prayer for deliverance from demonic spirits to leave me

I have had demonic spirits attackng me for one whole year now ever since i got married to my unbelieving wife or unsaved. They came before that when we were living in an apartment in sin together. These demons have tried to make me paralized, lose my memory, depressed, panic attacks, and they have been almost taking over my mind. I have prayed with almost everyone and pastors and deliverance ministers. I have repented and cried out to God so much to no avail. If anyone knows a deliverance minister a good one please help me. I really appreciate anyones prayers, i have not told anyone on here yet but now i have, these demons our trying to take over me and i am so desperate for someone to help.John

yeah bro,

i'll pray for that.

I know exactly what you are going through.

I struggled with all of these things before I got saved. When i got saved they all went away for 2-3 years. Then i started giving in to sexual sin in my thoughts and became hardened and rebellious to God.

The demons came back and started haunting me in the exact same way as you described.

The way to deliverance is through Jesus. Ofcourse you have heard that before. But it is true. You need to have faith that He loves you as a child, that you are one with Him, that our Father looks down on you and loves you in just the same way that He loves Jesus (who has been with him and sinless for all of eternity). A 'deliverance minister' might help you to come to this realization, and ofcourse it is always good to pray with someone who has authority. But, you need to have that authority too or else they will never go away. Have the authority and boldness to proclaim God's love and care for you and demand that they leave in the name of Jesus.

As my friend stated, Jesus didnt spend hours with people in bondage... he spent as long as it took to bring them to a place of true faith in Him... that is when he healed/delivered them.

Hi John,

I appreciate your honesty in sharing thse concerns with us. I do not know exactly what is going on here. However, God knows you the best and has perfect understanding of what you are needing, in order to deal with the concerns that you’ve shared about.

While I do believe it is possible to give Satan ‘ground’ in our life, based on Ephesians 4:27 which says, “Neither give place to the devil”, I am not sure what exactly a person would do that would give ground to the devil. I believe that you do need a work of God to take place in your life, but personally I am not of the mind that a deliverance minister is what you need the most.

One thing, while I don’t agree with the modern movement that makes much of the idea that we as Christians are ‘Kings kids’ who deserve to be lavished with multipled material blessings because of our rightful inheritance, I do believe there is a place for us to lay hold of scriptures which proclaim the truths of what ‘Christ has done for us’. So, just as Jesus spoke out the Word of God to Satan, I believe that when he tempts us or condemns us we can stand upon God’s word and can say, “God’s word says, “Whom the son has set free is free indeed””, that sort of thing. One book series that I’ve found to be beneficial in terms of understanding better the ‘wiles of the devil’ is, ‘The Christian in Complete Armour’, by William Gurnall.

Again, God knows best what you need in order to find release from the afflictions that weigh heavy upon you, and I am sure that the source of your deliverance will in the end be Christ himself. As Luke 4:18 records, Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised”

I will pray for you for God’s deliverance and would ask if my dear brothers and sisters would join me in doing this.

- As we join together in prayer and fasting for the upcoming Revival Conference (Oct 21-23), I’m wondering during this time of concerted prayer, might it be beneficial for those who use these forums to come up with a prayer list ? (Possibly this is already being done). Maybe such needs as our brother has mentioned, and other needs represented by Christians on this forum, could be part of such a list.

In Christ’s love,
John

Dear Brother John,

Deliverance is available for you brother. The Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. Through the cross of Christ, the enemy has been defeated. There is no quick fix for this brother, but God is faithful to deliver you as you yield your whole being to Him, repent, and actively resist the demonic through the blood and the name of Jesus.

What part of the country do you live in?

I have used a deliverance prayer by Victor Matthews for years that is based on scripture and covers a lot of ground.

Remember that the devil is a liar. He is telling you that the situation is hopeless, but Jesus Christ has won the victory, and you must stand in the Lord's victory. "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." Jesus said: "If you continue in my Word, then you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

In His Love,

Mike

Warfare Prayer -- Victor Matthews

Heavenly Father, I bow in worship and praise before You. I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as my protection during this time of prayer. I surrender myself completely and unreservedly in every area of my life to Yourself. I do take a stand against all the workings of Satan that would hinder me in this time of prayer, and I address myself only to the true and living God and refuse any involvement of Satan in my prayer.

Satan, I command you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to leave my presence with all your demons, and I bring the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ between us.

Heavenly Father, I worship You and I give You praise. I recognize that You are worthy to receive all glory and honour and praise. I renew my allegiance to You and pray that the blessed Holy Spirit would enable me during this time of prayer. I am thankful, Heavenly Father, that You have loved me from past eternity, that You sent the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to die as my substitute that I would be redeemed. I am thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ came as my representative, and that through Him You have completely forgiven me; You have given me eternal life; You have given me the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ so I am now justified. I am thankful that in Him You have made me complete, and that You have offered Yourself to me to be my strength.

Heavenly Father, come and open my eyes so that I might see how great You are and how complete Your provision is for this new day. I do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, take my place with Christ in the heavenlies with all principalities and powers (powers of darkness and wicked spirits) under my feet. I am thankful that the victory the Lord Jesus Christ won for me on the cross and in His resurrection has been given to me and that I am seated with the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, I declare that all principalities and powers and all wicked spirits are subject to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am thankful for the armour You have provided, and I put on the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace and the helmet of salvation. I lift up the shield of faith against all the fiery darts of the enemy, and take in my hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and use Your Word against all the forces of evil in my life; and I put on this armour and live and pray in complete dependence upon You, blessed Holy Spirit.

I am grateful, Heavenly Father, that the Lord Jesus Christ spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself. I claim all that victory for my life today. I reject out of my life all the insinuations, the accusations, and the temptations of Satan. I affirm that the Word of God is true, and I choose to live today in the light of God's Work. I choose, heavenly Father, tho live in obedience to You and in fellowship with Yourself. Open my eyes and show me the areas of my life that would not please You. Work in my life that there be no ground to give Satan a foothold against me. She me any areas of weakness. Show me any area of my life that I must deal with so that I would please You. I do in every way today stand for You and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life.

By faith and in dependence upon You, I put off the old self and stand in all the victory of the crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the old nature. I put on the new self and stand in all the victory of the resurrection and the provision He has made for me to live above sin. Therefore, in this day, I put off the old nature with its selfishness, and I put on the new nature with its love. I put of the old nature with its fear and I put on the new nature with its courage. I put off the old nature with its weakness and I put on the new nature with its strength. I put off today the old nature with all its deceitful lusts and I put on the new nature with all its righteousness and purity.

I do in every way today stand into the victory of the ascension and the glorification of the Son of God where all principalities and powers were made subject to Him, and I claim my place in Christ victorious with Him over all the enemies of my soul. Blessed Holy Spirit, I pray that You would fill me. Come into my life, break down every idol and cast out every foe.

I am thankful, Heavenly Father, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. I therefore claim all the will of God for today. I am thankful that You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I am thankful that You have begotten me unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I am thankful that You have made a provision so that today I can live filled with the Spirit of God with love and joy and self-control in my life. And I recognize that this is Your will for me, and I therefore reject and resist all the endeavors of Satan and of his demons to rob me of the will of God. I hold up the shield of faith against all the accusations and against all the insinuations that Satan would put in my mind.

I do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, completely surrender myself to You, Heavenly Father, as a living sacrifice. I choose not to be conformed to this world. I choose to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, and I pray that You would show me Your will and enable me to walk in all the fullness of the will of God today.

I am thankful, Heavenly Father, that the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses, for destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and to bring every thought into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore in my own life today I tear down the strongholds of Satan, and I smash the plans of Satan that have been formed against me. I tear down the strongholds of Satan against my mind and I choose to think my thoughts after You, blessed Holy Spirit. I affirm, heavenly Father, that You have not given me the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I break and smash the stronghold of Satan formed against my emotions today, and I given my emotions to You. I smash the stronghold of Satan formed against my body today, and I give my body to You, recognizing that I am Your temple; and I rejoice in Your mercy and Your goodness.

Heavenly Father, I pray that You would renew me with your life; show me the way that Satan is hindering and tempting and lying and counterfeiting and distorting the truth in my life. Enable me to be the kind of person that would please You. Enable me to be aggressive in prayer. Enable me to be aggressive mentally and to think Your thoughts after You, and to give You Your rightful place in my life.

