Is what you are experiencing spiritual warfare, or ‘just life?’
For many months I blithely walked around my favorite local park, enjoying the gardens, the scenery, and my time out, oblivious to any dangers that might be lurking in the shrubbery.
Then one day I read a newspaper article about a boy who had been bitten by a snake in the same park just a few days before and had been taken to hospital.
We are Kiwis living in Australia. We don’t have snakes in New Zealand. We can walk in the bush in our ‘jandals’ without a care in the world.
On my next visit to the park, I was on high alert. Tense, and on edge, I watched the path and was alerted by every rustle in the bush. There seemed to be an awful lot of rustling! I did not enjoy the walk that day.
Sure enough, I soon settled down and was back to taking pleasure in my walks. However, I took some basic precautions; not veering off the paths and ensuring that I had my mobile phone with me if I was walking alone.
Balance in Spiritual Warfare
In Luke 10:19-20, Jesus said,
“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
As my response to snakes in the park, there are two errors that we can fall into with regard to spiritual warfare. One is to ignore it altogether (2 Cor 2:11) and at the other extreme, to make too much of it.
Balance requires us to always step back and discern whether what we are experiencing is spiritual warfare, or just something happening that is physical and emotional, or a combination of both.
Our goal in spiritual warfare is not to draw or pay attention to what the devil is doing. It is to focus on God and pay attention to what HE is doing—and not put up with less than His best.
12 Signs you may be Experiencing Spiritual Warfare
Here are some signs of a spiritual battle taking place. Being alert to these can help you weigh up whether or not a situation is being affected by spiritual warfare.
1. Changes for the worse (especially sudden or severe) in areas of health, finances, relationships
Important note: When we are sick or when bad things happen to us, it is not always the devil that causes it
·It may be just physical
·Sometimes it is just life
·Sometimes (e.g. financial or relationships) it is others’ or our own wrong choices.
2. The temptation to sin—beyond the normal
Temptation originates with our own weakness and ungodly desires (James 1:13-15) but the enemy can use situations and people around us, to apply extreme or sudden pressure on us in these areas.
3. Pattern of recurring negative events
Note that this can also be indicative of a curse in operation.
4. Atmosphere – of pressure or oppression
In Rom 14:17, the Apostle Paul tells us that the Kingdom of God consists of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. When we are robbed of these things, we need to pay attention. What happened?
5. Severe discouragement
We need to particularly pay attention when the first signs of discouragement strike. Discouragement or confusion should be like an orange flashing light, alerting us to the possibility that we are in a spiritual battle.
According to Rick Joyner, the progressive ‘sting of witchcraft’ is: discouragement, confusion, depression, loss of vision, disorientation, withdrawal and despair leading to defeat. These are the signs we need to pay attention to when on the alert for spiritual warfare in our personal lives and ministry [1]. One example of this in operation is Elijah’s response after he was threatened by Jezebel. (1 Kings 19)
6. Crippling condemnation
The conviction of the Holy Spirit is specific and brings a conclusion through repentance, but condemnation is cloudy.
7. Intimidation and Fear (I Can’t)
This is especially so when the fear is pressuring you to stop moving in the direction of God’s revealed will for your life, or that of your family, ministry or church.
8. Confusion
The enemy thrives in confusion. We think it’s us. Everything gets hazy. Confusion is often an attack on our minds, but it can also be apparent in relationships where communication becomes distorted, perverted, and misrepresented.
9. Anything that brings pressure to bear AGAINST God’s revealed will for your life
10. Pressure (beyond the normal) on important relationships
11. Battle in the mind – negative ‘tapes’ playing
Our mind (and that of others) becomes a central battleground (2 Cor 10:5), where the enemy tries to sow messages that are contrary to the word God has spoken to us or revealed in the Bible underscoring feelings such as failure, fear, condemnation, hurt, or even attack and accusation of others.
