Recognizing Evil Spirits: Why and How You Should Walk Away...
I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war. Psalm 120:7
Who is whispering in you ear or trying to intimidate you? Bullies, narcissists, liars, naysayers, or mockers? They may try to get you to confide your secrets to them and then use them against you. Let's expose the truth: Your future is blessed and you don't need anyone in your ear but Jesus, but you have to be careful because there are demons assigned to try to bring you down. While people may come across as being super friendly and your next best friend, they might want information from you to use against you. They might have their own agenda and want to gain your trust so they can manipulate you, lie on you, use you, hurt you, and or crush your spirit. The good news is that the Bible teaches us how to recognize these evil spirits and how to successfully walk away from them. Jesus did it, and you can, too!
AND JESUS PUT THE MOCKERS OUT...
While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save (only) Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept, and bewailed her: but He said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished. Luke 8: 49-56a
Perry Stone said recently that you need to put your mockers out. That means to separate from them, i.e., come out from among them. God has put great gifts in you and if you're being bullied or harassed, it might be that you're being tested so you can be stronger, but it also might mean that you need to break away from toxic people. Sometimes, people are tested so they can be purified in the fire, so to speak. This is when God allows a test for a season. This happened with King David in the Bible when Saul was tormenting him and tried to kill him. It was a test because David who was destined to become king, had to stand up to Saul and not fight with the flesh. The Word says, our weapons are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds. We're also not to fight by "might, nor by strength, but God's spirit." That means, pray to God, seek His counsel and let God lead you.
Image: Getty Images
WHEN THE ENEMY DESPISES YOU...
Your bully doesn't want you to see a way out because they want you trapped and backed into a corner, but always remember, that God is greater and God knows all and sees all. God is there with you and He sends His angels. That's why you should pray for your enemies and cast your cares upon the Lord. God will sustain you. With Joseph, he didn't retaliate against his brothers, and he would later become king. His brothers actually needed his help when there was a famine in the land. God has a cool sense of humor like that! He makes the last first and the first last.
Remember this, the battle is not ours, it's the Lord's. At times, the archangel Michael himself will show up to defend you in battle, so remember, and it's so important: Don't war in the flesh. What we sow, we will reap. It might sound like a cliche, but it's God's law. So that person that's wreaking havoc on you, guess what is coming to them? All the hell they put on you, or tried to, will come back on them if you don't walk in the flesh. Keep your hands off of it so God can work on your behalf.
*NOTE: This doesn't mean if you are being physically abused to tolerate it. In that case, call 911 and seek out a shelter immediately. This is about not warring in the flesh, i.e., retaliating back with verbal assaults which can get our emotions worked up and then we truly are warring in the flesh. God wants us to stay in perfect peace. You will see, better days are coming up ahead! So let's take a look at the Jebusite spirit and the narcissist, some of the biggest bullying personalities out there, so you can better understand the games they play to help you not just avoid them, but overcome them!
TAKE COURAGE; I (JESUS) HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD...
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. MATTHEW 19:29
Walking away from people can be hard, but today we have so many people caught up in arguments, petty jealousies, and vindictive behaviors, that you really have to come away from them just to have a little peace and quiet. You also have to step away from them because Jesus wants to be the only one in our ear giving us direction and we have to be able to clearly hear from Him. There are a lot of people picking up demons in the demonic realm from reality TV shows and movies where these demons prevail.
Today's Babylon is similar to Biblical times. In the Bible, you had the Hittites, Hivites, Jebusites and Pharoah or Nebuchadnezzar. Now we have celebrities and people obsessed with "selfies". The problem with being absorbed with "self" is this is what the devil did and we know that Lucifer was a fallen angel that was cast down. As we look at relationships with people, anyone that wants an entourage to put themselves first is making a mistake. The Bible clearly states that no flesh can stand before God. God wants us to be humble and to seek Him first. We know that, but keep in mind that the devil is looking for weak people that he can control. Sometimes the devil will try getting people absorbed with and full of themselves, and at other times, it will be about pushing Christians down so they can't learn more about Christ and identify who they are in Christ. That's why the devil comes against you so hard when you pray. If you were playing video games, no problem, but declare a fast so you can draw closer to Christ and look out!
