Overcoming Spiritual Attack: Identify and Break Eight Common Symptoms

PUPPETS

Chapter One

WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL ATTACK?

THERE ARE OCCASIONAL bumps in the road of life, but how do we know the difference between a challenging day, a difficult season, or an actual spiritual attack? How do we open our spiritual eyes to see what is happening and overcome it?

Have you experienced times when you felt like everything that could go wrong was going wrong? You find yourself overwhelmed and bombarded on all fronts. In the midst of multiple crisis situations your mind seems heavy, your body tired, and your spirit dull. You want to pray, and you try to pray, but it seems as though your mouth is filled with chalk and the words fall on hard ground to no avail!

There are fires burning all around you, but you’re not sure which one to put out first. It seems hard to believe that so many things could be going wrong at the same time. Part of you wants to ignore what you’re facing, part of you wants to fight like a mad warrior, and part of you feels as if you are drowning in a sea of despair. All these descriptions are signs of a spiritual attack. As believers we often live between the tension of two kingdoms:

• The kingdom of light. God’s kingdom is filled with purpose and destiny for our lives. God, our loving Father, has created such good plans for us! As we walk with Him, the reality of our position in His kingdom becomes clear, as described in Philippians 3:20: But our citizenship is in heaven, from where also we await for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We grow wiser concerning spiritual attacks and learn to identify clear victory strategies.

• The kingdom of darkness. The devil who leads this world is a dethroned being who really has no authority in our lives. He displays an unusual determination to corrupt and destroy humanity. He is persistent and relentless, continually bombarding the lives of people. This fallen angel named Satan (Luke 10:18) continues to attack, lie, and invade with the intent of crushing God’s purposes for our lives.

The reality is that there is an invisible realm all around us. We may live and move in the natural realm, but we all are citizens of the spiritual realm as well. One of the great deceptions the devil uses is convincing people he does not exist. It is an effective weapon because a spiritual attack must be recognized before it can be conquered. Many other individuals are walking around blinded by the lies of the enemy. He has silenced their discernment, blocked their weaponry, and moved in under the cover of darkness.

WE CANNOT IGNORE OUR ENEMY

But, as believers, we are given discernment to know his purposes and schemes (2 Cor. 2:11). It’s time for us to open our eyes, discover the real invader, and put him on the run! We cannot adopt the strategy of the ostrich and bury our heads in the sand, somehow hoping that if we just pretend nothing is going on, the attack will cease. This is the warfare plan many misguided Christians embrace. They follow the lead of the ostrich and refuse to acknowledge the existence and work of the devil.

Every time I write, preach, or share any type of message about spiritual warfare, critics raise their voices. Why are you acknowledging the enemy? they’ll ask. Why talk about him? Why focus on him? Other things they say are less kind. They seem to feel as though it is a sin to expound on the strategies of the enemy.

It is a really ridiculous argument to me. Imagine a general with the greatest army and all the military advantages on his side choosing to ignore his enemy because his opponent’s weapons and military are inferior. The general decides he will pretend his enemy does not exist. He will hope and pray that nothing happens and will simply try to think positively.

I know what you are thinking: That is ridiculous! I agree with you, but that is the approach so many in the church advocate. They want to ignore the devil, pretending he is not there.

This is not a strategy for victory! Jesus did not ignore the works of hell. In fact, He plundered hell and terrorized the devil everywhere He went. There was not a day in Jesus’s earthly ministry that He was not harassing the devil. Luke describes one such clash:

He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the crowd marveled. But some of them said, He casts out demons through Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. Others, testing Him, asked Him for a sign from heaven.

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is made desolate. And a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons through Beelzebub. Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, no doubt the kingdom of God has come upon you.

—LUKE 11:14–20

Jesus’s ministry brought terror to the courts of hell. When He showed up, the enemy was not only exposed but also kicked out. Jesus cast the devil out of the mute man in Luke 11, and the man’s tongue was loosed to speak and to glorify God. Immediately accusations and persecution arose against Jesus. This is the same thing we see manifesting all around us today.

When a minister deals with the powers of hell, people become nervous, afraid, and even offended. These reactions are a manifestation of the kingdom of darkness that are intended to keep people imprisoned. Jesus revealed that breaking the power of the enemy and manifesting the kingdom of God is a revelation of the finger of God. He showed that part of His divine authority and nature is to displace the works of hell.

