spiritual attack

[clementine]

Hi all,
This is a potentially tricky topic but I just want to find out if anyone else is going through this too...
Does anyone have any experience of being under 'spiritual attack' since leaving the SA situation?
It seems that we have been...people who pray for us 'see' it and are able to pray against it. This has helped a lot.
We are learning about this and finding that the spiritual aspect of spiritual abuse is quite huge.
Has anyone else become aware of it/ dealt with it in their experience????
Clementine

[Carmen]

I have had anxiety attacks, not only because of the SA, but because of domestic abuse as well.

I do overcome the anxiety attacks with much prayer, remembering scripture and singing songs to God. Sometimes it seems that I am really fighting against an unseen attacker, I sometimes need to concentrate for hours to shake off the depression that seems like a heavy cloud. But because I combat them with "spiritual" means, I don't think that necessarily means that they are of spiritual origin. I think that purely physical and psychological problems cannot be ruled out, or just shoved into the realm of the spiritual. I have been to counseling that helped a lot too. Just my opinion.

[beginagainrose]

Amen Carmen! The joy of the Lord is our strength! Singing praise and worship is the surest way to overcome demonic attack... I head someone say awhile back that it's because it reminds the enemy of being fired from his position in heaven! I LOVE that!

[clementine]

Sorry, Carmen, to hear that you go through those hard times. :( I guess I'm starting to think they're all of the above: physical, psychological and spiritual. Surely the work of the evil one is to flatten us, discourage us, mess with our minds and weaken us? The way you combat it is admirable :)
I believe counselling/therapy and even medication can also be helpful in some cases (depending on how chronic the problems are). I've had all of those in the past.
We have been grieving and feeling angry and down on and off since the SA. But there have been times though when it feels like there is a relentlessness about it - like total despair. Like oppression. Like we are too weak even to pray or open our Bibles. Every time we try and go to church we feel like we have been run over by a mac truck for days afterwards. Listening to praise songs grates on our ears. I've also had an episode which my doctor thinks was a panic attack but I know it wasn't. Basically, I felt so faint I couldn't stand up anymore and my blood pressure was really low. There was no trigger. I was taken to hospital but there was no explanation for it. Other than this anomaly I'm in very good health.
We asked friends to pray for us and they 'saw' spiritual attacks on us and have prayed against these. Amazingly the oppression lifted off us straight away!
I understand the stages of grief and psychology, the nature of panic attacks and post traumatic stress. I believe in medicine and science too! But I guess the spiritual aspect of this is becoming more obvious to us and we're still learning and I wanted to know if others have become more aware of it too.
In the middle of our SA, I had a dream about what was happening to us. It was the most vivid dream I have ever had and at first I was terrified because it was so graphic. My husband and I prayed about it and God revealed to us that it was from him. The imagery in the dream was about the spiritual activity behind the SA. Understanding this was a great comfort to us and helped us to understand the big picture throughout our ordeal. It helped us know how to pray about the situation. It helped me to keep my mouth shut too, even though I wanted to shoot it off! I have never had a dream like this before (although I have had one other dream in which God gave me a premonition which enabled me to prevent my newborn baby from being killed).
You know I've been brought up pretty conservatively in terms of theology and these experiences certainly challenge some of that conservative theology. I guess I'm trying to put it all together. I'm not trying to cause waves or 'spook' people with this...
Just want to know if others have walked a similar path. And what you've learned.
I agree, beginagainrose, our praising God must be a slap in the face to the evil one and a real dampener on his efforts to keep us down! I could certainly do more of this when the going gets tough. I have taken to posting up verses around the house to remind me of God's truth so I don't operate in lies.
Anyway...enough raving for now!
Thank you for your responses.
Clementine

[abbey]

Hi Clementime!

The group I was involved with---the destructive one---was a deliverance, warfare group and I was helped in some ways very much! But I also learned that some ideas in these circles are unbiblical and what I believe is hogwash. One of the fear tactics used was "you are filled with demons."---I suggest that you do a internet search on the different ideas regarding warfare. My group claimed EVERYTHING was spiritual. From deep depression to a hangnail! :) Very black and white thinking and that damaged me a lot.

Im just saying "BE CAREFUL" dear one. Let me find a great link on warfare stuff that I truly feel is a correct, I was involved and saw and experienced alot.

Let me run and get that link for you!

