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PaulWest
Member



Joined: 2006/6/28
Posts: 3405
Dallas, Texas

 The Battle Scars of a Satanic Attack

Whenever I meet a new believer, I am always quick to warn him or her of the battles that lay ahead. I believe this is the right thing to do. When a believer has been misled by the promises of the modern gospel (the just-accept-Jesus-and-all-your-troubles-will-vanish) lie, the believer is ushered into a dangerous mindset that will more than likely cause a backslidden condition when Satan's minions get the crosshairs on him.

Now, I believe in the joy of the Lord, and I am all about letting new believers enjoy the new, exciting life in Christ they've discovered. It's wonderful! Awesome! And like all new believers who haven't been informed, they hope it will last forever! But one day, inevitably, trouble will come knocking at the door. The fiery darts will begin sailing. Jesus promised attacks (in this world you will have trouble) and when they happen, even the strongest, most seasoned saints hit the shelters.

I wrote this not to give instruction in time of war, but how to identify the trademarks of a languishing, besieged spirit. I will be brutally honest with this, in the hopes of giving comfort to other Soldiers of Christ and to assert that you're not alone! Finally, if you can identify with any of these traits, understand and take courage that you've been honored by being deemed worthy to suffer a Satanic attack. Suffice it to be said that the healing Balm of Gilead for these battle scars is found only in the Word of God.

[b]A Loss of Appetite for Prayer and Bible Study[/b]

This is the first area to buckle under Satan's artillery. Satan is no fool. He knows that if he can take out logistics and cut off the food and water supply, the soldier will be left powerless. Like a ruthless commander, he bombs the power plants and burns the oil refineries, trying to cut off all outside communication to God. Thus, a true Satanic attack is a siege in the most literal sense! When this happens, the soldier needs to strap on the armor and get down low; a terrible storm is brewing on the horizon.

[b]A Growing Interest in Secular Entertainment[/b]

Against your own judgment, you seem to find yourself growingly amused by worldly television shows and other forms of entertainment (which you used to hate). Your mind is so restless; it wants to do anything and everything but read the Bible and pray. Secular music, clothes, money, career and fashion statements all begin pulling at your heart. You're looking back at Egypt, and Egypt is looking so good, so relaxing, so sensual and easy to buy into. This is all meticulously contrived by the destroyer of souls. After he closes out your communications with God, he surrounds the walls of your mind and flashes his gold, wine, women and song, hoping to draw you out. Beware! Those who venture beyond God's protective walls of obedience are immediately apprehended, stripped and shackled to sin.

[b]Psychological Torments Begin[/b]

I know firsthand how lethal these blows can be. Normally, this is the breaking point. This is where the rubber-meets-the-road of the Christian walk. This is where the false converts are flushed out, and where the fence-straddlers fall off on the wrong side. Here Satan attacks the very core, the very essence of your beliefs. This is where you begin to question your relationship with God, question the inerrancy of the Bible, question your salvation, question absolute truth, question your church, your pastor, eternity, heaven and hell. Humanistic philosophies start making sense. These thoughts seem to come from the very essence of who you are, birthed in your own psyche - which is why they are so dangerously deceptive. You feel yourself sinking down into a bog of darkness and lies. While your own spirituality is being compromised, your mind begins a new and treacherous voyage of lustful desires and violent impulses. You are shocked, repulsed at what you are still capable of doing - and enjoying - even after all these years as a faithful Christian! You feel paralyzed in terms of getting the controls back. And the fact that you've stopped praying and meditating on scripture only compounds the guilt you're feeling.

[b]A Silent Witness[/b]

Mission accomplished. You no longer witness because you no longer care. Satan has achieved his goal - to take the fight out of you - and now he just continues with the shelling at a daily tempo. As long as you're not praying, as long as you're not feasting on the Word, as long as you're not sharing your faith, you are no longer a threat to hell. Understand that this sad state pretty much defines 98% of the Christian church today in North America. As far as military campaigns go, Satan has scored an immense victory. About 150,000 people fall into the jaws of hell daily while God's AWOL soldiers are cheering at the Super Bowl, watching idiot television shows and happily pursuing the American dream. And the brutal truth is that you have become another statistic. What happened? Oh, it's so depressing, so disheartening. Will God ever revive the fire you once had? He must - for if he doesn't, you know you'll never regain lost ground and die in a lukewarm condition!