Again, I now cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that You, blessed Holy Spirit, would bring all the work of the crucifixion, all the work of the resurrection, all the work of the glorification and all the work of Pentecost into my life today. I yield my life to You. I refuse to be discouraged. You are the God of all hope. You have proven Your power by resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead and I claim in every way Your victory over all satanic forces active in my life and I reject these forces; and I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, with thanksgiving. Amen.

thank you everyone, i am fighting back, i need to hold onto my faith, that is when the demons seem to flee, when i trust in jesus and not believe the lies.

hello bro
i believe that the Blood of Jesus Christ and the name of Jesus Christ are so powerfull against the fierce of the devil.
I can encourage U to read 2 books or to buy the tape on that topic from this Preacher , who was according for many a great teacher who open the eye of many people about demons.

The Author is Derek prince
the books are
They shall expell demons
Blessing and Curse

Please buy these books and read them , or buy his tape about demonologie and hear them
And by the divine grace of God , U can be delivred.

i personaly have read the book
God Bless U and deliver U by the Name of Jesus Christ
Amen

things got really bad yesterday, the demons tried to take over my mind again, i felt like i was losing reality of life, then i had to scream out to god and things got a little better, but this a continuous thing for the past year and still no deliverance, i have cried and screamed and repented for the Lord to deliver me and save me but not yet.

These kinds come not out(out of a persons life) but by fasting and prayer.

Some strongholds that are devilish in nature require a level of dedication and consecration to God and His HOliness that goes far beyond our normative experience.

I dont know you physical condition yet I suggest you fast for 5 days. It will be difficult and you will feel as if you have no stregnth. Headaches will come. Yet committ yourself to the Lord of Deliverance and continue to confess anything that He brings to your mind.

Each day of the fast take time to come against all devish activity in your home. Ask the Lord for discernment. There may be things in your home or life that are doors for attack. If the Lord points something out to you repent and get rid of it.

A 5 day fast seems like a long fast yet you can do it if you have no medical conditions like diebities. A water fast is very effective.

I was with a young man who was on the 7th day of a water fast. He went to a prayer meeting at our church. WHile there a lady came in who looked terrified. SHe had horror and fear all over her face. She too had been attacked in her mind by devils that would not quit. She asked for prayer and all the people in the room gathered around her and started to pray. Nothing seemed to change in her.

The young man who was behind everyone, then walked slowly and in a labored way for lack of physical stregnth around the rest and stood directly in front of the lady. He stretched out his hand and laid his hand on the ladies head and rebuked the attacks and any dark power behind them. I saw as the ladies face changed instanteaneously and a beautiful smile broke forth on her face. She told us afterwards that as soon as the young mans hand touched her head she felt peace flood her being.

She had been to other churches, doctors, psychiatrist but with no help. Yet when there was a confrontation with power against power she was set free by His Majesty. I remember her coming up to us each Sunday smiling saying, "I still dont hear the voices anymore, there still gone".

This can surely be your testimony. THis is my suggestion. We are exorted to stir up the gift that is in us. I hope this can help. Grace, Grace to you.

thank you, but i'm afraid my mind might not hold up on the lack food like that. I want to do it. I went for almost 4 days months ago but almost passed out. PLease pray for me, i wasn't delivered last time. I am so desperate.

If I may ask, how do you know the cause of all your vexation is from demons? Have you seen them?

From what you have said here it doesn't sound like demons but more like severe anxiety and panic. You have stated a few of the common signs of anxiety: scary thoughts, feeling like you are losing your mind, or going crazy, morbid thoughts, etc... I don't want to make light of this but I have experienced some of this and alot more symptoms that come along with severe anxiety. If so, it is not demons, but is caused by stress and our own unbiblical and negative thinking.

Other signs of severe anxiety:

Chest pains or palpitations?
Panic attacks or generalized anxiety?
Muscle pains, tingling, numbness?
Shortness of breath or smothering sensations?
Stomach or bowel problems?
Sweating, insomnia or tiredness?
Dizziness or feeling faint?
Disturbing or confused thoughts?
Depression, anger or irritability?
Feeling alone, isolated or desperate?
Phobias like agoraphobia or social phobia?
The list goes on!

I messaged you a more detailed message.

Don't lose hope! You are not crazy and you are not losing your mind- and you won't. Many people with anxiety and panic have experiened the same feelings.

Praying for you!

In Christ, Chanin

edit: and by the way, I am almost 100% recovered now. There is hope!

brother and sisters would it much of me to ask you all to stand with me in prayer for deliverance and healing from this whatever this is. I can't do this alone and the presence of God is so far away from me, please if you can pray for me, this has been going on for so long i will try to fast for 5 days. I believe i get attacked from the bad thoughts too. But i know that these our demonic too, i will explain everything later but i have to go to work.

Hi Brother,

Just wanted to let you know that I've been praying for you. Also, when I was in church on Sunday, the pastor mentioned a verse and when he spoke it I thought of you and what you're going through :

"And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
Colossians 2:15.

Keep clinging to this truth and hiding yourself in the rock that is Christ. He's your refuge and strength :-)

In Jesus,
John

thank you i appreciate you thinking of me and thanks for that verse

Most of the time the devil will vex thoughs who desire to walk uprightly and oppress them in thought by getting them to be overly consumed with self. By that I mean that all roads (thoughts) will lead to self. Introspection and a checking of ones self is sometimes a good thing, however to be totally consumed with looking at yourself is a bad thing. Jesus said deny yourself take up your cross and follow Him. In a walk of righteousness and holiness we are often-times best to "do" in deeds or works of righteousness for others inorder for the deliverence of God or the sanctification of God to come to our own heart and mind. If you have prayed,(fasted too as you have said), and if you are reading and have dedicated your life (your daily christian walk) and your are striving against besetting sins by looking unto Jesus, than you have done enough on a personal level and it's time for you to get busy and "do" what it is God has placed as a burden on your heart to do. Find some ministry you can do with others in your local church, that is if you attend a local church, if you don't you need to start there and find a place locally that you can "plug" into and get busy. A year down the road you'll look back and see with wonder that the Lord has taken care of all this present mess and didn't really need anyones help at all.

i had someone email me and tell me the best thing i could do is leave my unsaved wife and my parents house for a whole year and then come back and if their is no change then stay away still. What do you guys think.Please pray if this is what God wants then i will do it, pray that he opens a door for that to happen.

Brother, don't do anything until you know it is God's will. Sometimes we can be so desperate for an answere that we will listen to man before even seeking God about a situation. God will use men, but it will be to confirm what He is already leading you to do.

Mike

You would do much better to study the gospel for a year.

Friend, I would highly suggest trying to read "All of Grace" by C.H. Spurgeon. It is a small book and could probably be read in few days. Spurgeon discusses thoughts suggested into the mind in All of Grace, and it is a wonderful treatment of the gospel.

I have experienced the things you speak of such as horrible thoughts being constantly suggested into the mind. However, there is no deliverance for you in your zeal and efforts. I would suggest you feast on the gospel as your remedy. Study propitiation, atonement, satisfaction for sin, and all the other things our Lord has done for us.

DOES ANYONE KNOW AN EXPERIENCED DELIVERANCE MINISTER THAT I COULD SPEAK TO OVER THE PHONE AT ALL.

This is long overdue.

Friend, once you properly understand your position in Christ - where God has seated you - and the principle of your sonship in Him, no demon in hell can move you. All of this "demonic" stuff and anxiety will go away. Such is the power of the blood. You need to righfully understand the power of the blood of Jesus Christ and fact that God has killed us and placed us in Him. Knowing this will not mean all your troubles will instantly vanish, but you will have the peace of the Lord that passes all understanding despite any Satanic trial you may face. Your death, burial and subsequent resurrection in Christ must be appropriated by faith daily, and when this happens you will begin to see that you are more than a conqueror in Christ - because [i]He[/i] is more than a Conqueror, and you are hid with Him in God.

Once you have the peace of God, you may be troubled on every side but not distressed (as you are now), perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed. You need to understand your position in Christ, the centrality and essence of your life in Christ and you need to know the Word of God. The advice for you to leave your unsaved wife and go off somewhere is horrible counsel. You instead need to examine yourself and see whether you're in the faith. One blessed feature of genuine Christianity is [i]overcoming[/i] whatever the devil may throw at you, overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the power of your testimony.

