DANGER! Backlash

As hornets will attack anyone who disturbs their nest, so demons will viciously attack those who dare to invade the kingdom of Satan to free the captives. This is not stated to frighten or dismay, only as a sober word of warning and caution. Engaging with the powers of the spirit world is not a game; it is a deadly serious undertaking. We learned the hard way about the danger from malevolent demon spirits to the workers, physically, mentally and spiritually.

It is most foolhardy to underestimate the enemy and his ability to counterattack. And counterattack he will, the severity of his blows being proportionate to the damage inflicted on his forces by the awakened believers. The more damage that is dealt to the kingdom of the prince of this world, the more severe you may expect his efforts at retaliation to be.

Keep in mind that the fighting that takes place in this contest will not be fought according to any rules with which you are likely to be familiar. Satan will stoop to any tactic to repel you and other workers who come against him and his kingdom. He is the original rule breaker, and he will not hesitate to exploit any weakness you have. No slackness in your spiritual life will be overlooked in an effort to gain some advantage over you.

Remember the example of Elijah who engaged in warfare at a higher level against the ruling powers of darkness. He came to the absolute peak of victory over the false prophets on Mount Carmel, putting them to open shame, but a short time later he was so totally demoralized by a threat from wicked Jezebel that he prayed to die! (I Kings 19:1-4). If we are not careful, while we are praising and thanking God for victory, Satan will slip in upon us (by working of his hosts) and seek to deal dreadful and hurtful blows to body, mind or spirit. These can reduce our rejoicing to shambles in short order.

In this battle, no quarter is asked or given. It is all-out, total warfare. Woe to the unprepared!

Christians certainly have the ability to obtain thoroughly adequate protection, but they are sometimes unfamiliar with the power available to them and how to effectively channel it. Enemy forces know all about the power they possess and how to extract the maximum advantage from it. They will try to seize on our every weakness, ignorance or carelessness to their advantage. Workers must not be frightened off by fiery trials, for they are certain to come (I Peter 4:12). We are promised blessings with persecutions (Mark 10:30).

All of the raging mischief and overt hatred of the enemy is a sure sign that his interests are being seriously affected and overthrown. Yet, in the beginning, the recoil and counterattacks of the devil and his hosts can seem to be terribly harsh. Lucifer is a firm believer that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; he responds quickly to the first evidence of any real attack on his evil kingdom. In concept, he would believe in shooting a plane while it is on the ground attempting to take off, rather than waiting until it is airborne. We venture into this kind of work by being borne along by the power of the Holy Spirit (Greek Haggais Pneumos — Holy Wind) and we are lifted far above the limitations of our human flesh and frailties. We go aloft as eagles do, borne upon the wind.

Away with foolish pride and the self-sufficiency of mere mortal man. It will not avail here. Only spiritually enlightened minds and humble hearts, filled with God-given compassion for the tormented captives, can hope to stand before the rage of this crafty and virulent foe.

When you begin to cast out demons, there will be severe repercussions as Satan mounts the offensive, seeking any vulnerable areas in the total being of the believer. If personal harassment will not deter the believer from pursuing spiritual warfare, the devil will broaden the scope of his offensive and attack through your family and other professing believers. I, my family, and our church workers who became involved in deliverance were all subjected to severe, repeated and bizarre attacks when we first launched into casting out demons. And we still periodically have weird attacks. Apparitions; physical pains and sickness; the sound of footsteps; nightmares while awake as well as during sleep; black figures bounding all over the bed pummeling you, ghostly hands touching; voices whispering; painting hot breath on the face; waves of icy air moving across and around you; growling, roaring, snorting, bellowing, and so forth. I do not exaggerate. All of these and more have been used in Satan’s program of harassment. Cold, raw terror to induce fear is one of his favorite approaches. Fear throws a person off balance, paralyzes his defenses, and makes him more susceptible to the attacks. This fear does not come from the Lord, but from the devil for the Bible declares “God has not given us the spirit of fear…” (II Timothy 1:7).

Dreams can be divine, in which the person is left normal, calm, quiet, reasonable, and with an open, clear mind. Satanic dreams are noted for their mystery, absurdity, emptiness, folly, and leave the person elated or dazed, confused and unreasonable. Sleeplessness, too, can be a source of distress. “Insomnia may be the work of evil spirits, adapting their workings to the overwrought condition of the person, so as to hide their attacks under cover. Believers who are open to the supernatural world should specially guard their nights by prayer.” 10

If any of this happens to you, coolly, calmly, even with hair prickling on your neck and chills coursing through your body, you must take the offensive, using the name of Jesus as your shield and battering ram. Pray and praise Him for His blood, eternal life, salvation full and free, and claim His protection from the hosts of darkness. Rebuke Satan and his hosts and take authority over them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as a believer priest (Revelation 1:6; 5:10). Command the spirits to leave you (I John 4:4). You may have to repeat this several times. Be persistent for they will be reluctant to obey. They also sometimes linger to see if you really believe what you are saying.

I have awakened, usually between 3 and 4 a.m., to find myself held in a vice-like grip by icy hands: my hands, feet, mouth and throat all held tightly, so that I could neither move nor make a sound; and I assure you that I was not dreaming but was wide awake. My body prickled with fear from head to toe.

One rule you must follow: Never panic. Refuse to stampede. Pray in the name of Jesus, pleading the blood and thanking God for Jesus and salvation in your mind, even if your throat and voice temporarily will not function. Take authority over the spirit forces, rebuking them in the name of Jesus. They will release you and retreat as you prove that you are not going to let them gain a foothold of fear from which to harass you.

As your faith and confidence builds in the sufficiency of the Savior (”If thou canst believe, all things are possible” Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23; 10:27), the praise of Jesus Christ and a love for Him will erect a shield which spiritual forces are unable to overcome (Psalm 22:3-5). Such attacks will continue until Satan is convinced that you will persevere in the warfare, no matter what he throws against you. So do not accept a premature “truce.”

His next tactic is to shift his pressure point, seeking any weakness. He will accelerate his war with you, pressing you in areas of your personal, family, business, and spiritual life to destroy you. This can literally crowd you to Christ for fellowship and protection. This end result explains why God permits him to harass you so, to drive you to Himself, thus frustrating the “destroyer” in his plans. When men stand faithful, the enemy never wins.

But you must recognize how Satan deploys his troops in an all-out attempt to convince you to turn back from your course. By crushing pressure, harassment, depression, oppression, and all sorts of crippling attacks, he will come at you. Your only recourse in the midst of this bombardment will be to claim with the Psalmist: “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisesome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler… There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling, for he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 91:2-6, 10-11).

The pressures of the enemy are arranged to stop you from pursuing real spiritual warfare. So no matter what area of your life is under attack, it is all part of a cunningly devised strategy to stop you from rescuing the oppressed. Count the cost (Luke 14:28), then determine by God’s grace that you will go on. Decide whether the deliverance of many lives from Satan’s bondage is worth the effort, the misunderstanding, and hatred that will surely be your lot (John 15:18,24;17:14).

The above is an excerpt from “Holding Your Deliverance, Booklet #9″ by Pastor Win Worley. Copyright © 1983 by Win Worley, Revised © 1992. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including storage and retrieval system, without securing permission in writing from the publisher, WRW Publications, PO BOX 9309, Highland, IN 46322.

If you’d like to obtain your own copy of not only this, but other materials authored by Win Worley, please contact WRW Publications at www.wrwpublications.com

DANGER! Backlash

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