It’s Not The Person Harassing You It’s A spirit!

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” Mark 5:1-9 ESV

In Christianity much teaching focuses on the morality of man, how to live a Godly life, and dealing with our sinful nature. However, when some pastors teach in the area of demons or demonic oppression it is often delegated to antiquated Biblical rhetoric by some, and the opening of Pandora’s box to others. Some Christians even choose not to acknowledge its existence. Most teachers who delve in the area of teaching on demonic warfare may be labeled zealots or extreme. Beloved, God calls different servants to different areas of ministry. I have read many books by several different pastors whom God has called into to the ministry of exorcism, or more subtly: the casting out of demons and demonic spirits. God gives us many Biblical examples in the word for the casting out of wicked spirits. Yet those examples may seem superfluous to the inexperienced or uninformed in the area of spirit warfare. Today, contrary to belief, countless people are experiencing the same influences of demon harassment or possession as told in the Bible! There have been many testimonies in numerous documentaries, books, online publications, etc. detailing men and women coming face-to-face with demons: whether by possession or victimization, the laying on of hands, casting out wicked spirits, or the delivering of victimized souls from its tormentors.

By far those are extreme cases of spiritual warfare. There are different levels of demonic influence and manipulation. Have you ever ridden on a train or a bus perhaps, and you notice a person sitting across from you that appears to be talking to themselves? You look around hoping they are talking to someone else, but you quickly realize they aren’t. So quietly, you sit there listening in shock to the extent of the dialogue–between the person and him or herself– wondering if this is really happening or if you are the crazy one! This is a demonic strong hold! When the person was born into this world they were not created to speak to themselves in that way! Over the years there was a constant attack sieged against their mind that was authored by satan himself. Unfortunately many have lost a mental battle to the devil. So we must conclude that demonic warfare is very much real!

What I want to talk to you about today is demonic influence in your life on a more personal level, with people you encounter on a day to day basis: your family, friends, co-workers or casual encounters. When many think of spiritual warfare what may come to mind is interceding for a specific situation, problem or person. But many often neglect to realize the spirit that is operating behind the scenes, which may go unnoticed to the spiritually undiscerned.

Paul says in Ephesians:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).

When we come into contact with unruly people or have bitter disagreements or altercations with people in our lives, our first reaction is to blame the other person, or resent them. If you allow bitterness or unforgiveness to envelop, you haven’t yet acknowledged or come to an understanding of the spirit the person is operating under. Beloved when our minds can grasp hold of this teaching we will have a better understanding of the operation of spirit realm. For the most part, this understanding will develop through prayer, study and reading; and over time with much trial-and-error training.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV).

If we define vigilant it is stated to be keenly watchful to detect danger. As well, sober in this context is not referring to being sober from drunkenness, but being spiritually sober, meaning guard your spirit man; keeping it healthy and pure, untainted from the lusts of the world.

I have established the fact that there have been people who have been influenced by spirits operating in the kingdom of darkness. But, here’s the kicker: many Christians at any given time may be influenced by demonic spirits–myself included–and are not aware or are in denial. How so you say? Have you ever had a thought out of nowhere, maybe criticizing someone in your mind? Disliking a person you never met? Sexually immoral thoughts? Anger, gossip, or hateful thoughts?

Those are but a few examples of influences by the devil! The difference is mature Christians will realize their transgression, repent and stop the behavior, but if a person has not been trained in spiritual warfare, sadly, they may very well be claiming the title of a Christian, but will be constantly defeated mentally and emotionally because of a lack of study in the area of demonic oppression.

Moreover, some people may unknowingly invite demonic oppression into their lives by living carelessly or living in willful sin. Thus, opening the door of their spirit to the enemy. I will conclude this lesson here for today and cover part 2 of this series in the next post on its sister subject: Soul Ties

Your worst enemy

It’s six am, the alarm clock, blaring, starts the tone of the day. You jump up disoriented, heart racing, and dash out of bed to shower before stumbling over piles of clothes strewn over the floor. Little Johnny starts screaming at the top of his lungs. “Where is that baby sitter?! She’s usually here by …” before you can complete the sentence the phone rings and you hear a quaint voice on the answering machine, “Hello…aah… hi Ms. Outtaorder, I’m not going to be able to come in today, something came up.” “The nerve of that little wench! She’s supposed to be here already!” you quip.  You sprint out of the shower, rummage through the accumulated junk compiled in your room that hasn’t been cleaned in two weeks, and find your phone book nestled underneath a plate of half-eaten, rotten Chinese food that exposed the deathly odor you had been trying to pin point. You scramble through the phone book leaving messages out of desperation to every relative, church member, ex-boyfriend, ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend trying to find a replacement sitter. “If you come to work late one more time, it will result in your termination!” your cantankerous boss’ voice resonates in the back of your mind. After leaving a barrage of messages as a result of unanswered calls, you hang up the phone in despair; hair dripping wet, car keys in hand, and little Johnny straddled across your hip. Tears start to stream down your face as scenes of a crumbling life play out in your mind’s eye. You plop down on the bed and begin to question God: “Lord my life is a mess! My husband left me, I don’t know how I’m going to pay the mortgage this month, and how am I going to raise this son that you have given me? ‘Lord, I don’t understand, I walked away from the world and gave my life to you and accepted you as my Savior, since then everything has gone wrong in my life!”

