New Christian - Interference from 'the enemy' after 'the honeymoon period' is over?

Hi all

I am a new christian ( just about 6 months, still plenty of sin to deal with

Anyway recently I have had the feeling that I am being maybe attacked a little by 'the enemy' just things like words in my head that i know are not from god and pretty sure not me, and also since moving into a new flat which I was sleeping fine in at first, I have had a number of nights very recently where I have gone to bed, feeling fine, and then just started thinking about demons, and the stories I have read and heard from christians in the past - I knew a pastor years ago who was called to deliverance ministry and had all sorts of stories

Anyway I dont know if my imagination and paranoia is running away with me or whether it is a b it of an attack?

I also had a lady at my cell group (who is a very geniune passionate christian and the wife of one of the church elders) who after praying for me (I did not mention that i thought maybe satan was having a go, just said id been grumpy and feeling non christian that week for no reason - anyway she said as well as the obvious advice like praying about it and asking forgiveness for any sins, etc that maybe it was the enemy trying to decieve me. The church i go to are a charasmatic church, but the whole time i have been there until about a week before this, they have not really mentioned satan and demons at all (not that they deny their existance at all, more they prefer to worship christ and celebrate him, i think, than give attention to the enemy)

However the first serman that really did make it a topic was a couple of weeks ago and then this lady said this. I asked her if she had felt that god was suggesting that (as they are very much into the prophetic at my church and i have had heaps of experiences where god has used ppl at church to pretty much speak directly to me) anyway she said yes.

So what does anyone reading this think? is it the enemy having a bit of a go? is the honeymoon period over - and what does that mean? does it mean that god thinks im strong enough in my faith now to deal with a bit of this sort of thing? Or is it that god is saying enough with any remaining sins, Im not going to shield you from them any more? or something else? a bit of each?

The pastor I mentioned earliler who was into deliverance ministry - he told many stories about attack from satan and one time even had scratches on him - and he was not someone i think would either lie, or be deluded about this. So I also do believe that while satan can attack people through sin, that he also can attack good christians who are really doing the right thing, simply cos they are maybe taking too many people off of satan?

Not suggesting I am the latter - but more saying that it seems either getting closer to god, or getting closer to sin, can invite attack - so how to find out why? I have to admit also that in my vast experience of sin, satan has not lifted a finger lol.

I would especially be keen to hear about any experiences other christians have had at around my stage of newness as a christian? (accepted jesus almost 6 mths ago, started going to church regularly about 4 mths ago)

thanks

thanks for your feedback heron. When it comes to the enemy putting thoughts in my head (or trying to) once I go 'duh' and realise that is what is happening, I have no problem with rebuking that
I am sure he has been doing that since I first accepted jesus

what I need help with now is the fear that I have late at night. I know from what i have read and been told from other christians that you can open yourself up to attack more the more you get close to god (and therefore the more likely to start getting in the way of satans plans)
Anyway Im scared that something really frightening might happen - one part of me says dont be ridiculous, the other says hey if god is real then so must be the things I have heard about the devil. Its not that i dont believe that i can rebuke a demon - its more that I am just scared of actually 'seeing' something like that, and knowing it is real (even though i guess i know it is already). If you know what i mean? Im not scared of it getting me, im scared of it scaring the living daylights out of me

I also realise it is highly unlikely that this sort of thing would ever happen to me.... but i know its not impossible, so even though extremely unlikely it still freaks me out. Also the last few evenings, there have been things - just noises and shadows moving out of the corner of my eyes - nothing specific - but things like the shadow last night in my room that i could not find a logical reason for (ie an object in my room which was in the way of a light source in such a way as to produce this shadow). Most nights actually when its happened, ive read the bible for a bit then fallen asleep or almost asleep not feeling creeped out at all, and then been woken out of a sleep or on the point of sleep by something.
Are there ever situations where god may let frightening things be seen by new christians - especially if it is going to frighten them away from lingering sins or something?
Oh it also seems to be happening or worst when I have been reading my bible, listening to something or basically focused on god, that evening, so it almost feels like something is trying to frighten me away from my bible etc - like i feel like the message is, that if i just stop with the whole christian thing and go back to my normal old lifestyle then there will be nothing to be afraid of any more (I am not planning on doing that - just saying that is what keeps being impressed on me)

pilgrimgal said:

You seem to have a good accessment..in that the "honeymoon period is over"..but the good life has begun..we have all gone and still go through periods of temptation and trials. Trust, though, there is a great and good adventure with the Lord ahead.

