Today I want to talk to you about a topic that can be pretty intimidating if it’s not something that you’ve really looked into, or not something that you’re familiar with already. The topic of spiritual attacks and how to recognize if you are under spiritual attack is something that I know for me, personally, used to leave me feeling very intimidated. Just the concept of it was intimidating, because it sounds so heavy and dark and scary. But, before I say anything else, I want to say that it doesn’t have to be.
Do you realize that the reason God sent Jesus to die on the cross was to give us a victory over the enemy? That is HUGE. That means we don’t have to be afraid of the enemy. That means that means we’re not subject to the torture and the torment that he tries to put upon us. So, while it seems overwhelming and intimidating and scary, when you start digging in and seeking God in this- when you start looking at what scripture says, then it becomes less and less scary the more you realize who you are and the authority that you have in Christ; the power that comes from heaven (from God Himself) and the power that has already come from Jesus dying on a cross and from His blood covering your sins.
Let’s talk a little bit about what spiritual attacks are and what to do about them.
Did you know that not every thought that comes into your head is your own? The Holy Spirit can speak to us in our thoughts and so can the enemy. That means it’s important to learn to recognize what thoughts are coming from where. The best way to do that is to really dig into God’s Word. We’ve talked in previous videos about how important it is to read your Bible as if you are sharpening your sword, because that is exactly what you’re doing. Scripture calls the Bible the sword of the Spirit because that is how you can stand your ground against the enemy- by claiming what promises are in Scripture and also claiming the truth from Scripture.
Scripture says that satan is the father of lies. He’s a liar and the father of lies. It also says he’s the accuser and that is one quick way of determining what is from the enemy, because when you’re recognizing thoughts that are blaming and thoughts that are lies and they’re not reflecting what is consistent with God’s truth, who God says He is, and who God says you are, then you know that’s not a voice that’s from God. You know that’s a voice that originated from the enemy. There are times when those thoughts can become so overpowering and they feel so real even though that’s not what scripture says. You can test that spirit and ask God to reveal to you what the truth is. Put on that belt of truth and ask Him to reveal to you what the truth is and He’s going to do it.
Scripture also says that when you ask for wisdom, He’s going to give it to you. That comes in James 1:5. If you ask for wisdom, He’s going to give you that. He’s going to grant you that wisdom and when you have it, you can better discern what is God’s truth and what’s not.
I have found it so fascinating over the years that pretty much every client that I have had will tell me what they believe is true and on the other hand, what “feels” true. They even use that language, “well it feels like…” and then they’ll go on with whatever the thought is.
They’ll describe situations where they’re basing their actions and reactions on what feels true in that moment. They’ll tell me that it feels like their spouse doesn’t love them, or it feels like they’re not enough. When we actually start digging into that and asking, “well, what you believe is true? What does scripture say is true? What is it that is actually true even if it doesn’t feel true? They can tell you the opposite and true thought.
It’s been fascinating to me. I realized not too long ago that the reason that is it because those things can have a spiritual nature. When there is a spiritual influence that’s attacking you and you feel overwhelmed by those negative emotions and you have those thoughts pop in your head, you may think, “where did that even come from??”
Maybe that thought wasn’t yours.
The more you seek God’s face, the more you seek Him and seek to understand Him, the more you’re going to be able to recognize what thoughts are healthy, what thoughts are good for you, and what’s not.
Romans 12:2 says do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is. His good pleasing and perfect will.
When you’re renewing your mind daily, when you are asking God to reveal the wisdom to you and discernment, and to help you to be able to know what is truth, then He’s going to do that.
Renewing your mind regularly, catching those negative thoughts, and recognizing where those may be coming from can help you be able to test and approve what God’s will actually is and what’s of him.
Jeremiah 33:3 says call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
In Ephesians, chapter 4, we read some verses that can help you identify thoughts that are certainly not of God, because we are told very clearly to get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, along with every form of malice, and it says to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ, God forgave you. Those are verses 31 and 32. So you know that if you are dwelling in bitterness, rage, anger, wanting to fight and slander others, malice and all of those negative, painful, hurtful emotions- those are not godly. Those are not things that are coming from the Holy Spirit. So when those thoughts are there, that’s a that’s a big warning sign that maybe there’s a spiritual attack going on.