There are, of course, many more scars than these. You may have many of your own unique ones. You are not alone! Though these atrocious onslaughts have weakened you, comfort is wrought by knowing the enemy is still outside the walls. And you know from experience that Divine Help will come if you hold on. In a moment - in the twinkling of an eye - when God has determined your trial has gone on enough, Jesus will step onto the battlefield with rescue and relief. Oh, watch the cowardly enemy take flight when he is confronted with Absolute Deity! Hear the sweet voice of your King call from the battlefield: "Come! Step out, my faithful one! Like faithful Joseph, you never gave in. You endured your hardships like a good soldier and your allegiance to your God stands fast! Enter now into times of refreshing!"


_________________
Paul Frederick West

 2006/12/10 18:21Profile









 Re: The Battle Scars of a Satanic Attack

Quote:
Finally, if you can identify with any of these traits, understand and take courage that you've been honored by being deemed worthy to suffer a Satanic attack. Suffice it to be said that the healing Balm of Gilead for these battle scars are found only in the Word of God.


This brings to mind two things that brother Keith Daniel often says. First, "it will cost you absolutely [b]everything[/b] to go through with God, but it will cost you far more not to." Second, "the Word of God [i]is[/i] your [b]source of survival[/b]." How well I can testify to both of those sayings.

Quote:
Beware! Those who venture beyond God's protective walls of obedience are immediately apprehended, stripped and shackled to sin


This is so very key. At our recent family camp someone gave their testimony and said that when they let Satan have one claw in their lives he took over. What started out to be a simple camping trip away from home turned into eight months away and the beginning of going down the wrong path. What was interesting was this person left their Bible at home when they went on what was just supposed to be a three day camping trip. We must ever be on our guard! We must keep on our armour (Ephesians 6) soldiers!

Thank you, brother Paul, for sharing these powerful and true words. They may seem harsh to some, but if one really wants to go deep with God, they must be prepared! But oh, there are precious promises that God gives us to cling to during those times of testing.

 2006/12/10 18:59
PaulWest
Member



Joined: 2006/6/28
Posts: 3405
Dallas, Texas

 Re:

Quote:
Thank you, brother Paul, for sharing these powerful and true words.



And thank [i]you[/i], dear sister, for your most gracious comments. Thank you also for your comments on the JS Bach poetry thread. Which reminds me, I'm taking my wife to see Handel's [i]Messiah[/i] on tuesday. She is very excited! That Hallelujah chorus is just so awesome.

Brother Paul


_________________
Paul Frederick West

 2006/12/10 19:48Profile
TaylorOtwell
Member



Joined: 2006/6/19
Posts: 927
Arkansas

 Re:

I thank you for posting this. I have had first hand experience with one of these attacks, I sent you a personal message about it.


_________________
Taylor Otwell

 2006/12/10 20:19Profile
Compton
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 2732


 Re:

Quote:
Whenever I meet a new believer, I am always quick to warn him or her of the battles that lay ahead...A Loss of Appetite for Prayer and Bible Study. Satan is no fool. He knows that if he can take out logistics and cut off the food and water supply, the soldier will be left powerless.


Was reading this verse today...


Acts 16:14,15 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.


In these modern times, the word 'believe' doesn't mean too much anymore...in Acts, true converts attended to God's word. I am humbled by the care and action portrayed in that single word.

Also humbling was how she didn't trust her own self-evaluation regarding the state of her faith and soul before God, but instead wanted the word of God, through Paul, to judge her. In fact she insisted, perhaps actually begged Paul to come into my house and abide there.

Do we evaluate ourselves based on our own feelings, or do we plead to be searched and tested by the scriptures? Do we insist that the word of God be made welcome to come and abide in our homes?

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Thank you much PaulWest for reminding new, and older converts of these crucial things,

MC


_________________
Mike Compton

 2006/12/10 20:45Profile
mamaluk
Member



Joined: 2006/6/12
Posts: 524


 Re:

Quote:


Acts 16:14,15 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.