You are still in my prayers! :)
Abbey

[abbey]

ahhh, clementine, Im sorry that link does not exist anymore. But it talked about false ideas in warfare ministries, like: territorial spirirts, breaking soul ties, breaking generational curses, opening up doorways throught sin etc and how all this wasnt EVEN in the Bible---but man-made balonies!

heck, I saw the minister I was under try to cast out the common cold! :eek: :D

So do seek knowledge about warfare before you get to caught up in it. Dont believe everything you read. Play it by ear and seek The Lords guidance. Like I said, I was helped thru the ministry....but then they turned weird, and then weirder and finally I fled.

good day :)

[abbey]

Heres a good link about warfare cliches:


http://www.thechurch-ministries.org/Spiritual_Warfare_False_Teachings.html

Just keep your mind open to all sides of warfare dear, I learned the HARD way: Aint nuthin new tho. :(

[Hope 98]

I haven't checked the link yet, but I do want to weigh in on the difficulty of navigating these waters. I KNOW that spiritual warfare is real, because evil is real and there is a spiritual realm that has bearing on our world.

Anyway - I've effectively used spiritual warfare, and I've been victimized by the distorted beliefs of others too.

Seek and trust God first. We have nothing to fear.

[hornblower]

I think scripturally that all of this applies. Everything everyone has stated here seems right on to me. It can be physical, emotional, spiritual, and scientific..................why not? The ways to deal with it can be as varied as they can be whatever works works and thats the end of it. We are all different why wouldnt the abuse be different when we are dealing with it in each of us.
I think of that scripture "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in high places." Kind of says it all from my viewpoint. Prayer, good counseling, prayer warfare, discernement, praise, putting on the full armour of God and picking up the sword of the Spirit the Word of God.
Sometimes one word from someone can help set me free other times its heavy duty prayer, sometimes nothing seems to work but crying out to God................HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Other times songs come even in the middle of the night. Praise, thankfulness, a walk in the park, loving my neighbor, forgiveness, seeking, getting into the word of God, staying positive, exercise, a massage helps me at times and I think thats because what I really needed was just human loving touch even if its painful it feels better than the suffering. Journalling helps and definitely coming here helps me. Knowing there are others going through the same things.
One friend of mine says that she gets deliverances straight from God. They just happen to her.
Its not neceesarily my experience but so what? Hey Im game for almost anything except something I know is not in His word and it doesnt speak to my heart, doesnt 'feel' right and even then it might just be that I havent learned about that particular 'way' yet.
I want to stay open to things if I can. The only time I dont is if it makes me feel worse than I felt before it happened to me, know what I mean?
Im glad it worked for you and made things better.

This might help a little something I just heard in grief recovery class. The speaker on the tape said that when a death occurs, a loss so to speak, can be anything that happens to us, not just loosing someone, There is a torn ripped place where the wound has occured. That torn place has severed our relationship with God. Not that He left us, He hasnt left us at all, but we are so hurt, so numb, we cant hear Him the same ways any longer and this place needs to be healed up before our relationship with God can come back full circle.

This is what recovery is and healing is. We need the breach to be repaired. Theres no shame in it its just the experience of grief.
I thought that was very interesting. When my SA happened I definitely was severed. I naturally assumed I had done something wrong which made me feel even worse.
I stoppeds studying the sword stopped listening to music stopped having relationships all of these things. The grief class says all of these things are perfectly normal for grieving a loss. Denial, anger, grief, acceptance. I think those are the stages and they dont neccesarily come in order. The denial stage is the numbing part and its still a big part of my SA. One reason is I dont understand what happened to me at the time and another reason is that it hit so many other areas of my life that I had never had the time to deal with or didnt deal with for one reason or another.
I tend to think of the spiritual realm like Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis. Yeah these were just human beings that did all of this to us but they were tempted when they did it and whos the tempter? I know we are tempted by our own flesh but then why does the word also say that the devil prowls around like an angry lion seeking who he can devour?
Its both. The spiritual and the earthly stuff also.

[clementine]

Hi again Abbey! :)
Glad to hear from you again. Been wondering how you are!
Thanks for the advice. Yes, I'm aware that it's a minefield and I've seen a lot of truly weird stuff too. I'm also aware of the 'black and white' approach to the things. Sorry that you have been hurt along the way...:(
I'll have a look at the website. Thanks for letting me know about it. :)
Thanks Hope98...:) I like your expression : 'navigating these waters'! That's exactly what I feel that I'm doing. I am aware there are pitfalls, at the same time I don't want to have my head in the sand!
Thanks also hornblower...
You're right, I think it's a two edged thing. The evil one does his damage through those who allow him to through their sinfulness and unwillingness to repent.
It pays to keep our eyes open and stay close to Jesus. It pays to stay in a place of repentance ourselves and keep short accounts with God.

You have all been so gracious in this...I know it's a curly topic and realise it may be trigger to some of you.
I'll keep researching and praying and listening to the advice.
Peace to you...
Clementine

[SpinningHead]

My mother thinks everything is a spiritual attack...and everyone is under spiritual attack.

Cold? Could be a demon on your shoulder.
In-Law troubles? The family is under the enemy's attack (or maybe they're just the enemy???)
Got the blues? well that ain't the joy of the Lord!! sin in your life!
Bad day? it wasn't really a bad day b/c we fight in the spirit & not in the flesh!
PMS??? Absolutely possessed!

