The Shelter of God Against Witchcraft
Francis Frangipane
(excerpt from book:The Divine Antidote)
plus inserted comments by Priscilla
EVIDENCES OF WITCHCRAFT
1. An assault of witchcraft leaves the christian disoriented or confused; he may even become clumsy. The soul under attack cannot connect with his spiritual vision; his motivationis either gone or lacking. Satan wants to cloud your vision and, thus steal your destiny in God. This happens whether it is the wiccan, satanic, type of witchcraft, or jezebel influence in the form of control and domination, or what is called "charasmatic witchcraft"
2. When one is targeted by curses, he will feel emotionally drained or debilitated and often physically sick. Those who have been the object of spiritual curses will carry a darkness a cloud, in their countenance. The back of their neck is tight and often painful; a band of oppression around their head (mind-control) manifests as a headache. The person might assume he is sick, but it is NOT the flu. It is witchcraft.
(with it's accompanying spirits of infirmity, death and destruction)
Note: I get words of knowledge in my body for demons manifesting on myself or in others. Jezebel...always comes with attack on the back of the neck and head...Witchcraft, death and destruction...neck pain,( gripping) with pressure on the top of your head which makes it feel like it will explode. Strife...pain in left hip suddenly.
Example: Once while attending a conferance, I went to a workshop on the cults...mormonism, Jehovah's witnesses...etc. As we were standing for prayer...I suddenly FELT pressure on the back of my neck...and as I looked left...saw a woman with black hair looking at me...but weirdly not in my eyes...but as if staring at something over my head...and I heard the Spirit of God say "witch". I tried to pray in tongues...to no avail...I should have stopped the speaker or other people I knew...but didn't want to disrupt the talk.Later I had to have chiropractic adjustment to correct my neck bones were actually out of place. And in another session praying for a teen (years later)..he saw 3 spirits trying to put ropes around my neck in a vision...but I was and had been in prayer and worship, and he said he saw the ropes melt from the glory on me. {Worship is powerful weaponry against witchcraft}
3. Often curses released from witchcraft will arouse a number of inordinate fears which will plague the mind. The theater of the individual's imagination will be targeted especially in dreams. At center stage, grotesque images will flash across the mind. The person will be further wearied by lack of deep, restful sleep.
4. When curses are aimed at a congregation, inter-church relationships will experience constant problems, distracting the body of Christ from its primary focus and calling. Irritation levels will be high ; patience will be low. People will be more likely to complain about one another. Gossip and backbiting will increase. (And suspicion I might add) Rebellion against church leaders will seem justified, and the temptation
to withdraw from fellowship will be strong.
It is vital to note that any or all of these symptoms can occur without the attack of witchcraft. However, once we ascertain that we are truly fighting a spiritual enemy victory is near.
PUTTING ON CHRIST
To win this battle, we must understand that the Lord allows evil to facilitate Christlikeness within us. In other words, we would never ascend to the heights of Christlike love, which loves even one's adversaries, without there being actual enemies to perfect our love. The reason for our existence in an evil world is to produce a righteousness within us that not only withstands the assault of evil, but grows stronger and brighter in the midst of it.
Therefore, to deal with witchcraft, we must understand that the Lord's primary objective is not the removal of wickedness from society, but the transformation of ourhearts to Christlikeness. as we become like Jesus - that is, loving our enemies, blessing those who curse us - Christ Himself literally and tangibly manifests Himself in our spirits. It is the transformed soul which dwells in the Place of Immunity.
