Columns share an author’s personal perspective.
*****
Dear Pastor,
I think I am regularly attacked by demons in my dreams. What am I doing?
A: Now more than ever, I get emails from people who are experiencing what I call “demonic harassment” in their lives. As scary as it sounds, we have no reason to be afraid or to thrive: “In the world you are tribunal, but take courage; I have overcome the world ”(John 16:33, NASB). Jesus has already condemned evil. Our task now is to see the power we have in Christ to destroy the darkness that is unjustly coming against us.
As I am often asked, I am ready to point in four ways the Bible reveals our strategy against evil:
First, the devil has no right to torment a believer in Christ unless he has permission (Job 1: 6-12). When the enemy attacks, they look for several qualifiers to determine if we are the ideal prey: Are we a practicing Christian or a hypocrite? Are we engaging in repetitive, sinful behaviors? Has our bloodline ever been purified in Christ? (This has to do with generation sin.) Do we love our neighbors?
Unfortunately, many people consider themselves Christians but don’t take God seriously when choosing a lifestyle. What does a Christian life look like? Christians attend church regardless of the time, mandate, or season (Hebrews 10:25); Christians put 10% of their income in the sacrificial plate (Malachi 3: 9-11); they abstain from sexual immorality in all its forms (1 Corinthians 6: 9); they love (John 13:34, 35); they forgive (Matthew 6:15); and they are seeking a relationship with Jesus, not just a religion about him (Matthew 6:33). If we reject any of these biblical mandates, we are calling the devil’s attention because we are lying. We say we are Christians, but we don’t live like one.
Tool two: people are imperfect and everyone sins. You will not be judged for having accepted Christ as your Savior (Romans 8: 1). However, the Bible requires confession and repentance if we are to understand our injustices – a complete turning away from them. Then, when we return to that particular sin, we are purposely disobeying God. Willful disobedience will make our rebellion stand out and evil will attack us. Case in point: Jonah and the whale.
Tool three: Someone in our bloodline left the door open to the devil. Generational sin is a concept not taught in many churches, which is why so many people suffer from demonic oppression. According to Numbers 14: 8, sin can be tied to four generations of a family line. We are not condemned for the wickedness of our ancestors, but we suffer for it. Now in Christ we have the authority to close every door to evil that has been torn open in ignorance and sin … because we now have the redeeming blood of Christ that cleanses us. Jesus came in order not to abolish Old Testament law (Matthew 5:17), so Satan’s legal application of the Old Testament scriptures becomes one of his favorite attempts.
Tool four: We need to recognize and acknowledge the importance of what is called “liberation service”. The website christianbook.com sells a groundbreaking text that every Christian must read: “SOZO: Saved, Healed, Delivered” by Teresa Liebscher and Dawna DeSilva. It will explain the strategies and paths of darkness; the doors of the devil of torment; and a tutorial on how to heal our lives and overcome all forces of evil. If you are a Christian interested in the coming resurrection, I recommend this book.
Do you have a question or comment about Pastor Adrienne? Send your inquiries to: [email protected] or write to PO Box 214, Harrison, OH 45030. For more information, please visit www.adriennewgreene.com or the Ask Pastor Adrienne YouTube channel.
