4 Levels of Spiritual Warfare Against Demonic Spirits

In the realm of having to do battle with demonic spirits from time to time - I believe there are 4 basic levels in which a Christian may have to face. Having the specific knowledge on what each one of these levels are all about can really help with planning and carrying out the appropriate battle strategy in which to defeat them should demons ever move in for an attack on either you or any of your close loved ones.

Every time that Jesus told His apostles to go out and walk with His anointing to save the lost and heal the sick - He always had the command in there to also cast out demonic spirit where and when needed.

So if Jesus was constantly casting out demons, always telling the apostles to cast out demons - then it should only be logical that the church should continue to cast out demons.

It has been estimated by many Bible scholars that approximately 25% of the miracles Jesus had performed were Him casting demons out of people. Satan and his demons are not confined to the Bottomless Pit at this time. This event will not happen until Jesus returns back to us in His second coming. Until that event happens, Satan and his demons are still free to roam in the "air" seeking who they are going to try and devour next.

As Christians, we always have to remember that the devil and his demons are already defeated animals. Jesus has already defeated Satan at the cross when He was crucified.

What is now left is that all Christians have to realize that the victory is already ours. We thus have to learn how to engage and defeat the devil and his demons when they do try to move into a person or a situation - and sometimes this means a real live deliverance - because demons can and do attach themselves to people when they do move in for an attack. And once they do, the only way to be able to drive them out is by the power of God!

Here are the 4 different ways and avenues that demons can move in for an attack on someone - whether the person be a Christian or a nonbeliever. There are rules to the war games that are going on behind the scenes between God and the devil for all of our souls. To be forewarned is to be properly armed.

1. The first level is when demons move in for an attack with no real legal right to be able to do so. This is exactly what happened to Jesus when He was out in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. Satan had no legal right to be coming after Him, but he did anyway and Jesus drove him away by quoting the Word back to him.

2. The second level is when demons do have a legal right to be coming after you. And one of the ways that you give demons the legal right to be able to attack you is by crossing over and entering into some of the heavier sins and transgressions expressly forbidden by our Lord from His Word.

3. The third level is when demons attack as a result of what someone has may have done to you. Sometimes victims of crimes such as rape and assault, or receiving severe abuse from a parent or spouse can cause demons to try and move in to attach to the victim - trying to feed off the negative emotions of hate, anger, unforgiveness and wanting to get revenge on the attacker or abuser.

4. The fourth level is when demons will try and attach to someone as a result of a generational curse line coming from a severe sinning, dysfunctional parent or parents. For instance, an alcoholic father can end up producing children who end up becoming alcoholic themselves. Demons will attempt to jump and transfer from the father onto some of the children trying to get them to commit the same type of sin their parent had been committing.

As Christians, we have to have knowledge of our enemies and how they will try and attack us. Many Christians are getting defeated or taken home too early from this life as a result of not having some basic 101 knowledge in spiritual warfare.

Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministies. You can learn more from his Bible teaching website with over 150 free bible articles.

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A Step to Spiritual Greatness

What is worse than someone who always wins?

Someone who knows they do and gloats over it.

There is no pleasure in watching these types. What we might otherwise admire is destroyed by the even greater contempt we have developed for them. So what if they are good? If they behave as if they rule the world, then it is not admirable.

There was a famous heavy weight boxer who modestly called himself "The Greatest". Before his peak he was certainly mighty at his trade, and had some admirable qualities. "The Greatest" he was not. Past his peak, with body and mind going to seed, his title was an ironic joke. There was nothing left to admire.

What is admirable and praiseworthy is someone who, though excelling, is humble with it. They don't strut around with self-importance badged on their chest. They only did their best. In these people we can admire the achievement, and also the person. We praise them on two accounts.

Albert Einstein, considered one of the greatest brains of recent centuries, wrote:

'My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit, who reveals Himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind'

Humility is an essential part of a believer's character. We may get praise for something, but it does not do to bask in the glory and let it go to our head. Why should we spoil a good work?

The Pharisees did some good works, but by proudly publishing their achievements "they had their reward". They got the praise of men they wanted. They even thought they would get a guaranteed eternal reward because they were that good! No doubt they were a little surprised at Christ's comments.

Pride spoils achievement. It blinds us to our faults and makes us devalue the part that God has played. So let us not spoil our hope of salvation.

Some of the greatest men in the Bible were only great because of their humility.

Moses was the meekest of all the men of the earth - God's words not ours. He had that poor speaking voice which made him feel he wasn't up to the task. In fact, he was so humble and unassuming that he repeatedly had leadership challenges from those who felt they could do it better.

Although he had good reason not to do so, Moses humbly took on the faults of others, and appealed to God on their behalf and his. What leader today would accept other people's faults? What leader today became a leader because of their humility? What voters today would vote for someone displaying humility?

What God admires is humility. We can all achieve this. Being humble is within the grasp of every one of us, whether we are incredibly gifted or good looking or whether we devalue our own abilities or lack confidence.

One way to be humble is to remember past failings. The apostle Paul did this, bitterly regretting his persecution of the church. Paul may have been the greatest of the apostles, but he called himself the least.

