I can't wait for you to meet him. But before we go anywhere, I want to talk to you about something that's taking place right now in Moldova.
Philip:We are opening up next year — this is really important — we are opening up next year for churches to take a team, a mission team, to Moldova for a week. I promise you it'll change your life. We had it before, but we closed it down during the COVID stuff and we never really got it started again. But a church came to Moldova a couple of weeks ago from Shreveport, Louisiana, and I think 10 or 11 people came, and it has had a transformative impact on the church.
Philip:They've come back from Moldova. They went thinking that they would be ministering to our kids, the orphans that we rescue and stuff. And instead of that, our kids were ministering to them. And it's changed their lives. They went out one day on outreach with our kids. Let me explain what we do. First of all, in Moldova, it is one of the highest countries for trafficking in the world. Poverty and orphanages create victims of trafficking. And instead of being put on the street, we take them to our ministry, we put them back in school, they learn about Jesus, and they become missionaries.
Philip:And so orphans become sons and daughters, and sons and daughters become — it's amazing what God is doing. And so these kids who lead hundreds of folk to Jesus every year have camps, ground camps all through the summertime for kids, all through the wintertime. They're ministering to widows, bringing wood and warm clothes and blankets, and keeping families alive that have no finances, no money, no way of survival.
Philip:And this team went out with our kids on a rainy day and brought hope and help to people's homes. And they sent me this video — watch this.
Philip:I never see that video without thinking of the old song: ought to be his hand extended, reaching out to the oppressed. If ever there are people that are oppressed — by poverty, by alcoholism, by broken families — those villages forgotten. No sidewalks, no streets, no street lamps, no running water, a well at every corner. And that's how they live in minus 30 degree weather. It is unbelievable. And God put us there 35 years ago, and we've been working there for 35 years, reaching out to the oppressed.
Philip:And the miracle is that God is using these orphan kids that come to us. We put the most amazing village in a place called Vatra. Vatra Village was built originally for wealthy people to come and have a summer vacation on the largest lake in the country. And what happened was they poisoned that lake because it had algae in it. And they poisoned that lake to kill the algae, and they killed the fish and everything else in the lake. And thankfully it's been repaired.
Philip:But these houses were built for rich people, and then all the contracts were canceled. We bought them and we filled them with these girls. Every girl you see is worth $300,000 a year to the trafficker. And they come to us and we put them back in school. And we tell them, if you're born, God has a plan for your life. And we are seeing miracles. We've just taken in 20-odd kids just a couple of weeks ago, 20-odd kids. And to watch them come into our lives and be transformed by the power of God — we need your help.
Philip:We need you to help us support and sponsor these kids. Everything we do in Moldova is done by someone giving a dollar a day. You can change someone's life today for $1 a day. You can buy a can of Coke. You certainly can fill your car up with fuel for $30 a month. But by doing so, you are taking yourself — listen — you are taking yourself out of your environment and placing yourself in God's environment.
Philip:And that is the land where miracles happen. That's the place where something changes in your future and destiny. You can care for an orphan and support an orphan. And by doing so, release God's power in your family to rescue your kids that are maybe orphaned by darkness and sin. And I challenge you today to pray about helping us expand. We've got two new homes we're about to open for little kids between the age of four and 16. Vatra Village is for 16 and upwards. We are about to open two new homes that will take little kids — 50 wee kids between the age of four and 16.
Philip:So let the Lord speak to your heart. If you want to sponsor one of those great big bags of wood, which gives wood for a family for a month, a gift of $75 allows us to do that. We have over a hundred families waiting for us right now to give them the wood to help them survive the winter. $75 could change their destiny and yours. So let the Lord talk to you today. You can get in contact with us real simple.
Philip:It is PO Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. You can also go to dailyfaith.tv — that's a live site, you can go give right now. And also if you dial on your phone 833-DAILY-FAITH, a real live person will talk to you and receive your offering to help us keep going if you would. And you can also go to orphanshands.org. There's all kinds of film, videos, and stuff there. And God will bless you for doing that.
Philip:Be God's hand extended. I promise it'll change your life. I'm delighted to have my dear friend, a great man of God, great fun to be around. I've learned one thing — you can be spiritual and still have fun. You don't have to walk around like you're spaced out all the time. And Dr. Jerry Grillo is one of those men that you just love to hang out with, because he's always gonna rain something from heaven. But he is also just a great friend to have. Jerry, I'm so delighted to have you with me today. How are you doing, my brother?
Dr. Jerry Grillo:Man, I'm great. I love Daily Faith, but I love Phil Cameron and his family. You guys are the balm. You always make me feel good about myself. So I wanna thank you for that. I'm glad to be on.