This is cry of many hearts today. You thought you had your life all figured out. You had dreams, goals and a clear direction for your life. But yet along the way you have faced nothing but wrong turns, disappointment, and despair. When you were younger you had so much zest and zeal and you started out with great enthusiasm. You may have spent years trying to climb the proverbial corporate ladder, chase a childhood dream, or start your own business only to have been faced with closed doors, rejection, discrimination, or could only go so far in your company. Ten or more so years later you find yourself at the end of own strength. You have allowed anger, bitterness, and despondency to become the lord of your life. Although you may have accepted Christ into your life you are still not walking in the fullness of His power. Every area of your life is broken and you have come to the realization that you are the common denominator. You have let years of discouragement, failure, and defeat beat down your door. Maybe you have lost all hope and cannot possibly fathom a better life for yourself.  Perhaps God has bought you to your end so He can give you a new beginning. Perhaps He is directing your steps so you could have a full life in Him. Beloved, this cross roads is where many of us make the wrong turn and walk out of Jesus’ path.

In the book of Acts in the New Testament, after God convicted Paul because of his persecution of the Christian church, God gave Ananias a vision and sent him to Paul (then named Saul) to speak the word of the Lord concerning Paul’s life (Acts 9:10-18 NKJV).  In Vs13, Ananias answered, “Lord I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.” The Bible says that the Lord told Ananias that Paul is a choosen vessel and that he will bear “My name.”  Moreover the Lord professed, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” After Ananias laid hands on Paul the scales fell off  his eyes and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Beloved, God opened Paul’s spiritual eyes and set his soul afire for the word of the Lord.  So much so that Paul traveled from the road of Damascus to as far as Thessalonia to establish the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It was out of Paul’s own oppression and reports of Christian persecution of established churches that the letter to the Thessalonian church was written.  In Thessalonians 3:3 Paul tells the church, “ that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed for this.” Paul reminds the church that when he was with them before, how he told them Christians will have to suffer tribulation.

When God called Paul out of a sinful and rebellious life, He clearly told him that he would have to endure many hardships on this journey. However, when Paul accepted God’s invitation to be filled with the Holy Spirit that allotted him boldness and courage to defeat his enemies. Many of us may have started out like Paul on the road to Damascus: full of hate, judgment, bitterness, and autonomy. You may have let wrong thinking direct your life and because of it you have become your own worst enemy. Many people are living powerless and defeated simply because they have not accepted Christ, and/or asked the Holy Spirit to come into their lives. Paul’s letters still apply to us today, he warns us that as Christians we will be afflicted for the gospel’s sake, but saints it’s the Holy Spirit that will give us the strength to overcome any trial we face.

Repeat this prayer: “Holy spirit, I ask you to come into my heart and lead me. I release the spirit of negative thinking, anger, and bitterness right now. Direct my thoughts and my actions everyday, and help me to walk in a spirit of love towards myself as well as others, in Jesus’ name. Amen!”

Beloved, if we are to be triumphant in this Christian walk it will require diligently guarding our minds. In her book “Battlefield of the mind,” Joyce Meyer emphatically states that our mind is the battlefield. To proclaim victory over any area of our life we must first win the battle in our mind! We must renew our thinking! Whatever darts satan throw at us we can render them powerless by edifying ourselves daily in the word.

2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches us how to stand against the war that rages in the mind by “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

Moreover, Ephesians 4:31 admonishes us to “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.” Many people, unmindful, speak death over their lives by their words (Proverbs 18:21). I cannot tell you how many Christians make the mistake of speaking pessimistically regarding the affairs of their lives. Words flow out of the abundance of the heart (Luke 6:45)! Saints, we must get in the habit of speaking, in the name of Jesus, blessings over our lives no matter what it looks like in the physical realm. Lastly, along with renewing our mind, and guarding our tongue must ask God to purify our hearts. (Psalm 51:10).