When the temptation to sin seems overwhelming; when life goes terribly wrong; when horrible thoughts enter your mind; do you ever ask this question: “Is it me or the devil?” Or to put the question another way, “Is what I’m going through part of life’s challenges, or am I under demonic attack? There is no simple answer to this question, but I can give you some additional questions to answer that will give your life more focus about this dilemma.
- WHY ARE YOU ASKING THE QUESTION? If it is out of misplaced religious guilt, that is one thing. If you have unconfessed sin in your life, this self-reflective inquiry could be your conscience talking back to you. Psalm 139:23 says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (NIV). Confess your secret, willful sins to the Lord. If the thought that you are under demonic attack persists, reach out to a credible deliverance ministry for help so that someone outside your own self-reflection can ask more probing, objective questions. Wondering if your thoughts and actions are influenced by the devil can lead to a vicious cycle of self-condemnation. You need honest input from a mature Christian leader or counselor.
- ARE THERE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE FAMILY PATTERNS THAT YOU ARE EMULATING? If you came from a solidly biblical Christian home that had healthy values, what you struggle with is less likely to be demonic in nature. On the other hand, if your family of origin was toxic with things such as alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual sin, domestic violence, or antipathy toward God, the chances increase that your problems is demonic. Being raised in a spiritually and emotionally dysfunctional home increases the probability that doors to the devil were opened in your life by unhealthy family dynamics. If, on the other hand, your upbringing was conducive to Christianity, and you are now in rebellion, it’s more likely that Satan is directly interfering in your life.
- HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS, THE OCCULT, NEW AGE OR NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS PRACTICES? If the answer is “No,” demonization is less likely. But if you have dabbled in Ouija boards, astrology, energy healing, tarot cards, yoga, eastern meditation, fortune telling, altered states of consciousness, mindful meditation, enneagrams, mind control, et cetera, it’s more probable that at least some of the torment in your life is the direct result of demons. If you have taken ayahuasca, smoked a lot of weed, tripped on LSD, DMT, or mushrooms your chances of direct attack from the devil increases dramatically.
I could write an essay or an entire book on answers to the question, “Is it me or the devil?” But you now have at least three areas of your life to immediately contemplate. If one or more of these factors is dominant in your life, don’t put off immediately seeking spiritual help from a trusted, credible source. Reaching out to someone who is inexperienced or doesn’t believe in demons attacking Christians will only make your situation worse. Check our web site demontest.org for more questions to pinpoint your problem. Contact our offices at boblarson.org for further direction. If your issue is spiritual, and if it is demonic, putting off getting the right kind of intervention will allow the devil even more latitude to destabilize your life. Conversely, dealing with your sins, taking an honest look at your family upbringing, and getting substance abuse and false religious practices out of your life will be big steps forward to freedom. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (NKJV).
