Anxiety is one of the most debilitating emotions we face as Christians. If left unchecked, it can put us into a downward spiral quickly resulting in discouragement and fear gripping our very soul to the point that depression rules our life and we become unable to fight in the spiritual war that always rages around us! Unless we are “rescued” from this condition, we can quickly be reduced to a state of helplessness where we can no longer help ourselves or anyone else. There is Help and there is Hope available to every Christian!
Like you, I find my feelings trying to dictate to me from time to time, especially in times of stress and demonic attacks. At least two times in the last week I have found myself around 3-4 a.m. in the morning becoming anxious about all the areas that are going to require money to resolve – mostly the continuing funding for the three Christian radio stations. I have noted that these tormenting demons of hell often pick this time of the night (or early morning) to come with their attack and harassment. Obviously this is a time when we are physically and emotionally in the weakest state and therefore most vulnerable to a “sneak” attack.
At these times the anxiety can become overwhelming unless and until I remember God’s Promises in His Word – Promises like, “He is an ever-present Help in time of trouble,” “He will not put on you more than you can bear” (with the Lordship of Jesus and the Power of the Holy Spirit), and His several encouraging statements to “not be anxious.” In Psalms 94:18-19 we read, “If I should say, ‘My foot has slipped,’ Your loving kindness, O LORD, will hold me up. (19) When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.”
In Psalms 139:23-24 we read, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; (24) And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”
In Isaiah 35:4 we read, “Say to those with anxious heart, ‘Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.’"
And here is one of my very favorites, in Philippians 4:4-10 we read, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (5) Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. (6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (9) The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
In Matthew 6:25-33 we read these encouraging Words of Jesus, “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (26) Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? (27) "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? (28) "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, (29) yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. (30) "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! (31) "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' (32) "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
These are a few of my most beloved scriptures about “not being anxious.” However, I find that it is very difficult to put these scriptures into play at 4 a.m. in the morning when I am the object of a “sneak attack” of the enemy. The feelings of anxiety seem to be almost overwhelming. Thus far, I have been able to regain footing and begin to remember and recite these scriptures and apply them to the situation at hand. Then I take authority over the attacking demons in the precious Name of Jesus Christ and command them (in His Name) to leave me and take their “garbage” with them. About this point in time I begin to breath easier and to rest in the Lord. I remember what Jesus said in John 10:27-30, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; (28) and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (29) " My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (30) " I and the Father are one." This is one of the most reassuring scriptures along with the promise of Jesus to “never leave us or forsake us.” In Matthew 28:18 we read, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always , even to the end of the age.’" In this statement commonly referred to as “The Great Commission,” Jesus promises to be “WITH US FOREVER – TO NEVER LEAVE US.” As stated is Psalms 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. (2) Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; (3) Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.”
Remembering and applying these and other scriptures can prove invaluable in these times of the enemies attack upon us. However, just saying “don’t be anxious” does not provide relief unless we follow it with some very positive and Scripturely based statements and actions. This is where the Word of God comes into play. We remember His Promises, we trust in God and His Word, and we then apply them and act upon them.
Have you ever found yourself in the situation where you were under such attack from the demons of hell that you could remember very little of God’s Promises at that moment. I have been there several times. It always surprises me. After all I am an ordained Minister of the Lord Jesus Christ and a student of God’s Word. I have served as a pastor and president of two religious corporations for some 31 years. Yet, in the “heat’ of the battle I sometimes do well to remember the Lord’s prayer. Fortunately this is a momentary thing and I usually recover to remember many scriptures, activate my trust in God and His Word, and use these scriptures as my “God-given-Sword” to rout the enemy and send them scurrying away in The Power of The Name of Jesus. Then I proceed to give God Thanks for His Almighty Nature, His Powerful Word, and His Holy Spirit working in and through me. I find that demons will not stay around when I am giving thanks to God and Praising The Mighty Name of Jesus Christ.
We need to remember that Jesus Christ has already defeated the devil and his demons. This defeat was accomplished at The Cross of Calvary. When Jesus stated on the Cross, “It is Finished” He was declaring victory over the devil, death, hell, and the grave. His Perfect Sacrifice had been made – He had laid down His Body and shed His Blood – the Sacrifice was made and was complete and victory was complete. In Colossians 2:13-15 we read, (13) “ When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, (14) having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (15) When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” Jesus “disarmed” the devil and his demons and defeated them at the Cross of Calvary.
Yes, the devil and his demons are already defeated but, their sentence has not yet been delivered. We can read about the final sentence of the devil and his demons in Revelation, chapter 20. It occurs at what is commonly referred to as The Great White Throne Judgment.
Until his sentence is carried out we still have to contend with the devil and his demons. We read these Words in Ephesians 6:10-18, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. (11) Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (13) Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (14) Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, (15) and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; (16) in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (17) And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (18) With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit.” Notice verse 12, which stresses that our battles are never against “flesh and blood” (other human beings). Instead, our battles are always against “the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly place” (the devil and his demons).
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 we read, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, (4) for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. (5) We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, (6) and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” This scripture clearly identifies our enemy and our method of our warfare.
We battle against the devil and his demons and we battle with Divinely Powerful Weapons – not weapons of the flesh. I believe that this is the mistake that many Christians make in their battles of life. Many enter into these battles with weapons of the flesh and we battle against other human beings. If so, we’re fighting the wrong battle and fighting the wrong enemy. Let’s be sure that we know who our enemy really is – the devil and his demons. And, let’s be sure that we recognize that our weapons are always Supernatural, Divinely Powerful Weapons supplied by God for us to use in our battles of life.
God wants us to be victorious in our battles of life – He wants us to WIN! He has supplied us with all that we need to be victorious. We are His Children, sealed with His precious Holy Spirit. We have Jesus Christ in us as Lord of our lives. We have the Very Power of God – The Holy Spirit within us to empower us to do The Work of God. We have the Powerful Word of God that is “Alive” and “Active” and sharper than any two-edged Sword. And we have the Divinely Powerful (Supernatural) Weapons God has provided for us! No wonder that the Bible states in 1 John 4:4-5 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” And, we read in Romans 8:37, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. (38) For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God wants us to be “Overcomers” (even “more than Overcomers”) and He has decreed it so in His Word.
Dear one, your position in Jesus Christ is “A VICTOR” – “AN OVERCOMER” – “AN OVERWHELMING CONQUEROR!” LIVE YOUR LIFE LIKE “WHO YOU ARE” IN JESUS CHRIST.
Remember these truths.
1. Remember who you are in Christ Jesus.
2. Remember God’s Word and His Promises.
3. Engage and exercise Your Trust in God and His Promises.
4. Apply God’s Word and His Promises daily in your living.
5. Act on Your Faith in God, His Word, and His Promises.
6. Remember to always be Thankful to God for His many Blessings.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Pastor J. Gilbert Hammond