FIGHTING OPPRESSION (PART 1)

by Pastor Graeme Hotter

Last month was Ramadan on the Muslim calendar, when all the Muslim's around the world fasted and prayed every day from dawn till dusk for a month. I have found that during this period I have seen many Christians come under heavy oppression. I didn't know exactly what day it ended in November, but noticed that something was different on that day. I sensed the presence of God and felt so much better.

I'm quite sensitive to spiritual things, which can be a blessing or a curse on occasions. The Bible says that we are fighting against spiritual forces. Ephesians 6:10-12.
I personally believe that demons are territorial creatures and have been given authority over certain areas, towns and countries. When I have gone on holiday away from my pastorate I have felt a lot better. "I can see clearly now the rain has gone." So often we Pastors are under attack from Satan in our area and it's important to get away every now and then otherwise we can't see the wood for the trees. It's also good to go to a conference now and then where the spiritual atmosphere is charged up with God. When I have arrived at a new pastorate it's always OK at first but after awhile it seems as if the devil finds out my new address and starts to oppress me. The Bible says that the devil is the god of this world. 2 Corinthians 4:4 and has authority down here on earth to attack us.

When I first became a Christian I had a very rocky road. I always felt attacked and spent a lot of time confused and was one of those high maintenance Christians. I often felt like God had forsaken me as I was mostly ruled by feelings instead of faith. I soon discovered that a way to overcome this problem was to fast and when I did I felt a whole lot better as my head cleared and the Bible was easier to understand. The oppression seemed to lift but the trouble was I couldn't go on like this as I was wasting away. One day God showed me that there was a better way to overcome oppression. In 1 John 5:4
I read that we can overcome BY FAITH so I didn't need to fast all the time, what I needed was more faith. Believing what God said was the answer to the devil's attacks by hiding the word of God in my heart. I could come to the same place of authority by just believing. Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it's impossible to please God.
I still have times when I get oppressed, even today but I can overcome it by the word, prayer and sometimes by fasting if things are really bad.

I reckon that most Christians are affected by spiritual oppression in one way or another and it is manifested in their lives in many different ways. Here are some thoughts.

When oppressed you can't seem to hear from God as before and feel confused. You can feel dead spiritually and sorry for yourself. When reading the word it doesn't mean anything to you and seems to be for someone else. But when you do get a word from God you feel really good and the oppression lifts, even though your problem my still be there. TO BE CONTINUED.

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