Author | Speaker | Encourager

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Are We Influenced By Demons?

goat-50290_640How do we walk connected to God’s goodness?

There are basic truths we agree on when we become a Jesus follower.

But beyond that security, what promises from Him are unfulfilled in our lives? And why?

How do we grab hold and walk in the freedom, the joy, the fullness that is supposed to be ours (Rom 15:13)?

I wonder if freedom becomes hindered when we don’t look beyond our natural vision.

There is a spiritual realm. Many of us ignore it, or only catch glimpses of it when we read scripture about a spiritual dimension we’ve never seen or experienced. Often because we don’t know what to do with it. Talk of the demonic scares us. And most of us haven’t been taught how to use our authority or the weapons described in the Bible (Eph 6:10-17, 2Cor 10:3-5).

We are most comfortable with the seen realm. What we can see, hear, smell, taste and touch. But what if the unseen realm is just as real (or more so) than the realm we live in?

Have you considered how real God is? He created both the seen and the unseen. And He dwells in the unseen. Would He dwell in a realm that is less real than the one we live in?

God is Spirit, so why do we think the unseen spirit realm doesn’t affect us?

Is it possible that we experience the influence of the spirit realm on a daily basis in ways we are completely unaware?

Have you noticed that the Fruit of God’s Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) are also emotions that we experience (Gal. 5:22,23)?

So isn’t it possible that another kind of spirit can affect our emotions as well?

Demonic Influence

Have you ever acted on a negative emotion and later had the baffling thought, “That wasn’t me.” But then shame comes flying in and condemns us, so we don’t look much beyond that thought for answers.

When my kids were young, my primary struggle was against fear, control and anger. Not great parenting tools. Those three emotions ruled so much of my thought life and influenced so many of my actions.

What I didn’t know was I was making it easy for the enemy to keep me in bondage (Hosea 4:6). Because I was battling myself. I hated those parts of myself—–the fear that ruled so many of my thoughts, the control that kept my family under my thumb and the anger that dominated my parenting at times.

I believed I needed to fight those parts of myself. But victory never came. I would work really hard to walk in love, to control what came out of my mouth and for a while I’d look like I was winning the battle against control and anger, and then something would push me over the edge and I’d lose it.

I didn’t know that I wasn’t my own adversary. That there wasn’t necessarily a part of me that needed to be conquered and brought into submission. I didn’t know the real battle was against the unseen realm.

How do we miss what Paul tried to tell us in Ephesians 6:12?

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood…but against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

I am flesh and blood. And this verse tells me that I am not the enemy. But there is a wicked enemy that we need to learn to stand against.

harnisch-211540_640What would we think of a battle scene in which the hero is surrounded by the enemy, but instead of using his weapons on them…he uses them against himself? Beating himself up. Hating himself. While the enemy continues to thrust their swords and cut him, driving arrows into his heart…and he never once fights back.

That pictures makes me want to cry. So many of us beat ourselves up when it is only our agreement with the enemy that needs to be broken.

When the enemy plants thoughts and we don’t reject them, but actually go along (agree) with them, we’ve opened a door to negative (demonic) emotions that invite more demonic collusion against us.

We can intentionally break agreements with sadness, anger, self-pity and the like. Those thoughts and feelings are not us, but when the enemy gets us to believe them…then he has us. And we lose the joy and peace Jesus has for us.

Prayer

Father God, I break agreements with the enemy’s lies in my life. I break agreements with fear and doubt (insert any negative emotion). I release it from my life. I release all the trauma these spirits have caused to my soul and to my body. I receive Your healing and Your freedom. Open my eyes to the lies the enemy feeds me. Help me to break the cycle of agreement in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Here are some resources to help you on your journey to freedom:


Photos via Pixabay

2 Responses to “Are We Influenced By Demons?”

  1. kody

    Oh you’re sprecken now. One thing that helps identify the enemy’s lies is to remember God’s promises. That and have a good friend that will point out the lies for what they are.

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