We worship in Spirit and in Truth. When we come into the Lord's presence in worship it is both a physical and spiritual act. We have all learned from childhood how to navigate in the physical world, but we are less experienced in the spiritual. This is a learning process and a little more complicated than we perceive the physical reality to be.
For instance, just as we encounter good people and bad people at the mall, when we are sensitized to the spiritual realm we will encounter God and His angels, and sometimes demons. Now, before we get the chills and weebeejeebies about demons, let me say that all of them are subject to God, none of them can act without His permission and never will He allow them to overpower us. The kind of demons they dramatize in movies are very, very rare in day to day lives of the normal person.
So,what does an ordinary day to day demon look like?
Let's imagine for a moment, something has burned in the oven and the house is filled with smoke, you open the doors to air it out and a mangy old dog comes wandering in to check your house out. He goes here and there lifting, his leg on the couch, cabinets, etc. and claiming territory. When you spot him, what's your first response?
"Out, get out! Go on, go home." And if he doesn't yield to that you might get a broom. (I'm a dog over...please don't tell me how cruel I am. I'd probably feed him, unless he chased my cats, then he'd be in trouble! ) It's your house! You take authority over your property and make the dirty influence leave. Most day to day demons are no higher than two feet, ugly, warty, slimy creatures that are scared to death of the Name of Jesus and His Blood.
The last thing they want is to be found out and sent back to the abyss with not having done what they were sent to do. The devils are mean: mean to us, mean to each other. So, the consequences of being bound and sent to the abyss are not happy consequences for them or their leaders.
So, now that we have demons in perspective: filthy emaciated dogs or warty frogs-when you go to the grocery or other kind of store, you are entering a world full of demons that you probably will not see, but will feel the influence of. For instance, they make all kinds of sinful suggestions based on our particular weaknesses. At the cash register, through our tendency to curiosity, they are tempting us to look at an unseemly, inappropriate magazine. Through our insecurity, to buy more than we need, or judge the person ahead of or behind us. Through our need for attention, to respond to flirtatious advances by an attractive person of the opposite sex. Temptation is all around us and though we don't see the demons, we can feel their action on us by what we are drawn to and have to exercise self-control to avoid.
In the same way, when we go to church, for instance, there are demons of gossip, jealousy, judgement, greed, lust-all kinds of demons trying to get our attention off God. It is a spiritual fact that wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, the demons of opposition are nearby, waiting to snatch the Fruits of the Spirit away from a believer. The more intense the Godly environment, the more intense the enemy's warfare. So, there you have a snapshot of what you deal with every day.
I'm sure you've noticed how you get interrupted the minute you try to do something holy or go into prayer, and the more important the task, the stronger the resistance. The number one threat to the kingdom of darkness is a spiritual Christian who hears from God. A person's intimate relationship with God is the most threatening thing to the kingdom of darkness. That's why so many of the really spiritual moves of God have come under so much opposition and fire.
In the course of events, Holy Spirit brings on a new movement of holiness and the devils respond by sending a counterfeit to confuse and scandalize anyone drawn to that movement. The enemy uses people short on discernment, who label it "from the Devil" and thereby try to put a stop to it. So, anytime you go deeper with the Lord, you will get demonic resistance: whether it be a child getting a fever just before you walk out the door to go to church, or telephone calls during prayer time, or car trouble on the way to a prayer group meeting. The more important the Godly activity, the more opposition you will draw.
There are more subtle forms of resistance for people seeking an intimate relationship with the Lord. For instance, the Lord may allow your virtue to be tested in prayer by allowing a lying spirit to say something derogatory about a brother in Christ. I think we've all experienced judgmental Christians coming on strong to correct us of something they know nothing about. But they believe that they have been privileged by God: He confided to them the faults of others, something in the spirit–a prophecy perhaps -so they come on strong with condemnation. Who do you suppose planted judgment in their minds? Who do you suppose tells lies to separate the brethren? Hearing a voice in prayer telling you negative things is a test in charity allowed by the Lord to see just how mature and kind you are. A prophetic calling must have a strong foundation of charity and humility to keep it intact and from doing damage to souls who are struggling in their lives.
Another kind of test can be in the virtue of chastity. All of us have hormones, some of us have immorality and promiscuity in our past. And getting close to Jesus, our most Beautiful God-being in His kind and loving presence and discovering His love for us, when we are hungry for affirmation and a meaningful physical relationship with a man...can make us more susceptible to a longing for a physical union. Demons standing by can even flame the fires of lust in His presence if it is permitted by the Lord to test our chastity and purity. If we follow these impulses we can fall into the sin of impurity, or masturbation. Galatians 5:17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit...
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity...etc.
So, if we have these impulses in prayer...what do we do? Resist the devil and He will flee from you. It's not a sin to be tempted, but it is a sin to go with it. We don't resist the pure and loving affection of our God and Savior-we resist the sexual advances of impersonating spirits. And let me tell you, this is very, very common in Christian community where this kind of activity is going on, sexually in the spirit realm. Some people are just too ashamed to admit it’s going on, or they are just too ignorant to realize what’s going on –but it’s demonic. These sexual advances of impersonating spirits –these spirits are demons. They are still dirty little dogs, but they are projecting a costume that resembles our Lord Jesus, along with lustful thoughts. This is typical for demons, Halloween is a daily masquerade party for them ...project an image and snag a Christian.
