Feeling Attacked? You’re Not Alone

Do you ever feel like the closer you get to God, the more fiercely Satan attacks you? This feeling isn't uncommon among those walking a spiritual path. Sometimes, it’s hard to discern whether these attacks are indeed more intense or if a closer relationship with Jesus simply heightens our awareness of the spiritual battles happening around us.

1 Peter 5:8 reminds us, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." The devil is always on the prowl, looking for opportunities to attack. His strategies are cunning and targeted, intensifying when he has the most to lose. One of his primary goals is to prevent people from finding salvation in Jesus Christ and securing their eternal home in heaven. Often, individuals will experience increased spiritual warfare just before they come to faith.

Satan doesn't stop there. He also fiercely attacks those who pose a threat to his domain or those who effectively advance the kingdom of God. The greater the calling from God, the more vigorously Satan tries to thwart that destiny.

I believe we are experiencing this very struggle in our home right now. Our family has joined an expedition team that is launching a new church campus in just a few weeks, and I am on the brink of embarking on a new ministry calling myself. Last night, as if in response to our efforts to further God’s kingdom, both I and two of my children had eerily similar nightmares and experienced a restless night. I firmly believe these attacks are a direct result of our spiritual endeavors and the threat they pose to the enemy.

I woke first from my nightmare, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread. Instinctively, I walked through the house, checking on everyone and praying over them as I stood at their bedsides. I returned to my room, pulled out my Bible, and prayed for guidance. I found myself opening to Psalm 91, and I read it over and over again, praying fervently for peace and a hedge of protection around us.

As I finished praying, my children woke up and came running to my room, seeking comfort. They crawled under the covers with me, and an immediate calm washed over them. We spent the rest of the night in peaceful sleep, feeling the presence of God’s protection and love.

If you’re feeling attacked, know that you are not alone. Here is a copy of Psalm 91, a powerful reminder of God’s protection. There may be other verses that speak to you more effectively, but this one brought us peace last night.

xoxo,
Melissa

Psalm 91
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”