Understanding the Enemy!

[Tina Tina]

Wonderful.Praise the Lord.

[Lastadams]

On 11/4/2019 at 12:38 AM, Heybro said:

Hi there Olaniyi, welcome to the forum, God bless.

Thanks admin

[Christdiedforoursins]

Thank you for posting this I can relate to the story .we wrestler not against flesh and blood but powers and principalities in heavenly realms.I see from your illustration how Satan got a foot hold in my relationships.except my story is far more complicated than the one illustrated.I think this applies to many situations when ever we are moving in the flesh and not the spirit.Jesus said we must take up our cross daily .it is written we must mortify the deeds of the flesh .and love not the things of the world .

[Deadworm]

I want to start a new thread related to this topic on why "the Enemy" often wins over devout Christians who seem to be doing everything right.  I have in mind a spiritual warfare group at a local evangelical Free Methodist church which contained 2 of the finest Christians I have never met.  The pastor was a godly man, who encouraged this group of 12+ prayer warriors, but their prayer vigils were used to drive out all but 2 of the 12 members and also the pastor in what seems to have been a victory for a supernatural display of evil.  Only 2 of the 12 (both of whom attend my weekly prayer group) even still attend church! 

 

The other area where Satan often seems to achieve victory is the murky distinction between mental illness and demonic possession and oppression.  I have seen well meaning Christians try to exorcise Christian schizophrenics, only to fail and make the disorder far worse.  In my own efforts to minister to the mentally ill, one guy knew the Bible as well as many ministers, read it regularly, and prayed regularly.  But his suffering from voices calling him "Satan" robbed his faith of all comfort and prevented him from believing that God really loved him anyway.  I have tried everything to help him restore his faith--in vain.  Now he is at the brink of death from congestive heart failure and I despair of how to help his family beyond simply praying for him and for them.  Another schizophrenic was shot by local police before I could get him the help (meds, etc.) he needed.  

I'm hoping that those of you with mental illness and others experienced in dealing with the mentally ill can offer helpful insights on how the situations I'll describe might have been handled differently.  Stay tuned for that thread.

[TheBlade]

Hi all still new here. Seems I might be going upstream.. yet am not. As I look at this my thinking with a huge smile is.. I don't know George  So .. I can be that ONE. 

 

 I think I would have got up and played this song "John Waller - Our God Reigns Here". <---if you don't know it.. give it play. Has to GO in JESUS NAME! 

1st let me say I understand what your talking about and agree. I disagree with "first thought of her husband -- planted by the enemy -- can you believe that your wife spent money on a dress?"  Some (not saying here) see demons in everything. Again I understand what your saying  We should not give any foot hold to the enemy. So having natural thoughts..questions or even getting mad.. are not wrong and not always from Satan. And we know ALL good things come from God. The word does not say do not let the sun go down upon your righteous anger. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Some things can if not put in check THEN be used by the enemy, open a door to the enemy. TV show, books, Internet.. 

Personally I don't think this was the best example. Now you understand when I said "new and don't know George and can be that one" lol. The enemy. Spot on George as in.. on so many Christian forums no matter the post.. its as if the ENEMY is not real at all.

Can I share something? ...well no one said anything so must be ok  If I told you my background and all the things I seen heard witnessed... well we know how to talk the talk. But when comes to face to face.. not this easy. My moms husband had cancer and for the 1st time in her life she said it would be nice if I was there. So we pack up all 4 of us and moved to where she was. We were staying with them. And remember I KNOW Jesus! The blood.. my authority so forth. Well one night late I got up to go to the bathroom. I get to the living room.. this black yet see through comes into the house from my right.. and is now passing infront of me and looks at me and goes through the house to my left (sorry not a good writer). The rest of the week I left the light on lol. Ever hear those STORIES where they say how they just knew what you were thinking? You never had to open your mouth? I take them with a grain of salt...but

Well this was the strange part. I knew what IT was thinking. As it looked at me "I am nothing" I didn't matter to it at all. Oh they FEAR Christ. But they only flee when they know that you know that you know your right your authority IN Christ Jesus. That is HIM not you.  So I tell my mom she said this "Oh thats just death hes been hanging around for a while". Amen.. understanding the enemy

[JacquelineDeane55]

RGR, you are so funny. You are just now of driving age? Please, everyone knows that when people turn 16 they begin to learn to drive.