Some religious people will claim that acknowledging the existence of spiritual warfare empowers the enemy. He didn’t seem much empowered in the verses of Luke 11! I know there are those in the church who put too much attention on the power of the enemy, and I believe you can get out of balance by constantly focusing on evil spirits. The truth is this: there is a real devil who desires to kill, steal, and destroy. He has literal plans to execute against the children of God. If we do not properly understand his mode of operation, he will launch successful attacks against us.

PREPARATION REQUIRES PRAYER

Even Jesus did not go up against His enemy spiritually unprepared. His life, and therefore His ministry, was built on the bedrock of prayer. Our first and primary pursuit also must be the Father. But notice what Jesus’s earthly ministry looked like after He came out of prayer and began to travel:

In the morning, rising up a great while before sunrise, He went out and departed to a solitary place. And there He prayed. Simon and those who were with Him followed Him, and when they found Him, they said to Him, Everyone is searching for You. He said to them, Let us go into the nearby towns, that I may preach there also. For that is why I have come. So He preached in their synagogues throughout Galilee and cast out demons.

—MARK 1:35–39

Jesus cast out demons. He tore down the kingdom of darkness and ripped down the false altars. He plowed through the layers of deception, fear, and torment He encountered in people, releasing them from years of captivity.

YOU ARE CALLED FOR A PURPOSE

Satan has no good plans, and he launches no gentle attacks! He is an invading force that desires to steal the blessings of God in your life. It takes relentless faith to counteract his schemes and plunder his gates. We are not called to be passive participants in the kingdom. We are called to be aggressive pursuers of the promises of God. We must be unafraid not only to confront the enemy but also to break his power.

Bishop George Bloomer, founding pastor of Bethel Family Worship Center in Durham, North Carolina, writes in his book Spiritual Warfare: Because we often do not realize the degree of Satan’s cunning ingenuity, we are frequently unprepared for the battle we are called to fight against him and his dark forces. Consequently, we end up living defeated lives, thereby not fulfilling the ministry to which God has called us.¹

Each believer must come to the realization that he is called to be an effective citizen of the kingdom. Every Christian has a purpose. Each of us has a ministry. The problem is that many people do not understand that ministry is all around us. Being a godly father is a ministry. Being a successful mother is a ministry. Being an intercessor is a ministry. Building a thriving business that employs people in the community, funds the gospel, and is led by integrity is a ministry. Working in media to develop quality art and convey a sound message is a ministry.

It is easy to look at those standing on a large stage, sharing the Word of God, as ministers. I certainly honor and appreciate all those who give their lives to preaching and teaching the Word. I believe wholeheartedly in the five ministry gifts and callings (Eph. 4:11–12), but I also know that each believer is commissioned by God to do something of significance in the earth.

Significance cannot and must not be measured by the size of its reach or the accolades of men. Rewards are measured not by the size of your gift or volume of your impact but by the stewardship of your talents. Jesus’s parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14–30) shows us that it was the servants’ stewardship of what had been entrusted to them that was either commended or rebuked. Their rewards had nothing to do with how great their gifts were.

Spiritual attacks come to knock each believer out of his assigned place. The wicked one and his despicable minions work in concerted effort to bind, hinder, and confuse our sense of purpose. If we do not wake up and properly recognize what is happening, then their plans will prosper and we will miss our reward. We cannot afford to allow that.

A PERSONAL ATTACK BROKEN

Once I made a decision that seemed wise but would later turn out to be disastrous. Some new friends had come into my life, and I decided to share a business idea that I had with them. After a series of events we found ourselves in business together in what seemed like a great endeavor. This was such a great opportunity. I was looking for ways to create streams of income in order to be equipped for the ministry. Our fledgling enterprise began to take off, and in no time at all it was rapidly growing. I was so excited!

There was just one problem; I was working with people who began to manifest bad character traits. I had to make some tough decisions. I could either violate my own convictions and breach integrity, or I would deeply offend those with whom I was working. I could not imagine going against my gut in this situation and abandoning the road of character. I had given up so much to step out in faith into the ministry, leaving many comforts behind. Why would I put all that on the line to make somebody else happy? I took a bold stand and was met with fierce resistance.