The enemy does tempt us to fall back and get comfortable in our former sins. He will lie and tell us that we were better off before we came to Christ. Remember always that when Christ died on the cross he died for our sins and he overcame the enemy. So we are talking about an already defeated foe whose days are numbered. Whereas the life Christ gives will last for eternity.

The Christian life is a walk of faith and you will have to learn to overcome doubts and temptations to dwell on the enemy, as you begin in faith to trust God for His guidance and protective power. The Christian walk is challenging and God does allow certain things to test our faith..but it is also a joyful and fulfilling life. And much of that joy is in serving God and others..

I often suggest new Christians read the Gospels (even if you have already) and I would suggest the letters of Paul.


Take counsel from those whose lives show forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit..see Galatians 5:22 for the list of the fruit..e.g. love, kindness, self-control, etc. and be very careful you don't try to take someone's advice simply because they give it. Even ours here. Surely listen..but be careful which advice you act upon. Test all things given.

In faith I am believing this particular period will pass and you'll grow stronger as you focus more and more on Jesus..but it takes effort on your part.. Trust God, stay in His Word, seek solid fellowship, and keep praying.

peace and prayers,

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thanks for your thoughts pilgrimgal.

I have also felt that while this is 'the enemy' I get the feeling it is also something that will leave me with stronger faith maybe even that it is something that is going to be a learning/faith building experience for me (though I still find it very hard to work out with stuff like that whether it is god talking to me, or my ego talking to me).

However, I imagine that for any christian, any experience with demons where they have to rebuke them, - that must be faith building to see it work...... makes you wonder why satan bothers..... it would kinda suck to be him, knowing that no matter what he does he is going to lose in the long run.

pilgrimgal said:

Go to the gospels and read what all Jesus said and did. Look to things of God. Change your focus..Pray..

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I do - its when Ive been reading the bible or focusing on god in one way or another that its been happening. this forum here is the most attention by far (actually basically all the attention) the devil has gotten - except to be told to leave.

LWB said:

In accepting the message of Jesus, we begin the process of becoming like Christ. The implications of this incredible privilege should boggle the mind. That the weak and broken sinner, bowed in penitence at the foot of the cross, should become like the holy Son of God, possessing all the noble attributes that make him the apple of the Father's eye, and elicit the praise and adulation of angels!

I'm glad you enjoyed a honeymoon with God Kimmyh51, and there will surely be more times of refreshment to come, but sooner or later the work must begin! This World is not our home: it is our classroom, and the subject at hand is Christlikeness. Don't be afraid of trials and adversity, they are part of the curriculum.

Don't worry about the enemy. The more you dwell upon such things, the worse you will feel. Keep your eyes only on Christ. Trust that he controls all that you experience for the purpose of becoming like him.

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oddly enough - this last week when I have really started to feel that the enemy is having a go at me, I am also feeling gods presence very much. it almost feels like god has something special coming up, - and thats whats gotten the attention of the enemy. Its quite strange, I feel under attack, but I dont feel alone at all, I feel very much that god is here with me - whatever this is about, it feels more like god is closer to me this week, not further away.

having said that - last night was more of the same - I rebuked and that did work - at the time, but there were still noises and things I cant explain, like when I was in bed a very loud heavy thump like something slid off the other side of my bed to the floor, yet when I checked the floor had nothing on it.
While it is scaring me at night, as mentioned above, I do feel that god is with me the whole time, and that there is a reason for this, which I guess I will understand later on....