Some of the greatest men of faith were those who remembered their faults throughout their lives. In fact it was the memory of these faults that produced a humility which made them spiritually great.

Sometimes God brought about difficulty and suffering in believer's lives to help them be humble. Paul's thorn in the flesh is the clearest example. I wonder if some of the problems in our own lives are to bring us kicking and screaming to humility?

The good news is that we can use our faults to create our own humility. Let us not beat ourselves over the heads because of them, because we are all forgiven sinners. Rather we should have a healthy appreciation of our limitations, and behave as though we appreciate them.

One behaviour pattern that doesn't help is that of comparing ourselves with others. "Oh, we're are not as bad as so-and-so." So-and-so may well be chosen because we can easily match them. God's advice is that it is not wise to compare like this. If we compare ourselves with Christ, that will soon wipe the smirk off our face.

Humility with excellence is wonderful to behold. Strength and power in the hands of the kind and gentle is awesome. Knowledge and understanding only used for good is truly great knowledge and true understanding. Only God achieves this. The real gentle giant. Praise Him alone and not oneself.

Christ showed the way. "Don't call me good. No one is good but God".

Compared to God, we are bits of dust and ash. We are like ants. Less than a worm. So why should we boast?

The first step to spiritual highness is through our humble lowness. This step is one which we must all take.

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Journaling For Happiness And Spiritual Well-Being

Could a journal actually lead one to health and well-being? As both a writer and health enthusiast, this is a question I've given lots of thought to. As it turns out, I'm not the only one. Upon further research, there's been a considerable amount of press given to the idea that your journal could be a path to health and wellness. In fact, Southern Methodist University and Ohio State University College of Medicine studied the effects of creative journaling and found it conclusive in cleansing negative emotions and promoting a sense of well-being
(ref: http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/health/journal.html).

In my own experience as a writer (and I think most creative types will agree) being creative is not just an exercise, work or discipline - it's a necessity. In fact, I never quite understood my own personality until I was immersed full-time in a purely science, left-brained college program. I would often feel tired, lethargic and uninspired (clearly there was more at fault here than having to memorize the phone book).

According to Carl Jung and Myers-Briggs (the creators of standardized personality and interest testing) introverted types draw energy from themselves and less from other people. We like to be alone a lot and give lots of thought to the world at large. Our extroverted counterparts, on the other hand, can also be equally as creative, but tend to draw their energy from others. Either way you go, emotions can sometimes become overwhelming, need to be filtered then let go.

Over time, (even amidst the sterile science program) I've learned that I can find peace quickly by turning to my notebook when upset or in need of inspiration. And - I'd be willing to guess - this idea is not exclusive to the right-brained.

So back to the original thesis: Regardless of personality, can writing be useful to you and your health? Hopefully, by now I've convinced you it can. How to get journaling working for you? Well, that's where I'll step in - here I've given you three of my favorite exercises to help get you started.

Timed Writings
In her book Writing Down The Bones, Natalie Goldberg has outlined a sure-fire method to invoke the muses and get the inspiration flowing. Timed writings.

Timed writings go something like this... collect your materials: timer, notebook and pen. Sit at your desk or wherever the spirit takes you (Starbucks, Borders, Barnes & Noble) launch your timer for ten minutes, place pen to paper and see what comes forth.

There are only two rules at play here: don't stop writing and continue for the full ten minutes. Afraid you'll run out of things to write? No problem. When you get stuck just keep the hand moving along and write things like, "I am looking for something to write.... I am looking for something to write..." before you know it you'll be carrying on a conversation with yourself.

Unsent Letters
Anger is always a good muse, but I tend to use this emotion as a catalyst to creativity. Something or someone upsetting you? Get creative and purge your negative energy. How? Write a letter. You won't need to send it. In fact as a ritual to closure I have been known to write angry letters then shred them, burn them or (insert your idea here). In fact this exercise has been shown to heal negative energy and provoke closure with angry emotions. Try it - then let me know (Laura mailto:NewBodyNews@aol.com ).

Creative Journaling Exercises
When I am feeling less that inspired, or want to get the muses warmed up I sometimes like to take creative writing classes online or off, or do some creative journaling exercises. If you like the idea of sharing your writing, take a creative writing course nearby. Check your local Chamber of Commerce or if you prefer the convenience of online classes there's lots to choose from. I've taken courses online at Barnes and Noble University http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and Gotham Writers' Workshops: http://www.writingclasses.com both with positive results.

However, if you'd like to go it solo, give this exercise a try. This one was created by my Mother, Donna. She is a writer, artist and teacher (a real right-brainer!), she handed this exercise to me when I was feeling stuck and uninspired. Not only does this exercise stimulate your creativity, use this healthy exercise to get you thinking about taking time for yourself.

Have your notebook ready? Set your timer again if you'd like and aim to come up with the list "20 things that make me happy." If your time was entirely your own, what are the 20 things you'd want to do?

Ready? Now hit your timer and take this one for a test drive. When you've finished, put your pen and paper away.

Tomorrow take a few quiet moments and bring out your list again, add delete and edit. Now when you're not feeling like yourself, take this list out and copy it over again. Try to take time everyday to do one thing that makes you happy and continue over time to add to your list. Keep up your practice and you'll find - happiness is not just a fixture in your mind.

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