Philip:Well, there's a scripture that says your words confirm the feeble knees. Your words confirm. And there's a translation of that that says your words kept men on their feet. Think about it. And I've determined in my life at least one time a day to speak life to someone, that I can keep someone on their feet.
Kingdom Connections and Speaking Life
Dr. Jerry Grillo:I mean, the thing that makes us most like God is that we can speak, and language was God's gift to man. I mean, Adam — creation came from God speaking, didn't it? And God spoke everything into existence and then gave man a language. But Adam was a full grown man, so he doesn't go to school. He doesn't learn speaking by mimicking what he hears. No, God had put his mind in Adam's mind so that Adam could talk to the world like God.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:It was God's intention, the plan of God, for us to speak to our environment as if we were part of creating it. But we became deceived and the plot of hell began to manifest. And the plot of the devil is to manipulate and to control. And the plan of God is divine activity with my mouth. So speaking — what we speak is what we hear, and we determine our future by what we hear ourselves speak.
Faith Comes by Hearing Yourself Speak
Philip:Well, faith coming by hearing. And I used to think that meant, you know, the religious world gets into the rhetoric of formula. We get into formula. The problem with formula is it's a form of something, it's not the substance of something. And I think in religion, you know, we think, well, if I just quote scripture all day long out loud, I'm gonna build my faith. Faith coming by hearing — no, it's not you just hearing me preach.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:It's you hearing yourself say what is the desired outcome in your faith. And by talking it, your mind has to think it. So what is played in the mind will materialize in time. It's the mind movie.
Philip:I'm not fighting the world. The world calls this self-talk. Is that what it is? Self-talk?
Dr. Jerry Grillo:Self-talk, inner talk, the inner dialogue, conversations in your own mind. If hell works his plot against your marriage, your home, your ministry, he's going to get into your environment — voices and stimulations that you may rehearse in your mind. The failure of the plot, my goodness, is when you don't start speaking the power of God's plan.
The Devil Has a Plot, God Has a Plan
Philip:When we connected today, the first thing you said — I heard you say — was, the devil has a plot, but God has a plan. And I thought, oh my Lord, he's off to the races already. And that is the truth. The devil has a plot against you, but God has a plan to sustain you and to grow you to what your next level's going to be.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:I mean, I'm looking at the world, looking at my life. Sometimes it's overwhelming. Nobody's denying that there's an overwhelming attack, there's an overwhelming division. We've seen a lot of that in the world, in the country. I was telling people the other day that the number one demonic attack right now in the church is politics. The political arena has come into this country and has divided us because we're believing in the plot.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:You know, let me give you a scripture. In Nehemiah, in Nehemiah 6, this is what it says.
Philip:Something — am I still on?
Dr. Jerry Grillo:Yeah, I can still hear you. Can you see me?
Philip:Yeah, I can see and hear you. Someone just called you, I guess.
Nehemiah 6 and Distracting the Builder
Dr. Jerry Grillo:Well, somebody called, but I don't know how to get off of it. Can you see me though?
Philip:You're fine. I can see you. Nothing's changed.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:Okay. So Nehemiah 6 says this: while Nehemiah was building the wall, Sanballat and Tobiah were plotting to stop him. So God had Nehemiah on a plan, and hell can't touch the plan. So he's gotta arrange a plot to pull you off the plan. That's just distraction, disloyalty. This is what I see being manifested in this generation right now — distraction, disloyalty, disruptions. They're all taking place. But these are the signs that hell fears the plan. God has a plan.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:What's the difference? A plan comes from purpose. A plan is designed by God for progress and destiny. A plot comes from manipulation. It's designed by the enemy using things around you to distract you and have you full of destruction. And God wants you to know — Jeremiah was getting distracted. The plot of fear — fear's a plot — the plot of wrong voices. And Jeremiah is looking at his age, he's looking at his inabilities. And God says to him, 'Jeremiah, for I know not the plot, I know the plans I have for you, plans for prosperity.'
Dr. Jerry Grillo:So the chaos in your world — isn't it interesting that when Nebuchadnezzar had the plot of the furnace, God had the plan of being in the fire? Hallelujah. When hell had the plot of sin, God had already the plan of redemption. He was slain from the foundation of the earth, before the ages began, before time. I remember a guy named Kelly Varner. You ever heard of Kelly Varner?
Philip:I have not.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:He said something one time — he's passed away and gone on to be with the Lord. But he looked at me and said one time, he said, let me tell you something. Once upon a time, in a place called nowhere, on the backside of nothing, before there was time, God had a meeting. And in that meeting, that lamb had already been slain and God had already won your victory before time began.