Can you imagine if a heathen or Muslim were reading this thread? Reading about you being compelled to leave your wife because of tormenting demons? It would give them such leave to mock us, to mock how pathetic and seemingly insufficient our reliance on Christ is.

You speak of demons and demons and more demons tormenting you....and all without deliverance. But we are hid in Christ, the Bible says, and there are no demons in Christ. This is why you need to [i]examine yourself[/i]. The New Testament speaks implicitly of overcoming, of rejoicing always, of letting the peace of God rule in our hearts and minds, and of walking in the Spirit. Biblical Christianity asserts our victories in Christ - even in the face of demons and devils, in all the onslaughts of the hosts of hell and in every temptation of sin. I challenge you to show me one place in all the NT where a genuine believer is hoplessly tormented by demons like you say you are.

This is why I asked you how you knew your vexation came from demons, but you didn't answer. If you're telling me this is all demonic, I then want you to show you a hundred and one verses in the NT which speak of our demonless positions in Christ Jesus.

I'm sorry but this is getting to be ridiculous. Someone needs to tell you this. Why are you asking to speak with a deliverance minister over the phone? Why don't you just open the Word of God and read the facts? The Son says you are free. If the Word of God can't heal you, I assure you that no minister over the telephone will - and if he does, it will only be a temporary, false peace.

brother i am desperate that is why, i don't know what to do. This is been going on for over a year now. 4 and a half years ago when i thought i knew the Lord and was saved, i fell into deep sin with the women who is my wife now. I never was able to stop sexually sinning with her. That is when i began to be tormented by demons after 3 years of being with her. I got married to her and things have only got worse. I do question my salvation as of right now and if i was ver truly repented of my sin and saved or just awakened by God. I really don't know. I wish you would not respond like that to me, you don't know half of the torment i have gone through from almost going paralized this year, to losing almost all of my memory for over a weak to not one peaceful day for a year now and i have done all i can and have finished reading the new testament and am almost finished with the old testament i know what the scriptures say. But when the Lord aint do anything in your life , then you can't do nothing but wait. With all the kindness of my heart understand where i'm at and what i'm going through, thats what i need understanding christians with who our humble.

Look, I'm not sorry I had to respond to you like that, even though you may be right - I don't know the half of what you've been through. But I do know the Word of God, and this is probably the best thing anyone can do for you. Someone just needs to speak to you in a brotherly and straightforward way. A very [i]un[/i]brotherly thing to do would be to just leave a post here saying "Okay, brother. I'll be in prayer for you..."

Now, perhaps this should all be done in PM, but it's out in the open now, as your initial petition was, and maybe someone else can also benefit from it, someone who is not as bold as you are in asking for help.

. This is been going on for over a year now. 4 and a half years ago when i thought i knew the Lord and was saved, i fell into deep sin with the women who is my wife now. I never was able to stop sexually sinning with her. That is when i began to be tormented by demons after 3 years of being with her. I got married to her and things have only got worse. I do question my salvation as of right now and if i was ver truly repented of my sin and saved or just awakened by God.

The repurcussions of sin is weighty. I know this all too well, as I too have sinned and failed since knowing God as a new man. One of the weightiest repurcussions is the psychological damage it can cause, an overwhelming tsunami of grief and depression and condemnation can sweep you away. Good! This is God's way of chastening us, of showing us the temporal consequences when we as His sons and daughters stray into sin for a season.

But that season of torment shouldn't last for years and years - not if you have a proper understanding of the grace of God and the power of the blood and mercy of the cross. The #1 reason why believers go into tailspins is not so much because of sin they've committed, but of not having a proper understanding of grace and the efficacy of the blood of Jesus to cleanse and restore them after they've sinned. Of not having an understanding of God's grand purpose for our betterment even in the torment of failure. And this misunderstanding, in turn, comes from a neglect of the Bible and prayer. Knowing the Word of God, knowing and reckoning and yielding and presenting the truths of God to our spirit men is what our Father intends, and He'll use our failures in sin to facilitate this. Running off to see a deliverance minister will not do you one iota of good. It is not the answer; it is the coward's way out, the equivalent of liposuction for weight loss. No, friend, you can be healed in one moment and forever by the Word of God alone, once God opens your eyes to the power of the blood, and I am convinced that it doesn't matter what you've done. In an instant the blood can cleanse you, cleanse your guilty conscience and bring you nigh unto God by faith and there's nothing any demon can do about it.

Why don't you just go and get right with God? Stop all this foolish talking about demons; you're giving them too much power. They have nothing - they are conquered beings, judged. If you are truly saved (as you claim you are), their power can be broken in one moment by faith, which is the victory.

Hi John,

I think a very important question to ask yourself is whether you have surrendered your will to God in this matter. I remember the first time God pressed home this truth in my life. There had been something I was wanting in my life and when God brought me to the point where like Abraham who put Isaac on the altar, I surrendered my will, my plans, my desires, then God brought a peace to my heart, and enabled me to see more clearly his will in that matter.

We need to come to the place where we are desirous of God's will alone to be done. God can enable you to come to this place (if you ask him to). When you come to the place where you desire God's will alone, there is a safety, a confidence, for then you are not relying on your own abilities, your own wisdom, but His.

Remember that God's will is always in alignment with his Word. So, I would urge you to spend much time in his Word. In his Word, find out what God's instructions are for us as husbands. What are some verses which deal with marriage and our responsibilities to our spouse in marriage ?

In Christ,
John
p.s. I agree with brother Paul. As there is nothing in scriptures which promotes deliverance ministry in the life of a Christian, I would not go this route. Also, my personal experience with my friend going weekly to a deliverance minister, is that this has not been beneficial for him.

Hi bible1985…

I was reading your post about demons attacking your mind. What do you mean? To what extent and how are they attacking your mind?

These demons have tried to make me paralized, lose my memory, depressed, panic attacks, and they have been almost taking over my mind.

I know that shortly after I was saved, I felt “paralyzed” as I went to sleep as I prayed on my bed. I felt like I was somewhere between sleep and awake, but could not move my body (just my eyes). This actually happened several times. I was certain that it amounted to a “demonic attack” (as I had heard many other believers testify to the same thing). One day, I read a section in my high school health book that described my experience! It related that this is due to our mind still being awake while our bodies had already shut down for rest. In college, I read many articles about the phenomenon. It is the result of an active imagination while our bodies seek rest.

Now, why was my mind still awake? Well, I was busy in home, high school and Church. My body needed the sleep even though my mind was wandering with the cares of this world (yes, even an overwhelming mandate to pray or work for the Lord can turn into a care of this world – if we aren’t careful). And what was the fruit of this “paralyzing” situation? Fear. Yet God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear. He has given us a spirit of power, and of love and of a SOUND MIND. You need to understand that God is the master of your intellect, and not the things of this world (including demons).

Why should you fear? Why would it even be terrifying to be paralyzed? TO LIVE IS CHRIST…AND TO DIE IS GAIN! Who cares what the devil and his demons can or cannot do to us? We are not to fear them. Our “fear” is reserved to our Creator and Judge – who just happens to love us more than words could ever express! There is no need to panic. The most you could ever do during such situations is talk to our God! If he notices every sparrow that falls to the ground, He certainly sees you in your times of pain and inner agony. And He loves you more than the sparrows!

Even in those times that I was “paralyzed” (and thought it might be a demonic situation), I finally came to a realization that nothing mattered. Satan might be able to kill my body, but it wouldn’t matter – because I belong to Jesus. One night as I lay in that fearful position hovering between a sleep and awakened state (but thinking that it was demonic paralysis), I was overwhelmed by the knowledge that God is in control. He would not let anything happen to me that He wasn’t able to sustain me through it.

The next time you feel such a thing, why not simply realize that God is bigger than Satan? Why not bask in the glow of God’s radiance – that shines even in the “valley of the shadow of death?” Why not realize just how small Satan and his hordes of demons are in comparison to the vast, immeasurable goodness and power of Almighty God? In my situation, even while paralyzed, this realization made me smile.

