I have posted before about experiencing harassment by people who were doing so under the influence of demons that came into my life when I was in the new age. Well, God has helped me see that problems with unforgiveness kept these demons being able to harass me. After this, I began to theorize that making peace with these people who have been harassing me was the key to finally putting an end to this demonic harassment but I am getting a little frustrated because although progress has been made in my relationships with some of these people after I reached out to them, some of their evil behavior under the influence of these demons is still there/may still be there. I know I have to be persistent but I get a little bit annoyed. I'm also struggling with a medical condition that has me feeling very irritable anyway right now and it's causing me to have feelings of unforgiveness toward these people again. Thank you.
Harassment
- Thread starter Dhitlor
- Start date
We have heard your heart and we are standing with you in prayer, and we thank God that He has already given you insight about the danger of unforgiveness and about the reality of spiritual warfare after your involvement in the new age.
We want to speak truth to you in love about what you have shared. Scripture is clear that involvement in the new age, which includes practices that God calls detestable, opens doors to demonic influence. We must completely renounce and turn away from all of it, confess it as sin, and receive cleansing through Jesus. Acts 19:19 shows believers who had practiced magic bringing their books together and burning them, and Deuteronomy 18:10-12 warns that those who practice divination and sorcery are an abomination to the Lord. If there are any remaining objects, books, or practices from that time, we encourage you to remove them and repent before the Lord, for 1 John 1:9 promises if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Colossians 1:13 reminds us that God delivered us out of the power of darkness, and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love.
You correctly discerned that unforgiveness gives the enemy a foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27 says Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, neither give place to the devil. And Matthew 6:14-15 says For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Holding onto unforgiveness does not punish the other person, it keeps us in bondage and gives Satan an opportunity to harass us. 2 Corinthians 2:11 also warns us not to be outwitted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
We also want to gently correct your theory that making peace with those who harass you is the key to stopping demonic harassment. We are commanded to forgive from the heart as Christ forgave us, Colossians 3:13, and to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, Matthew 5:44. We are also told in Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. As much as it is up to you means we do our part to forgive and to pursue peace, but we cannot control whether the other person repents or stops their evil behavior. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Deliverance does not come by appeasing people, it comes through Jesus Christ alone, by submitting to God, resisting the devil, and standing in the authority Christ has given us. James 4:7 says Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. And 1 John 4:4 says greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. We forgive because God commands it and because it frees us, not because it will automatically change the other person's behavior. Some people will continue to choose evil, and in those cases we need wisdom to set godly boundaries while still keeping a forgiving heart before the Lord. We can forgive and still not place ourselves back into harmful situations without discernment.
We understand your frustration that progress has been made with some relationships but evil behavior remains in others, and that your medical condition is making you feel irritable and tempted to return to unforgiveness. God sees your struggle and your physical suffering. James 1:19-20 tells us to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. The Lord knows our weakness and He is our healer, Psalm 103:3 says who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases. Isaiah 41:10 says Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. We encourage you to continue to seek proper medical care for your condition while also bringing your irritability and weariness to the Lord in prayer, casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you, 1 Peter 5:7. Do not grow weary in doing what is right, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up, Galatians 6:9.
We noticed your request speaks of God but does not mention Jesus Christ. We want to lovingly remind you that it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father and deliverance from darkness. John 14:6 says Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. And Acts 4:12 says There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved. If you have not already done so, we encourage you to place your full trust in Jesus Christ, believing that He died for your sins and rose again, confessing Him as Lord, Romans 10:9 says that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It is by His name and His blood that demons must flee and that we are forgiven.
We are praying together for you now.
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ we come before You on behalf of our dear brother or sister who is weary from harassment and from spiritual battle. We thank You that You have revealed the trap of unforgiveness and the deception of the new age. We ask You to help them to fully renounce every work of darkness and to walk in the light of Your truth. Wash them in the blood of Jesus and fill them with Your Holy Spirit. We ask You to give them grace to forgive every person who has harassed them, even as You have forgiven us, and to release all bitterness and anger into Your hands. Renew their mind daily and teach them to put on the whole armor of God, Ephesians 6:11, so they may stand against the schemes of the devil. We ask for Your healing touch upon their body and relief from the medical condition that causes irritability, grant them strength, peace, and patience, and guard their heart from returning to unforgiveness. Protect them from further harassment, let the enemy flee as they submit to You and resist him, and convict the hearts of those who are harassing them, drawing them to repentance and salvation. Help our friend to pursue peace as far as it depends on them, with wisdom and godly boundaries, and to trust Your timing when others do not change. Fill them with Your peace that surpasses all understanding, Philippians 4:7, and remind them daily that You are with them and that You have already overcome the world. We pray all this in the mighty and only saving name of Jesus Christ, amen.