Philip:Wow.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:There's a song — hallelujah — the days I cannot see have all been planned for me. And we will understand if we can trust God's plan. If you understand today, in the circumstance you're in, in the confusion and the disruption and the plots of the enemy against you, understand the difference between the plot and the plan.
Jeremiah 29 and Plans for Prosperity
Dr. Jerry Grillo:The devil has a plot against you, but God will make a way where there is no way in your life. When God's advancing, hell's reacting. When God's advancing, hell is reacting. I don't know why people don't realize this. Hell is reacting to God. Hell is not acting, he's reacting. He sees the plan manifesting and he's reacting. Listen to this: a plan organizes what God intends to construct. A plan organizes what God intends to construct. And a plot secretly works to tear down what's being built.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:So a plot is manifesting against your house, your ministry. And if you're watching right now, coming against anything in your family —
Philip:There are pastors watching this now, Jerry, and there's a plot against them in the church. And this is a word to them right now saying, listen, don't ignore the plot. Keep on the plan. Keep doing God's plan for you.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:The plan of God activates by your faith. You get in the word of God. Isn't it interesting that the most powerful scripture in the Bible — I remember one time I was praying and God asked the question in my heart, what do you think the most powerful verse in the Bible is? And of course I'm gonna jump right into, well, I think, 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.' He said, no, that's not it. I went through about 10 religious scriptures, which all of those are powerful scriptures, and without them we don't have doctrine. But he said, no, the most powerful scripture in the Bible is the first verse of the Bible.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:And then God said, because everything after that set up the plan. And I said, well, why is that so powerful? He said, because once I set it, hell can't get it unsaid. Hallelujah. Once God speaks, the deal's done. Hell can't undo it. The deal's done. Hell can't disrupt it. Because God is the creator of the plan. He is the strategizer of the plan.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:Every ability you have came from God — every ability. Hell does not give men ability. Hell challenges your ability, but it can't give you ability. That's why the most powerful partners to ability are accountability and responsibility. So I can have ability — I can play an instrument. Pastors, you've got people on your stage. Your stage is the most attacked plot of your church by hell. Why? Because it's full of abilities. And if that stage doesn't have accountability and responsibility, those abilities turn into the plot and the plan gets messed up. Does that make sense?
Ability, Accountability, and the Church Stage
Philip:Painfully. If you've pastored, you know what I'm talking about.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:So the plan of God moves you forward in confidence. The plan of God moves you forward in confidence because the plan works by faith. I have to believe in the strategy and plan of God. You're called to God's plan. You're not called to plan out what God wants to do. You're called to obey what the plan has already been set up for you. The plot feeds on fear. So if I feed my faith, I manifest the plan. But if I keep listening to the voice of my fears, I'm gonna start manifesting hell's plot.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:The devil is alive. So the plan moves me forward. God's plan's moving me forward and it's creating in me confidence. Plots are stirring around me — confusion, insecurities, suspicions, distractions, accusations, defeats. When you start using this: well, I feel unimportant, I feel unvalued, I feel like I don't belong, I don't feel like my marriage is working. I was sitting there one day and I said to God, I don't feel like doing this. And the Lord said to me, can you imagine having a conversation at the table when it's over?
Dr. Jerry Grillo:And Daniel sits across from you, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Joseph, and you tell them as 21st century Christians, well, my feelings — I really didn't feel like it was fair. And this is what Daniel would look at me and say, Daniel in the lion's den: I didn't know we had a choice. Shadrach, Meshach — the first century martyrs: I didn't know we had a choice. I didn't know it was about my comfort.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:They had an incredible inner power of faith in the plan of God. We are so into the programs of the church, we've lost the power of the plan. Does that make sense? If you follow what I'm saying.
Philip:Oh my. Absolutely, Jerry. Absolutely.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:God was speaking to me and he said, you are so focused on the platform. Let me just give pastors watching this one thought: don't get more focused on the secret place and get less focused on the platform. Quit creating every staff meeting about how the platform is gonna work, and start getting people together and talk about the secret place. Why? The platform creates a plot. It's the secret place where you find the plan.
Secret Place Over Platform Performance
Philip:Boy, that is true.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:When you get into the secret place, oh my God, is that not the truth? And the Holy Ghost starts to move. We've become a church age — and I'm not saying it's wrong — what I'm saying is it's got to the point where we're more about the event called church than the presence called the plan. We want to go to a great event. The problem is the event has no substance without revelation, and revelation doesn't move on a feeling. Revelation moves on the plan of God. The event is like Chinese food — it fills your belly for a while, then you're hungry again in 10 minutes. But the plan sustains you through the fire and through the belly of the whale and through all the different things.
