Habits of Resistance: 7 Ways You're Being Formed By Culture and Gospel Practices to Help You Push Back

by Elizabeth Woodson

Genres: Christian, Faith, Christian Living, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

Published February 3, 2026

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so refreshing! An alternate title could be Habits of Resistance: Spiritual Disciplines in the 21st Century. That's basically what Elizabeth Woodson does for us. She demonstrates how, if we don't consciously resist, we are continually formed by culture's narratives and habits. Then, she highlights how God gives us something far better and offers a habit to live out that better story.
In some ways, the habits seem pretty basic, including prayer, fasting, and confession. But the way the book is formatted, by the time she introduces the habit in each chapter, the reader is practically itching to do something to fight back against the pull of culture. I especially found the discussions on church, confession, and service (how we interact with one another) to be impactful and needed in our current cultural moment.
I would recommend this if you're looking to brush up on your spiritual disciplines, or if you just want to be encouraged to keep on keeping on as you seek to be a light in this world. Readers of Justin Whitmel Earley or Tish Harrison Warren's Liturgy of the Ordinary will also find similar things to enjoy here.
Many things to Netgalley and B&H Publisher for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Brandi Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’all—this book is the fresh approach to Christian spiritual formation that I didn’t know I needed! 🔥

Whether we know it or not, we are being formed by something. Unless we’re intentional about being formed by Christ, culture is likely shaping us more than we realize.

Elizabeth speaks directly to this issue. She calls out seven ways culture seeks to form us and offers biblical counternarratives, along with practices that help us resist false formation.

One thing I especially loved is how Elizabeth weaves in the biblical narrative. She takes us back to the beginning of the human story, showing us how we were made for shalom—“a life of wholeness and delight, where everything is as it ought to be”—and how being formed by God is the only way to truly experience it.

This is a Christian spiritual formation book that I’d recommend to anyone—hands down a new favorite! Add it to your TBR, friends.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Habits of Resistance – 7 Ways You’re Being Formed By Culture and Gospel Practices to Help You Push Back by Elizabeth Woodson. This was an enjoyable, helpful, and thought provoking book. She really tackled some common everyday issues in our culture and how we can build good habits to resist those struggles and temptations. She includes helpful biblical application along with pointing back to Jesus and reminding us where our true peace and hope come from in our struggles.

At the end of each chapter is a helpful challenge to help you live out what you learn.

Some of my highlights:

Our problem is that we are choosing the wrong door. – rotten fruit
It seems like it is getting harder and harder for Christians to honor those they disagree with…
But what is interesting is that our social media usage is outpacing our time in discipleship environments.
Research shows that many Christians hold unbiblical views on key doctrinal issues like Jesus, humanity, sin, and salvation.
We are spending more time and mental energy in our social media formational environments than the environments that form us in our Christian faith.
When we use the map provided by our culture, we are setting out toward a destination we will never reach.
When I think about our culture’s narrative of radical individualism, there is always one detail that is left out of the story – the cost.
The way to peace is by viewing yourself as limited and surrendering control to God.
Those with little access to the facts seem to have the biggest and loudest opinions.
Cancel culture is training us to be people who are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to anger.
We tend to forget the gift of mercy and compassion we have received from God.
When hopelessness tempts us with any lie, the promises of Scripture help us fight back and resist their pull.

As Christians we are to be formed by Christ. This book reminded me of how important it is to look at my time and things that are shaping me.



Many thanks to Netgalley for providing this book for review! Opinions are 100% my own! I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

[Michele Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the peaceful promises of the gospel always seem just beyond your reach, you may be looking for fulfillment in the wrong place. In Habits of Resistance, Elizabeth Woodson urges readers to push back against the false stories of the culture’s discipleship pathway.

Woodson presents the hopeful message that we don’t need to earn our value since our identity is secure as God’s children. His faithful love takes us outside ourselves in acts of service for others and fuels a merciful justice that begins in prayer. The confident joy found in the gospel is better than the temporary dopamine rush that comes with an Amazon package.

With practical wisdom, Habits of Resistance points out that the prevailing culture offers the illusion of control while God extends the promise of true peace. Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past leads to a foundation of hope that resists escapism or despair. Linking specific habits of holiness with the false story they counteract gives warrior-like intensity to spiritual practices like fasting and prayer, meditation and confession, corporate worship and service.

I appreciated Woodson’s skillful rendering of the Genesis creation narrative as a roadmap to take readers back to our origin as God’s image bearers—and to our sad story of rebellion that accounts for our inability to settle into the practice of God’s sturdy, self-giving love. She sends us directly to the feet of Jesus, with the reminder that, “when we believe our lives truly lack joy, the issue isn’t that God missed us on one of his joy distribution runs. Rather, we have drifted from the Source.” My kids and their peers are Woodson’s intended audience, but Boomers like me are certainly not immune to the allure of false stories promising the good life.

[Milinda Yount · Rating 5 out of 5]

Habits of Resistance by Elizabeth Woodson is helpful, well done, made me think, timely and I enjoyed reading it. I appreciated it enough that as soon as I finished the electronic ARC I went and pre-ordered the book so I’d have a copy for my shelf for future reference and sharing. Woodson writes about spiritual disciplines including prayer, fasting, gathering with the church family, service, confession, and meditation. She presents thoughtful and well-developed discussion of relevant cultural narratives and habits that we often turn to before presenting the spiritual disciple we can apply instead. These discussions made me think and consist of much more than defining the disciplines, each chapter motivated me to either begin them (like fasting) or pursue them more diligently.

Thank you to B&H Publishing and NetGalley for providing the advanced reader copy. Habits of Resistance is expected to be released on February 3, 2026.

[Tristany Corgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all are trying to find the “good life.” We’re all seeking true peace - shalom. And the world is more than happy to guide us in how to find it. The problem is that the world cannot bring us true peace. Only the gospel can. In Habits of Resistance, Elizabeth Woodson shows readers all the different ways the world tries to offer us the “good life” and how the gospel gives us a better peace, a better identity, a better love, a better justice, a better joy, and a better hope. She also points readers to how they can pursue this better life through forming habits of prayer, going to church, serving, confessing and forgiving sin, fasting, and meditation. This book is based in Scripture and especially focused on the early chapters of Genesis, and it would be a great read if you’re looking to grow and strengthen your walk with Christ.

Thank you to Elizabeth Woodson and B&H Publishing for sending me a copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Culture has a way of slipping into our thoughts and beliefs and we aren't even aware that are buying lies. Elizabeth Woodson helps readers go back to their goal of walking with Jesus. She walks us through believing truth by following the Christian disciplines of prayer, gathering, service, confession, fasting and meditation.
Many authors can forget the truths they are trying to give their readers by telling too many personal stories. Woodson has the right balance of experience and Biblical verses to back her points. She will make the readers uncomfortable as she reminds us that we may be giving into lies due to loneliness and following our own emotions. But Christians who have had their faith for two days or fifty years will grow as they are reminded of the truths.
I received a complimentary copy of this book thanks to NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

[Lia Ross Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really challenged me to ask myself what is shaping me. It’s so easy to get pulled into social media and even the good things we are fed, but am I spending my time forming habits that are shaping me more like Christ? Each chapter calls us to resist false gospels and embrace the wholeness we have in Christ. I love how conversational it feels, with real, vulnerable moments shared along with lots of scripture. It’s practical and personal, and it makes you want to stop and reflect on your own habits and the ways culture is shaping your life. This is a book I will be thinking about and coming back to again.