Set free from oppression

For the past few weeks I’ve struggled with what seemed like depression. However, I knew it was a spiritual issue, just didn’t know what — or how to deal with it. Over the past few days, hints and hope helped for a little while, but the sense of inertia and not wanting to do anything kept pulling me down.

During the night, I was praying about this and God gave me insight related to an incident that happened more than thirty-five years ago. I’d befriended a person and spent considerable time with her as we had a mutual hobby. Later, I learned she had severe spiritual problems with demonic activity.

My hubby was transferred, and we moved to another country. For several months I was burdened by a deep oppression. It made no sense, then without explanation, it lifted. I soon found out that this woman had been ‘praying’ that we would move back. The day that oppression lifted was the same day she bought tickets to come and visit me. Those who do not know Jesus have a prayer life, yet who are they talking to?

Last night I remembered this event and realized another person I know could be doing something similar. She is not a Christian and has ideas of spirituality that clash with the Bible, fitting more with the lies of the devil. With that understanding, I prayed in resistance to whatever my enemy was doing because of her ‘prayers’ and began repeating certain biblical truths. In a few moments my weeks of oppression lifted.

Today’s devotional reading is about the need for revelation from God. The Scripture comes from this passage:

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:14–16)

Those who know Jesus and can think His thoughts are an enigma to those without faith. Without His presence in their lives, neither of these women could figure me out. The first one, as I later discovered, was doing her best to control me. The second one, according to the enlightening of the Holy Spirit, was accusing me. This is what Satan does. While neither one may have been intentional about it, both were helping this deceiver. I was feeling his accusations in a powerful and depressing way.

Lies can be overcome by truth. Knowing the truth is a first step. Prayerfully applying it to specific situations is the next step. This must be done in faith and in obedience to that truth . . .

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

“Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:9)

All of this is related to prayer. I may have the mind of Christ, yet my greatest source of strength is using that mind to pray. God says all things are possible to those who pray in His will. The devil knows these promises and what prayer can do. He also has his minions who work to thwart God’s people. They find some whose prayer life is easily damaged. Others might persist and keep praying. Then the enemy’s methods turn more subtle. I know that I am in a war — fighting his lies with truth. He will do whatever he can to keep me from knowing truth, thinking it, saying it, remembering it, and living it in daily life.

^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, thank You for the gift of faith and the blessing of spiritual enlightenment. Thank You for revealing to me what has been going on and giving me the wherewithal to resist it, firm in faith and full of the desire to serve You. Prayer is hard work, but it is a gift from You, a treasure that I value. As for the person who has bad thoughts toward me, protect her from the Liar and set her free from His grip.