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Spiritual Attacks

I. Introduction
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

Rebecca was a Christian female doctor who learned that many doctors and nurses in the hospital had secretly joined a Satanic organization. In her morning prayers, she began to ask the Lord to bind the power of Satan. Every night before leaving the hospital, she would walk through the wards, proclaiming the all-powerful name of Jesus Christ to protect every patient from attacks by evil spirits. The devil then gathered the witches in the hospital to launch a fierce attack against Rebecca!

As the spiritual warfare intensified, Rebecca's neuromuscular problems also worsened. She prayed constantly and received treatment, yet she struggled on the verge of death. On the last day of her hospital internship, she was so ill that she could not even walk, so she decided to go home to recuperate.

A month later, the pastor of her hometown church came to visit her and said, "Your illness is due to an attack by a group of witches. We must pray to stop the work of evil spirits." She did pray! The pastor of the church and more than two hundred believers also fasted and prayed for her for a week. Three months later, the Lord Jesus completely healed her, and she returned to the hospital to complete her final two years of training.

II. Discerning Satan's Various Schemes

1. Physical Fatigue, Illness
If you feel abnormal weakness, whole body fatigue, and even often sick in bed, you should pay attention to whether this is from Satan. When a person is drowsy and in pain, the devil can take the opportunity to attack. The Bible says, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away." (Matthew 13:24-25)

If you do not feel weak, try to spend more time with God, pray earnestly, sing praises, or do something beneficial. Scripture says, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." (Isaiah 40:29)

2. Attacks on the Mental, Spiritual, and Soul
The devil does not want any of God's people to succeed, so it will use various means to attack. The Bible says, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5: You need to pay attention to some signs, and when you find evil spirits appearing in your life, you must take swift action.  

These unusual signs can occur in the mental realm and may also appear in the spirit and soul. As a Christian, you are a child born of the true way of the Lord Jesus; then you are the devil's number one enemy and cannot avoid its attacks. The devil will find the weaknesses of God's children, trying to attack the minds of brothers and sisters in the church, and also attacking people's spirits and souls.

Therefore, when you begin to feel weary of spiritual things, such as prayer, evangelism, or fasting, and cannot lift your spirits, this is a signal that the devil is relentlessly pursuing you. Evil spirits design this feeling of mental distraction and sleepiness to make you lose interest in God. That is why you must always be vigilant and pray, not allowing any negligence in your relationship with God.

3. Lack of Resources
Satan will deprive you of your resources, causing you to conflict with God's position. When the devil corners you, forcing you to choose between the Lord Jesus and money, know that the devil is fighting against your soul. Most of the time, it uses your desires, looking for what you cannot live without, and uses it against you. It tries to take this thing away to see if you still stand on God's side.

There are two situations in which you are most vulnerable to temptation: one is when you have nothing, and the other is when you have everything. At this crucial moment, it is when the devil wants to test you to see if you can hold fast to the teachings of the Bible. At this time, you must be faithful to your belief in the Lord, letting the devil be utterly disappointed.

The following is an example of Judas betraying the Lord:

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, lived. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.  

On the night of the Passover, during the supper, the Lord Jesus reminded His disciples that one of them would betray Him. These words were to give Judas an opportunity to repent. Judas did not repent, but stubbornly took a piece of bread. Then Satan entered him. He went out at once to betray the Lord.

4. Distraction
If the enemy wants to stop your prayers, it will first distract you so that you cannot concentrate on pleading with the Lord. When you begin to regard prayer as a burden and want to give up praying to the Lord Jesus Christ, it shows that you are being attacked by the enemy. That is why, before the devil succeeds against you, it will first distract you.

Once it has distracted you, you will not be able to settle down to serve God, and your prayers will become cold. For a believer, this is a terrible state. When you feel weary of prayer, you must quickly cry out loudly and let the Holy Spirit uplift your spirit.

The following is how evil spirits use lust to tempt people, distract them, and prevent them from single-mindedly serving the Lord:

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16)

Spanish Pastor Carmelo Brenes:

The Lord Jesus took me on a tour of hell. We then walked to a place similar to a waiting room, where I saw a demon roaring, and other demons were standing before it. Two of them looked like beautiful women whose job was to destroy churches and tempt pastors to sin. Those who serve the Lord must be very careful of Satan's traps. Satan wants to destroy your life; it will approach you through beautiful women. These gorgeously dressed women are tools of Satan.

Satan will also use highly educated and handsome men to approach young women, even married women, in the church to tempt them to sin, destroy Christian marriages and lives, in order to tempt sisters to sin.