In these modern times, the word 'believe' doesn't mean too much anymore...in Acts, true converts attended to God's word. I am humbled by the care and action portrayed in that single word.

Also humbling was how she didn't trust her own self-evaluation regarding the state of her faith and soul before God, but instead wanted the word of God, through Paul, to judge her. In fact she insisted, perhaps actually begged Paul to come into my house and abide there.

Do we evaluate ourselves based on our own feelings, or do we plead to be searched and tested by the scriptures? Do we insist that the word of God be made welcome to come and abide in our homes?

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Thank you much PaulWest for reminding new, and older converts of these crucial things,



very encouraged by this, Mike C.



I reckon our Lord is bringing all of our attention to His Word , really "feeling" very blessed today, sigh..God is just all too loving to us, undeservedly so, thank you too Greg and Mike B. Where will we all be without His Word..

As always, brother Paul, keep ministering to us this way..praise God!

 2006/12/10 21:23Profile
PaulWest
Member



Joined: 2006/6/28
Posts: 3405
Dallas, Texas

 Re:

It is amazing that since I posted this "Battle Scar" message, I have been practically inundated with personal messages from different brothers and sisters. Obviously, this topic is of great concern to the body of Christ! How blessed we are to communicate and share truth. We need to talk more about war. None of us are alone in our battles, though the field is smoking with carnage and our flags of holiness are bullet-ridden and bloody.

Saints, if we live holy for Jesus, we will be persecuted - and the form of persecution isn't always in the physical. Surely, the bloodiest persecution is in the spiritual. Spirits of wickedness in high places, forces from hell waging a very real and treacherous war in your mind. Sometimes this fight can get lonely. Part of the enemy's battle plan is to convince you that this war is unique to your walk. That other stronger saints have gone on and vanquished the foe and now live in peace as the world defines peace. This is another lie, a battle tactic, psychological warfare at its finest. There is absolutely [i]no[/i] finality to this war. It just gets bloodier and bloodier, and the more you advance the bigger the guns get against you.

But the enemy's campaign is futile if we continually look to Jesus and soak ourselves in the Word of God each morning. This is where we get the firepower to beat back the horde and continue in holiness.


_________________
Paul Frederick West

 2006/12/10 21:34Profile
Nellie
Member



Joined: 2004/4/5
Posts: 952


 Re: The Battle Scars of a Satanic Attack

THanks so much Paul for reminding.
I needed to read this.
God Bless
Nell

 2006/12/10 21:42Profile
ChrisJD
Member



Joined: 2006/2/11
Posts: 2895
Philadelphia PA

 Re: The Battle Scars of a Satanic Attack

Hi everyone.

Brother Paul, you brought this out

Quote:
Obviously, this topic is of great concern to the body of Christ! How blessed we are to communicate and share truth. We need to talk more about war. None of us are alone in our battles, though the field is smoking with carnage and our flags of holiness are bullet-ridden and bloody.



I think you're right brother. I have felt the desire to talk more about our warfare also. At the same time I feel there is a potential danger in entertaining a sense of [b]curiosity[/b] when it comes to these things, which I want to avoid, you know what I mean?



It so happens that tonight I was walking down Walnut street and I encountered a man that I believed was demon possessed.

I'm pursuaded that what brother Paul said is true, the field of battle is smoking.






[b][color=000000]The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.[/color][/b]



For who is God,
save the Lord?
and who is a rock,
save our God?
God is my strength
and power:
and he maketh
my way perfect.
He maketh my feet
like hinds' feet:
and setteth me
upon my high places.
[b]He teacheth my hands to war[/b];
so that a bow of steel
is broken by mine arms.


_________________
Christopher Joel Dandrow

 2006/12/10 23:11Profile
myfirstLove
Member



Joined: 2005/11/26
Posts: 496


 Re: The Battle Scars of a Satanic Attack

good word. thanks paul, for always encouraging this body on s.i.

i can tell that you really have a genuine love for His people.


_________________
Lisa

 2006/12/11 0:13Profile





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