Now, while all of this is going on-Jesus is there. He is God, He created hormones, He understands us and is not shamed by our temptation. Remember: He has been tempted in every way but never fell into sin. I have experienced this kind of temptation when I was in my 40's and God gave me the grace to walk away from it. But let me tell you, it wasn't easy. The urge was extremely strong. I rebuked a spirit of lust, got up from prayer and began doing something else with my time and it went away. I saw Jesus and He warned me that it was a temptation from the devil and not Him, so I was able to walk away from it. But, if I hadn't seen and heard Him clearly, it could have gone the other way.
Maybe you have had the same experience and fell into masturbation because of it. Don't be ashamed to repent and confess it to the Lord...just as you would confess gossip or lying. It's a sin. Don't let it stand between you and a pure and intimate relationship with God. This may just be a time in your life when you are really needy and very vulnerable. The Lord understands that and He’s trying to bring you out of it.
I have had three people in our youtube family come to me with this problem, so it's not uncommon. I'm sure there are many who have encountered this temptation. But please, don't let a counterfeit “Jesus” steal your relationship with the REAL Jesus. Don't come to me and say, "This is too dangerous, getting this close to the Lord. I might be deceived." If you've spent too much money at the store, or gotten hooked on soap operas, you've already been deceived. You just recognized it for what it was and next time you went shopping you stuck with your list and skipped that disgraceful channel. In just this same way, you will overcome temptations from the devils to fall into lust.
A little practice and some good rebukes in the Name of Jesus, and you will pass through your test of purity. If you know the Lord is Pure, that He is a Virgin, that He is our Creator-just that knowledge alone is enough to fend off lying spirits of lust,because now you can recognize the source.
This is new spiritual territory you are entering. God will give you the grace to navigate it with self-control just as He taught you how to stand up and walk and keep your fingers off a hot stove when you were a toddler. Don't let theenemy bully you by making you think he is more powerful than you.The demons are no more than filthy little dogs you can easily take authority over. So take authority, press into the Lord's warm embrace and keep on worshiping.
Now, having said that, I want to point out that if you or your parents or your ancestors have ever been involved in drugs, witchcraft, Ouijboard, studied the occult in any form, crystal balls, palmistry, Tarot cards, any supernatural, or Eastern religious spiritual practices not of God-you already have a strike against you
going into dwelling prayer.
One thing you have going for you is that you are more sensitive than most to the spiritual realm. On the other hand, you probably have company tagging along from your past. You may have been delivered, but believe me they don't give up easily. They delight in causing confusion.
That's one reason why we are so strong on worship leading into hearing the Lord. Worship or praying in tongues clears the air and the environment. It also establishes a pure motive. You are coming to the Lord to adore Him, not to get something from Him-unless it is His love. You are coming to adore and worship and be close to Him.
Wrong motives are open doors to the demons. Check your motives: you are not coming to get supernatural Knowledge, or to stand out as a prophet among others, or to feel good and have a sublime experience or to be better than others. You are coming to adore the Lord God Almighty, and to serve Him through worship.
Your motives in the occult were totally different. So, there is a purification of motives that has to take place and until that is completed you may still be vulnerable to deceiving spirits. So, should you stop worshiping God and seeking His presence? Of course not. You need to be prepared to fight your way through a wall of demonic resistance for your relationship with Him. Are you willing to do that? Do you love Him enough? Please don't come back and tell me that Dwelling Prayer is opening door for you to demons. No, it's not. You and your past are opening you to demons. With the Lord's help you will get through this.
Don't you think I get resistance? I was a New Ager for 12 years. I got terrible resistance when I became a Christian. Even now I am extremely careful because I know I have pride, which proceeds a fall-and I know the enemy is looking for a way to bring me down. New levels, new devils...who are masters of disguise and will hook onto any ungodly motive that might still be lurking in our hearts. They can read you like an open book, they know your past, they know your longings, they know your buttons, and they know how to erect a wall of un-teachableness in order to protect their strongholds in your thinking, so you will literally resist and dislike the very people and teachings that could deliver you out of the enemy's hands. What I’m saying here is: they already know everything about you, and they are trying to protect themselves, by trying to make you unteachable, or telling you that you are above the necessity of being taught by anyone else. That you already “know all that”, when in fact you are in bondage.
What I am saying is that you need to be honest, brutally honest with yourself and your motives, and you need to value truth and the Lord's presence in your life more than protecting your ego or image. And you need to fight for your relationship with Jesus if you start getting any kind of resistance.
How badly do you want an intimate relationship with Jesus?
How much of yourself and the enemy are you willing to overcome with God's grace?
He is with you and wants nothing more than to have this very tender relationship with you. He's given you all the tools, He's at your right hand, He's promised that nothing can separate you from Him...all that's left is your resolve and cooperation -and that you desire with all your heart to be with Him in an ever deepening relationship of pure love.
We pray Lord, that whatever maybe standing in the way, whatever lies or deceptions may be standing in the way of a pure and deepening relationship with You in our lives –we pray that You would move these things out of the way. Reveal them to us and give us the grace to fight our way out of it and to overcome. Amen.
Source: Heartdwellers