{ The bible teaches us that Christ came to destroy the works of the evil one....but we war not against flesh and blood, but powers, and principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places,NOT the persons we deal with so much....although they can be converted....Christ gives us discernment to know which are called elect, and which will refuse His love. The greatest defense in our lives is the PRESENCE of God. Just a little bit of light drives out the darkness so, it is not just rebuking demons that drives them away....but the manifest presence of the Most Holy Spirit in our lives....manifesting Himself in holiness and obedience to God. The more we enter His presence....to stay there and just minister to HIM....He pours out His lovein US so we can be more like HIM. Just like sunshine...opens up some flowers....His Son shining on us...manifesting His love towards us when we worship Him, and pray and talk with Him, and meditate on His word...will heal us...make us to blossom and grow......Once...I had a little daisy one of the children gave me...and I put it in water....and it lasted a long time and I thought....wow...it really is lasting and staying beautiful a long time...and the Lord spoke to me. He said....As long as we ABIDE in Him....walking according to the Spirit....(depending on Him) and obeying what He tells us to do....and maintaining fellowship with the Holy Spirit (represented by water in the bible often), then we too will stay beautiful and be a sweet aroma to our Savior )
GOD'S ANTIDOTE FOR WITCHCRAFT
1.How do we break the effect of curses and confusion that block our vision? We bless those who curse us (Matthew 5, Luke 6) Even if we do not know specifically who is directing a curse toward us, we ask God to bless them with the same blessing we have experienced in coming to Christ. We bless and curse not. {Vengeance is MINE, says the Lord. I will repay. (Romans 2:19) }
This is VITAL. too many Christians become bitter and angry in the conflict. If we descend into hatefulness (which is satan's aim so he can steal from us), we have already lost the battle for our souls. We must cooperate with God in turning what was meant for evil into a greater good within us. { Love is the greatest. 1 Corinthians 13) This is why we bless those who would curse us; (and pray for their souls) it is not only for their sakes, but to preserve our own soul from its natural response toward hatred.
While silent prayer is certainly an acceptable form of communication with God, it is our experience that audible prayer is both more forceful and effective with regard to spiritual warfarel A typical example of a prayer against witchcraft and curses would be the following:
Heavenly Father, first, I submit to You. (Rebellion is as witchcraft) In Your authority, I bind the spirit of the enemy which seeks to manifest through witchcraft. I also pray that You would forgive the people who are serving the devil Lord, I know You said that those who bless us, You would bless, and those who curse us, You would curse. Yet , Father, these people are already under Your curse.
Therefore, I pray that You would pour out Your redemptive blessings - those
very blessings which shatter darkness with light, overcome evil with good, and bring hope and life to the hopelessly dead. And I ask these things, Heavenly Father, that
You might fulfill the redemptive purposes You revealed in Your Son , Jesus Christ.
{Father, let Your Kingdom COME on earth as it is in heaven. Reveal Jesus to them
Lord, for they know not what they do. Open their eyes Father to Your Love and
kindness. I bind the strongman over them in the name of Jesus, and I ask You
Father to destroy the strategies of the enemy against them and to destroy all
assignments of satan against me and my family, & my church. Glorigy Your name
Father ! Come down Oh God, and scatter the enemy. Confuse the camp of the enemy!
in Jesus name! Make Your name glorious in their eyes Father. Manifest Your
love towards those who don't know You. AMEN !}
2. How do we throw off the power of debilitation and oppression ? We put on the mantle of praise for the spirit of heaviness. The church is , by biblical definition, the house of the Lord, the temple of God. The temple was created to offer worship to God and provide a place of access into His habitation. The battle against us seeks to keep us from that purpose. If you are under an assault of witcraft, begin to listen to praise tapes in your home or car. Sing along with them, letting your heart reach to the Lord. {Abandon your heart in worship to the Lord....seeking His face} Build a buffer of worship around your soul. Become thankful for all that God has given you. The scripture says we "enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise" Ps.100:4
{ This does not just mean in worship praise...but everything that comes out of our mouth needs to be taken captive to the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to be Christ-minded. Jesus said...Its not what goes into our mouths that defiles a man....but what comes out of them....for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks ! Instead of complaining and grumbling, and speaking evil of others...we need to praise God for the persecution, the rejection and that is turning the other cheek....Thank Him for everything that causes pain.....is our GAIN ....spiritually....see Romans 5:1-4) }
Prayer for deliverance from oppression:
Heavenly Father, You seek worship in spirit and in truth. In the midst of this battle
I choose to be Your woshipper. I enter Your gates with thanksgiving. Thank you, Lord
Jesus, for delivering me from evil and for the many times You answered my prayer. Thank You for all the blessings You have won for me ! In the name of Jesus, I break the power of oppression. I pray for those in my church, as well as Christians throughout my city, to also be free from this assault. Lord, raise up a worshipping army, a warring priesthood to glorify You in the earth. { Your word says "No weapon formed against me will prosper Lord. That many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. Jesus alone holds the keys to death and hell. I put up my shield of faith to quench all the firey darts of the enemy. The Lord is my shield and buckler, the lifter of my head. He will be a wall of fire around me, and the glory in our midst. The Lord is my strength Of whom shall I be afraid. He has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound MIND ! thank You Lord that You always hear our prayers and You answer Lord.