anyone else had this sort of experience? I feel under attack and also blessed, at the same time....

oh... I just remembered something that I 'promised' god - some years ago (pre becoming a christian - I think I may have been a little drunk at the time, anyway, Id been reading about christians 'standing in the gap' in spiritual warfare etc, and I think I may have announced to god in my half cut non christian arrogance, that if I ever became a christian I wanted to stand in the gap and err i think something like kick some demons a--... or something like that (this is something I vaguely remember in my head saying to god, like YEARS ago, totally forgotten it till t just popped into my mind now. "does god hold people to tipsy ramblings like that ? LOL"

LilLamb219 said:

God sends His angels to protect us so pray to God to have His angels guard you all around, then trust that this will happen.

Also, since you describe nighttime experiences, check into hypnogogia and hypnopompic brain activities which is related to sleep paralysis.

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All my experiences were awake - so not sleep paralysis (correct me if i am wrong) _ i had a boyfriend years ago who had that - if you mean where you (as he described to me, ive never expereinced it myself) would wait up and feel like something was pressing down on him and he couldnt move, and often felt he couldnt breathe either
Anyway - things are less 'going bump in the night now'than they were when i put up this thread and today @ church some of the things that were said in the sermen were so so so uncannily relevant and specific to things Id been thinking about and asking god about that I am sure god was speaking to me today.
I have been telling any demons to leave, I think that one thing they were doing was whispering in my ear that they had a right to be there - or rather that god was not going to look after me cos of some sins or maybe 'grey area sins' (stuff that is not specifically condemned in the bible but generally accepted in the world to be a sin, and in my mind meant i was not worthy of gods attention). Anyway I got a very clear message this morning thatgod does not see things the way I do. On top of that there were other things the preacher said - one sentance in particular, was just so specific to something about me (that no one in my church is aware of) that it was like god was first giving his message via the preacher - then kinda underlining the fact that yes he was speaking to me - it wasnt my imagination - when the preacher said this other thing
So I have decided that i will not stress about my current/grey area sins, I have asked god to help me with that if he wishes me to not do that, and I have decided to simply things for myself and just have 2 rules one that I try and live and treat other people as Jesus would, and 2 that I measure everything by the bible. So if my 'grey area sin' starts to impact either of those things, then it will clearly be a sin I need to get rid of. That is one reason I was striuggling with it as it has not (I am pretty sure that I am correct in saying this and not just kidding myself or wishful thinking) impacted on other people, or in any way prevented my living and thinking a life about christ. it also is not discussed in the bible (hence grey area).

Im just going to concentrate on the things that I think god does want me to address for now.

Its a very up and down journey though I must say - so often I yoyo back & forth (not in my faith or or any wavering of my decision, but in feeling that I am getting closer to god, then the next week, that i am sinning and god has drawn away - then something happens like today to show me he is still there - and make me think maybe the drawing away/distancing from god is caused not by the sin, but by my thinking god has given up on me when he hasnt

Terene said:

Maybe we can sing a hymn of praise to God or simply recite verses in the Bible that encourage us to be steadfast in our faith. F

Read the Word, pray and praise God whenever you can. Fill your thoughts with the things that are pure, true, honorable and good. Resist the devil and all his wicked schemes, and he will flee from us!

May our God bless you and the brethren!

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thanks for your words Terene

I have also been leaving the radio (on a local contemporary christian station) on overnight and when I go out in the day - i remember years ago reading somewhere that demons hav very acute hearing, and so even when really low - they can hear the christian music, and they dont like it. So figured that leaving it on all day when I am at work, hopefully they are getting tired of it.

On reading from the bible - though I have not tried this myself, _ i have heard some christians will use in particular the revelations when doing deliverance etc, as demons hate to hear the revelations because it is telling them about what is going to happen to them and they know its true...

Has anyone tried either of the above when underattack and found them helpful?