12. Distinct start time,
With spiritual warfare, there is usually a distinctive time of onset. If you have an ongoing history in one of the above areas, e.g. fear, relational or sin issues, it is probably not warfare. It may be personal ‘baggage’ that you need to deal with.
The Battle Won
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Christ] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Col 2:15)
The good news is that Jesus has won the battle for us on the cross. We can apply the authority He has given to us and enter into His victory.
In the next blog post, I will begin exploring some ways to deal with spiritual warfare once you have discerned it taking place in your personal life, church or ministry.
Snakes Alive!
My first real-life encounter with a snake came later, in another park. My husband Malcolm (aka The Hunk) and I were exploring a trail when we came across a poisonous brown snake barring the way to our destination.
My intrepid husband crept closer to the snake doing his best Steve Irwin impression (‘Crikey! Isn’t it a beauty?)
I, on the other hand, dug my heels in and refused to progress any further, even when the snake veered off into the undergrowth. What if it was there again when we returned?
It seems that some things never change!
[1] Rick Joyner, The Surpassing Greatness Of His Power, 1996, Whitaker House: New Kensington
Spiritual Warfare Online Course
I have just launched my first new online course, ‘Spiritual Warfare 101: How to Identify and Overcome Spiritual Attack’ and I warmly invite you to join me!
This course includes around 30 mini-lectures on video and is full of Biblical wisdom and strategies to help you overcome in time of battle. There is also a downloadable full transcript in PDF version.
And once you’re in, there is no expiry date.
The Bible has great news. If you have discerned signs of spiritual warfare, you do not have to be weighed down by spiritual oppression or put up with pressure and attack! Find out more about the course, ‘Spiritual Warfare 101: How to Identify and Overcome Spiritual Attack’ here.
Related Posts:
Responding to Spiritual Warfare Pt 1: Identify the Enemy’s Strategy
How to Wage Spiritual Warfare: Specific Strategies You Can Use
6 Reasons Why Moving in the Opposite Spirit is Powerful
© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching
Enliven Ministries—in the David McCracken Ministries family
Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in prophetic ministry and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog (est. 2009), an online resource that reaches thousands of people globally.
I slept at my daughters house some nights back and had a rather horrible experience (which, incidentally, is how I found this site! and thankyou for the posts. I’m being richly blessed by them!). Anyway, I fell asleep very late and during my sleep felt like something was lying on me. Half awake I felt and saw the rug being lifted off me ( I’m sure this took place) and I felt a malevolent presence. I immediately commanded it to leave in Jesus name and quoted Gods word. I also said aloud Jesus! Jesus! and it was gone. I’ve been witnessing to family and various people and find the attacks are stronger and more frequent but that only makes me more determined to do the Lords will. Most important I put on Gods armour everyday. I forgot this morning and fell under verbal and emotional attack from a family member I’ve been praying for a long time. God bless you and thanks again for your wonderful posts!
Hi Alana, thank you for connecting, it’s great that you have been blessed with the articles you have found on Enliven Blog. You are blessed with a strong faith. I encourage you not to worry about missing your confessions of putting on the armour every day, but to know that you are already and always covered and shielded with God’s armour and that it never comes off. Have you come across this article? https://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2014/11/11/discernment-9-ways-to-banish-fear-of-evil/
Bless you :-)
Hi. I have just read the article you gave me and found it most helpful. Many thanks and God bless.
Alana.
That’s great, Alana, thanks for letting me know!
I think when we are young, growing up in the Lord, we do get robbed from time to time in spiritual warfare. Sometimes more than others. We don’t recognize it or we simply don’t know what to do about it. We might be ignorant to the, “weapons of our warfare”. However, when we become aware of our weapons and are still losing our battles, instead of being robbed we simply forfeit or concede victory, allowing the enemy to come in and do as he wishes. He no longer is the thief but rather an unwelcomed guest that we have yet to get up the courage to do anything about. Kick him out the house!
Thank you so much for your insights. They are currently blessing me, helping me overcome my own personal and spiritual battles.