I ask for Your warring angels to come and to drive out the enemy's forces in the name of Jesus. Come Holy Spirit and be my shield, my comfort. Surround me with your love and peace, and joy... Praise You Jesus, the Defender of the Lame! }
3. How do we overcome fear? The scripture tells us that perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18) God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a disciplined, sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Satan is a liar and the father of lies. The devil cannot tell the truth. No matter what Satan tells you, it is always a perversion of the truth. Jesus also said that Satan is a murderer. When we believe the devil instead of God,
the quality of our live declines; something in us dies because we believed a lie. We must stop listening to Satan and simple DO what the Lord tells us.
You might ask, "But what if I get hurt ? " Being a Christian is not a guarantee that we will not be hurt. The fears that bind us are often the result of the wavering condition of our will . Once we commit to truly follow Christ, the bondage of fear is gradually overcome.
{ As we spend time with Him....He brings healing to the roots of fear and other issues in our lives; hurts, rejections, abuse, etc. He will heal our inner man (our soul). Our will is one place the enemy occupies in our soul which is made up of the heart, will and emotions. This healing also comes in time spent with other believers in prayer, and counseling. }
Where, then is the "Place of Immunity"? the Lord never promised us immunity from pain. there will be times when we hurt. Jesus said we would be "delivered up...and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all on account of My name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish." Luke 21:16-18. God's promise is not to keep us from conflict, but to be with us in conflict. Though we die, we shall experience resurrection: " not a hair....will perish."
Indeed, part of our weaponry against the threats of Satan is our knowledge that death cannot hold us. the devil cannot torment us with the fear of dying if we know that death is but a meeting with God, and our departure from earth is but an arrival in heaven. {Paul said, "To live is Christ, to die is GAIN !"-emphasis mine)
Let us once again pray: Lord God, forgive me for my fears. I confess that I have been seeking to save my life when You, in fact, have called me to lose it for Your sake. By the power of Your Spirit, I renounce fear ! God has not given me a spirit of fear ! Father I submit to the vision and courage of Your Son, that I might live in Your will not matter what the cost. I also pray for other Christians who might be warring against inordinate fears and imaginations. In the name of Jesus, I bind the spirit of fear and I pray that according to Your promise, You will deliver us from all our fears.
Father, I submit to the vision and courage of Your Son, that Imight live in Your will no matter what the cost. I also pray for other Christians who might be warring against
inordinate fears and imaginations. In the name of Jesus, I bind the spirit of fear and I
pray that, according to Your promise, You will deliver us all from all our fears. Amen
4. To end the assault against the congregation - the constant irritations, division and strife among the brethren - we must expose the work of the devil. Thousands of churches have gained the upper hand in their battle against darkness by recognizing that Satan is the real enemy, not people. Parents, pastors, intercessors and Christian workers must possess this basic knowledge of spiritual warfare and be willing to exercise authority.
When the enemy seeks to bring us to a place of strife with one or more people, we
must discern this as a plot to keep us all from something good that God intended for us. Thus, when at odds with someone, we must turn quickly to intercession for that specific
person. this prayer posture must expand beyond our immediate church relationships
and grow into a citywide church concept. We must recognize that we areut brother's
keeper. If we are to be effective in resisting the enemy, we must corporately become a house of prayer.
Lord we ask You to grant us the gift of discernment. Forgive us for judging one another and for failing to see the work of the enemy who seeks to divide us. Father, we submit to the mind of Christ, we ask for His perception, that we would have insight into what You are doing in the church. Lord, we also ask for boldness to defend one another from the voice of suspicion and accusation. Help us , Lord, to pray when we hear a rumor, to stand in the gap when we see a fault, to become a house of prayer for the church in this city. In Jesus name. Amen.