Necessary Seasons

Encouragement For Your Journey

Coming up as a young believer, I had to learn that this Christian journey was not going to be a cake walk! I had been given the impression by those who were teaching me that the moment I gave my life to Christ, everything was going to be alright. I would later learn that at the moment I said "yes" to Jesus, a huge target showed up on my back. It announced to every demon and devil around that I was fresh meat. No one ever prepared me for the diabolical things that were about to take place in my life simply because I had given my life to Jesus.

However, in spite of what man did not teach me, my Father did through His Word.  He prepared my heart by first acquainting me with the fact that I had an enemy who would use fear as a means to infiltrate my new life in Christ and attempt to ravage my fragile faith. There were several fierce encounters I had that confirmed what The Father had warned me of. The Lord taught me at a very young point in my Christian walk that if I could believe Him for my salvation, I could believe Him for my protection from the wiles of my enemy.  The Lord proved Himself mighty at every hand. I finally got it - there is no one and nothing that is greater than my God! I knew I had finally embraced this reality when one day while witnessing in the neighborhood I came face to face with a young lady who was being tormented by demons. Her mother was oblivious to this fact, no doubt because the doctors had labeled her with some mental disability. However, when we entered the woman's home and she asked her daughter to come down, she refused. So, we went up to meet her. As we entered the room the young girl backed away from us and cried out, "Have you come to kill me?" I knew immediately that she was under the influence of the enemy and immediately responded that they must come out of her! I don't say that my knees didn't start knocking a little because they did. But I had seen the power of God deliver others. He did not disappoint in this case either. He had taught me that when the enemy would come in like a flood, The Lord would raise a standard against him. That standard was in me, His name, Jesus!

I learned that there is "no weapon formed against me that will prosper". Not even Satan's lying tactics can withhold what God has promised. So, as we encounter the enemy's attacks along our journey, we must always keep the faith and remember what God said: "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up: the flames will not consume you. for I am The Lord, your God...! Isaiah 43:1b-3a NLT