My driving instructor was a crude man and my mom did not like him.

I knew how to drive once. Its been such along time though so I don't remember how to anymore...

Edited January 12, 2020 by JacquelineDeane55

[LeepForJoy]

On 12/9/2003 at 9:28 PM, George said:

I'm going to take anothe side road to address an issue that is often never talked about.

 

Spiritual Pride

 

The enemy loves to fill us with pride. Pride is the one sin that is often neglected when discussing how the enemy binds us up! Proverbs discusses the dangers of pride in a very real manner.

 

 

 

The enemy wants to destroy you, and your testimony. So he loves to use your zeal for the Lord and to place a root of pride from within so that he can bring forth destruction upon you. Remember that he wants to rob, kill, and destroy!

 

What kind of thoughts does the enemy use? "Oh you are so much smarter than he is!" "Oh you are so holy -- look at the way those Christians live!" "Oh you are so spiritual -- you really have the anointing!" "You don't need to learn from another person!"

 

Then there's the thoughts the enemy uses that starts cults? "Oh you are special and I have giving you special knowledge and I have chosen you for a special assignment!" This is not to say that if you have this kind of thought, that it's not from the Spirit of God, but you also have to recognize that this is the exact same kinds of thoughts the enemy would also use to lead someone astray. Remember that you are commanded by the Spirit of God to TEST ALL THINGS!

 

 

 

To fend off spiritual pride -- remember to always compare yourself with God's holiness and His righteousness! DON'T compare yourselves with another person!

 

 

 

Be as Isaiah was -- a true prophet of the Lord and what happened when he was in the presence of God!

 

 

 

The enemy wants to puff you up! Recognize the difference between the Spirit of God and the false spirits. The Spirit of God will push you to be more humble, whereas the enemy wants to puff you up!

 

 

 

Recognize the tactics of the enemy -- clothe yourselves in humility! Oh the Lord wants to do great things in your life -- but to do them he needs a vessel that is HUMBLE!

 

Your brother in Messiah with much agape love,

 

George

Thank you Brother George for this post.  I know it was from many years ago, but, at the moment, for my family, this specific issue has been plaguing our family for over two years now.  What started over 3 years ago as a search to find the reason for my wifes extreme fatigue, and occasional unprovoked fits of rage, has become something, much, much, more.  She claims that Jesus came to her, and told her that this sickness was due to "attackers", who plant these machines releasing chemicals in our cars, house; and they use sirens and car horns to mask the machine noise.  But she believes it's a much bigger attack, the whole town basically, and God plans to use this, and her faith in what Jesus told her to turn lots of lives to Jesus.  But, our family life has been stagnant for two years, we have two kids that need their Mom, and a husband that is at his wits end.  God has used this to strengthen my faith in Him, to seek the truth in the Word, but no matter what Word I bring to light to her, she has an excuse how this situation is different.  This storm in our lives has been going on for a long, long, time, and spiritual pride is at the heart of it.  Even though she spends many hours in the day in either a devotion, or the Word, I feel like her eyes are not open to truth.  I cannot get her to go before an elder, and I cannot even get her to go back to Church.  Oh how I have prayed, and pleaded, and gave, and gave myself to her sickness, working and taking care of kids, meals, etc, and even taking a month off to find a doctor that has answers.  Spiritual pride is just completely real in my life right now, and I felt moved to express how blind we can become with it.  I continue to pray that God will move on this, and break these chains.

[Logostician]

I never say I believe in Satan.  I say that believe that he is. Isa 14 and Eze 28 give short biographies of Satan.  They emphasize that he was given extraordinary gifts by God, became prideful to the point of leaving God, and faces certain destruction here are some observations:

Satan is intelligent and crafty, yet he is the biggest fool of eternity.  As a covering cherubim, he gazed on the beauty of God constantly, and yet chose to leave.  He is guaranteed certain death in the lake of fire.  He is a dead man walking who fights a war he is sure to lose.

Satan was given power by God as an angel of the Lord and has been allowed to retain power to test/tempt mankind.  The primary power he has is temptation which is the same thing that caused his fall, and which he used on Adam and Eve to cause their fall, and all of mankind within them.  But God gave us his power to resist temptation.  James 4:7 says to submit yourselves to God..resist Satan, and he will flee from you.  By simply calling on the power of Jesus, we defeat Satan.  The name of Jesus alone is power.