I've been so "spiritually attacked" all my life I could use some "spiritual rest"!

I think there are times when there's evil spiritually attacking you.
I also think that there are consequences for actions that only have to do with good old fashion human stupidity & ego.

[abbey]

AMEN! Spinninghead!

LOL@ your post!

I was helped immensely thru warfare. It blew my mind the way the devil can and does attack---but to say he lurks behind every bush? Nope, naada, NO! But my SA was thru a warfare group, therefore, things get tricky in this area for me.

The minister in my group was working with a man that molested his daughter!:eek: The man said, "I cant control the demons!"

BLAH! Demons my behind! If every thing was demonic, than God is not fair because He shouldnt allow us to be filled with wicked entities. God is fair and just. We have freewill etc. Theres places of sin in my life. I blame no one (or thing) on them. Its my battle against myself!

And I agree, Forget warfare for awhile. I want spiritual peace. I just wanted to warn clememtine of the extremists involved in warfare. I lost my head there. I swear I had stomach pain and thought it was of demonic origion. These cats played with my head. Either aware or unaware.....

ah, I hate the complexity of all this.
sigh.......

[Reg]

snip

I've been so "spiritually attacked" all my life I could use some "spiritual rest"!

I think there are times when there's evil spiritually attacking you.
I also think that there are consequences for actions that only have to do with good old fashion human stupidity & ego.
We all could. There a few daily meditations about that on NACR Daily Meditation lately.

Here's a good one.

NACR Daily Meditation for Wednesday, Nov 15, 2006

************************************************** **********

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is
easy and my burden is light."Matthew 11:28-30

God desires to give us rest. But we resist this gift. No matter how
badly we may want to rest, it is not an easy gift to receive. We may be
weary. We may be burdened. But we are good at minimizing and avoiding
our needs. As soon as we get this next task done, then we will rest. As
soon as there's time for it, then we will rest. We want to rest, but we
have to work real hard to make time for resting and then when we're back
at work we will need to work real hard to make up for the 'lost' time.

While we resist the gift of rest, many of us welcome burdens. We find
it easier to believe that burdens are the gift God really wants to give
us. We will welcome a difficult mission from God, a task, a challenge.
We welcome the opportunity to wear ourselves out in ministry.

But the heavy burdens, the weariness are not God's plan for us. God's
burden is light. God's plan for us is not exhaustion but soul rest. God
wants us to be so rested that it sinks down to the foundations of our person.
God wants us to be rested down to our souls. In rest we find that many
of the burdens of life do not belong to us. We find the freedom to give
back to God those things over which we have no control.

Give me the courage to come and receive from you, Lord.
Burdens weigh heavy on my soul.
Give me the courage to come and receive from you, Lord.
My restless soul longs for you.
Give me the courage to come and receive from you, Lord.
Replace these burdens with your rest.
Share with me your easy yoke
so that I can find rest for my soul.
Amen

Copyright 1991 Dale and Juanita Ryan
http://two.pairlist.net/pipermail/nacrmed/2006-November/001488.html

Nov 16-18 are also on the same theme. REST

[clementine]

Thanks Reg...
We could use some rest right now! :)
Clementine

[yeshua'smags]

Well said Spinninghead!!!! I agree with you wholeheartedly!

[Satscout]

My mother thinks everything is a spiritual attack...and everyone is under spiritual attack.

Cold? Could be a demon on your shoulder.
In-Law troubles? The family is under the enemy's attack (or maybe they're just the enemy???)
Got the blues? well that ain't the joy of the Lord!! sin in your life!
Bad day? it wasn't really a bad day b/c we fight in the spirit & not in the flesh!
PMS??? Absolutely possessed!

I've been so "spiritually attacked" all my life I could use some "spiritual rest"!

I think there are times when there's evil spiritually attacking you.
I also think that there are consequences for actions that only have to do with good old fashion human stupidity & ego.

Bravo, Spinninghead! Love this!

I think your last two lines are especially good: There is a balance between troubles from the outside and troubles from the inside, and sometimes it can be really hard to see how much in a given situation is from each. It's the heart of the same dilemma we have with Andrew and discipline, and why it is so very hard to explain to people unable or unwilling to understand autism why I don't lean either toward the extremely permissive or the extremely condemnative. Each individual situation has to be judged on its own circumstances... then in each determine how much of Andrew's response was due to something he could or could not be truly responsible for given his autism... then deal with each facet appropriately, including proper instruction and/or disciplinary measures. It can be exhausting to tease this all out. But the experience has taught me to take with a tablespoon of salt the responses of people who don't know me or my situation, especially if they condemn or recommend dangerous courses of action.

It does make me wish for "spritual rest" - a time and place where I don't have to by definition expend tremendous amounts of energy trying not to make a false step.