Consider the following, but keep in mind, Jesus already overcame the world: Satan has a strategy to try to knock down every Christian that identifies with God's kingdom. He doesn't want Christians to grow in Christ, to pray, or to hear from God. Why would he? If demons can keep you confused, you can't hear from God, you'll start to self-doubt, and you might even listen to the opinion of those around you who might be there to give you the wrong information. For example, Job was tested by God. Job's friends immediately said it must be because he did something wrong. His wife immediately said, "Why don't you curse God and die?" You see, there are people in place to try to distract you, bring you down, and whisper in your ear the wrong message. There are also yellers and screamers which include the bullies who will try to get you to submit to them through fear. Don't fall for it.
In looking at satan's tactics and him planting bad people next to good, remember, God may allow this because the wheat (good) and the chaff (bad) grow together until Jesus comes back. Satan likes to confuse, he's the accuser of the brethern, he comes to rob, kill, steal, and destroy, and he tests through lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. That's why you see so many narcissists that want to be worshipped, so many celebrities with an "all about me" mindset, and so many bullies that want you to submit and worship them like idols.
It's obvious in relationships, too. As Christians, we can marry the wrong people who say they show love but have ulterior motives. It can be family members with bad tempers and you can see a rise in domestic violence - even in Christian households. Keep in mind, not everyone that says, "Lord, Lord," will get into heaven and not everyone that says they are a Christian is really serving Christ. That's why Bishop TD Jakes says to spend time with someone before you commit to them so you can see their personality in all seasons. There are so many households that should be serving Christ more, but the snare of the enemy has people captive in their own homes. Satan confuses and ensnares us with what looks like love.
For every man that married a beautiful woman, there are a lot with horror stories about them turning into Jekyll and Hyde, revealing narcissistic traits, and showing their true colors. They may have only wanted a partner in bed, car keys, and an ATM card. These Jezebel demons don't want to be found out any more than the narcissists and that's why when they are uncovered, they attack. Again, read our article on narcissists as these are common characteristics. I didn't know what I was dealing with until I started reading up on them and so many light bulbs went off, I could probably light Times Square! Ultimately, as Jesus has already overcome the world, there is hope when you come out from among them. The Word of God wants us to be equally yolked and not fooled because sometimes we don't see the truth until it's too late. It's vital that we guard our hearts, gain wisdom, walk in love, and pray for our enemies.
This doesn't mean that everyone is bad. On the contrary, there are a lot of good, but hurting people who have acted out in anger or bitterness for so long that it's deeply rooted in them. There are good Christians that need healing and they may need revival and a little Holy Water, too! That doesn't mean that you should tolerate abuse from anyone. In coming out from among them, it does mean that you may want to first distance yourself emotionally especially if you are related, and you may want to break away from any negative soul ties. If the person is physically abusive, please call 911 and leave. Never tolerate abuse. You can break free. We've included a clip above from Rebekah Lyons who works with Ana Vanskamp and they have a Broken and Free Conference for women that might need healing from a marriage that's difficult or healing if a child has been rebelling. Please look them up online and they have great books that can give you insight on healing from bad relationships.
In our relationships, we want to have a 1 Peter 3:15 walk where we treat each other with gentleness and respect. Motivational Speaker for Life for Today Sheila Walsh is someone else who went through horrible trauma and she can tell you that you have to come out from among them.
COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM - EVEN WHEN IT HURTS...
When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, and when the LORD your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. DEUT 7:1-2
One key point to remember is that Jesus wants to heal the hurts in our lives. Just like He was there when Mary came running up to him to tell Him that Lazarus had died, Jesus knows that we hurt. We're human! In dealing with people, you have to replace the pain/hurt with Jesus. Take Him there so He can bring healing. If you have to separate from an abusive spouse, go to God in prayer and let Jesus help you to heal. Sometimes people stay in bad relationships because they don't want to struggle financially or because there are children involved. That's why you pray and ask God for mercy and He will make the way. God always does.