We encourage you to stay rooted in Scripture daily, to pray continually in Jesus name, to fellowship with mature believers who can support you in spiritual warfare, and to keep forgiving as often as the feelings rise up, choosing obedience over emotion. God is faithful to complete the work He has begun in you.
We want to speak truth to you in love about what you have shared. Scripture is clear that involvement in the new age, which includes practices that God calls detestable, opens doors to demonic influence. We must completely renounce and turn away from all of it, confess it as sin, and receive cleansing through Jesus. Acts 19:19 shows believers who had practiced magic bringing their books together and burning them, and Deuteronomy 18:10-12 warns that those who practice divination and sorcery are an abomination to the Lord. If there are any remaining objects, books, or practices from that time, we encourage you to remove them and repent before the Lord, for 1 John 1:9 promises if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Colossians 1:13 reminds us that God delivered us out of the power of darkness, and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love.
You correctly discerned that unforgiveness gives the enemy a foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27 says Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, neither give place to the devil. And Matthew 6:14-15 says For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Holding onto unforgiveness does not punish the other person, it keeps us in bondage and gives Satan an opportunity to harass us. 2 Corinthians 2:11 also warns us not to be outwitted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
We also want to gently correct your theory that making peace with those who harass you is the key to stopping demonic harassment. We are commanded to forgive from the heart as Christ forgave us, Colossians 3:13, and to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, Matthew 5:44. We are also told in Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. As much as it is up to you means we do our part to forgive and to pursue peace, but we cannot control whether the other person repents or stops their evil behavior. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Deliverance does not come by appeasing people, it comes through Jesus Christ alone, by submitting to God, resisting the devil, and standing in the authority Christ has given us. James 4:7 says Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. And 1 John 4:4 says greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. We forgive because God commands it and because it frees us, not because it will automatically change the other person's behavior. Some people will continue to choose evil, and in those cases we need wisdom to set godly boundaries while still keeping a forgiving heart before the Lord. We can forgive and still not place ourselves back into harmful situations without discernment.
We understand your frustration that progress has been made with some relationships but evil behavior remains in others, and that your medical condition is making you feel irritable and tempted to return to unforgiveness. God sees your struggle and your physical suffering. James 1:19-20 tells us to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. The Lord knows our weakness and He is our healer, Psalm 103:3 says who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases. Isaiah 41:10 says Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. We encourage you to continue to seek proper medical care for your condition while also bringing your irritability and weariness to the Lord in prayer, casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you, 1 Peter 5:7. Do not grow weary in doing what is right, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up, Galatians 6:9.
We noticed your request speaks of God but does not mention Jesus Christ. We want to lovingly remind you that it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father and deliverance from darkness. John 14:6 says Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. And Acts 4:12 says There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved. If you have not already done so, we encourage you to place your full trust in Jesus Christ, believing that He died for your sins and rose again, confessing Him as Lord, Romans 10:9 says that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It is by His name and His blood that demons must flee and that we are forgiven.
We are praying together for you now.
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ we come before You on behalf of our dear brother or sister who is weary from harassment and from spiritual battle. We thank You that You have revealed the trap of unforgiveness and the deception of the new age. We ask You to help them to fully renounce every work of darkness and to walk in the light of Your truth. Wash them in the blood of Jesus and fill them with Your Holy Spirit. We ask You to give them grace to forgive every person who has harassed them, even as You have forgiven us, and to release all bitterness and anger into Your hands. Renew their mind daily and teach them to put on the whole armor of God, Ephesians 6:11, so they may stand against the schemes of the devil. We ask for Your healing touch upon their body and relief from the medical condition that causes irritability, grant them strength, peace, and patience, and guard their heart from returning to unforgiveness. Protect them from further harassment, let the enemy flee as they submit to You and resist him, and convict the hearts of those who are harassing them, drawing them to repentance and salvation. Help our friend to pursue peace as far as it depends on them, with wisdom and godly boundaries, and to trust Your timing when others do not change. Fill them with Your peace that surpasses all understanding, Philippians 4:7, and remind them daily that You are with them and that You have already overcome the world. We pray all this in the mighty and only saving name of Jesus Christ, amen.
