Saturday 14 July 2018

How do I know when... *1

How do I know when... I'm being oppressed by the enemy?

Spiritual oppression is when the enemy is allowed to get close enough to affect a believer.  It has a purpose in God that we are not always clear about.  One thing is clear:  we can get into all sorts of problems if we don't detect a spiritual attack.  Here are 5 indications you are being oppressed spiritually.  Its not the only 5 and certainly not a defining comment. 

1.  The 'skies' are not clear.  Eph 6

Often a believer can readily think of the Lord, their church family and the blessings they have and rejoice.  Even in trials we can think of the way the Lord has blessed us, firstly with salvation.  The readiness of this sense of joy, I call 'clear skies.'   When we experience this sense disappear and it's hard to even muster up a prayer, it could be spiritual oppression / attack.  We all have flat days but when oppression is occurring we feel genuinely fogged up about how we relate to the Lord and peripheral matters.  The skies are not clear!  Many churches teach that we can somehow make a difference by binding this and that but the Biblical response to all this is to 'stand.'  Paul tells us in Ephesians that a day of evil will come and we must set ourselves up to wear God's armour.  This armour is steadfast understanding and assurance of 6 things:
  • Truth
  • Righteousness
  • Peace
  • Faith
  • Salvation
  • God's word
These things need to be understood as second nature by believers because these are the focus of the enemies attack.  When we stand in steadfast surety of these elements it is like armour.  The enemy wants these elements to become unclear and foggy and when we are being attacked it will be these elements that come into his cross hairs.  Paul says to 'stand' and pray.  Clear skies are coming!

2. The devil tries to form division Phil 4:8

For no reason we can think of, we experience a nagging negativity about others.  It's a niggling sense of discomfort often coupled with accusations forming in our heads.    Sometimes we have thoughts about others and come to wrong conclusions based upon how we feel during spiritual attack.  The aim of the devil, who is basically a frustrated politician, is to bring about disunity and fractures within the family, be that actual, or spiritual family.  

One of the best tricks the devil uses is half truths.  There's no point telling an absolute whopper that you can see straight through!  The enemy can craftily have us concocting stories and conclusions from strands of truth.  When we find ourselves coming to dark conclusion about others, we need to examine our thoughts in the light of 'loving our neighbour' or we are being lied to.  The Lord does not deal with others by bringing us into dark conclusions or accusations.  It is the enemy who weaves his plans to steal kill and destroy into our minds.   How do we combat this?  When we find ourselves in a cul-de-sac of negativity turn to scripture... Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

3. We are accused and lied to about self  Eph 1

Another strategy of the enemy is to lie and accuse us about us!  Often we don't need the enemy to give ourselves a hard time but it is his speciality to have believers defeated by accusing them of their sinfulness and things from the past.  This is one of the destructive things about sin... it gives the devil ammunition!  The devil has a field day ripping into us about our failures, our devotion to the Lord and our daily walk.  One way I defend myself against this is by reminding myself of the truth about my salvation:   

When I became a believer I was accepted and adopted by the Father and he did this with total awareness about what he was taking on.  The Father has been pleased to give me the kingdom and has done so with all wisdom and understanding. So when I find myself in need of forgiveness because of sin I take it very seriously and keep short accounts with the Lord.  But what I don't do is imagine the Lord is impatient and fed up with me.  God knows the total dimensions of my sinful potential, much better than I do!  So the Lord is not surprised that I have messed up.  The enemy will give the impression that I'm a total failure and have damaged the relationship with the Father incalculably.  What the Lord expects is for us to go to Him and repent.  Then pick up our cross and carry on.   

4. We are being utilised by the Lord 2 Tim 1:11-12

If you are being utilised by the Lord, we should expect the attack of the enemy.  One believer said the enemy has no authority to attack them!  Seems strange to me that the Apostle Paul was attacked from 'outside forces' right there and then as he wrote 2 Timothy!  The greater the calling or sending, the bigger attack!    The honour of the Lord involving us in His work is amazing and we can rise up with thanks and gratefulness that he can and will issue forth through us in some way.  Don't fall into a trap thinking its only the leaders who are being utilised.  Being a Christian is, before you've done anything, a pushing back of the forces of darkness.  As we walk in the Spirit we are resisting the Spirit of Antichrist that has gone forth into the earth.  Being on God's side is enough to get the dark forces riled.  Good!



5. People say or do things that are really odd!  

Where the devil tries to divide us as in (2) above, he can also cause people to do and say things.  On more than a few occasions people have said or done things that add to the occasion of being attacked by the enemy.  I've had people say things that could never have been in their knowledge, yet they come forth with words to make the burden even harder.  With the weariness and exhaustion that comes with spiritual attack, it feels right to unleash on the people but we are not at war with people as Ephesians 6:12 affirms.  It is also tempting to live in fear of people and their words.  We may also get an option of a person who has clearly been manipulated by the enemy.   A whole world of drama can come from building a profile of a person based on this.  Resist!  

Much of this comes in on the blind side.  Being in proximity to the Lord, praying, imbibing God's word and being around your brothers and sisters is God's plan for survival during these times.  The enemy's strategy varies person to person but it will always include stopping you going to church, neglecting the Bible, distraction away from praying and feeling like the Lord can't help you.  

Hope this helps.  

Gary Ward


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