The process of building a new business turned from joy to sorrow very quickly. There were extreme manifestations of anger and accusation. During several confrontations I was concerned that things were escalating far beyond the boundaries of a normal disagreement. Throughout this conflict it was as though a heavy cloud of grieving and disappointment was hanging over my life. The lingering dispute went beyond just a typical misunderstanding. I found myself questioning all of the decisions that I had made in realigning my life with the purposes of God.

I had relocated as a result of an encounter I had with the voice of the Lord. Had I missed it? Did I not clearly hear from God? Were there really righteous people living in the kingdom, or was everyone living a double standard like these people? Were my prayers effective, and was there a way out? Should I just give up and retreat? These were all weighty questions blazing across my mind. The worst part was that I seemed overwhelmed and foggy. I desperately needed direction, and I needed it fast. I could not go on in this confused and weary state. My joy seemed diminished and my hope depleted.

On Wednesday evening I attended service after work. I had been in a toxic atmosphere all day filled with conflict and uncertainty, not knowing what to do. I have always functioned at my best when I have a clear word and direction from the Lord, but in the midst of this attack those things seemed to be fleeting. As I arrived at the evening meeting, my heart was heavy and my mind overwhelmed. They announced that they were going to do Communion. I love to receive the Lord’s Supper, but on this particular occasion I desperately needed a breakthrough. I needed someone to pray over me. I was so hungry to hear from God. It seemed to me that probably that would not happen during a Communion service. The atmosphere is usually focused on receiving the Lord’s Supper and not on personal ministry. When it came time, the leaders asked people to line up and come to a table in the front to receive the elements. Two ministers were serving the Communion in the midst of a strong spirit of worship. I walked through the line, and suddenly one of the ministers began to pray at the Communion table and release a prophetic word over me about the attack that I had been under! The power of God hit me, and I began to weep from deep within. In a moment the weight of the attack was being confronted by the power of God. That day the evil plan of the enemy was broken at the Communion table.

In the days after that prayer the Lord dramatically delivered me from the situation and reversed the attack. There was supernatural restoration on every front, and I was propelled forth in the assignment that God had for me. I learned many valuable lessons during this time of trial that have continued to help me in the years since.

WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL ATTACK?

One lesson is that we cannot overcome a hidden adversary. Without properly understanding spiritual attacks, we cannot break free and enjoy the many blessings of the kingdom of God.

We’ll begin our study by stating what a spiritual attack is:

A spiritual attack is a series of events coordinated by the demonic realm to oppress a believer, abort promises, shipwreck faith, and stall out destiny.

The kingdom of darkness aligns accusations, plans, persecution, and circumstances to move the believer outside his destiny and assigned place in God’s kingdom. Its evil forces move with great strength and stealth. Their goal is to operate under cover, just as an invading power would when entering the airspace of another nation. They do all they can to remain undetected. Why? you may ask. The answer is simple: if the enemy can remain under cover, then his maneuvers can continue. The element of surprise and the art of hidden warfare are key elements of successful battle strategy.

A person under attack feels as though he is living in his own personal storm. He often wakes up tired and stressed before his feet hit the floor. It is as though a storm cloud is following him from place to place. In one sense this is exactly what is happening because there are actual spirits involved that are buffeting the person on all fronts.

The best picture of a spiritual attack is that of a fierce and sudden cyclone that is released in the peaceful life of a believer. One of the chief differences between a spiritual attack and the average challenges of daily life is the strategic nature of the events and how they unfold. The kingdom of darkness has methodically studied your life in order to painstakingly plan and execute a customized attack designed for maximum impact. A spiritual attack is by no means a random series of events!

Under its intense pressure you begin to question what is going on or whether you have done something to cause your life to spiral out of control. During these conflicting circumstances people around you may begin to manifest anger, hostility, or frustration. Unfortunately the friends and family who typically stand with you in times of crisis may seem to be the very ones who are making things worse. Questions race through your mind: Can anyone relate to the mess that is taking place in my life? Has anyone else navigated this bumpy road before?

ZIKLAG WILL REVEAL WHAT’S INSIDE

The Bible describes an incident in which David’s enemies successfully executed a secret mission against him and the men who were loyal to him. It was a surprise attack, sudden and devastating, and it struck at everything the men held dear in life:

Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had raided the south as far as Ziklag. They had struck Ziklag