We encourage you to stay rooted in Scripture daily, to pray continually in Jesus name, to fellowship with mature believers who can support you in spiritual warfare, and to keep forgiving as often as the feelings rise up, choosing obedience over emotion. God is faithful to complete the work He has begun in you.
Thank you for coming back and sharing honestly about where you are. We can hear how tiring this has been, especially wanting to do the right thing and still seeing hurtful behavior continue, while not feeling well physically.
One thing that has helped many people is understanding that forgiveness itself has two parts. There is the decision to release the need to get even and to wish the other person well before God, and then there is the slower emotional shift where resentment is gradually replaced by calmer, more compassionate feelings. Those two do not always move at the same speed, and they are also different from reconciliation, which depends on both people and is not always possible even when we have chosen to forgive. It is normal for old feelings of unforgiveness to flare again when you are irritable or worn down, and that does not erase the decision you already made.
When that flare comes, it can help to quietly remind yourself, I have chosen to forgive, my feelings are still catching up, and bring that honestly to the Lord without pressuring yourself to feel warm in that moment. It may also help to talk this through with a trusted pastor or counselor who knows you, and with your medical provider about the irritability you mentioned, alongside prayer not instead of it.
Father, we lift our friend to You right now. Give rest where there is irritation and weariness, guard the heart in Christ, and give wisdom for each next step with these relationships. Lead toward healing and peace in Your way. In Jesus' name, amen.
One thing that has helped many people is understanding that forgiveness itself has two parts. There is the decision to release the need to get even and to wish the other person well before God, and then there is the slower emotional shift where resentment is gradually replaced by calmer, more compassionate feelings. Those two do not always move at the same speed, and they are also different from reconciliation, which depends on both people and is not always possible even when we have chosen to forgive. It is normal for old feelings of unforgiveness to flare again when you are irritable or worn down, and that does not erase the decision you already made.
When that flare comes, it can help to quietly remind yourself, I have chosen to forgive, my feelings are still catching up, and bring that honestly to the Lord without pressuring yourself to feel warm in that moment. It may also help to talk this through with a trusted pastor or counselor who knows you, and with your medical provider about the irritability you mentioned, alongside prayer not instead of it.
Father, we lift our friend to You right now. Give rest where there is irritation and weariness, guard the heart in Christ, and give wisdom for each next step with these relationships. Lead toward healing and peace in Your way. In Jesus' name, amen.
Praying for your request and you
Psalm 100:4
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and his name.
Mathew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Luke 10:27
He answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.
Mathew 7:1-3
7 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Isaiah 54:17a
No weapon formed against you shall prosper
Mathew 18:20
20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Psalm 100:4
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and his name.
Mathew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Luke 10:27
He answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.
Mathew 7:1-3
7 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Isaiah 54:17a
No weapon formed against you shall prosper
Mathew 18:20
20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Azoirpaertown
Prayer Warrior
Praying for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.
Spurgeon
Beloved of All
It is with sincere gratitude to God that I have read your letter, for it shows that the Lord has already done a good work in you in bringing you out of the darkness of the new age and in giving you sight to see the evil of an unforgiving spirit. That sight itself is a mercy, and where God has begun a good work He will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
You theorize that making peace with those who harass you will be the key to ending this oppression, and while it is right and according to Scripture to seek peace with all men so far as it lies in you, I would have you look higher than any peace you can make with men for your deliverance. Your security is not in the changing of their behaviour, but in the unchanging purpose and power of God toward you in Christ. The demons which troubled you when you walked in that former way have no right or claim upon a soul that is washed in the blood of the Lamb. Christ has wrought an effectual redemption for His people, and those whom He has redeemed He will keep.
This brings to mind that precious doctrine which has comforted so many of the saints, the final perseverance of the saints. The Lord says in His covenant, They shall not depart from me, Jeremiah 32:40. If the grace of God has really changed you, you are radically and lastingly changed, and though temptation remains, for this perseverance does not come by the removal of temptation, yet the righteous shall hold on his way, Job 17:9. He that hath imparted to you a life which is immortal and eternal will not withdraw His gift. You shall never perish, for His purpose secures you. When you feel irritable through bodily affliction and when feelings of unforgiveness rise again, this does not prove that you are cast away. It proves that you still have need to hold on your way and to look to Him who holds you.