As far as your situation with your wife, I would stop listening to those who encourage you to leave her. I understand that I don’t know all of the circumstances in your situation, but I hardly think that divorce is much of an option. Is she physically cheating on you? Is she an unbeliever actively pursuing a divorce? If not, then the advice from your friends is terrible, worldly advice. Like others have said, I would continue to fulfill God’s mandate to you to LOVE YOUR WIFE EVEN AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR HER. I would go up and beyond any need and display affection for her. Love her. Romance her. Demonstrate the love of Christ to her as you care for her every need. Let your conduct and inner light win her over to Christ!

Brother, I would also remain in study of the Word of God. The “washing of the water” of the Word has a power for renewing the mind. If possible, read the New Testament all the way through (like a book). I would suggest that you pick one of the Gospels (perhaps Luke). Then move on to Acts and read all the way through Revelation. Next, pick another of the Gospels and read all the way through from Acts to Revelation. Do this four times (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) until you have completed the New Testament four times! There is a great amount of power in the Word of God. It helps to keep our mind aware of the redeeming love of the Creator of the Universe! He loved us so deeply – that He came from Heaven to this Earth in order to provide redemption to us.

Brother, I will be praying for you. I pray that you come to the realization that we have nothing to fear. We should not be afraid. We have no need to panic. We serve a might God whose eye is looking upon you even now! Nothing can separate us from His love – not even angels or demons. I will be praying for you throughout the day. Perhaps others will join us in prayer?

:-)

But that season of torment shouldn't last for years and years - not if you have a proper understanding of the grace of God and the power of the blood and mercy of the cross. The #1 reason why believers go into tailspins is not so much because of sin they've committed, but of not having a proper understanding of grace and the efficacy of the blood of Jesus to cleanse and restore them after they've sinned. Of not having an understanding of God's grand purpose for our betterment even in the torment of failure. And this misunderstanding, in turn, comes from a neglect of the Bible and prayer.

Brother Paul is correct here. Many Christians fail to read the Word of God for themselves, finding deliverance from lies as well as sin.

In this area of demonic activity, you will hear many different teachings. Some actually keep you in bondage. The Truth will set you free, and His Word is Truth.

Rise up and walk! Stand on Truth!

Blessings,
R.G. Benjamin

I do not want to minimize in anyway the advice that you all have given to our brother. Paul, you have spoken the truth, and every believer must know their position with Christ to stand against the wiles of the devil.

There are Christians that for one reason or another have yielded themselves to demon spirits. Probably the most common way is to yield repeatedly to some area of the flesh. Demons have no power over a Christian unless they are given the ground to work. That is why the Word says to "give no place to the devil." It is possible for a Christian to give place to the devil and to be oppressed by demons. I have seen it many times, and have seen Christians delivered by simply repenting of any known sin, closing the door to any ground that has been given to the enemy, and taking our authority over the enemy with the name and the blood of Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, you are absolutely right that many problems that are related to demons is really uncrucified flesh. If we are full of the Spirit and have the Word of God abiding in us, submitted to the Lord, then the enemy will not be able to have any place in us.

While getting prayer from someone else will often help, the ultimate responsibility is for every believer to put on the whole armour of God, submitting ourselves to the Lord, and resisting the devil. The Word says that if we resist the devil, then he will flee.

A true Christian cannot be possesed by a spirit, because possesion means ownership, and if we are the Lords, then the Holy Spirit lives in us. But Christians can certainly be demonically oppressed, and if we do not guard our thoughts, casting down imaginations, then we are giving place to the enemy.

The good news for a Christian is that the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are mighty unto God to pull down strongholds. The enemy, who has been defeated, cannot stand against a Christian that wants to be free and walks in his authority in Christ.

Mike

Hi bro,

I prayed and i will pray for you.I have been in a similiar situation like you before where my marriage has been a failure with exception that my wife is an ardent believer in the gosple of health & whealth or prosperity.

My humble advice is strive and long for a purity of life, it seems that your faith is in a shipreck i have been myself in same circumstances where depression, hate, anxiety and fear cuptures my emotions and the hardest thing in this hours of desperation faith was not in me.

Brother you are in very dangerous grounds, take hold NOW by FAITH of the promises of God in Jesus Christ. Humble yourself before God dont listen to the suggestions of the devil or you self. Dont run after men to deliver you run after God, run to Jesus, you know the truth, go to the cross with all of your sins, lay your burden at the foot of the cross. Let the blood O Jesus wash away your sins and break you free from your bandage.

Its Jesus brother and him crucified your only hope, there is power in the blood of the Lamb of God. On your knees freind confess your sins now to god, whatever the Holy Spirit brings to your mind get rid of it, after you have done that believe the blood of jesus has spinkled your hear from an evil conscience.

Dont let the devil play with your mind like that, Jesus has already destroyed the works of the devil on the cross, dont you know that demons tremble in the name of Jesus when we stand our ground by faith? Receive you deliverance by faith, it is yours already perchased by the death of our Lord on the Cross.

Believe dont doubt and after you confess and surrender your wiil to God, start thanking and praising God by faith for the victory in Jesus, even though your feelings are pushing you agaist God's will and the cross.

God is our deliverer and redemption, receive the light of the cross and the truth and be free.

2 Peter 1 tells us we become partakers of His divine nature through His great and precious promises.

Here is a wondeful promise:

He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of PEACE, Love and a sound mind.

Christians are those indwelt with the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy Peace Peace with God and the Peace OF God! etc...and those who are Christs have crucified the flesh.

Blessings,
R.G. Benjamin

I respect what everyone else has written, however you wanted a way out of this vexation of soul, as simple as it may seem if you'll "do" what I wrote for just 3 months the desired results will follow. To the super spiritual who say wait on God for a specific plan/deliverence/word, I say that a ship moving in the waters of life is easier to steer than one sitting still. You need to be doing something for Christ with other believers on a regular weekly basis, even if it's not what God has specifically called you to as your lifes work, "START" somewhere and get submitted to good leadership and you'll look back months latter and realize like the 10 lepers that the Lord has already healed you, than you'll be faced with some decisions as concerns your response and relationship to Jesus. As it is right now you can't focus on or hear anything other than what distresses you, including all the advice you have recieved thus far. You need to get busy "Doing", in a structured environment, something for the Lord. The choice is yours.

The Lord was in control with the situation with your wife. Your sin in not in what you did then, but is in what you are doing now. Your focus has turned entirely upon yourself and what you suppose as your sin - thereby turning from God and opening up yourself to attack. Your selfishness and self pity is in fact bringing upon yourself that which you are running from. Jesus Christ died to set you free - but you must believe that what He has done is greater than what you have done. Do not trust in the council of men - turn back unto Him - turn back to the Arms that once held you so dear.

John 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

I just started listening to this sermon
- it sounds like it may be perfect for your situation.

The Humble Will Soon Hear Your Song by Carter Conlon

If Paul the apostle counciled a believing wife to stay with the unbelieving husband (as long as he'll have her), why wouldn't the same be true in the believing husband verses the unbelieving wife?

>>>>>>[i had someone email me and tell me the best thing i could do is leave my unsaved wife and my parents house for a whole year and then come back and if their is no change then stay away still. What do you guys think.Please pray if this is what God wants then i will do it, pray that he opens a door for that to happen.]

i will heed to all of what you all said and start reading the scriptures more than i do. I am really going to try to have the strength to not give in so easily. I am concerned if i am truly saved too, maybe i have been going through for a year so God could let me know i was never saved in the first place, i want to be saved, i am just shaken that i might not be saved. I was convinced that i was saved for 4 years until the past 6 months.

Now reading is fine, we are to study to show ourselves approved, but that's not salvation. Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, Luke added take up your cross daily and follow Him, as they followed Him He taught them, lessons and things about Himself, to observant the very acts He performed told them things about who Jesus was. If you want set free, you'll get active in some regular weekly out reach, food and clothing ministry for example, where you can help behind the scenes and be part of a team ministry effort, maybe visiting nursing homes with others or something. The lessons you'll learn and the vision you will see of Jesus will last a lifetime, and in time when you look back you'll see that while you were out doing for the Lord He was in doing for you. It's so simple, just try it, you don't need a law that says youre not reading or praying enough, thats bondage, just simply get involved and reach out in love in some sort of ministry, thats all. His burden is light and His yoke is easy, there is rest there, just follow Him.

Hesitate to pile on here ...

John, first off this;

i had someone email me and tell me the best thing i could do is leave my unsaved wife and my parents house for a whole year and then come back and if their is no change then stay away still. What do you guys think.Please pray if this is what God wants then i will do it, pray that he opens a door for that to happen.