5. Bewilderment
Bewilderment is confusion and helplessness, with nothing that can be done. When this phenomenon occurs, it is the devil attacking you, causing you to accomplish nothing. A person filled with the Holy Spirit has a clear mind and a sense of direction because God is with that person.

When evil spirits attack a person's spirituality, fear, anxiety, and confusion will strike. If you experience this confusion, you must immediately pray to God and seek the answer from the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus will guide you in time when you encounter difficulties so that you will not lose your way.

The following is the testimony of a sister in the Lord:

I worked as an accountant in a public institution and unexpectedly became involved in a lawsuit! However, before this happened, God had prepared a way for me to witness the court proceedings at the Tainan District Court as an "observer" through a fourth party's lawsuit. Later, due to embezzlement by the cashier in my workplace, who absconded with the funds, I was suspected of being an accomplice and was eventually released on bail of NT$100,000. At that time, I was at a loss and did not know how to prove my innocence.

One day, while praying, a thought suddenly entered my mind, telling me to look for old official documents. Miraculously, I quickly found documents that were favorable to me, proving that the administrative responsibility at the time was not mine. In the end, I gained the trust of the judge and was acquitted. At that time, some colleagues falsely accused me, but afterwards, I did not harbor resentment and loved them with God's love, even sharing the gospel with them.

6. Returning to Old Ways of Life
When you are born again, you must acknowledge that you are a sinner, abandon the old self, and live a new life. When you begin to live in a new way and according to the words of the Lord Jesus, you are a new creation. You should live this way until your last breath.

But if you suddenly find yourself returning to your former lifestyle and habits, it proves that the devil has attacked your soul. When this happens, Satan will be very happy because it knows that this behavior will consume your strength and make you more vulnerable to attacks by evil spirits.

The following is the full text of Pastor Wang Mingdao's (1900-1991) rebuke of Ni Tuosheng:

(1) Your Sin Will Find You Out
Moses once declared to the Israelites, "But if you do not do this, you have sinned against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out." (Numbers 32:23)

Brothers and sisters, when you confess your sins and repent, God can forgive you, but your sin will find you out. When you are saved, God will not take away the salvation He has given you because you sin, but you cannot escape God's punishment. Scripture says, "A man reaps what he sows." (Galatians 6:7) If you are imprisoned for murder, adultery, theft..., you cannot say, "I am persecuted for righteousness!" Only if you are imprisoned for faithfully doing the Lord's work can you say, "I am persecuted for righteousness!"

(2) David Committed Adultery; Though He Repented and Was Forgiven, God Still Held Him Accountable
David committed adultery. When he repented, he was forgiven by God, but he could not escape punishment; the sword would never depart from his house. In China, there was a very famous preacher who had a wife, a university student, but he had illicit relationships with two of his female co-workers. Therefore, God struck him, causing him to be sentenced to 15 years in prison for adultery and corruption; after his sentence was completed, he was deprived of political rights for 5 years and still could not go home. Finally, he died during his labor on the farm at no more than 70 years old.

(3) Marriage Should Be Honored by All, and the Marriage Bed Kept Pure
I started doing the Lord's work at about the same time as this preacher. His work was very effective, and he gained many people, establishing more than 500 churches in China and leading 100,000 people to join his organization. In the 1950s, his deceptive behavior was finally exposed! He himself revealed this ugly behavior while serving his sentence in prison. At this time, even his own people could not but admit that he was a liar and an adulterer. Scripture says, "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." (Hebrews 13:4)

I once loved this person very much until evidence showed that he was a liar. Whether this person truly repented before his death so that his soul was saved, only the Lord knows. Scripture says, "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart." (1 Corinthians 4:5)  

(4) How Then Could I Do Such a Wicked Thing and Sin Against God?
I also spent 23 years in prison! Thank God! The Lord Jesus protected me, otherwise I would also have sinned, committing any sin that anyone else has committed. The Lord gave me a mind to fear God. Whenever I encountered temptation, including sexual temptation, money..., and various other temptations, I would think of a sentence Joseph said: "How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9)

7. Inability to Attend Gatherings, Prayer, and Edification of the Truth
When you find it difficult to attend gatherings, Bible studies, prayer meetings, edification of the truth..., this is the devil who has begun to attack you. Conversely, once the life of Christ fills you, you will enjoy meeting with brothers and sisters, willingly participating in the service of God's house and various Bible studies and edifications.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, you will always desire to be with God's children, worshiping, reading the Bible, and praying together in unity. These spiritual growths occur because you desire to serve the Lord Jesus more in God's house. This is also the natural good fruit produced by the Holy Spirit working in your heart.

