Articles
Responding to the Spiritual Needs of One Ensnared by Evil
Barbara L. Klika, MSW, Undershepherd, Life Coach
April 2016
Written for Wisconsin Christian Newspaper
Praise YHWH for His people who are willing to stand against the schemes of the devil which increase in boldness daily. It must be a walk of faith. For many years I thought that the kind of spiritual warfare work I was called to was not a “general calling” for all since the complexities of working with satanic ritual abuse survivors or witchcraft is great. I have reconsidered this in light of what I see today. There is an increase in lawlessness and rebellion among people that is not accidental but a part of all that our God has told us would happen as we near the time of Messiah’s return. The days will not last much longer in which a casual faith will suffice, if it ever really did. The level of warfare in the heavenly places and therefore being brought to the earth continues to increase in frequency and intensity. The desire of the evil one to steal away God’s people and eventually exert total control over the world is more blatant. There will no longer be a choice to remain ignorant of the devil’s schemes. Either you will be for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or you will fall to the darkness.
Though there is a place for wide scope evangelistic education for those in thrall to wickedness, the process may be better described as one of mentoring. The devil does not let anyone go easily. A sound relationship will be a good basis for at least some small grain of trust as you engage someone.
The first step to be in a position to deal with the spiritual issues is to be certain that you yourself, are not involved in anything that is not how He directed us to live in the Scriptures. Why is this important? Because this is not a game. The evil one is contrary to God but he is not stupid nor powerless. The evil one and the fallen angels have had centuries to practice how to deceive the people of God while we have but one short lifetime to learn to resist. Briefly put, when we walk according to the righteousness of God, He is able to cover us. If not, we have given ground that the devil will use.
Examine every area of your life and how you base your decisions. Do you really test the spirits to see what is of God, which means to check any experiential understanding you may have against the Word for congruence? Or are you like I was, before I learned what it means to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God, making my decisions and then asking God to bless them? Be certain that you have the full knowledge and approval of your spouse before stepping out to assist as well as at least one strong prayer partner backing anything you do. It is best if they, too, study to know how to stand in Messiah.
Then, if you know that there is a particular area of occult practice to address, prayerfully cover yourself first and study to know something about it. This guards you from falling into something that is just attention seeking and from immediate rejection or manipulation by the counselee. I generally advise NOT to read exclusively about wickedness but maintain daily Scripture study and prayer. Do daily personal awareness “checks” to determine if you are remaining strong in your faith or becoming demoralized or confused through your study. If you find yourself drawn more into darkness than your faith strength can handle, stop and seek prayerful support from a mature believer who understands the struggle. Do not attempt to minister to someone who serves evil while you remain in doubt.
I can assure you that if you are serious about serving God and interfacing with those who have given a part of themselves to serving the evil one’s purposes the devil will be serious about you. Everyone has something in their lives that can be manipulated to use against them so be prepared to stand and endure in Messiah when it happens. I have seen over many years that when I am standing firmly and resisting the devil so that he must flee, he then comes against those closest to me, increasing the chaos in their lives in an effort to draw me into confusion and anxiety over what is happening to them. Don’t be surprised either, if you take a stand and find people who have been close to you suddenly becoming oppositional for no viable reason. This is also a scheme of the evil one to isolate those who oppose him and thereby wear down their faith and desire to stand with and for others.
This is not to deter anyone from taking a stand for righteousness and assisting others; only to recommend prudent preparation and avoid overly zealous and misinformed actions that offer no help and can bring harm to the helper.
This is a simple overview. If you desire more information on preparation please contact Barbara L. Klika, MSW, Undershepherd at info@set-apart-ministries.org or (920) 634-2760.
Responding_to_Evil_Prep_April_2016.docx