Whoever emailed this to you needs to go back and read his or her bible and then repent of even offering up such an absurd suggestion. You are married, period. You love your wife to the point of laying down your life for her if need be whether she comes to the Lord or not. Others have already asked or made mention of adultery but since it doesn't appear from your mentions, I will only add what Jesus said about these situations and the hardening of the heart.

Dohzman and others have made a very strong distinction that I will echo as it was once echoed to me some years back when I was in similar straights; Bluntly, cease with the incessant navel gazing! Like yourself you probably do not want to hear this right now as I didn't when it was admonished to me (By the way, [i]admonishen[/i] is defined as [i]to put in mind[/i], that is, (by implication) to [i]caution[/i] or [i]reprove[/i] gently: - admonish, warn.) So I wouldn't take any of this or any strong sounding words from others as anything other than this.

You have got to get your mind off of yourself. Leaving your wife is more of an demonic influence than whatever is seemingly being leveled at you and this is not the root of your problems any way. Absorb yourself into someone else's shoes for awhile, someone who has lived a difficult life for decades ... take Adoniram Judson for instance;

[i]This was the unshakable confidence of all three of his wives, Ann (or Nancy), Sarah, and Emily. For example, Ann, who married Judson on February 5, 1812 and left with him on the boat on February 19 at age 23, bore three children to Adoniram. All of them died. The first baby, nameless, was born dead just as they sailed from India to Burma. The second child, Roger Williams Judson, lived 17 months and died. The third, Maria Elizabeth Butterworth Judson, lived to be two, and outlived her mother by six months and then died.[/i]

I have been touting this series of messages unashamedly and believe they are quite applicable to your situation. Brother listen to them, lose yourself into their lives and draw off the comparisons. Keep in mind these are [i]whole[/i] lives here, you are only in a part of your own right now, this too shall pass.

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&order=0&topic_id=25079&forum=34&post_id=&refresh=Go]Spurgeon - Mueller - An Important Series ~ Piper's Biographies[/url]

You may need to do as Dohzman suggested, an effort in self forgetfulness and self sacrifice. Even your wife, what have you done for her of late that was empty of self repercussions or even that pertained to her salvation? Is it really up to [i]you[/i] to save her? I do not know if that is your disposition or not but your life will have to preach it well before your words at any rate, same with your folks.

It does come done to you after all though. All the advice in the world, all the counsel and suggestions, none of us knows what is truly needed ... You may just need to grow up. Take the Joni Erickson Tada approach: Grab your thoughts by the scruff of the neck and jerk them back into line. Whatever it is and from wherever they may be coming from they only will have the control you allow them. I know that is easy to say when it is not a present reality of circumstances and I do know the pressures and failings - speaking from afar in this moment doesn't mean that I haven't been overwhelmed by sin or will not become so in the future. But you must fight nevertheless, get up when you get knocked on your posterior and get at it again, it is the gist of what our brother Paul was getting at in understanding grace. Their is no crying in baseball and no groveling in the Christian life, put your miserable self on the altar. Brother we are all miserable, fleshly, depraved humans, the best of us, the worst of us, all of us, you are not going to get a free ride out of this anymore than anyone else ...

I am taking a few liberties here due to your earlier conduct. When you first came on here you seemed to come off with an air of knowledge at times, a bit argumentative and quarrelsome ... That has all seemed to have been subdued of late with this forthcoming but you speak now of wanting a deliverance and wondering if you are saved. I don't think it is either of those two frankly, you very well may be under an assault [i]because[/i] you are saved, I do not know of anyone that has pressed on in this life with the Lord who hasn't, the greater concern would be if one went waltzing through this life without any trouble, contradicting the very scriptures themselves. Likely, it is some combination as most things are, harassment (and remember that is the best they can do) and the navel gazing that you are allowing or wallowing in.

Not hard words brother, kind ones, the same that I thank God for, the courage that others had to speak them into my hearing so many years ago, right from this very forum. It took some time to sink in but they stuck from the start.

Brother, I will pray for you, we do all have to realize that we can never have a complete picture of what is going on with you. One last thing, the scriptures and prayer ... it is the answer, it is always the answer, that is not in isolation but in everything that we have to do with, first and foremost ... But try and do what Zac Poonen recommended; Come to the scriptures everyday as if for the first time, as if you had never read them before, let them dictate and alter your perception rather than to merely search out your own preconceptions, it is some of the best advice I have ever taken.

Amen, to what brother Chris and others wrote about striving to love your wife as Christ loved the church. How much does He love the church ? Immeasurably so !!

One thing I don’t talk about often but which I felt might relate somewhat to your situation, John, is my experience growing up with my parents. Although my home life was far less difficult than what some people have experienced, who have been abused etc, it was challenging nonetheless. My mother is an extremely godly woman, a woman of prayer. My dad has not been kind to her over the years, and her years have been spent putting up with a great deal of anger and belittling. In all of this, she has stayed with my dad, because she believed this was what God wanted her to do, because she dearly loved us, her kids, and because she loved my dad. This, I sometimes found quite amazing; that she could love him, after all that he had done to her. But I can honestly say that she TRULY loves him, not in the ‘I love you because you make me feel good’ sort of way but, ‘ I love you because I’ve committed myself to you as a person and I am willing to lay down my life for you’. I cannot honestly say that I have ever known anyone in my life who has so ardently taken up the biblical admonition to ‘lay down your life for others’. My mother has prayed for my dad for years and continues to do so, hours on end, as she believes that he needs to be saved. She also demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the principle that God is no respecter of persons, as she often befriends people who much of the rest of society would scarcely give the time of day. I pray for such a love as hers to be mine also ! I believe that it is Christ’s love that motivates her to love my dad the way that she does.

John 12:24,25
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

In Christ,
John

i appreciate all your advice . I am not trying to profane the christian name and anger you. i have been honest with you. The woman who responded to me in the email it scared me, because i began to think about the times when i thought the Lord was telling me to leave my wife before we were married and i just felt like he didn't want me to be with her. So when i heard say that i started to think what if God is speaking through her. But i even brought up to the girl doesn't Paul exhort us to stay with the unbelieving wife. I have been going through this since last june of 2007 i know what i have been through and what i am going through now. I have prayed and prayed and prayed and cried to the Lord. I have read the scriptures more in the past year then i ever have. I read the whole new testament and almost finished the old testament all in this year. Also reading scriptures for other circumstances, so reading the Bible i have done and during these problems. I have went through my sins and repented of them all on more than one occasion. I have got on my knees and cried and and begged for mercy that i can't do it anymore. I have prayed that Jesus would save me, convict me of my sins to save me, that he would take over all of my life. I feel like if i sin even once now that these demons start attacking my mind ten times worse and i go through a huge trial all over. I have to almost live perfectly so i don't get attacked. Really i have already seen many others get sick of my problems and stop talking to me and i would like to say be my guest because i have already had others doing so in my life. I don't know if God is telling them to leave me or what but it hurts a lot if they didn't know. I am being truthful i love and care about you guys and i don't want you to shun me or get tired of me, i want you to be here for me and i want people to understand things i am going through and encourage me.

I know I have already posted that what you could be experiencing is severe anxiety. The only reason I am saying this is because much of what you are saying you are experiencing- I have also experienced when I was dealing with anxiety/panic disorder 2 years ago. I am not a medical doctor but I do know what I had to go through to recover.

Dealing with irrational, dark thoughts. Your feelings of unreality and fear. Your over analyzing everything including yourself and your salvation. Your feeling you can’t ever be ‘good enough’ or sinless enough. Classic symptoms of anxiety. You already mentioned your history of panic attacks and fear- so we know that you are prone to these. I also was prone to fear and to panic and anxiety before it became extreme a couple of years ago. All it took was 2 life altering things to happen in my life to put me over the edge. And I say all this was when I had a wonderful relationship with the Lord. But the Lord has so much more to teach me- about Himself, about fear, and about how our minds and thoughts work.

It is amazing how our minds and thought life are wired to our physical being. Our thoughts effect our physical sensations and our physical health. I had all kinds of physical symptoms from my anxiety and had no idea where it was all coming from. Aches and pains, tingling sensations and some numbness, feeling spacey or dizzy. Difficulty breathing at times. If I thought something was wrong with me- I could actually produce pain in that area just because I was constantly thinking about it. (You have to remember that at this time I had been diagnosed with melanoma and was so worried about my health).

