“I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night – but even in darkness I cannot hide from You. To You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to You.” (Psalm 139:11-12 NLT)
Darkness manifests itself many times and in many ways. Darkness isn’t simply the absence of literal light; it can be the blindness of a heart or the closing of a mind. The tragedy of people in bondage to the darkness is that they believe they can see. Because they’re able to see the Sun with their physical eyes, they fail to make the connection with the bondage of their soul, they’re blind to the Son who liberates because they can’t perceive their bondage.
Think of the millions held in captivity by false religions, cults, and even “Christian” cults who follow a false Jesus. Yes, of course, it’s frightening and can be discouraging, but here’s the truth – Jesus is Lord of Light and He has power over darkness! We are not held in bondage if we’re servants of the living God. We’ve been liberated and empowered, not only to avoid darkness, but to overcome it in the strength of His Spirit. And, by His grace and in His strength, we can lead others in finding their liberation. But how?
The same way Jesus liberated those in bondage when He was on the earth – through believing prayer! Just as Jesus gave His disciples power and authority over darkness and the forces of unseen spirits, He can and will give us authority as the need arises, but this demands discernment. Satan will have us believing every lost person is filled with a demon if they don’t believe, and, admittedly, some surely are; however, demon possession is real and I’m convinced many who are locked away in “Insane” asylums have not lost their mind, they’ve lost their soul and the deliverance they need is not mental or emotional, it’s spiritual. But, again, this demands discernment and may be a “hard sell” to those in charge.
We’re good at putting “Band-Aids” on broken people who need a touch from God and deliverance from the evil one. While we shouldn’t see a demon behind every tree or the cause of every lost person’s evil, we must certainly be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s anointing on and in our own lives, enabling us to identify and respond to genuine needs of possession and oppression.
While Satan nor his emissaries can possess the heart or mind of a Jesus follower, he can certainly oppress us, causing us to act, feel, and think very frightening and ungodly things. When I’m distracted, my mind going in directions that I know are not pleasing to the Lord, my immediate response, as yours must be, is to turn to the Lord. Sometimes I stop whatever I’m doing and immediately refocus my thoughts intentionally on the Lord, seeking His presence to enable me to stay strong in Him.
Another very real avenue of attack is our dreams. Partly, I suspect, because I’m on a lot of medication, there are more nights than I care to admit when I have very bizarre and sometimes disturbing dreams. I’m in situations where I feel trapped, alone, lost, uncertain what to do or where to turn. People are strangers and sometimes aggressive and mean, uncaring and disregarding me almost as a stray dog.
What we can feel in our spirit is unsettling, but the moment I awaken I turn to the Lord and seek His strength and deliverance. I rebuke the power of the enemy over me and tell him to go back to hell where he belongs. We need not fear the enemy because every power he has against us as Jesus followers is a smoke screen. He has no authority over us except that which we give him
God’s Word assures us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that there is no temptation that can defeat or overpower us; that He is faithful and “WILL SHOW US A WAY OUT SO THAT WE CAN ENDURE!” Remember and claim Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and HE WILL show you which path to take.”
Darkness is prevalent, but Light is powerful and pervasive. We are not victims, but overcomers in and through Jesus! Be strong and courageous in and through Him, to His honor and fame.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
