[1Cor 10:13; 1Pet 5:9; Heb 10:32; James 1:2]

Sneak Attack

As you grow in your spiritual walk, you need to know that attacks on your life may begin to escalate. But the good news is that your new growth and your knowledge of God’s Word will help you come through each attack with victory!

It is certain that the devil doesn’t want you to grow, because spiritual growth in your life spells trouble for him and his dark kingdom. He wants you to remain immature in your spiritual life so that you don’t hinder his schemes. Satan is well-aware that your growth in the knowledge of God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit can become a threat to his lordship over your friends. He will, therefore, attempt to make a preemptive strike against you to slow down your growth. Do not allow these surprise attacks to catch you off guard!

1Cor 10:13 (WEY) No temptation has you in its power but such as is common to human nature….

1Pet 5:9 (WEY) Withstand him, firm in your faith; knowing that your brethren in other parts of the world are passing through just the same experiences.

In the middle of a spiritual attack, the devil will try to talk your flesh and emotions into believing that no one has ever been attacked like you’re being attacked. He will try to make you think that no one else is going through the suffering that you are going through right now. But you need to realize that this is a trick to make you focus on the problem. He wants to help you blow it out of proportion.

It’s critical for you to know that when you grow, and your understanding of God’s Word increases, you will have more opportunities to use your faith to resist the devil. I have many times heard someone say, “I didn’t have any health issues until I learned that Jesus bore all my sicknesses! After I started believing and confessing that healing was in the Atonement, it seemed like everything seemed to fall apart!”

Others have said, “I was in fine financial shape until I started operating in faith on what the Bible has to say about tithes and offerings. I started acting on the Word of God, and now my mind struggles with the idea of giving!”

These attacks are attempts of the devil to keep you from receiving the promises of God. You see, he doesn’t want you to obey God’s Word and experience God’s blessings. Satan has a plan of defeat and destruction for you. This is why the writer of Hebrews told his readers:

Heb 10:32 (NASB) But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings.

A fight always seems to follow an illumination. When you have received revelation concerning some area of the Word of God, the enemy comes almost immediately to attack, trying to steal the Word out of your heart, before it springs up. Satan wants to make you doubt that Word so you wont speak it forth. Without speaking the Word – you are unable to stand on it by faith.

That’s why it’s important for you to realize that:

• An attack against your finances is not unique.

• An assault against your body is not uncommon.

• A strike against your church is not unusual.

• This is simply how the enemy works.

Satan comes to challenge you when you are gaining new ground. When he sees that growth has begun, he strikes with unrelenting force to shove you back into spiritual weakness. He wants you to retreat and back off from the front lines of battle!

By knowing ahead of time the enemy’s strategy, you will be mentally prepared to deal with these challenges. Your knowledge of how and when Satan attacks will equip you to deal with these assaults more intelligently.

James 1:2 (NASB) Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

Notice that James doesn’t say to count it all joy if you fall into diverse temptations. He says when. This implies that these sneak attacks will come.

These attacks normally come when you least expect them, and from an angle you do not anticipate. They are specifically designed to catch you off guard and take you by surprise.

From time to time, everyone comes under some type of assault. Regardless of whether the enemy’s attack originates in the natural realm or the spirit realm, the important thing for you to know is how to respond when such an attack commences against you.

God doesn’t warn us of this in order to inspire fear in us. He forewarns us of this reality so that when attacks do come, we will not be shocked and taken off guard and thrown into a state of confusion and discouragement. We are to anticipate such attacks.

The devil does not want you to make spiritual progress, and he will try to stop you dead in your tracks! If nothing else, the presence of these attacks prove that you are making headway in your spiritual life and are becoming a threat to the security of the kingdom of darkness. Otherwise, these unseen enemies would leave you alone.

But if you are mentally prepared and alert to the way the enemy operates and to the threat of an attack, you have already eliminated half the battle. Mental preparation is a major key for dealing with potential attacks. If we are mentally alert to this possibility, and if we understand that these attacks occur when we are becoming more illuminated concerning the Word and our place in Christ, we will be better positioned to guard against and overcome these assaults.

You must have knowledge of your authority in Christ in order to be ready for the enemy and his tactics. I suggest listening to a previous podcast to refresh your spirit on this – I hope you go back to, VB010: Seated With Him.

If you’re experiencing some kind of attack in any area of your life, it’s time for you to rejoice that the devil is threatened by the progress you are making – and it’s time for you to use your faith to drive him out of that area of your life. You have all the authority you need to push the devil out of the picture – so use that authority and start pushing in Jesus’ name!

Prayer:

Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift my friends up to You and pray a hedge of protection around those listening today. Thank You, Father, that You are a wall of fire around them and that you set Your angels round about my friends. I thank You, Lord, that they dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Proclamation:

I say the Lord, is your refuge and fortress, in Him you will trust. God covers you with His feathers, and under His wings you will be safe. You, my friend, shall not be afraid of the terror by night or the fiery dart that flies by day. But, with your eyes will see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, your refuge and fortress, no evil shall befall you – no accident will overtake you – neither shall any plague or calamity come near you. For He gives His angels charge over you to keep you in all God’s ways. God, has set His love upon you therefore He will deliver you. Call upon the Lord and He will answer you. God will be with you in trouble, and will satisfy you with long life and show you His salvation. Not a hair of your head shall perish.

[See also, Zech 2:5; Ps 34:7; 91:1-2, 4-5, 8-11, 14-16; Lk 21:18]

God bless you my friend,

— Dwight Hammond