SPIRITUAL WARFARE: How to Engage the Battle . . . And How NOT to ! A REAL-LIFE Account

Yes, we are told to resist the devil and he will flee from us. That is TRUE. But there is a FIRST step that must be taken or all our resistance is in vain.

This is an account from a sister in CHRIST who had battles with the spirit of rejection. This rejection was DEEP and had hounded her all of her life. 

The LORD JESUS gave her the VICTORY over it, but she was forced to STAND AGAINST it from time to time. These tormenting spirits feel they have squatter’s rights in a person.  Here is her first-hand account.

KEEP IN MIND, though, that ALL tormenting spirits which attack Followers of The LORD JESUS behave the same way. The Spiritual response which leads to Victory over them IS ALSO THE SAME.

Here is her account:

“ My husband received a call from his sister. In the hour that they talked and shared, he was able to interact well with her and give her godly counsel.

"I should have been thankful for their fruitful conversation, but all I could do was struggle with it in my heart. Why ?

"For a long time, The LORD had prohibited me from contacting my sister, so I said, “ See, LORD, he is allowed to talk to his sister; why can’t I talk to mine ?”

From that I went on to say within my heart,

“ He always is allowed to interact with others and I am not. He is hogging all the interaction for himself and not including me. Again.”

"By this time, I was becoming bitter, mean, and angry. I had to go out into the yard to take my turmoil out of the house so that I wouldn’t disturb my husband’s ministering to his sister. I became cold and unfeeling; that old, sickening hardness had re-entered my heart in a moment of time.

In the midst of all these thoughts, I KNEW I WAS IN THE WRONG. In the midst of all this oppression, I knew I was being un-supportive, not praying for the conversation, not binding the wicked spirits, and simply thinking about Self.

The oppression was nearly smothering me. All the color left my life; everything seemed to be bleak and gray on that bright, sunny spring day.

The battle was clearly marked before me: fight the oppression OR submit to it and be suffocated and miserable for hours.”

 to be continued . . .

HOW TO FIGHT

Yes, we are told to resist the devil and he will flee from us. That is TRUE. But there is a FIRST step that must be taken or all our resistance is in vain.

The FIRST STEP is honesty in the inner man. Our fight with LIES begins in our OWN hearts. 

We cannot --- are not even able to --- stand against LIES coming from satan’s minions towards others until we STAND AGAINST THE LIES in our own hearts.

To continue the narrative: 

“ Calling on The LORD JESUS to help me, I had to sort it all out in stark honesty. First thing, I saw that I was whining and pouting because I could not have my way. I love interaction and was denied to have a part in the event.

"Then, in all honesty, I did know that the phone discussion was very personal and not suitable for a “speaker phone” type conversation.

"Then I saw the sin of accusing people, in my heart. Not only had I accused my very thoughtful husband of mistreating me, but I had accused The LORD of favoring my husband over me ! 

"In my accusations, I also lied to myself. The factual truth is: His sister is a baptized believer in JESUS who is struggling but trying. My sister is not and has shown herself to be quite hostile, over and over again.

"His sister is open to wise counsel from The LORD. My sister is not. I KNEW very good and well WHY he could talk to his sister and I was not allowed to talk to mine.” to be continued . . .

Unfortunately, we do NOT simply “LIE TO OURSELVES” or even WITHIN our selves.

 When we agree with a LIE, 

it does NOT stay 

within our bosom.   

 Even if no other person hears us, the wicked spirits do, every time !

And, GOD does ! 

Will The LORD protect a liar  ? 

We enter the enemy’s camp when we AGREE with a LIE.  When we construe a LIE within our heart, it is usually for SELF indulgence, in some way. 

When we AGREE with one LIE, that tormenting spirit is quick to bring in yet another lie until we are so tangled in lies and sin that we cannot sort it out without help . . . divine help from The HOLY SPIRIT. 

When we regard iniquity like a LIE  in our hearts, GOD will not hear us. Thus the enemy will come into our inner man like a flood.

If I regard iniquity in my heart,

the Lord will not hear me:

Psalm 66:18

LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, 

and speaketh the truth in his heart. 

Psalm 15: 1-2

+  +  +

Back to the Narrative:

“ So, asking The LORD to help me,  I repented of BELIEVING LIES. I repented of AGREEING with those LIES, in my heart.

"I repented of Self-pity ( based on lies; nobody was mistreating me).

"I repented of Demanding that I be in the middle of things ( a phone call, which meant interaction).

"I repented of my pouting and whining and my coldness of heart, with its meanness and anger, when I am denied whatever it is that I think will make me happy.

"And, I repented of accusing The LORD of denying me something that HE+ has called me away from,  my inordinate affection , my love of interaction.

"After I had solidly repented, I could CLEARLY SEE the spiritual battle lines.

"Covered by The BLOOD of JESUS, I could THEN rebuke in The NAME of The LORD JESUS CHRIST the lying spirit of rejection and ALL ITS VARIOUS FORMS which had hit me. They lifted their grip from my heart and fled away.

"I emerged from that battle victorious, but it took about an hour to work my way through the turmoil of the LIES I had agreed with, in my heart.

"If I would have stood against those LIES being hurled into my heart at the out-set, the battle would have lasted only minutes.

I could have then turned my energies to support my husband in prayer as he was counseling his sister.  Thus, I could have been used to battle the LIES afflicting her life ! 

"But no, when I agreed with the wicked spirits’ LIES being thrown at me, that distracted me so badly that I was useless to enter the battlefield of The LORD for my husband’s sister.

"Next time those LIES of rejection come tormenting me, I pray I will BE ON GUARD and slam the door shut in the face of the enemy, in the Name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST and through all the Power of The BLOOD of The LAMB+ !  Then we will SEE who flees away !”

 End of Narrative

Truth in the inner man is the Pre-Requisite for VICTORY 

in any spiritual battle. 

If we try to come against evil spirits operating in OTHERS, we ourselves will be targeted by wicked spirits . 

They will USE our own weaknesses, our own struggles, and throw LIES at us, hoping we will AGREE with those LIES. Then, they can tangle us in a web of lies and sin and take us off the battlefield.

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Colossians 3:5

Or, in the ASV:

Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; 

LET US PRAY:

LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who+ is The Way, The TRUTH, and The Life of my soul. 

 

Help me to stand upon Thy WORD+ when the enemy comes in like a flood. 

Help me to SEE the lies thrown at me by satan’s minions and I pray, help me to NOT AGREE with any lie about myself or about others. 

Help me NOT to accuse others and NEVER to accuse YOU+, O LORD.

Sanctify me in The TRUTH; Thy WORD is TRUTH.

Set me free, O LORD, from lying torments about myself and about others, as I cleanse my own heart of self-indulgences and lies about “what makes me happy.” 

YOU+ alone are my joy; defend me, O GOD. 

All honor, glory , and blessing be unto THEE+ for ever and ever. Amen.