Little worried.

[JohnnieGuy]

Hey guys/gals,

My Christian counsellor, who was a Baptist pastor for 25 years, gave me the book Steps to Freedom in Christ by Neil Anderson because apparently I have some spiritual conflicts.

I am a born again Christian and I was baptized but there are some prayers in there that renounce the devil and any grips he has on me and stuff. I asked my pastor and he thinks that I am a little oppressed.

I said the substance abuse declaration and I quit smoking like that. I definitely felt something release its grip on me. I realized I have been in bondage for years and have been controlled by my addiction to nicotine. Also I struggled with porn for years so I have no doubt that it's possible I could be spiritually oppressed, especially considering I want to walk in the light of the Lord again.

As I've said those prayers recently I have noticed that both my Mother (Christian as well) and I are having nightmares.

I'm a little scared because for me they are nightmares about you know who...

I don't want to put anyone in my family in danger here, can anyone give me advice? Keep saying the prayers or seek help from some stronger believers?

I asked that the Lord would protect me and my family from any attacks. Please pray for me everyone, and some advice would be great too.

[Desperaux]

I went through the Steps to Freedom years ago and have subsequently taken others through it as well. It is most excellent material!

What you are experiencing is quite common, and what is happening is that the spirits that have plagued you in whatever area you have had a stronghold in are vexed or stirred up by the victory you have already achieved in Christ. They don't want you to make progress--they want you to quit bugging them!

I know that you are in the Lord's care and not in danger, as He is at work in your life to free you.

It doesn't necessarily mean that there is something else there that needs deliverance, although there may be---have you finished the steps? If not, there may be another stronghold there. Many people have more than one! I did!

Persevere, friend, and you will come through this with flying colours!

I will pray for you today.

[tt1106]

Johnnie, There is no way to NOT put your family in danger. You can certainly pray for them though. My wife and I always lament that when we say yes to a new ministry opportunity, someone get's sick. My car breaks down. The only thing you can do is pray your way through it and trust in God.
Satan is alive and well and uses whatever means necessary. If your Mom is a believer than what a blessing that is, that she can call on Christ's power as well.
When we say Yes to God and try to change, Satan steps up his attacks.
That is when we have to suit up and go to War.
We will pray with you too.

blessings


tt1106

[awestruckchild]

You don't need to fear satan if you simply trust God. Why are you so afraid? Do you think God is stronger than satan? Do you think your good and all powerful Father can't keep you safe now that He has saved you or that satan is in control on the earth that God created or over the One that created even him?

It is not good to read too many books.

[JohnnieGuy]

Thanks guys.

It's good to know I'm not insane!

I prayed with my mom tonight for the Lord to protect our minds while we asleep.

I haven't finished the rest of the steps but I'm going to do a couple tonight.

It's amazing because I have had a crippling fear of 'the evil one' since I was very little so coming against him through the Lord Jesus Christ is a little scary. I have slight obsessive compulsive disorder so I was always a little afraid of being possessed. I know a saved Christian can never be but when I first started saying the deliverance prayers I felt a little odd. Like fear inside. Amazing how much better I felt later though, I thirsted for the Word of God in a big way after that. It was also pretty amazing how when i said the deliverance prayer I felt something release it's grip on me and I haven't had more than 2 or 3 nicotine cravings since.

He already beat it on the cross!

I am thinking more of God before I think of myself.

Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ for humbling me! Thank you for never leaving me Lord! I will serve Him as best I can.

I know it's going to be quite the way back because I strayed for so long.

Please pray for me everyone.

[Diggindeeper]

You don't need to fear satan if you simply trust God. Why are you so afraid? Do you think God is stronger than satan? Do you think your good and all powerful Father can't keep you safe now that He has saved you or that satan is in control on the earth that God created or over the One that created even him?

It is not good to read too many books..

I will be praying for you, and by the way...like paintdiva said, "It is not good to read too many books." I'd like to take that statement a step farther...and say, "It is not good to read books by certain authors."

I also offer that God is not a genie in a bottle, and he does not need to be treated as one. Please understand that yes, God sent his son to redeem us, to deliver us from sin and bondage. But it is not like he just ZAPS us and presto...we are delivered.

I urge you to consider that God expects US to do our utmost to stop doing whats not right, and start doing what IS right. It takes our cooperation, devotion, and obedience to him. Then he gives us the strength to do what we are supposed to do.

[JohnnieGuy]

Right, and I think that is absolutely true.

I feel pulled in different directions a lot of the time. Above all though I want the Lord to lead me in all things, cause I really can't rely on myself for anything.

So you think that the author is full of beans?

I dunno, I think spiritual oppression is a reality and I was living in open sin for a while there. I also had a lot of ignorance, false impressions, disobedience, and took sin lightly and learned my lesson.

I don't ever want to fall into sin again and I know that is directly related to my walk with God. The closer I am to Him the safer and stronger I will be.

