By Danelle Carvell
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| Our paths in life can be disturbing or pleasant. We have the power to choose what we fill our minds with, and that is what determines the scenery along the way. |
If you haven't read part one of this post, please go to the web version of my blog and scroll up until you find it. If you are seeing this on Facebook, you can find my blog at www.upliftyourspirit.blogspot.com
This is definitely the most difficult topic I have tackled so far. It has been on the back burner for months, because I knew it would not be easy to write and I knew that many people would reject the subject completely. I am beyond worrying about what people think of me, but I know that reading something like this will cause some to question my beliefs. People always question what they don't believe in or understand.
One thing we can never question is the personal testimony of what someone has experienced. I have learned to never reject or downplay things that people say they have experienced. I simply don't have that right. As I said in part one, I will share my experience with demonic strongholds at the end of this series. This isn't something I would have ever written about if I had not gone through exactly what Derek Prince warned of in his teaching on evil spirits.
According to Prince, much infirmity and pain is demonic. Not every sickness and disease, and not all pain is demonic, but much of it is. Some examples include epilepsy, migraines, head pain, nerve pain, allergies, crippling or a twisted body, and insomnia. My insomnia was caused by a severe adverse reaction to the prescription drug, Lupron, which is believed by Dr. Mercola to cause permanent neurological damage. But there is also a spirit of insomnia that can keep you awake and tired so you are not productive for the kingdom of God.
Deliverance from demonic infirmities and pain requires that you set your will against it, renounce the spirit by name and command it to go in the name of Jesus. For example, I would say, "Spirit of arthritis, I command you to leave my body in the name of Jesus." Deliverance may come all at once or it may come gradually over time. But any act of your will that brings change requires a strong determination and total faith that you will be healed.
According to Prince, demons can enter our lives in many ways. If your family has an occult background or you had a personal involvement in the occult, demons were given an open door. God hates fortunetelling, mediums, casting spells and talking to the dead. These are all invitations for demonic entrance. That's why it's not a good idea to let your children watch TV shows or cartoons where such activity is displayed.
Some other ways that demons can come into our lives include:
Prenatal influences or pressures in early childhood (Most demonic depression happens by the age of 8)
Manipulation of a controlling person (Being tied to another person is often demonic)
Sudden terror or a moment of weakness (The devil often chooses the weakest moment, the weakest place or a weak person)
Sinful acts such as adultery, abusing others, or telling tales and lying.
According to David Diga Hernandez, demons attack believers by deception and then that deception becomes everyday feelings. They can attack through sickness or through someone violent or demon-possessed. As I said in part one, Christians who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior can never be demon possessed, but they can develop demonic strongholds as a result of their own sins.
So we might need deliverance from both deception and strongholds. Indoctrination is a stronghold. Anything people believe that contradicts scripture can become a stronghold. For example, believing that you must earn your salvation can take a strong hold on your mind. Or a thought might come out of nowhere and you can get caught up in a cycle of negative thinking. Guilt, shame and paranoia are examples of demonic strongholds.
Intimidation is a stronghold; for example, feeling like you're not safe or you're going to fail. You must address and get control of negative thought patterns to overcome such a stronghold. This takes a deliberate act of your will to counteract every negative thought with the truth of God's word. If you don't know God's word, then you don't have the weapons to fight negative thoughts.
When bad things happen to you that are a part of life, the enemy has opportunity to affect your mind. Depression or heaviness is often the result of a tragedy. Feeling unloved, disconnected, discouraged or having low energy and no motivation are strongholds. A demon only needs to get you to believe a lie. It doesn't necessarily have to attach to you or possess you in order to accomplish that.
Distraction is a stronghold. When something is distracting us from spending time with God in prayer, praise and worship, the devil wins. Family divisions, disturbing problems and debates keep us from reading the Bible and having our minds on God.
For example, debating on Facebook is a distraction. I got caught up in that insanity when all the mask nonsense was going on. But distractions come in many areas of our lives--our jobs, our relationships, our disappointments and all the problems that go along with those things can consume our thinking to the point of not being able to concentrate on what God wants us to focus on.
Confusion is another stronghold. Conflicting information or clinging to a lie causes confusion, We should always look for information that is backed by the word of God. Instead of saying that what you believe couldn't possibly be wrong, you should humble yourself and find the answers in the Bible or do your own research because there is a chance that your source of information is wrong.
The final stronghold I will discuss is mental anguish or mental torment. Any troubling thought will cause you to lack peace. We should never criticize people who are struggling with mental issues including mental illness. But there is a way out of this stronghold that occurs when Satan repeatedly speaks deceptive things into our minds.
Isaiah 26:3 tells us that you will have perfect peace when your mind is stayed on the Lord. If that sounds too simple of an answer, you most likely have never put your mind to trying it. In the past few months, I have grown closer to God than ever before. And the result of this is an incredible peace that I have never known before. Not just peace, but also a confidence, a boldness, and a deeper sense of joy and hope.
Yes, I still have problems that pop up every day, but I instantly know how to handle each problem because the closeness I developed with God allows Him to speak to me. He doesn't speak audibly, but he gives me answers through wise advice from people I trust or through something I read.
Sometimes I read the answer in the Bible. Sometimes I read it in a Christian book from an author I trust. Sometimes the answer comes through an open door of opportunity or a gut feeling that comes over me. God speaks in many ways. In fact, the ways that God speaks to us is my next blog topic. But before I get to that, I will wrap up my present topic with part three of demonic strongholds in my next post.
Until then, keep your mind on seeking truth and the important things in life. A life without God is not even close to the incredible life he meant for you to have.
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