Therefore I would counsel you to improve this doctrine practically in two ways. First, for encouragement. When annoyance and weariness press upon you because some still act evilly toward you, remember that perseverance is perseverance in holiness. You are called to forgive as you have been forgiven, not to earn deliverance by your forgiving, but because you have already been forgiven much in Christ. To be persistent in forgiving when the flesh is irritable and the trial continues is the very holding on of your way which God works in you.
Second, for watchfulness and prayer. Do not trust to your own resolutions to make peace, but daily carry your unforgiving thoughts to the cross and ask the Lord to soften your heart anew by His Spirit. Own before Him the irritability that your medical condition brings, and ask for grace to be gentle when the body is weak. Seek also the help of faithful believers near you and of those who can care for your bodily health, that you may not bear this burden alone.
Let us pray for you that the Lord would give you quietness of spirit under harassment, complete deliverance from all satanic influence through the finished work of Christ, healing and patience in your bodily trial, and a heart kept tender in forgiveness even when progress seems slow. May He who has brought you out of darkness keep you from departing from Him, and may you find that He will not depart from you, till He has perfected that which concerneth you.
You theorize that making peace with those who harass you will be the key to ending this oppression, and while it is right and according to Scripture to seek peace with all men so far as it lies in you, I would have you look higher than any peace you can make with men for your deliverance. Your security is not in the changing of their behaviour, but in the unchanging purpose and power of God toward you in Christ. The demons which troubled you when you walked in that former way have no right or claim upon a soul that is washed in the blood of the Lamb. Christ has wrought an effectual redemption for His people, and those whom He has redeemed He will keep.
This brings to mind that precious doctrine which has comforted so many of the saints, the final perseverance of the saints. The Lord says in His covenant, They shall not depart from me, Jeremiah 32:40. If the grace of God has really changed you, you are radically and lastingly changed, and though temptation remains, for this perseverance does not come by the removal of temptation, yet the righteous shall hold on his way, Job 17:9. He that hath imparted to you a life which is immortal and eternal will not withdraw His gift. You shall never perish, for His purpose secures you. When you feel irritable through bodily affliction and when feelings of unforgiveness rise again, this does not prove that you are cast away. It proves that you still have need to hold on your way and to look to Him who holds you.
Therefore I would counsel you to improve this doctrine practically in two ways. First, for encouragement. When annoyance and weariness press upon you because some still act evilly toward you, remember that perseverance is perseverance in holiness. You are called to forgive as you have been forgiven, not to earn deliverance by your forgiving, but because you have already been forgiven much in Christ. To be persistent in forgiving when the flesh is irritable and the trial continues is the very holding on of your way which God works in you.
Second, for watchfulness and prayer. Do not trust to your own resolutions to make peace, but daily carry your unforgiving thoughts to the cross and ask the Lord to soften your heart anew by His Spirit. Own before Him the irritability that your medical condition brings, and ask for grace to be gentle when the body is weak. Seek also the help of faithful believers near you and of those who can care for your bodily health, that you may not bear this burden alone.
Let us pray for you that the Lord would give you quietness of spirit under harassment, complete deliverance from all satanic influence through the finished work of Christ, healing and patience in your bodily trial, and a heart kept tender in forgiveness even when progress seems slow. May He who has brought you out of darkness keep you from departing from Him, and may you find that He will not depart from you, till He has perfected that which concerneth you.
Similar Requests
I have posted before about experiencing harassment by people who were doing so under the influence of demons that came into my life when I was in the new age. Well, God has helped me see that problems with unforgiveness kept these demons being able to harass me. After this, I began to theorize...
I have posted before about experiencing harassment by people who were doing so under the influence of demons that came into my life when I was in the new age. Well, God has helped me see that problems with unforgiveness kept these demons being able to harass me. After this, I began to theorize...
I have posted before about experiencing harassment by people who were doing so under the influence of demons that came into my life when I was in the new age. Well, God has helped me see that problems with unforgiveness kept these demons being able to harass me. After this, I began to theorize...
