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Thursday, February 16, 2006

Spiritual Attacks

I just came from Hey Jules' blog, Faith or Fiction, where she speaks of a recent experience involving a spiritual attack and the realization that came to her. If you haven't read it, go and read...it gave me goose bumps.

As I have posted, in my previous post, that I have taken my application in to apply for the education program at school. Four or five years ago, I felt the Lord calling me to become a teacher and set out on the path in order to do this. It involved four years of working at my Bachelor of Arts, which I need before I can graduate with my Bachelor of Education. It has been a long and bumpy journey. I am now just mere months away from getting my BA, and as I said, have taken in my application for the BEd program.

Part of the application process is to write a three page letter that explains our call/passion to become a teacher. I prayed that the Lord would give me the words to say because I didn't know what I should say. I am leaving it in His hands that the words I wrote are the right ones.

Where am I going with this? What does it have to do with Jules' post on her blog? Well, let me explain. For two days leading up to my dropping off my application I felt under some sort of spiritual attack. At least that is what I feel it is. When the doubts would hit, when the "I'm not good enough" thoughts entered my mind, when I wondered if I really should be doing this...when all of these thoughts came to my mind, I would pray and tell God how I was feeling. I know He knew, but I told Him anyway. I asked His protection around me, I asked for Him to be with me during this. I confessed and asked forgiveness for doubting or not completely trusting Him...and then I would feel peace - until the next round.

Even as I walked into the school, into the office to hand in my application, even as I saw a prof dropping off a reference sheet and another girl submitting her application and thoughts of "look at this, more people applying - they'll probably get accepted and you wont" flooded my mind, I told God that this is all in His hands now. There is nothing more I can do, except pray. It has been two days now, since I dropped it off, and every once in awhile I get those thoughts. I am still praying, trying to leave it in God's hands.

The following paragraph is my comments (or maybe just part of it) from Jules' blog:

"I have been told before that if we are feeling great all the time about our walk with the Lord, that nothing is going wrong, then that is the worst thing that could happen to us. It means that we are stagnant in our walk, or we aren't doing anything for the Lord, we aren't being effective or affective, etc. for His kingdom. Satan and his minions will only bother us if we are a threat to him/them. Doing the Lord's work is a threat. Sitting on our butts contemplating life or doing nothing isn't a threat. The more we do for the Lord, the more we will be attacked. The more of a threat to satan and his minions that we become, the more angry and annoyed they will be and strike out at us. The armour is our protection, given to us by the Lord."

I try to remember to put on my full armour everyday. Sometimes it isn't until the day has progressed several hours, other times it is as soon as I wake up. The point it, we need to put on the FULL armour...ALL of it, and not just one or two pieces!

I did a nine piece "study" of sorts on the Armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) on a Christian message board a couple of years ago and I will try to look for it later and put the posts up here. I think spiritual warfare is real and it is something that needs to be addressed and it is something we need to be prepared for. Please pray that I can find these articles and use them on my blog to help minister to others.

Have a Christ filled day!

8 comments:

HeyJules said...

Shelley, something else someone told me in an email just this morning is that we have to remember not only to ask for God's protection but to verbally BANISH Satan from around us. (Try to do this in the car or the bathroom though cause people tend to look at you funny...) When you hear the doubts, when you feel the fear, say it out loud, sister. Tell him you KNOW you are better than his whispers in your ears and add a good, "Stand behind me Satan, in Jesus name I pray" and let's make him go play in someone else's sandbox...

Jennifer said...

I must really be a threat to the devil then, because he's been hovering around my corner for a few days now. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Bonnie S. Calhoun said...

"There is nothing more I can do, except pray."

This is the key phrase to your post...LOL

Always make praying the FIRST thing you do, and then rest in the Lord. The advice about rebuking and banishing the enemy is sound and worth following through on in each instance.

Trust in the Lord to have your best in mind.

I will also pray for you!

Joe said...

Pray without ceasing. I did not make that up, I read it somewhere.

Paul said...

Hi Shelley,

Just blogging by to say howdy and to catch up with your blog. Spiritual warfare is real and the one thing that that I have learned is that the enemy will attacked a moving target :)

If we are sitting on our "tush" then we are not a threat :) and I would guess that 90% of our battles are in the mind and that is where putting on the full armour of the Lord is so very important.

I look forward to reading you Study on the Armour of God!

Be blessed my friend. I am always blessed when I blog by to check in.

Writing for the King,

Paul

mreddie said...

You are so on the right path - I know you know it but I just wanted to encourage you to keep going and keep trusting!! ec

Anonymous said...

i always ask God to provide me everything that i need for the day and to help me have the right attitude toward things. i know satan is always on a lookout for a possible attack. don't want to be a victim. let's just keep on praying.

Jenny said...

Praying.

How are you doing?