In our next section let's take a look now at coming out from among them because it's so important to help with your healing, but also to stop the abuse and pain so you can move forward.
Healing from verbal abuse and deep heart hurts? If you've gone through severe trauma, you may want to order these two books by Joan Hunter on healing the heart. The heart can become so hurt that it causes physical ailments. Check out this powerful message on prayers that you can pray right now to overcome abuse, post-traumatic stress, and pain from severe heartache...
UNDERSTANDING THE JEBUSITE SPIRIT...
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I worked with a Jebusite spirit once. This girl was beautiful and could have easily been a model, but she was also very cunning and deceptive. She played one person against the other, would wear short skirts in the office, super high heels, and then would pretend that it wasn't her fault when men hit on her. I had never seen anything like it. She would taunt and tease and she knew what she was doing. We didn't get along because after I saw her get married and then flirt openly, I'd give her that look like, "You know better," and it set her off. When she tried to rise up against me, I prayed and she was later transferred to another department, but to say that she reminded me of a snake, she was an expert at what she was doing and at times she would boast about it. This can be part narcissist, but also Jebusite spirit.
Sometimes we are faced with a Jebusite spirit because as we grow in spiritual maturity, God wants us to recognize different spirits and to be strong in God's Word so we can come out from among them. Remember, we're not warring in the flesh, so these are demonic forces. Jebusite means "treading down". The Bible clearly states, "There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus." The problem with the Jebusite spirit is that it wants to condemn. It wants to make you feel guilty and you may see this with false accusations and reminders of your past failures. That's not God. Pray and ask God for mercy and help with this area. Keep in mind that God's forgiveness is eternal. When we pray and ask for forgiveness in Jesus's name, God never sees the sin again - only satan does that and any attack against you about your past to make you feel guilty or condemned is the devil.
The Jebusite spirit may lie and chastise you. They may make horrible insults to you when no one is looking - again, the narcissist displays this characteristic, too. What this demon is trying to do is to get you to revert from the spirit to your emotions, but we don't war in the flesh, and that's the juxtaposition with dealing with this type of spirit. You have an enemy that wants you to lash out and you have to stay in your love walk. It's what David went through with Saul's attacks against him. You can defeat the Jebusite spirit when you walk away from strongholds and negative soul ties. It may mean making a new set of friends, but the goal is to come out from among them. Keep in mind that this spirit can come in different people, so you have to know when you recognize it that it's a person you may want to avoid. In our narcissist article, this is highlighted because you don't want to go from one narcissist into the arms of another. Narcissists do this as a way to destroy you. If they can't try to destroy you themselves, they'll send flying monkeys to be ready with open arms so they can try to destroy you through other people!
DO NOT FEAR THEM FOR WE HAVE THE VICTORY...
Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed Psalm 21:11 NIV
In the title, we included "How You Should Walk Away." The devil wants us to run in fear, but Jesus has already overcome the world and the devil is under our feet. In Revelation we learn that while satan is trying to tread us down with guilt, shame, condemnation, lies, fear, and false accusations, God is working with us and will see that we have an expected end. That's God's will: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
As you pray and ask God to show you who He wants in your life and who, if anyone, should go, trust God to reveal to you the true motives of people. God will send signs to you. Rebuke the demon spirits in your life and anyone that is attacking you. My old pastor said once, "Don't have conversations with the devil like you're telling him off. Just say, I rebuke you satan. Flee from me." You don't need to say this openly to the person to cause more strife. Say it in prayer, whisper it, think it, and know that if God is for you it doesn't matter who is coming against you. That's it. Submit to God, resist the devil, and the devil shall flee. That's God's law.
Ultimately know that these are the end times, and attacks will come, but like the Word indicates, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us from them all." Don't worry and don't be afraid. We win in the end! And what a glorious end that will be!
"Suffer not the little children to come unto me, and I (Jesus) shall give them rest..."
