I know angels have been sitting beside me.
Thank you for praying – I’ve felt the prayer.
The searing, binding, oppressive darkness that has had its grip on me now for the better part of this month has dissipated. I know enough not to shout victory just yet. I’ve done it before only to be proven wrong.
There has been so much more to this darkness than any earthly circumstance.
Things have been so severe.
But how could I have forgotten so quickly…
what I wrote less than one month ago…
There is always an unseen spiritual war around us (Eph 6:12).
Those who have made a choice against God…
or have chosen indifference to God…
have already been claimed by Satan…by default.
The world is in the grips of the Evil One’s dominion right now (JN 12:31)…
it’s the powerful over week…
self-interest over benevolence…
pride and greed over love.
We are not. of. this. world. (JN 17:16).
Yet, this blanket of Grace…
the one that protects us from The Enemy?
It also invites attack. No?
And me…
arrogant, prideful…
naming this year “see”…
determining to “see” spiritual alongside material.
How could I so foolishly not consider that it might garner the attention of the Enemy.
It’s not the first time I’ve brashly and recklessly challenged the one who can only be defeated by God.
How quickly I’ve also forgotten what I wrote when I named the year:
“What if I saw angels doing good…
and demons up to no good?”
“What if I saw a spiritual war taking place…
one in which we are the battleground?”
And so. I’ve. seen.
For so much of this month I’ve wanted to hide and isolate…
I’ve even inadvertently included Our Lord on my list of exclusion.
Now, with a break in the clouds, it’s time to turn my attention to understanding the wiles of The Enemy better. There’s a fine line between studying tactics of The Enemy, and spending too much time thinking about him. I’ll trust you to let me know if I cross over that line.
I’ve been studying Bernard of Clairvaux’s thousand year old steps of pride and humility. I’ll continue that but shift emphasis a little. Then it’s on to the “imprecatory” Psalms.
You know the ones…
they say things like…
Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions! Let them vanish like water that flows away…like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun. (PS 58:6)
Yeah.
Those.
Keep praying for me – I think this battle has just begun.
I’ve already put hours and hours and hours into the study…
tomorrow I begin to spill.
Please come back.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the pingback on the picture!! It’s much appreciated. Blessings, Terri
P.S. Great post by the way!! Always count on prayer, I’ve seen the evidence of its power many times over!!!
Terri, of all the pictures I use – because I heart pictures – you’re the first one to come back here and say hi. It was a pleasure to use that picture – it was perfect – PERFECT! Thank you Terri – and God bless and keep you and each and every one of yours.
PS – when I click on your name it should bring up your blog– but it doesn’t – so either your blog is down right now – or you need to come back and fix it with another comment – maybe just come back and type out the addy – and I’ll fix it.
Craig, Thanks for trying to connect back, let’s try it again the website is: https://terri0729.wordpress.com and the title of my blog is What About God? Let me know if that works better for you by leaving me a comment somewhere, if you would be so kind. Blessings, Terri
Terri, all fixed now – the problem was a comma instead of a period.
,com instead of .com – but all is well now (ツ) I fixed the link.
“There’s a fine line between studying tactics of The Enemy, and spending too much time thinking about him.” Such good wisdom in that statement! I’ve come to the conclusion, from my own battles, that it’s important for me to spend more time thinking about God, his power, love, sovereignty, grace, justice, etc., than about the lesser powers of darkness, or the injustice and other ugliness of this world. Because what we dwell on we “magnify” in our minds, and give the most power over our thinking.
This is a very educational experience, methinks. Continued prayers for you.
it IS a fine line – we need to know his tricks – we need to know our weaknesses – but mostly we need to know God’s strength. And if this experience had no value in it – I don’t think God would’ve allowed the darkness in to begin with. I’m learning – I’ll continue to learn. God bless you Sylvia!
Studying the enemy is something I think far too many people skip and so when they come up against him they don’t recognize him. I pray that you will always know his attacks so to continue the good fight.
Stacy – there’s a lot of wisdom in what you wrote. Thank you for that. And thank you for your prayers – and I hope you don’t mind – I just finished a general “God help Stacy” kind of prayer for you. Anyway, thank you, and God bless you!
praying…really. and looking forward to the study.and i agree…much wisdom in not giving the Enemy too much power in our minds…he stalks to prey upon our fears.
God is mighty to save from all traps, bondages and preying of the Enemy.
Amen Nacole – just amen my friend. And God bless!!
I had lots of thoughts about this but been too tired to write. (still iz havingz of feelingz of sick all over)
Here’s the verse that was mostly on my mind today:
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Is 26 :3
We know there’s a Happy Ending for us.
God is Mighty:
The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.
Amen?
AMEN! i needed that, Elke. i feel God stirring up His spirit within me at your words–wow. i love how He does that with His children. thank you! hoping and praying you feel better!
blessings,
Nacole
first I’m sorry you’re still havingz feelingz of sik – I wish it weren’t so. And I WILL keep my mind on our Lord – it’s pretty fixed there – I’ll make sure it stays. This is just a battle – the war IS won. God bless Elke!! and thank you!
I am catching up late here, but Elke, thank you for the reminder of that precious Isaiah verse!!! It came just after I pondered Craig’s last post and decided to make a slight shift in my own focus. Wow! There is so much in Craig’s posts and so much that his friends in the comment section add!
I hope and pray that by now you are feeling better,
A.
The light is breaking through . . . I am praying, praying, praying!
God bless you, Craig, and may the year of “see” bring nothing but grace and glory!
Martha – prayers have worked – thank you – I’ll gladly accept more though my sister (ツ) the battle is just beginning – it’s 11 more months of “see”. God bless you Martha.
Then, eleven more months of prayer, and on into infinity!
I just erased the statement that “I was up to the challenge”. Hah! No, I’m not! Only God can make that happen.
Oh, that devil . . .
See?
The year of see . . . I was almost blindsided.
Blessings!
he is a sneeky one – him and all of his minions – this darkness – I know how we forget stuff too soon after we learn it – I hope I don’t forget this one. Blessings to you to Martha!
Because we’re cyber-friends:
http://dschondog.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/the-love-devotional-comes/
“There’s a fine line between studying tactics of The Enemy, and spending too much time thinking about him.”
When I see statements like this, I am reminded of when I trained as a bank teller many years ago. I was always afraid I would miss counterfeit if someone presented it to me. I can’t tell you how many bills I took to my supervisors, much to their annoyance. Finally the day came when it was presented to me and I knew it in a heart beat. One day I read a very good explanation as to why tellers are not taught to recognize counterfeit. The banks felt that exposing the tellers only to what is real, when false showed up, it would be readily recognized. And I found out it’s true.
I think you are right about studying the tactics to be prepared, but not spending a lot of time thinking about him. I think one of the biggest problems with the world today is having been exposed to so much darkness the light has been obscured which is exactly what the enemy wants. Job said, “I neither look to the right nor look to the left.” And I think hardly any wiser words could have been uttered because looking around distracts us and enough looking around obscures the light.
suddenly I feel like I’m rambling.
Good blog, though I’m late in reading it.
Not rambling – but right on target – to study both the real and the counterfeit is important. I studied their real all the time – now – a little study of the counterfeit. Beautiful metaphor! Thank you. God bless you Victoria!
Секс порно скачат com http://tatuchishy.ru/krasivye/3530/ сестра с классной жопой
Доброго дня
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