This week we will conclude out discussion of ten indicators that you may be under spiritual attack.  

Indicator Nine

You are having unwelcome recurring or obsessive thoughts that do not dissipate, but rather, press in harder when you resist them.

Unwelcome thoughts pop into our conscious mind on a regular basis.  They may be thoughts of lust, revenge, anger, fear, self-loathing, judgments, bigotry, etc.  Some of those come from impressions made by the flesh or the world that bubble up into our conscious minds.  Some fly across the screen of our thoughts so quickly that we hardly notice.  Others drift by slowly until we notice them and say “No” to those thoughts with our mind or our heart.  As we do, they lose power and diminish in intensity.  When we declare the word of God over them, they tend to go away. 

There are other unwelcome thoughts, however, that are stronger and more intense, as if they are thoughts that have their own voice in our head.  As we resist these thoughts, they don’t diminish but actually press in harder – especially thoughts that create lust, bitterness, despair, self-destructive desires, or fear.  These thoughts have an obsessive quality and often have a component pushing us toward sinful or destructive actions.  These kinds of enduring thoughts indicate a demonic stronghold. Some believers find these thoughts to be so oppressive that they give in and cease to resist the thoughts because it takes so much energy to resist – even though they know the thoughts are destructive or perverse. 

Just trying to think something else will not overcome these thoughts because they have a demonic component. We must recognize the source, repent of our agreement with the thoughts, renounce the thoughts, and then command the spirit that is the source of the obsessive thinking to leave.  Remember, you cannot ask a spirit to leave or simply want it to leave…you must command it to leave.  Spirits of lust, pornography, sexual fantasy, perversion, fear, anxiety, suicide, rejection, condemnation, victimization, etc. are common.  If we think those thoughts simply belong to us, we will typically condemn ourselves for having the thoughts, which gives the enemy even more power over us.  Just trying to deal with the thought without going after the demon, is like treating symptoms without dealing with the cause.

Indicator Ten

 You simply sense that something demonic has attached itself to you.  Don’t simply dismiss that feeling or possibility.

Most people have no idea that they are under demonic attack, but there are also numerous individuals who sense that something beyond themselves is affecting them.  Maybe the Holy Spirit points out what is happening or the thoughts take on the form of “you are….” rather than “I am…” and that feels like something beyond the individual is in play. 

If we have been taught that Christians cannot be demonized, then we will dismiss the idea as irrational or unbiblical. The truth is that you can’t always know, but there is no harm in “covering that base” to see if a demonic spirit is involved. 

It is often wise to get others involved in commanding a spirit rather than trying self-deliverance.  When you are uncertain about the presence of a demon, command it to manifest and show itself.  Forbid it to hide or remain silent and continue to command it to reveal its presence.  If a spirit is present, the person should feel it manifest in their body or it can be seen in the eyes of the individual, or it will “speak” to the person as a thought.  If the spirit reveals its presence, go after it until it leaves. If no spirit manifests, then get busy working on your thought life or seeking more healing for past wounds.

When any of these ten indicators are present and persistent, you should suspect that you are under demonic attack.  When you sense an attack, take action. 

• Have others stand and pray with you.  See Ecc.4:12 / Lev.26:7-8 / Matt. 18:19 / James 5:16
• Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any open doors in your life that are giving the enemy a legal right to afflict you.
• Take an inventory of how you are spending your time, what you are listening to or watching on television, or who you are spending time with that may be infecting you with fear, doubt, cynicism, or condemnation. 
• Be aware that there may be individuals directing curses at you.  If you sense that, break and nullify those curses by the authority of Jesus Christ.
• Remember that you have been made to outlast the storm because you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus.
• Remember who you are in Jesus. Return to confessing your identity in Him.
• Begin to confess victory again and declare the word of God (the sword of the Spirit) over your life.
• Exercise your authority over demons and circumstances (Luke 10:19).  If you don’t know how, find someone who does.
• Get mad at the devil not at God.  God’s plan is to bless you while the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy.

I hope this series on Indicators has been helpful. If this is an area in which you have little experience or theological grounding, I would encourage you to get my book, Born to Be Free, published by Morgan & James. You can find it on Amazon and I think it will be helpful.