Those things are not of God. When you recognize those and recognize thoughts that are not in alignment with what God’s Word says, that’s not who He has called us to be. Then you can check that and say, “oh, okay, that’s not that’s not the direction I need to be going.” Then, renew your mind again and say, “God I need you to help me renew my mind today so I can focus on things that are pleasing to you.” Just like in Philippians 4:8. It says, “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.” Those are where you choose to dwell with your thoughts. That’s where you choose to focus your thoughts because those are the things that are rooted in God’s love and God’s truth and that points back to him every time.
You know that those thoughts are going to be pointing back to God, and that’s a way to get away from from the enemy’s attacks.
When you’re trying to learn to recognize what the spiritual attacks look like, the first thing you want to do is ask God for wisdom. Ask him to open your eyes and give you the wisdom and discernment you need to be able to recognize when those attacks hit. Next, when you’re feeling overwhelmed, if you’re feeling emotions that you know are not of God, if it’s the enemy’s voice, it’s going to be focusing on accusations and lies about you, who God is, or who God says that you are in Him. It’s going to be focused on things like unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, rage and all of those things and more. You can learn to recognize that when you feel overwhelmed by those emotions, the thoughts attached to those emotions are probably from the enemy, so it’s about learning to recognize those and shifting gears to what is described in Philippians 4:8, like we just read.
When you’re focusing on those things and acknowledging whatever doesn’t line up and what is not consistent with what God’s truth says, that’s when you get past the spiritual attack. If you are under attack spiritually, the thoughts that come into your head are going to be focused on lies, accusations, bitterness, resentment, rage, wanting to fight, malice, any of those things and more because that’s how the enemy operates. He’s going to try to manipulate you and use you as a pawn to stir up trouble. When you’re seeing a lot of conflict in the relationships around you, those are probably rooted in the enemy’s lies and that’s something to learn to recognize, then to be able to separate yourself from that and recognize that if someone is attacking you, there is a spiritual influence there. It’s not necessarily anything at all about you.
Spiritual attacks are not rooted in logic. You can’t argue with a spirit of pride, you can’t argue with a spiritual attack, because it is not true. Scripture says Satan is a liar and the father of lies, and when you’re trying to argue with someone who is under attack, it’s probably not going to get you very far. But, if you’re turning that over to God and asking God to defend you and vindicate you, that makes a huge difference.
Learning to recognize when the enemy is attacking you, learning to recognize those emotions that you’re feeling are true and comparing those to what God says is true and be able to shift gears like that- that’s how you overcome the spiritual attacks. Learning who you are in Christ, asking God to reveal truths to you about your spiritual authority in the name of Jesus Christ, and being able to stand your ground wearing your spiritual armor.
When you are praising God- when you are acknowledging who He is and acknowledging the truth and verbalizing that in song or in speech, that’s what contradicts the enemy’s lies, and that’s what gets you out of that. If you feel like you are under spiritual attack, praise God! Praise Him by singing songs of praise and by quoting scripture out loud. Use the words of your mouth.
Scripture says that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. Words are powerful. They really are! Learn to praise God anyway.
If you want support while you are learning how to put on your spiritual armor and learn who you are in Christ as a daughter of the King, I encourage you to check out diggingdeeper.everydayincredible.net. We have a support group there where we work together to get in the habit of renewing our minds daily and being able to focus on God’s truth as we learn to stand our ground against the enemy, and as we learn to find balance in our overall life by finding our spiritual wellness in Christ- by finding our spiritual freedom in Christ.
You can also find us on Facebook. We have a group called Every Day Incredible Ladies: finding Christ-centered life balance.
I encourage you to come and join in the conversation there. Share your testimony because that’s how we overcome, and we encourage one another.
Also remember, there are opportunities every day, so make every day incredible!