The following is an example of a spiritual attack due to a family curse:

Rick was a 24-year-old young man who grew up in a Christian family. At the age of 10, he committed his life to the Lord. After graduating from university, he entered a seminary for postgraduate studies, preparing to become a pastor in the future. Suddenly, he could no longer communicate with God, nor could he read the Bible and pray, and he could not even feel the presence of the Lord. He began to lose concentration in his studies, his grades plummeted, and in despair, he attempted suicide.

Because of his suicide attempt, Rick became a patient of Dr. Rebecca. Rebecca was a devout Christian who tried to find out the cause. Rick told the following story:

A year ago, because my grandmother was seriously ill, I drove to Denver, Colorado, to see her. When I entered the hospital, I suddenly felt a dark force, like a cloud, fall upon me. This feeling lasted only a few seconds and soon disappeared, so I didn't think much about it. When I saw my grandmother, she had just passed away. I stayed for the funeral and then returned home.

Upon further questioning by Rebecca, he revealed another important key, the gateway through which Satan entered – (heredity). He recounted that his grandmother had been deeply involved in witchcraft, and his family had tried to share Jesus with her, but without success. When his grandmother died, the powerful evil spirit that possessed her was to be passed on to another member of the family. Satan would naturally choose Rick because he was preparing for full-time service to the Lord. Why would a demon possess Rick, a Christian? The Bible clearly states that the iniquity of the ancestors who do detestable things will be passed down to their children (Exodus 20:5).

In fact, Rick's parents were both Christians. As long as they relied on faith, in the all-powerful name of the Lord Jesus, and depended on His mighty power to break any line of inheritance from the devil through his grandmother, they could break the family curse. God has given us the promise that whatever we release on earth in the name of Jesus Christ will be released in heaven, and we will no longer be controlled by evil spirits. But they were completely unaware that this illness was a spiritual battle.

8. Struggling Against Your Destiny
God created all things, and His calling for your life is different for everyone. When you commit yourself to Christ, the Lord's destiny for you will become clear. Then you begin to fulfill it, not struggling with any difficulties because you have the support of the Holy Spirit.

The devil will be dissatisfied with this because it knows that if you continue in this way, you will become a powerful tool in the hands of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, evil spirits will begin to persecute you, doing things that conflict with your destiny. If God calls you to preach the gospel, then perhaps due to personal weakness or consideration for family, you will be unable to fulfill God's destiny.

(1) The Testimony of Aimee Semple McPherson:
I was once a missionary's wife. During my honeymoon, my brother died in China. I lived a difficult widowhood, raising my child alone. After returning to the United States, I remarried, but the condition of my marriage to my husband was that whenever God called me back to do the Lord's work, I must obey. After marriage, I lived a peaceful and stable life at home, being a wife and mother. Therefore, I tried to forget my promise and no longer think about God's calling.

One day, a voice struck my heart, shouting:
"Go preach, go do what a preacher should do."
"Impossible! Lord!" I vehemently argued, "I can't do it."
"I have called you to the nations to work for me."
"No! Lord! I cannot go!" I repeatedly refused.

The voice of the Holy Spirit stopped, no longer speaking. What followed was a suffocating silence, like a phone line being disconnected. I sobbed, "Oh! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!..." Because of my disobedience, God's hand came upon me, and my physical health began to collapse! I had major surgery, but my condition continued to deteriorate. A voice within me kept saying, "You must keep your vow and go preach the word of the Lord."

I did not listen to God, and my condition became increasingly critical. I was sent to an isolation ward, waiting for death. In the early morning, a nurse sat by my bed, taking my faint pulse. I breathed painfully, and suddenly, breaking the silence of death, a command-like voice came, God said, "Now, will you go or not!" I lay on the bed and uttered a few words, "Okay, Lord, I will go!" Instantly, new life and warmth flowed through my entire body, and I gradually recovered and was discharged from the hospital. Saying "no" to God is inviting a curse and is clearly the most foolish choice. Never take this risk.

9. Ungodly Dreams and Visions
If God speaks to you in dreams and visions, it is to convey the message of God's love for the world, reveal future glory, or give you the faith to overcome the enemy. He will not send dreams or visions that incite fear and are immoral. If you see evil phantoms and immoral scenes in your dreams, this is the devil launching a fierce attack against you in the spiritual realm!

When Christians are attacked by Satan, many will shut down their faith in God or turn to others for help. But you must not do this; instead, return to the Lord. Jesus Christ, the one true God, is the only one who can help you, and you can rely on His victorious and honored name to defeat all unclean spirits and evil demons.

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)

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