Ah, that’s such a great message right there, Spencer. Brilliant!
You are an overcomer in Jesus, keep on going for it and growing in God!
A year and a half ago I was walking in the Spirit, praying in the Spirit and growing in the Word with a fresh anointing and vigor. God was revealing things to me and showing me so much. I was realizing there was a major calling on my life and for once I wasn’t afraid. I was embracing it with bold submission to my Lord and Savior.
Then I met this man on the internet. He was a self professed man of God, a minister even, called by God to feed the hungry and minister to the homeless. We started talking and within weeks He had already moved to my home state. The very day he got here old temptations and habits (sins) began to attack me again and I had to fight a hard spiritual battle daily to once again win the battle against them. God alone helped deliver me from them but it seemed as soon I was delivered from one another jumped up to take its place.
Red flags were everywhere but an argument in my mind began to occur. He had an answer for everything thing and even though it disturbed me on some deeper level, I couldn’t argue against him and in fact began to fill sorry and even responsible for him.
We were married within two months and even on my wedding day a cloud of confusion encircled my head. Moments before I walked down the aisle I was weeping and praying to God to lead me and on whether or not I was doing the right thing.
Within days of being married he began to change. I noticed the lies he shared on his ministry page on social media. I notice the harem like following he had. I noticed how he boasted about everything and how perfect he thought he was in his eyes and mind.
He controlled everything and immediately began to tear away at me emotionally, mentally, spiritually, financially and in every other way. He began to attack me in a most horrible verbal manner and daily was taking spears at chunking them at my self confidence and self esteem. I wasn’t good enough for anything.
Separation from my family and church came next and then not working himself began to take over and abuse my finances…. always through every attack throwing scripture at me. On days I was so broken and so distraught and once after he had been cursing me out for over an hour I threatened to leave. he than began to attack and tell me I wasn’t a true woman of God and how God had sent him 1200 miles to be his wife in ministry and how I was lacking faith etc. I ended up staying.
During the course of a year, I soon became depressed, walking in a confused fog, scared, living in constant fear. I wasn’t reading the word like before, I wasn’t praying like before. I was seeking God constantly like before and then I wasn’t even going to church like before because he broke all ties with them and when I wanted to go somewhere else we didn’t have the gas.
During the last month I cant even get rest at night. I wake up to him kicking at me, cursing me and calling me horrible names, lashing out even as he snores. He says its the demons attacking him.
During the day when he threatens, attacks, and curses me he always says its my fault because I am opening doors to invite the demons in. Really? just by asking are we going to pray?
He tries to dictate how long I can pray, what music we listen to, is I can sing, if I can cry, and corrects me each time I recite a verse in the bible.
this past month, I have turned back to seeking God like never before and the confusion and cloudy fog was beginning to lift. Each attack I now calmly answer in love with a scripture which seems to anger him more than ever but praise God I am pleading the blood over myself daily and at night have moved to the spare room.
I have no idea what is going on but for some reason I truly believe I am in spiritual warfare like never before and He is using God to do it all.
Do you have any advice for me?
Hi Rose, I’m sorry to hear of the difficulties and trial you have been through. It is good to hear that you have been experiencing some breakthrough in the past month and of God’s grace empowering you! It seems to me that you need to find safe people to share your story with that can provide you with practical advice and help – this could be in the medical or legal profession, or counselors or pastors in a church… pray about this and ask God to make a way. And I pray that you will continue to have the mental, spiritual and emotional clarity and spiritual and physical protection to do what is necessary (Ps 91).
Spiritual warefare is real and all Christians need to be vigilant and stand up firmly against all satanic attacks on their mind, relationship or business etc. but never give up and listen to rhe defeated enemy. The more one prays and repents the harder the satanic blockade becomes.
My past and present real demonic attacks
1. Stone from unknown direction and source bombarded my home for about one week. The maid stockpiled the pebbles and bigger boulders. I too witnessed the stone falling in front of my eyes.
