How to Overcome a Spiritual Attack

Date : 27 July 2008
Speaker : Pastor John Koe
Message Outline:

1.
God is for us but the devil is against us (Jn 10:10). Spiritual attacks can affect us in every area of our lives ¨C bodies, thoughts, emotions, finances, relationships etc, like Satan's attack against Job.



2.
The enemy cannot attack us unless there are open doors in our lives. Dont leave any door open; prevention is better than cure. David was backsliding and distrusted God's instruction to stay in Judah (1Sam 22:5). He left and became unequally yoked (2Co 6:14) with the Philistine king, Achish (1Sam 27).



3.
A yoke is a relationship (eg: marriage, business partnership etc) which is so intimate that this person can affect our walk with Christ because our morals have to be compromised in order to sustain it. If you are in such a relationship, get out of it! But if you are married, then pray for your spouse to be saved (1Co 7:10-16).



4.
When we backslide and live in compromise, we are subjecting ourselves to a downward moral spiral. David compromised his integrity (1Sam 27:8-12).



5.
Though David got himself into a situation whereby he had to fight his own kinsmen, God graciously intervened and got him out of it (1Sam 29). If you are in a messy situation, first make a decision to get out of it, then ask God for His mercy and grace to help (Heb 4:16).

6.
What is not of God will always bring harm; there is no free lunch from the devil. Ziklag was given to David not by God but Achish (2Sam 27:6). If we are experiencing spiritual dryness and our walk seems winding, we are probably in Ziklag (Heb: winding), in the Negev (Heb:dryness). Do not be passive, get back to God and His people before calamities hit us (1Sam 30:1-4) for the blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it (Pr 10:22).



7.
When we are under demonic attacks and not vigilant, we will be bitter in spirit (1Sam 30:6) and blame others for our problems. Beware, lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled (Heb 12:15). Learn from David, he found strength in the Lord his God (1Sam 30:6) and inquired of the Lord through the priest (1Sam 30:8). Turn to God, not alcohol, drugs, computer games, internet etc. We cannot overcome a spiritual problem with natural means.

8.
God always answers us; He is not rude. When we hear God, we can have faith. David came to Besor (Heb:cheerful); likewise we must keep our joy for consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds (Jas 1:2, Jn 16:33) as the joy of the Lord is your strength (Ne 8:10).



9.
Then restoration will always take place and God will always cause us to end up with more, like Job (Job 42:10) and David's plunder from the land of the Philistines and from Judah (1Sam 30:16-19).



10.
Dont be bitter against people whom we think were not around to help us nor put expectations on people or we will be disappointed. It is precisely because we put our trust in people that God does not use them to help us for cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength (Jer 17:5).



11.
It is God who restores, dont be small-hearted toward others (1Sam 30:23-24). When God restores us, we will come back stronger and be a greater blessing to others (1Sa 30:26-31, Lk22:31-32). Give God the glory!