After my scare with melanoma, I found out that my husband was unfaithful. I dealt with it ok at first, but about a year later it took it’s toll on my nervous system. I had a nervous breakdown which looked and felt like the longest and worst panic attack I’d ever had. I didn’t sleep for almost 10 days straight because my adrenalin was running so high. I was terrified that I was going crazy. I felt as though I was falling into a pit of darkness and I would just die. I did not know what was happening to me. I would have sworn that it was demonic. That all the demons of hell were tormenting me- and maybe they were because I was giving them permission. I did not know at that time that my mind needed to be completely renewed in this area. I had no idea that I was scaring myself and causing myself to experience all of these physical symptoms and mental anguishes.

I am so thankful to the Lord that He rescued me!

I eventually learned about I was thinking unbiblical, negative thoughts. That I was giving place to fear in my life. I learned that I had hidden feelings of bitterness toward my husband that were also fanning the flame of anxiety (and giving foothold to the enemy).

I don’t want to make this post any longer than necessary, but if you think that you might relate to anything I am saying here please visit my blog on this page here: [url=http://www.xanga.com/NewSurrender?nextdate=4%2f29%2f2008+21%3a34%3a52.937&direction=n]NewSurrender[/url]

Please scroll down and start reading at the April 24th entry and then go up from there. I hope this might help you in some way. Or maybe it will help someone else.

Just so you know, I am almost completely recovered. Medication free. And God is being faithful to heal my marriage! I still struggle a bit with anxiety here and there. But I know what it is and what to do. God is so faithful but we have to do some hard work to get there.

Many on here have given some great advice already- staying busy, helping others, loving others (including your wife) , not focusing so much on yourself, reading scriptures. But I know where I was 2 years ago I needed practical tools that could help me. I could read the scriptures but I was so afraid of what was happening to me that the scriptures did not penetrate like they could have. But eventually they did.

The Lord is going to teach you an amazing amount through this trial if you will trust Him and be willing to work hard on this and not dismiss it as the ‘devil’.

Praying for you!

In Christ, Chanin

[url=http://www.xanga.com/NewSurrender]NewSurrender[/url]

Oh John, get over your self already. Brother, I woke up thinking and praying about you, praying that my own words and others might somehow be made sense to your mind, that is, that the Lord would impress them where they were right and true and discard the errors in articulation.

But I get the sense that while you may appreciate as you say that you are not really taking things to heart, really considering - Why? Because you are still repeating the same woes over and over again, that you have done this and done that ... Count the "I"'s that you have used in this latest response.

I have to almost live perfectly so i don't get attacked.

Your focus is out of whack, if this is your preoccupation no wonder you are being tormented by your own thoughts. This is no time to get into the gears of what the Lord meant by being perfect as the Father is perfect, suffice it to say that your focus needs to be on Christ, on His righteousness ... dear brother for all the reading of the scriptures you say you have read are you articulating them? Who is the accuser of the Brethren? If these demons, these evil imaginations, if the devil himself were to tell you that you were a worthless wretch, what ought to be your response? "[i]Tell me something I do not already know.[/i]"

Really i have already seen many others get sick of my problems and stop talking to me and i would like to say be my guest because i have already had others doing so in my life.

The question is, when do you get sick of your problems. That others are telling you this much ought to be a clue whoever they are. "Be my guest" being an attempt to elicit sympathy well I can emphasize with anyones troubles and pray for peace and comfort to your soul but sympathy for the very dying to your self, to evil imaginations and inclinations, to the flesh, to the world and to the devil himself ... no way. This again was Paul West's great indictment to you earlier and that for your good. [i]Crucify[/i]. In fact, read this;

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&order=0&topic_id=12137&forum=34&post_id=&refresh=Go]Understanding Mortification[/url]

No one is going to shun you here and if anything look at how long this post has become for proof of the love and concern of your own Brethren. Look brother, you need to get some gumption in you, some fight, some endurance and start taking control of you thought life. The word, [i]No[/i] is enough to drive out whatever comes up into these fallen, fallible craniums of ours. Your problem is that you are both allowing and entertaining things that need to be put to death. And the first thing of these is death to your [i]self[/i]. Study it out, search through this forum, listen to messages in this regard, do some comparing and contrasting as suggested earlier, it's humbling and that in a good way it will make you less of one complaining about light afflictions when you read the lives of those tortured, imprisoned, suffering the loss of loved ones, hardship and toil. Warm sentiments are not what is needed in times like this but [i]fight[/i], courage and gumption. Recall what the trying of your faith is about, remember the verses? What do they produce?

I would quit talking to others about your woes short of a Godly pastor or saint and forget about this idea of some nefarious 'deliverance' minister - Your 'ministers' are speaking to you right here, telling you what you need to hear not what you want to hear likely.

If you cannot pull yourself out of this self absorbed spiral then the next best thing would be to put yourself into distraction. Forget all these things and go study ... anything. Absorb yourself into Romans and let that great treatise of challenge offset all the incessant navel gazing. Get some fresh air, go for a long walk and wonder and gaze in awe at God's creation. Get some exercise. Go help out somewhere as Dohzman suggested. Do something brother, but get over yourself, you can and must do so.

I would like to add one more thing, because I've noticed often my advice can get pushed to the side here under the impression that "...he's just telling so-and-so to read the scriptures" and leaving it at that as though I were proposing some kind of dry ritual that is the proverbial fix-all, heal-all formula to everything in life.

While I do believe the Word of God is sufficient to meet all our needs, I am not suggesting we just open the Bible and read and expect a cure or wisdom to just flow from the page to our spirits like a conduit of power.

I think I can say here with all seriousness and a straight face and without boasting that I have gone through just about everything spiritually that anyone else in this forum has. I am speaking about fear and panic and dire abandon and suicidal thoughts, crushing failure in sin - physical torture within and without with no "relief" from God, mental anguish, tears of grief and disgust, confusion, seasons to up to 6 months with no tangible sense of God's presence, where each page of the Bible is as though it were made of lead and the smallest prayer was impossible to utter. I've been through wholescale rejection by entire churches and assemblies, repeated bouts of sleep paralysis, seasons of nightmares where I would do the most hideous things in my dreams, night after night doing unspeakable things to my own mother and children. Twice my wife nearly divorced me because of physical abuse, screamings, etc. I think I've earned my right to speak to and counsel anyone here going through difficulties and attacks with a sense of solidarity and experience.

Reading scriptures, I well know, during these times of trial and grief is impossible. I have never counselled someone to just "read the scriptures" although this is often how my advice seems to be interpreted here. I tell people to "know the Word of God" - which is a vastly different thing. Plenty of people read the Bible without profitting, and I do not endorse dry ritualism, because, very often, that is exactly what reading the Bible can turn into. It can transform itself in matter of months from a labor of love to just a [i]labor.[/i] And the Word of God should never be a labor; it should be a pleasure.

So, when I say a person needs to know the Word of God, I mean to say he or she needs to have their eyes open to a certain truth [i]found in the Word of God[/i] that can rectify the experience they may be going through at the moment. Which is why we need to immerse ourselves in Scripture during the seasons [i]when we can[/i]. See, the well should already be dug by the time the drought comes, for we know from life experience that a parched and spiritually dehydrated man is hardly the effective well-digger. The more desperate you are to find water, that harder it will be for you to draw it. In this case, the water would be this person having his eyes opened to his position in Christ wrought by God.

Now, since it seems he doesn't have a well dug to drink from, if he is not willing to first examine himself, and settle whatever account needs to be settled with God, we can type advice on here till our fingers fall off and he'll still want to seek out the spiritual equivalent of Miss Cleo to solve all his problems. Staying busy won't help him any either, and I actually think that was poor advice. Myriads "stay busy" with programs and street preaching and doing all kinds of charitible work and they are just as confused as ever, perverted and miserable behind their closed doors and insufferingly religious. I say he [i]stops everything[/i], and just goes and gets right with God. Be a man - that is, a worm - and get on his face before the Almighty and confess his total grief and failure and misery. Be willing to face the terrifying fact that he just might not be born-again. In a sngle instant you can be restored, redeemed, fixed, made whole, healed and soothed by the unspeakable grace of God through the power of the blood of Christ.