2 large piles of dirty material and dog excretion found on engine of my car whose hood was closed and parked in my home. I have taken photo of it.
3 frequent and simultaneous mechanical problems on my 3 or 4 vehicles in a day.
4 accident averted as the lord Jesus miraculously intervened. People such as mentally deranged and children directly running to the path of my moving vehicle
4 bad dreams and unclean experiences specially on saturdaynights to discourage Sunday worship and church attendance
May the lord be with all of us in Christ
Hi Yil, it sounds as though you have encountered a lot of spiritual warfare. Have you seen this article, you might find it helpful: https://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2014/11/11/discernment-9-ways-to-banish-fear-of-evil/
Hi Helen, God bless you richly. I thank God for leading me to your teachings.
I experience spiritual warfare all the time. Witchcraft…all that. I can see, feel, and tell when the enemy is up to no good! Right now again, sum of the ppl in my rent office have been attacking me. I feel extreme evil pressure; like an evil force of hate. Idk. I can barely move, think, react. It’s a terrible feeling that makes me feel angry. I come into these attacks alot. Ppl with me or around me don’t feel them. I hate it when my family is around, or when these evil spirits come into my house and attack us this way. I pray, and pray. But I still feel the attacks. So, it’s been plenty of times when I would take my family and leave. Or leave the scene of the attack. In places like walmart, I would notice after, using the sword of the Spirit. That a person would walk by with a broken arm. And I would say, my strength was broken. I don’t understand all that I go thru n see. And sometimes it leaves me bitter. But I just give it to GOD. I know that He said He would never leave nor forsake me…
hi there,very inspiring. I believe i am under spiritual attack every time i have to address a group of persons. I use my voice to encourage and teach and for some reason before the set appointment i would lose my voice. this is crazy and yet so real. But the enemy is a liar. now i know his tricks i will be on a greater alert. Be strong Jesus is still King and Lord of our lives.
Hi Salon, sounds like you have a lot going on there. Getting strengthened up in the area of praise sounds like a very good idea for you.
Check out the ‘4 Revelations’ on this article, too: https://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2013/06/11/fresh-ways-to-pray-for-your-nation-or-region/
Good day I stumbled on to this website after recent unexplained events occuring in the past weeks.
It started with me picking up the good old book & studying attentively. I also intiated watching a series of DVD’s that exposes Satan’s plot thus via utilizing artists. Title “the Truth Behind Hip Hop”. I then took the liberty & shared with aloof friends of mine the information & how ungodly all these new hits are & even corresponded it with the scripture.
My friends thus opened their eyes.
Recently I’ve had countless sleepless nights due to noises in my room & also the sight of the curtains blowing. My emphysis, this happening dispite the windows being closed & wheather conditions being without even the slightest breeze. Eventually I fell alsp with the lights on but could feel a presence lingering in the room.
I did inform my father about this & his opinion was that its most probably the enemy trying to scare me to prohibit me from sharing the knowledge.
Last night as I took a walk to the shop, I had the fright of my life, & do not get scared easily. Whilst walking some one / something (big black shadow figure) came storming across the road towards me, @ this time it caught me off gaurd to react so I prepared myself for the impact, it then vanished right infront of me leaving me gasping for air. Was not sure was this the chemical reaction due to adrenalin being released that left me feeling numb. I was dumb struck as I could not declaire what has just happened. This is not a made up story, I myself am not a superstitious person and do believe in the father allmighty. I’ve been praying ever since.I do however still hear screetching sounds & noises in my room @ night & we do not have pets nor mice or rats in the house. Am I under spiritual attack ? Will this stop. It really tires me out as its messing with my sleep @ night.Please do inform me.
Hi Robbie, are you involved in a Bible-believing Church? I would recommend having someone pray with you, also praying yourself in Jesus’ Name. This is an opportunity to grow in your faith and understanding of your spiritual authority. These things have no right to harass you as a child ofGod.