Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you. —James 4:7, NIV
“Recently I hosted an impromptu Q&A with my extended family about the satanic attacks they personally experience. Over Thanksgiving dinner no less—don’t you wish you were in my family? Now I wouldn’t suggest you try this on unbelieving relatives or you’re likely to clear the room.
Whether or not they thought it was a sweet moment, I did. I so loved hearing their responses.
I’ll give you a synopsis.
Question 1—How do you know when the Devil is attacking you?
They cited feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, overwhelming fear, discouragement, insecurity, and temptation. They feel misunderstood, easily angered, experience lots of self doubt, feel extreme humiliation, and shame. Some struggle with depression, restlessness, anxiousness, and insomnia. They sometimes question the reality of their faith, question the love and care of God, have no peace, and feel beaten down and consumed with self.
Question 2—What do you do when you’re feeling attacked?
They busy themselves. Crawl into a hole and isolate. Put worship music on in their ears. Get out and serve somebody so as to get their focus off themselves. Turn their anger inward. Go shopping. Reach for alternative sources of comfort, which have been at times alcohol and food. Overcompensate by controlling their environments. Finally, hope it ends soon.
Feeling a strong sense of oppression is one way I know the enemy is attacking me. It’s like depression but different. Someone once said it’s like trying to operate in mud.
Thankfully, I’ve learned it’s not about me. Now I recognize it as warfare. When the Devil attacks, it usually encompasses an onslaught of arresting emotions and thoughts.
We must recognize that we do not fight for victory, we fight from victory. Which means, “When we fight, we’re not trying to win. We’re just enforcing the victory Jesus has already secured.”[1]
Sometime this week take a few minutes to ponder the power of your victorious God expressed in Colossians 1:13-20 and 2:9-15. Ask the Lord, the Ruler of all, to come and live His life through you in much greater victory than you’ve ever known before.”
Excerpt taken from Duty or Delight: Knowing Where You Stand With God, pp.137 & 138, 140).
[1] Chip Ingram, The Invisible War (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2006), 61