The wonderful thing about this is that if you discover you never had a genuine conversion - or fully understood the power and efficacy of the blood of Christ - now you you can know it when God suddenly opens your eyes and grants you true repentance. Once you taste it, you'll never forget the power and love and grace and mercy of our God and Father. And you'll never again look down upon a struggling and weary sinner. You'll know where you came from and the power of grace and the futility of works. We know God will never turn away anyone who comes to Him with a humble heart and who is heavy laden and truly desires to know Him. He will immediately draw you to Jesus - and there are no demons in Jesus Christ. This is all you need, and from here, the Holy Spirit can begin to teach you the "Word of God" (as opposed to just reading the Bible), which you'll now need for your survival. But you can't have this without the first part, you can't know your position in the cleft of Christ wihout first removing your sandals before the bush of Fire.

But I solemnly warn: [i]Do not work or attempt do anything for God[/i] until you have full assurance of this. This is going to incur some vituperation from Dozhman (whom I respect and count as a brother), but that's okay - I'll answer this brother in any area he wants, and you can read and judge for yourself by the Word of God whose counsel is profitable and whose is not. I feel I need to warn you of this - and anyone else reading this thread. Never mind steering ships in the ocean. Park your ship and get right with God, then fire her back up with a new helm and go where God leads.

Brother Paul

this book is excellent - TO fight or not to fight
TITLE: To Fight or Not to Fight (thoughts on spiritual warfare)
AUTHOR: J. Paul Reno

I am reading it now & your thread came to mind.

The author also mentioned & recommended:
Puritan Thomas Brooks
'Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices'
which I found free in a pdf online & mp3 audio reading
on sermonaudio.

Hope this helps

___

Here is a review of the Brooks book:

Most of the Puritans knew Satan better than they knew their best friend. Not that they were intimate with the Devil, but they knew his devices so well and with such clarity that it would have almost seemed they could, by the power of the Spirit, expose every one of his hell-deserving schemes. In this small book, Thomas Brooks teaches the Christian that Satan is alive and well, and desires to destroy the Christian by his many devices. However, Brooks arms the Christians not only with that knowledge but also that the devices have remedies which may put to them. The Christian has weapons for the war. There are precious remedies which flow from the throne of grace into the minds and hearts of the saints to fight against the wiles of the devil. And hopefully, we may say with Paul “we are not unaware of his devices.”

Brooks covers 12 of Satan’s devices to draw the soul away to sin, and their remedies; 8 of Satan’s devices to keep souls from holy duties, to hinder souls in holy services, to keep them from off religious performances, and their remedies; 8 of Satan’s devices to keep saints in a sad, doubting, questioning and uncomfortable condition, and their remedies; 5 devices of Satan to destroy and ensnare all sorts and ranks of men in the world, and their remedies; an appendix covering 5 extra devices of the devil and the remedies for them, seven characters of a false teacher, six propositions concerning Satan and his devices, and a conclusion with 10 special helps against the devices of the devil.

This small book is such a great help to those struggling against sin and the devil, and desiring to please God (and that is everyone.) Though having the knowledge of the wiles of the devil is important, it is equally important in knowing how to deal with those devices and how to overcome them. What will the Christian do when Satan dangles the bait in front of his desires but hides the hook in the bait? How will the Christian know that such a temptation is after him? This idea, and many others like it, are covered in this pastoral work for the soul of ever believer. Satan would love to rid the earth of this small but effective book

Hebrews 4:9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

It can't be said more wonderfully and more perfect than these scriptures!

Jesus suffered in all ways as we do. He suffered for 40 days in the desert at the hands of Satan.

What did Jesus do and say? He used the Word of God EVERY TIME! Jesus didn't overcome sin...He overcame the world. Satan is prince and power of this world. Those in Christ have been set high above these powers and principalities in Heaven Placed in Christ Jesus.

WE by faith, break through these powers and principalities. We as well are promised in Romans 8, that NOTHING, can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus...not powers or principalities, life, death etc.

STAND on HIS WORD!!!

Blessings,
R.G. Benjamin

light afflictions
if it was light i wouldn't be saying anything to anyone. I appreciate the last response on here, i need to hear truth in kindness. I don't want to continue on with this either , but if anyone wants to be kind and pray for me and communicate with me i would love that. Chrrssk, i hate being rude back to anyone, i feel as if you think i am playing games and lying. I am not brother. This is serious, i will let you talk to my wife if you would like and have her explain how i was earlier this year when i started loosing my memory. And how i was weeping in the car and screaming out to god for help or before we got married and i had the greatest feeling of terror upon me for a month and a half before we got married and i would stay up all night crying to God with no answer. That feeling of terror was like depression and panic attacks time 2. I have experienced both of those before to. I don't want this to be about me either, i need to focus on the Lord, so i am sorry if it seemed that i was focusing on me at all or if i gave a bad impression. Brother i don't want to get in arguments like this, i posted my problem, please if you want pray for me.

paul west i appreciate the advice, iam trying to read the scriptures and hoping God will open his word up to me. Crsschk thank you for praying for me.ravenmolehil thanks for the book, i will check it out.RevBenjamin thank you for the verses in hebrews. Everyone thank you so much, i don't want to leave anyone out. Thank you for everything, i will let you all know how i am doing o.k But i am seriously thankful for all your kindness and answers. I don't want to upset anyone about this at all, but i will be honest, i have been completely truthful to you all and it means a lot to me that you guys care. May the Lord bless you all.

[u][b]Matthew 25:1-12 (NKJV)[/b][/u]

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

go to www.heartcrymissionary.com
I am in very simular need and circumstances speaking of non-stop torment. I understand all too well and have had this issue for several years now also. I would agree with the moderator that this is due to a real misunderstanding of Christ, redemption, and salvation. Paul Washer's preaching is helping me and I will be listening to more of it. But I think that it will really help you to listen to the true gospel series and the glory of God series that I will be listening to. Take hard, but solid advice and follow through with it. I understand your pain. Satans lies become so ingrained into your mind through the montra of wicked thoughts and images that you HAVE to snap out of it and start speaking, believing, reading, and feeding on truth. When you wake up, when you go through out your day, when you go to bed at night. May God save you from yourself and the demonic. I will pray for you, Luke H.

bible1985,

I recommend you to read "Prepare for War" by Rebeca Brown, she is a woman of God who shareed Jesus with people envolved in occultic, whichcrat and satanism and she tells the stoies of how people have been toemented by demons and how to find deliverance In Jesus.

Im a very sound evangelical who does not believe that christian can be demon possessed after they are born again.Well, this book by Rebeca Brown open my eyes, even backsliding christians can be harrassed or inhabitted by demons (not im not saying possessed).

Brother il pray for you, trust the cavenant making God and resists those harrassing demons in Jesus Name. You have let a dooway in you heart to evil spirits through sin.If you dont deal with your particular sins that the Holy Spirit exposes you and not only feel sorry but realy mean business, confess them and believe the blood of Jesus really has washed them away, you will go around in vicious circle.

Im not talkink just words last nite after reading and reading spiritual books, i had a sleepless nite and before dawn went to back yard of house and prayed, praised and worshiped God and i really was set free from my besseting sins and i experienced a fresh joy of the Lord that i had not known for many years.

Last nite i was set free from the spirit of fear that paralizes you to be a coward, i even witnessed for Christ at work today and what a blessing.

Evil spirits hav no authority over a christian but if we give a foothold to satan and live in sin or are powerless to break free from sin and slide away from God, the temple og God once holy and pure will denegrade to filth and impurity, and the danger of demons coming back not only to harras but even to inhabit will be great.

Jesus Christ himself was left out from the church of laodicea, if Christ can be left out of the christian so can the Holy Spirit, and if the Holy Spirit is not only quenched and greived but resisted to the point that we make our self the supreme King, the dooway is open for the animy to come in.

thank you guys for praying for me and the advice, i had a better week this week and i am trying to not allow the enemy to sucker me back into some of those sins i fell into before. But God bless you all so much, may the lord bless you for your help.

I have walked this path as well. As someone who has fallen far, let share with the one (yes, one) thing that has convinced me, convicted me, helped me, strengthened me and enabled me to return to my Father;

GRACE.

It has always been there. It was there when I turned and fell. It was there to convince me of my stupidity and consequences. It showed me truly the extent of sin in my life and where I stood with God.

