Have you ever had a season when everything you did went wrong? You may have taken steps toward progress in your marriage, with your child, or in your career, only to find yourself taking two steps backward. You are not alone. Everyone, at some time in their lives, struggles with progress in multiple areas of their lives. It may be important for you to find out why you are being hindered from moving forward so you can obtain your victory.
What if you knew that your setbacks were from demonic powers that were contending for your success? Would you do something about them if you knew you could? If you have any faith in Jesus in you then you would not only take your authority over such evil, but you would have victory!
Jesus gave the children of God power and authority over the devil and evil spirits so that they could fulfill His great commission. He said, Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. - Lk 10:19
The enemy is looking for common ground with people. When he finds it he takes full advantage and moves into a person's soul or body and takes territory. Christians are not exempt.
Our flesh is hungry for the affection of this world. The seduction of our atmosphere is on all the time, and it is never ceasing. From music, movies, and billboards the world is calling us into its arms. Jesus is calling us too, but He does not yell. He whispers, come to Me all who are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. He insists that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. Yet we continuously crave the world’s offerings.
When the devil is looking for common ground with you, he often finds it in your cravings. The things you mess with that are not spiritually pure can be demonically energized.
When was the last time you craved the presence of the Holy Spirit? How about the last time you hungered to be alone with God in His word?
God wants to produce His character in us, and that requires affliction and discipline at times. suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. – Rom 3:3-4
Some of the attacks the patriarchs of the faith went through were to build their character. At other times they were meant to hinder their progress. If we are in communion with God He will tell us the purpose of our trials.
To determine what is the cause of our affliction one must seek God’s heart on the matter. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. – Pro 25:2
Paul was buffeted by a spirit of affliction sent by a messenger of Satan. He compared it to a thorn in his side and said it was to keep him humble because he received such great revelation. Perhaps he needed a constant reminder of what God delivered him from, pride.
Other times he credited Satan as hindering him from taking the gospel to certain regions. On one occasion when Paul had gone to prayer with some others a woman with a spirit of divination, a python spirit, followed him. For days she cried out after him until he finally discerned what she was doing and he cast a demon out of her. The woman was a demonic assignment against Paul’s prayer ministry.
Judas had a demon assigned to him that prepared his heart to betray Jesus, and then Satan entered him, and he did the enemy's will.
Sometimes God will allow the enemy to sift His people. 31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” - Lk 22:31-32
Peter was convinced in himself that he could not be shaken from his faith in Jesus. But Jesus knew that Peter would deny Him in the face of fear and tribulation. God must test us to allow the separation of the good and bad to come forth.
Job was also tested at the hand of Satan. All the patriarchs went through testing, and the Bible tells us that they bore a great testimony because of it.
David had demonic spirits assigned to him on more than one occasion. Sometimes these assignments came from people directly and at other times they were demonic voices or personal thoughts that got him into trouble. Sometimes these demons played out the will of Satan and got David’s cooperation. At other times David did not cooperate.
Satan enticed David to take a census after God had strictly commanded him not to count the people. 1 Chron 21:1
David was seduced and enticed to stay home during a time when kings went off to war. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. – 2 Sam 11:2-4 NIV
In this case, David cooperated with the enemy. His flesh lusted after someone else’s wife and it allowed a spirit of seduction to take him into adultery, which led to murder, and the death of his son that was produced from this illicit affair. The spirits working against David were enticing, seducing, adultery, murder, and death.
Before David became king, he was closely knitted to King Saul and his son Jonathan. Saul became jealous of David and tried to kill him on numerous occasions. The demons that were assigned to Saul to drive him crazy were also on assignment against David to thwart David’s kingdom calling.
King David’s son, Absalom, had a spirit of jealousy, rejection, and pride. These spirits teamed up to work against his father through betrayal and division. Absalom conspired at the gates of the palace of the king to tell people that David didn’t care about their problems, but that he did. He was flattering the people to get them to fall out of loyalty to King David and follow him. A principality we call Absalom was assigned to David and used his son to almost tear the kingdom away from him.
Notice how many demons were assigned to David. He had a big call, so the enemy sent many enforcers.
The devil kills, steals, and destroys. Can you see where he was effectively working in these individuals’ lives? There are many stories in the Bible like this but we often only skim over them and do not notice the details.
The next time you are under affliction remember to ask God what He desires to bring forth from the pain.
Let's pray,
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me enough to discipline me and correct my path and patterns of unhealthy and even sinful behavior. Thank You for the Holy Spirit that leads me into all truths, and comforts, and keeps me as I venture into unknown territory. Thank You for taking me out of my comfort zone and bringing me into the places that You desire to cause me to grow. I ask for a pure heart and clean hands that I might know Your perfect will. In Jesus' name, Amen
You will never walk through the fire of affliction and adversity alone when you know Jesus. Click the link below for Pastor Graham's message on this subject.