Philip:That's the difference. Man, we've got two minutes left. Listen to me. If you're watching us today and you are a pastor of a church, you need to get in contact with Dr. Jerry Grillo. Now he's a pastor of a church, he doesn't need any more work in his life, believe me.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:But I'll do it.
Philip:He loves going out and he loves mentoring pastors and speaking life into churches. And getting in contact with him is real simple. His website is church180.com, or even easier, drjerrygrilllo.com. You need this man to mentor you in your life, to speak life into you. And what he has done in my life is he makes me see godly sense. He makes me see the plan beyond the plot.
Philip:The devil doesn't have to defeat you. Listen to me. The devil does not have to defeat you. He merely has to distract you. If he can get you caught up in the noise and caught up in what they're saying and what they're thinking — oh my goodness. I had a pastor the other day, a fabulous, successful church, came here because he was under attack. And he says, it seems like the whole church is against me. And there's only one or two people — plot. Because he got caught up in the plot and didn't have the plan.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:Jerry, in Psalms 33 — I've got 40 seconds — Psalms 33:11. I'll give it to you. That's closing this broadcast. The plans of the Lord stand firm forever.
Psalms 33:11 — God's Plans Stand Forever
Philip:The plans of the Lord stand firm forever. Say that again. That is a tremendous scripture.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:Psalms 33:11 — the plans of the Lord stand firm in perpetuity. Perpetuity means forever. It doesn't change. The plan of God will line you up. Plans bring order. The plans of God have timing written in them. The plans of God have spiritual Kingdom alignment written in them. Hallelujah. The plot thrives on secrecy, disorder, and division. If a plot's in your house, it's in secrecy, it's in manipulation. But if you believe in the plan, he will put a divine alignment and timing on your house, in Jesus' name.
Philip:Hallelujah. There are people watching us now and they have been in a tailspin because of the plots of the enemy. And God is speaking to your spirit and he's saying to you, stop spinning around. I say constantly when something happens, I'll say, guys, I don't chase ghosts. I'm not gonna spend my time chasing ghosts.
Dr. Jerry Grillo:The only ghost I'm gonna chase is the Holy Ghost. But you, in your life today, the devil's been trying to get you chasing ghosts, trying to make the boogeyman that's in your churches, the boogeyman that's in your family. And he wants to get you all caught up in the plot. But I can tell you, God has a plan that's bigger than the plot. And if you trust him for it, you are going to succeed.
Philip:We've got 30 seconds before we go black. I love you guys. Listen, I know you're under attack and I know you're overwhelmed, but trust me, God has a plan and you're gonna find it. Hallelujah. Let me pray for you. Father, in Jesus' name, we come against the plots of the enemy. We come against the strong man that is in our home, that is in our life and our ministries. And we plead the blood of Jesus that no weapon formed against you is gonna prosper, and the plan of God is going to be revealed in your life. In Jesus' name. Jerry, I love you. Come back as soon as you can. Thank you for watching Daily Faith. We'll see you again. Bye.
Common questions
What's the difference between the devil's plot and God's plan?
Dr. Grillo explains that a plan comes from purpose — it's designed by God for progress and destiny. A plot, on the other hand, comes from manipulation and is designed by the enemy to distract you and pull you off the plan. In short, hell can't touch God's plan directly, so it has to arrange a plot to lure you away from it.
Why does Dr. Grillo say the first verse of the Bible is the most powerful scripture?
He says God revealed to him that Genesis 1:1 is the most powerful verse because everything after it sets up the plan — and once God speaks something, hell can't get it unsaid. The deal is done, and hell can't undo or disrupt what God has already declared as Creator and strategizer of the plan.
How does speaking out loud actually affect your faith and your future?
Dr. Grillo says that when you speak your desired outcome, your mind has to think it — and what is played in the mind will materialize in time. He calls it the 'mind movie.' Language was God's gift to man, and just as God spoke creation into existence, we are meant to speak to our environment as participants in it. What we hear ourselves say shapes what we ultimately experience.
What does Dr. Grillo say is the number one demonic attack on the church right now?
He identifies politics as the number one demonic attack on the church today, saying the political arena has entered and divided the body of Christ because people are believing in the plot rather than trusting God's plan. He ties this to the broader pattern he sees of distraction, disloyalty, and disruption — all signs, he says, that hell fears what God is building.
What's Dr. Grillo's advice for pastors who feel like their church is under attack?
He urges pastors to shift their focus from the platform to the secret place — meaning less energy on perfecting the church event and more on cultivating the presence of God in prayer. He warns that the platform creates a plot because it's full of abilities that, without accountability and responsibility, can be turned against the plan. The secret place, he says, is where the plan is actually found.
Topics
dr. jerry grillospiritual warfarespeaking lifegod's planfaith over fearpastoral leadershipsecret place