It then proceeded to forgive, heal and restore me, a process which is still ongoing.

Let me encourage you my friend, God NEVER abandons those who diligently seek Him, EVER. There is a pain in our return and walk because of the knowledge that we have hurt God by our sins - grace teaches our hearts to fear, and to know the consequences, and that same grace relieves those same fears, drawing us into the very presence of God.

Do not be afraid - God's grace (incidentally the primary distinguishing feature of Christianity aside from all other world religions) is enough now and will be tomorrow and forever for YOU.

Keep strong, and remind yourself of God's provision and promises. Walk in a knowledge that God's love is great and that He can and will keep you from falling.

May God continually strengthen you.

Chrrssk, i hate being rude back to anyone, i feel as if you think i am playing games and lying. I am not brother. This is serious, i will let you talk to my wife if you would like and have her explain how i was earlier this year when i started loosing my memory. And how i was weeping in the car and screaming out to god for help

Didn't see this until last night ... brother, not a chance. Like others here, have been there as well even to the same styled screaming in my truck, albeit with the windows rolled up. It seems redundant to repeat my bout's with depression (or so I thought it was), my sense of loosing my mind, the torment, the confusion even those things prior to being hunted down from above - I have [i]seen[/i] demons, mocking, laughing behind closed eyes in drug induced stupors - Frightening, grotesque faces. Were they real or some product of my imagination, that induced by the influence I was under? Or was it both\\and? It is another realm, there are all the warnings of stepping into it. But none of that is to prove anything frankly, it really leaves me unconcerned whether it was a mere illusion or real - It certainly shook me up good and happened on more than one occasion, got me thinking real hard about what I found myself in, playing with death itself as not to soon after a even bigger start brought me as close to death with a racing heart out of control as I have ever known, [i]scarred straight[/i] in one fell swoop.

Just background noise if you will, I do not take what you are experiencing lightly brother. There is some incredible counsel here though and that I wanted to commend.

ravenmolehil made mention of;
[url=http://www.gracegems.org/Brooks/precious_remedies_against_satan.htm]PRECIOUS REMEDIES AGAINST SATAN'S DEVICES[/url]

Thanks brother, went and found the link above and need this at this time as well ...

Something that did occur to me was an old message that proved very pivotal at a time I was in similar straits, it appears from my collection to be around the first part of 2004 that I first listened to it;

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=3176]The Way of the Cross [/url] ~ [i]By Zac Poonen[/i]

[b]Description:[/b] If Jesus needed to pray, how much more His followers? Zac Poonen takes us to the cross and along the way delves into the areas of our sacrifice, surrender and suffering in secret.

Many scripture refrences; Luke 3:2,22, Romans 8:36, 1 Cor 7, Heb 5:7, Rev 4, 2 Sam 24, Is 53:2,10 to name a few. A lot of ground covered in this thought provoking message.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If I am not mistaken, this is the message that really got a hold of me in a way that I still find hard to articulate.

What I really wanted to mention here though was how astute and important did I find what our brother Paul has written here;

"Reading scriptures, I well know, during these times of trial and grief is impossible. I have never counselled someone to just "read the scriptures" although this is often how my advice seems to be interpreted here. I tell people to "know the Word of God" - which is a vastly different thing. Plenty of people read the Bible without profitting, and I do not endorse dry ritualism, because, very often, that is exactly what reading the Bible can turn into. It can transform itself in matter of months from a labor of love to just a labor. And the Word of God should never be a labor; it should be a pleasure.

So, when I say a person needs to know the Word of God, I mean to say he or she needs to have their eyes open to a certain truth [i]found in the Word of God[/i] that can rectify the experience they may be going through at the moment. Which is why we need to immerse ourselves in Scripture during the seasons [i]when we can.[/i] See, the well should already be dug by the time the drought comes, for we know from life experience that a parched and spiritually dehydrated man is hardly the effective well-digger. The more desperate you are to find water, that harder it will be for you to draw it. In this case, the water would be this person having his eyes opened to his position in Christ wrought by God."

There is so much seemingly simple wisdom here but it is also very timely ...

seasons to up to 6 months with no tangible sense of God's presence, where each page of the Bible is as though it were made of lead and the smallest prayer was impossible to utter.

It is painful to extract from the middle with this excerpt and wholeheartedly comes that old adage about "[i]A man with an argument is at the mercy of a man with an experience[/i]" if that isn't butchering the quote. It's truth, he has a right to be heard and I would say an obligation for us to give heed.

The excerpt though, I am now presently in this very same season - It is practically uncanny, I know likely [i]too much[/i], know better to pray [i]anyway[/i] and yet ... I am finding it somehow impossible to break through the lead, like some draft of cold air has frozen off my heart, the emotions are practically nil ... the scriptures ... Goodness I cannot quite bring myself to say [i]dull[/i] especially when I am still finding so much to refute a priori arguments elsewhere. How to articulate this? Why [i]this[/i] season? And for how long?

But, I have been here before and it seems that there is as much in common as dissimilar. This is precisely where "[i]when we can[/i]" is married to "[i]knowing the Word of God[/i]". Thank God that the [i]feelings[/i] and even the sense of abandonment, disregard, the slight sense of the Presence of the Lord being absent is still under-girded by all that has been articulated in the interior. Verses are less 'memorized' as internalized, they come from nowhere, launch themselves up into the thoughts without effort or strain, they may not arrest with the same force, have that [i]pathos[/i] as Katz often put it, but there they are undergirding and holding up the whole foundation.

How this might help you I do not quite know brother. If you take notice, there is one thing in common though, that you are not alone, that more than a few have been through similar seasons and most importantly, have come out the other side.

I really wanted to expound on the self life here, how it is not an eradication but more a order or placement, a position, a very low one. Coming to an end of yourself is something 'total' yet ongoing. [i]Reckon[/i] (consider) yourself ...

[i] Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.[/i] Rom 6:11

[i]Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.[/i] Mat 16:24

What I am struggling to articulate and maybe hoping for your sake is something similar ... A sense of "[i]Thank God that is over with![/i]". "Now I see, now I get it". "I am all those things I find in scripture. I am vile, worthless to gain any appreciation or recommendation to God by anything I do or say, think or give assent to. It is the end of propping myself up with good feelings and searching after some elusive balm to settle my wracked disposition. There is no 'good' in me but I can still do some good after all though it is as worthless as dung as an exchange rate, a monetary piece of purchasing power. That I am still far too often [i]faithless[/i] and unbelieving, prone to wander, faulty and foolish. That even [i]writing[/i] is almost always painful and just as often later regrettable. It is all these things and more. Pride! Reactionary, lacking restraint and refrain. I am a sinner begging for mercy and betwixted that there is still this true verse;

[i] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.[/i] 1Jn 1:9

It's incredible and seemingly audacious, a paradox, never to be taken advantage of only to just be bewildered, to fall silent before ... Yes it is so, it is true, even if I find like Charles Simeon that I see no reason to forgive myself."

Brother what is at the end of all this is one giant exasperation of ... [i]relief[/i]. It's over! Praise God. I no longer have to fake my way through. No longer need to even attempt to defend the undefendable, this self? Defend it? Why it is a worthless rag, an unprofitable servant - The misconceptions of others are mine as well. The devil with all his arsenal is still a defeated, though thrashing foe, he and his cohorts are reduced to [i]harassment[/i] as intense as it may get, a lion on a leash, that leash which is in the hands of an all knowing, all wise and Sovereign God. You know, it is very easy right in this moment to postulate a great deal, to project anything that is full force, in your face right now. We cannot know it or guess at it, only compare and contrast our experiences. I do know the intensity of the attacks, the passion of lust in temptation, the unwise, unruly anger that can get under the skin, unkind and unwise words - Tricks and contortions that leave us wondering who started it, some fodder that long lays buried for the enemy to pounce on? I am of a mind that it is always my fault regardless. Would defer to Brooks above for better treatment of these things. I am being as honest as I can brother, they come and they go, but they do eventually [i]go[/i]. If anything that might comfort you is to recognize that you are not being left alone and if that is so then there is good reason for it. The Lord knows what He is doing, what He is allowing, I won't dare to speculate just what.

But if you can get to this relief, to where things bother you less, to where you are 'dead' to it ... That is my prayer for you.