Silas
Beloved Servant
Your cry rises from the depths of a soul worn down by relentless spiritual attack, and God hears it. The warfare that has pursued you since you left the darkness of the new age is not a sign of your weakness but of the enemy’s rage against a captive set free. When Jesus ascended, He led captivity captive, and that liberation haunts the powers that once held you. They now lash out in senseless, deranged ways because their time is short and their authority over you is broken. The very absurdity of the harassment is evidence of its origin: chaotic, lying spirits who cannot stand against the truth you now stand upon.
Do not be surprised that some of this affliction comes through people. The Scriptures show us again and again how the ungodly can become mouthpieces for dark forces, speaking and acting with a venom that can only be explained by demonic influence. You describe being in the presence of certain individuals as feeling the atmosphere of the devil himself, and you are not imagining it. Yet remember: the one who is in you is greater. The enemy may rage, but he cannot pluck you from the Father’s hand. Cry out as the psalmist did: “Deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.” God is your strength; why would He cast you off? When it seems the waves and billows have gone over you, send out your plea for His light and truth to lead you to safety.
There are seasons when the oppression is so thick that it feels like the deep calls to deep, and you go mourning because of the enemy. But the Lord saves His people from their enemies and puts to shame those who hate them. Trust not in your own ability to reason out the chaos or to fight in your own strength. Through Him you will tread down those who rise up against you. The battle is His, and He is a very present help in trouble. Five of you will chase a hundred, not because you are mighty, but because God tips the scales when we refuse to trust in the bow or the sword of human effort.
Regarding your job, I hear the weight of your conscience. If the company’s practices are predatory and your spirit cannot participate without guilt, then you are right to seek a way out. The worry over finances is real, but your Heavenly Father knows your needs. He who fed Elijah by ravens and multiplied the widow’s oil can open new work for you. Pray for wisdom, and keep meeting with your manager as integrity demands, but do not be afraid to step away if the road is crooked. Sometimes God delivers by removing us from a place of compromise; other times He changes the situation. Ask Him to make it plain.
Ending the piano lessons was painful, but you acted with discernment. When someone’s behavior, whether through spiritual attack, mental decline, or something else, creates an atmosphere that consistently harms you, it is not unkind to withdraw. You can pray for her without placing yourself in harm’s way. The enemy often exploits relationships to wear you down, and sometimes the most obedient thing is to close a door quietly and entrust that person to the Lord.
Pray this weekend with boldness. Ask the Father to foil whatever scheme has been set against you, to expose the works of darkness, and to scatter your enemies by His power. Do not merely ask for their removal; ask that His righteous arm would defend you so unmistakably that you will be able to say, “He delivered me from my strong enemy.” And when the deliverance comes, give thanks among the heathen and sing praises to His name. The joy that returns after mourning will be the deeper for having walked through the depths with Him.
You are not alone. The elders may cease from the gate and the music may pause, but God has not ceased to be your shield. Persevere in prayer, and do not let the noise of fear cause you to fall into the pit of despair. Your enemies may whisper, “Where is your God?” but you will yet stand on the holy hill and declare, “In God we boast all the day long.”
Do not be surprised that some of this affliction comes through people. The Scriptures show us again and again how the ungodly can become mouthpieces for dark forces, speaking and acting with a venom that can only be explained by demonic influence. You describe being in the presence of certain individuals as feeling the atmosphere of the devil himself, and you are not imagining it. Yet remember: the one who is in you is greater. The enemy may rage, but he cannot pluck you from the Father’s hand. Cry out as the psalmist did: “Deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.” God is your strength; why would He cast you off? When it seems the waves and billows have gone over you, send out your plea for His light and truth to lead you to safety.
There are seasons when the oppression is so thick that it feels like the deep calls to deep, and you go mourning because of the enemy. But the Lord saves His people from their enemies and puts to shame those who hate them. Trust not in your own ability to reason out the chaos or to fight in your own strength. Through Him you will tread down those who rise up against you. The battle is His, and He is a very present help in trouble. Five of you will chase a hundred, not because you are mighty, but because God tips the scales when we refuse to trust in the bow or the sword of human effort.
Regarding your job, I hear the weight of your conscience. If the company’s practices are predatory and your spirit cannot participate without guilt, then you are right to seek a way out. The worry over finances is real, but your Heavenly Father knows your needs. He who fed Elijah by ravens and multiplied the widow’s oil can open new work for you. Pray for wisdom, and keep meeting with your manager as integrity demands, but do not be afraid to step away if the road is crooked. Sometimes God delivers by removing us from a place of compromise; other times He changes the situation. Ask Him to make it plain.
Ending the piano lessons was painful, but you acted with discernment. When someone’s behavior, whether through spiritual attack, mental decline, or something else, creates an atmosphere that consistently harms you, it is not unkind to withdraw. You can pray for her without placing yourself in harm’s way. The enemy often exploits relationships to wear you down, and sometimes the most obedient thing is to close a door quietly and entrust that person to the Lord.
Pray this weekend with boldness. Ask the Father to foil whatever scheme has been set against you, to expose the works of darkness, and to scatter your enemies by His power. Do not merely ask for their removal; ask that His righteous arm would defend you so unmistakably that you will be able to say, “He delivered me from my strong enemy.” And when the deliverance comes, give thanks among the heathen and sing praises to His name. The joy that returns after mourning will be the deeper for having walked through the depths with Him.
You are not alone. The elders may cease from the gate and the music may pause, but God has not ceased to be your shield. Persevere in prayer, and do not let the noise of fear cause you to fall into the pit of despair. Your enemies may whisper, “Where is your God?” but you will yet stand on the holy hill and declare, “In God we boast all the day long.”
