Numbers 14:28-35 We previously looked at 20 causes of stagnation before looking at spiritual forces of stagnation. In today’s message we will continue to look at more spiritual forces of stagnation.
Spiritual Forces Of Stagnation Ephesians 6:12
These forces can be grouped as follows:
A Spirits that limit people to the bottom.
B Spiritual assassins. Why do great people fall? We have seen political, religious, civic, business, or family leaders, at moments of great potential, suddenly having their faults come to public attention. When you were born, God assigned you a guardian angel. The devil may also assign a demon to the person. Many people in regions, churches, and families have spirits that have been assigned to them by the devil. The job of these spirits is to wait for you to arrive at a place in life where you are ready to do something great—and then ‘assassinate’ you and take you out of commission. This is the assassination attempt that comes before your ascension. The second mode of operation is to shoot a person down from a high pedestal. Spiritual assassins are responsible for shooting people down from heights. They cause sudden termination of employment, business failure, and other sudden calamities. They kill or throw a person down. Luke 9:42; Mark 9:14-29. They cast down, tear, bruise, disgrace and embarrass, cause fear, anxiety and uncertainty, make life intolerable. They are hit and run spirits. They do damage and take off. They may or may not be resident. They monitor the person for long. They work hand in hand with familiar spirits. Assassinations are carried out usually after studying the target carefully.
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Sometimes the spirit will remain dormant, but when a person gets ready to make a big move for God, it will rise up to assassinate him, and he will fall back into a low position once again. This cycle of slight victories followed by defeats will be repeated throughout the person’s life.
Among them is ancestral spirits responsible for evil inheritance, curses of failure, poverty, littleness, servitude, etc). Others are the spirit of perversion or immorality. Remember Samson? He was a victim of spiritual assassins. Bill Clinton was almost ruined by his indiscretion with Monica Lewinsky. Tiger woods the popular golfer was a victim too. You also have the spirits of violence responsible for violent death and other forms of violence. We are witnessing this now in the political arena.
Others are the spirits of rejection and manipulation that cause breakdown of marriages or cause broken engagements, spirit of poverty; no matter how much you make, it will not show if the spirit of poverty is operating in your life. They can wipe a person clean instantly rendering him hopelessly poor. Then we have dream snatchers and dream killers.
C Spirits that attack the mind with fear, doubt, depression, frustration and confusion, low self-esteem. They make you feel inadequate, worthless, incapable and inferior. Lying spirit-(Acts 5:3) Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart.” Ananias and Saphira, who were believers (v. 32), sold a piece of property to give to the apostles. However, before they gave the money, they decided to keep some of it for themselves. Because they lied to the Spirit, and kept some of the money, they died. Where in the world did they get the idea to lie to the Spirit and keep some of the money? Satan! Here are some random thoughts that Satan darts at people: you don’t need to go to church in order to be saved. All church people are hypocrites anyhow, you don’t need to be baptized to be saved, it’s all right to cheat on your spouse; no one will ever find out. During our anger, Satan tells us, “Go ahead get revenge.” You’re not a good Christian, look at all of the evil thoughts you have; you might as well give up on your faith, for God will never save a person like you. To the teenagers, Satan plants these thoughts: It’s all right to drink alcohol and do drugs; everyone else is doing it. It won’t harm you. Go ahead and have sex before marriage; God doesn’t care. He wants you to have fun. God has not forgotten what you did the last time. There is no way He is going to answer your prayer. Other spirits that attack the mind are the spirits of doubt and unbelief, spirit of indecision, confusion, seducing spirits, spirit of fear, and depression.
D Spirits that slow down. They cause backward or slow movement. We have progress manipulators, failure at the edge of success (Near-success syndrome), Evil traffic wardens, Wandering stars, Wandering spirits, Delayed progress, Spirit of abandonment, Spirit of disappointment, Progress diverters, Right snatchers (anything that snatches your right will delay your progress), Counterfeit blessings, Desert spirits, Spirit of lateness, and procrastination (it frustrates).
E Spirits that stir others against you. Here you have Destiny sellers and buyers. Sorcerers (witches and wizards). Nahum 3:4 “4Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well favoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.” Spirit of lack of favour, Evil broadcasters—gossips, Evil prophets, and Spirit of hate.
Hear the testimony of someone who was a victim of childhood satanic bondage: I had dreams of greatness when I was growing up as a child and my academic performances buttressed the fact that I would end up an accomplisher. But there was a renowned sorcerer that people were seeking after in the village where I grew, but as naïve as I was about Christianity then, I boasted that he could never be my source of success in life. I would not know whether he was aware of my boast, because all of a sudden I began to rise and fall and my glorious future became bleak.
I dropped out of school and took to trading. I was multiplying wealth initially, but I had a dream in which my decayed palms were producing maggots. Since that time, my hands could not handle fortunes. I had been to several churches, but my case was not any better.
During the prayer meeting in the Month of Deliverance in Dayspring Bible Church, I keyed into the prophetic anointing of the servant of God after he had systematically led us in prayer of repentance on behalf of our ancestors and I knew that I would be delivered. In the following Tuesday Prayer Meeting, the servant of God delivered judgement on the roots of our problems and immediately, I fell under the anointing of the Holy Spirit (which has never happened to me before) and I began to experience a burning sensation on my palms. All of a sudden, I began to feel a rush of cool breeze through my palms round my whole body and by the time I got up, the Holy Spirit had filled the holes that filtered blessings in my hand and I began to claim restoration of all my losses as declared by the pastor that restoration always follows deliverance.
To God be the glory, now blessings have started springing forth from the avenues that I least expected. I give God praise using His servant to restore my dashed hope. God’s anointing is potent in this place! Praise God!
Pray this prayer: Let every demonic influence targeted at destroying my vision, dream, ministry and destiny receive total destroyed and disappointment, in Jesus Name. (You can have the full prayers if you wish)
In part 3 we shall look at how to defeat these forces.
Have a blessed week!
Bishop Dr Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.