Satan can only possess what is given to him.  He cannot take anything.  If a person opens himself up to Satan, he will reap what he sows.  But anyone who loves Jesus is sealed.  The Spirit of God is in him, and the Spirit will not share that space with anything impure.  Satan can tempt from outside, but cannot invade this space.

Jesus knows his own, and protects them.  In Luke 22:31, Jesus tells Peter that Satan has desired to sift him like wheat.  Jesus and our heavenly father will not allow it.  1 Cor 10:13 says that Jesus will never allow you to be tempted beyond what is bearable.  Jas 1:15 says temptation leads to sin, which leads to death.  But if we utilize the power of Jesus in us, we disarm Satan from the outset.  He is powerless against us.

Everyone chooses their course in life.  Even those who choose not to choose have chosen.  Ultimately, you are either with Jesus or against him.  Satan made the wrong choice.  He is a dead man walking.  We have made the right choice.  We will live forever with God.  We are the wise ones for attending to the wisdom of God.  We are the powerful ones, because the power of God is given to us, and lives in us.  The Lord is our Shepherd, who shall we fear?  There is no reason to fear any man, or demon, or ringleader of demons.  We have already won, because Jesus won.

Secure you own house by building it on the firm rock that is Jesus.  Then you can help others off the shifting sand of worldliness and out of the firey destruction it will lead to.

Here is a simple prayer if you are ever oppressed (not possessed) by demons:

Help me Jesus.

Repeat as necessary.

He will fight for you.  He will win your battle for you.  We have already won.

[Fathom Stranger]

Thank you for your comments, George. We are to put on the full armor of God indeed. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12, KJV). I think of the illustration of Paul in his own life with his battle between the flesh and the spirit. (Galatians 5:17). Since we struggle with the flesh and the spirit at every waking moment, we ask ourselves: Which one is going to win out? The easy answer: The one we feed the most, of course. (Courtesy of Dr. Tim LaHaye).

The enemy knows how get at our hot buttons and target our weaknesses. He knows our battleground and that battleground is the world, the flesh and the devil. (Galatians 5:16-17; Ephesians 6:1; 2 Corinthians 10:5). Furthermore, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, as subsets of our source of struggles, further complicates our day to day affairs. (1 John 2:15-17). So, yes, our battle is not ours and ours alone to fight. The phrase, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," comes to mind as it relates to the passage of Matthew 10:16: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Of course, this is accomplished by faithfully studying the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 immediately comes to mind along with Acts 17:11 and 1 John 4 as other brief passages of mind. The enemy does not play fair and is not a respecter of persons. He will hope to divide and conquer at any opportunity in a moment's notice. (1 Peter 5:8). "The Strategy of Satan" by Warren W. Wiersbe puts everything in its proper perspective in how the adversary targets our weak spots (i.e., chinks in our armor) in whatever means he can to bring us down. Be it the mind, the body, the will, the heart and conscience. Through any compromised areas or strongholds to exploit, that is. So, don't give him a beachhead, right? Don't give the enemy a reason or an excuse. We need to put on the full armor of God and pounce on every thought at every turning moment indeed. Unfortunately, this has become a constant for believers these days! Thank you again, George. I appreciate the encouraging thoughts. God bless.  

Edited March 17, 2020 by Fathom Stranger
Changed one word from 'you' to 'your.' Sorry otherwise.

[warrior12]

31 minutes ago, Fathom Stranger said:

Don't give the enemy a reason or an excuse. We need to put on the full armor of God and pounce on every thought at every turning moment indeed. Unfortunately, this has become a constant for believers these days! Thank you again, George. I appreciate the encouraging thoughts. God bless.  

And Thank you sir/miss.  Your post is right on the money and I can tell you have been through those battles and understand what Ephesians 6  is conveying to the saints .  One thing I would add is, sometime you may stumble in situation and feel that you have betrayed the Lord by your error.  In times like this, the enemy comes to plant fear and as they are spiritual things, with no one touching your physical frame, you may feel depressed.   Then you have to go back to  t he promises of the Lord with repentance and seek his face to strengthen you to get up and move on, not to stay down.  

In time as these warfare ensues, you would gain experience and your faith would be courageous even more.  In looking back you would see the hand of the Lord that was with you in those trials and troubles.  Saints has to press on, no matter the circumstances like Christian in John Bunyan "Pilgrims Progress".   Love that allegory as it demonstrate the Christian life in reality.