I just want to have assurance of salvation and know that I am His child and that we are walking together. I hate disobeying Him and I don't ever want to fall into blindness or darkness again. The farther into my backslide, the more and more dark things became, and it was a terrible and horrifying place to be. I want His light to shine in my mind and heart always.

[awestruckchild]

I think it sounds like your heart is open to God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. God takes most concern with what is in our heart. The Holy Spirit does not let us keep our deceitful justifications to hide behind. Sometimes we can convince ourselves we had one motivation for something we did or said and He drags out our true motivation and horrifies us because we didn't even know we were lying inside.

Don't have too much concern for what everyone else says is "sin" but wait for Him to show you where you are sinning. Don't strive too hard - wait for Him and keep trusting that He will continue the good work He began in you.

He will work from your inside and your propensity will always be to work from your outside. But it is Him who has to do the changing. You mainly have to keep trusting Him that He is working His will for you.

[Desperaux]

Just for everyone's information, Neil Anderson has been used mightily by God in the deliverance ministry and I believe millions of believers have been immensely helped and freed by the truths he has brought forward that for many years the Church has neglected to teach.

There is power in the blood of Jesus Christ, and we need to take our rightful place as blood-bought, free people and make a strong stand against our very real enemy. We need to recognize the lie and be knowledgeable in the Lord and His word to counter that lie.

Anderson's "Steps to Freedom" is merely an organized tool to help us deal with strongholds that have developed in us, many of which are hiding, unknown to us, but are strong enough to rob us of victory in certain areas, or cause us to not be fully effective in the body of Christ. Satan's prime target is Christians and his goal is to cause us to be ineffective, and to rob us of ministry to each other and the unbelieving world.

[awestruckchild]

Hi Desperaux!
(I just woke up to some beautiful stuff you wrote in a devotion thresd-thanks!)

I have never read anything by the author the op spoke of, so I was not saying anything against the author.

But this particular person was not gaining so much good from the book as perhaps you did. It was making him fear attacks by satan instead of having his childlike trust in His Father.

For him in particular, at this particular time, I gave an ecouragement that I thought would build him up and strengthen and calm him. And really, it is the encouragement we all need to remind ourselves of sometimes when the teachings of men, books, etc are causing us fear or doubt. Just chuck all the fear and confusion and rest in Him anew, you know what I mean?

[JohnnieGuy]

I just dunno what's going on with me.

I don't feel like a child of God a lot of days. I want to be, and I know He is the truth, but sometimes I have terrible thoughts and feelings.

I think I'm trying too hard.

Also I have a wild imagination and I think way too much, and I find that I read too much into things. Like I was on the bus yesterday and this guy came and sat down beside me and the powerful odor of a cigarette was on him and I thought (oh this must be from the devil) but then I kind of shook it off. I realized the need to love everyone more than just blaming the devil. It would be bad to judge someone like that.

I guess what it is I feel like two different people. I feel double minded. I want to serve God and I want to trust in Him totally but I also have my own personality and I feel sometimes like I'm losing it.

I'm worried to just be myself and let God do the work. I'm trying to change too hard.

[awestruckchild]

Oh boy, trying too hard - gets me every time too!

There is a verse Johnnie and I might not get the words exactly right but it is something like....Cease all striving(working/trying) and just know that
I am God.

[fuzzi]

Oh boy, trying too hard - gets me every time too!

There is a verse Johnnie and I might not get the words exactly right but it is something like....Cease all striving(working/trying) and just know that
I am God.

That's a good one. Here it is:

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10)

[Elijah's Mantle]

I am taking notes , this is a Good thread I am just learning much of this myself . I may have to read that book ,Ive never read it before JohnieGuy I will be praying prayers of protection for you and your family Heavenly Father,I thank u for,your mighty hand of protection upon my family, friends and for JohnieGuy and all of his Family as well as ALL OF this ministry and it's leaders here and myself for this whole year and the years to come , in the Name of Jesus, I thank You Heavenly Father that You watch over Your Word to perform it. I thank You that my family, friends and I dwell in the secret place of the Most High and that we remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty, Whose power no foe can withstand. I cover my family, friends and all the ministering leaders here with the Precious Blood of Jesus, Your Son, thus keeping us safe from the hideous snares of Satan and all his cohorts.

[JohnnieGuy]

Yes but you know I really don't know how great that book is. I definitely have my doubts.

I think I had nightmares because I was thinking about Satan and Satan is scary. I don't necessarily think Satan was attacking me. Satan is a defeated foe. And I think when we overestimate his power it can scare us and put us between the truth, and the truth is that God is all-powerful, nothing can come against the name of Jesus and we shouldn't worry or fear.

I see the truth is that I didn't quit smoking because I said a prayer or because of anything else but because I was scared of the devil and that prayer just reinforced it. That's no reason to quit anything.

Maybe I'm not ready to quit yet and God will show me or make me want to some day. It's not Satan's fault, it's mine. I don't really WANT to quit yet.

I think it's better to see things from our point of view rather than satan in any way controlling us. He cannot make us sin.