Be Careful Who You Let On Your Boat

Picture a beautiful boat on the water and you're there on the boat with someone next to you. Now, instead of that person helping you with the boat, they're trying to undermine you, so they take buckets of water and start filling the boat with water. At the same time, you recognize what they're doing and you start taking buckets of water and throwing them overboard. As you work to try to get ahead and throw the water overboard faster and faster, the person trying to defeat you starts working faster and faster to fill your boat with water. They are waiting for you to get tired and give up so they can fill your boat with water and sink you and your boat which represents your hopes, dreams, and future. That is what the devil is trying to do in this season.

But here's what the Holy Spirit said as I was prepping this, He said, "Tell them it will get better." What I want you to do is invite Jesus into your boat. In all that chaos of tossing the water over and trying not to get frustrated in the flesh, call on Jesus and ask Him to come on board and invite Him in. God will carry you.

This is what happened to Joe...

One of the pastors told a story about a young man who was attacked verbally by his teammates on the football team and felt like a failure with family at home. No matter what he did he felt like he wasn't good enough. He didn't know about the power of the tongue and wasn't strong enough to stand up for himself so he tolerated it day after day. He couldn't see that it was a spiritual attack and sabotage to break down his spirit. It's what the devil does: attack the character. Joe's family and friends told him every chance they could that he wasn't a good person, he didn't do enough, he was never going to amount to anything, he wasn't doing more, and on and on. Even when he gave my best, he was demeaned and told that it wasn't enough. It was sabotage and it worked. Joe felt defeated.

One day, Joe was helping out at a school event and a teacher said, "You're such a good person." Joe immediately cut them off and said, "Oh no, I'm not. Apparently I'm not." He could hear the sabotaging messages playing in his head. Then he realized, he was now agreeing with the people that were oppressing him.

Joe had let the water get in his boat.

How to Overcome Sabotaging Attacks...

Recognize that the enemy's goal is to get you to give up on yourself and stop believing in your dreams so you can feel defeated and give up, but God is saying otherwise.

Remember, the devil is the accuser of the brethern and the father of lies. It is written, "For there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." That means God will never condemn you. The only one condemning you is the devil. Understand this clearly: Anyone trying to discourage you and defeat you, you have to walk away from them. If you're around them too long, you'll start to experience battle fatigue and can give up and be tempted to step out of your boat or just let it sink, because you've been beaten up too much. You're tired. It's relentless. They won't let up, but you have help.

You have a savior who loves you and His name is Jesus.

Here's what you need to do...

To help you overcome defeating and sabotaging attacks:

• Come out from among them right away. Separate yourself from people that are trying to undermine you or beat you up with defeating and hurtful words.
• You have to rebuke the personalities of the person or people so the spirit of offense doesn't come on you. That means say to yourself or out loud with no one there, "I rebuke (Name of the offending person) in the name of Jesus. I rebuke their personality. Their words don't cling to me." You can also pray to bind them away from you and release God's covering, favor, and authority to work on your behalf.
• Read your Bible for inspiration and to get your peace back. Let God speak to you through books like Psalms, Luke, and John. You need encouragement now. God said in Hebrews 13:5, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." 
• Put on messages by inspiring ministers like Pastor Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Pastor Robert Jeffres, Pastor Perry Stone, Bishop Dale C. Bronner, or other pastors to help filter in light when you're in a dark place. 
• Look for inspiring ways to uplift you each day. Find new Christian music, put on inspiring messages in YouTube, read Joyce Meyer's The Battlefield of the Mind or Beth Moore's Get Out of That Pit, put on a fun comedy, read motivational books, etc. 

It can feel very overwhelming to deal with sabotaging demons, but recognize that it's the devil trying to overpower you to give up. Ask for God's mercy and know that your help draws nigh (close) and it will get better. Rebuke the sabotaging attack and stay away from people that try to bring you down and defeat you. The devil is after your mind because in all actuality, he can't touch God's people, so recognize that you have to strengthen your mind every day.

The Holy Spirit said, "Tell them never to give up." You are strong in the Lord. You are the Head, lender, and above, and it will get better! All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Glory to God! 

Prayer: Father God in the name of Jesus, Lord, we give you glory, honor, and praise. We thank you that we can call on the name of Jesus and invite Him into our situation. Father God, in every area where we need help, please come now and help us and heal us. In areas where we are under attack we cancel the devil's assignment. Lord, please renew our minds and help us to see that we have an advocate in you. We know the devil is defeated and we are armed with the full armor of you, Lord, so we can do your work and will. Please send warring angels to defend us and ministering angels to strengthen us. Lord, we ask for your mercy. We know you provide for our every need, and we praise you for the victory, in Jesus's most precious name, Amen.

Ever wonder why you come under attack and how to get over it? Be careful who you let in and let on your boat. Because some people have their own agendas, you have to guard your heart and be mindful of who is whispering in your ear or else you'll spend all your time helping them and being servant to them and their self-indulgences, whims, and problems when Jesus has more for you to do. Don't let people make you their god and don't let them distract you by detracting from your purpose. You need to use your mind to build your future and work on your goals, dreams, and all the visions God has for you!

Careful: People will try to get you to work on and build up what's theirs while you have nothing, but Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly!