The Four Steps of Darkness

1. Depression

Someone of low spirits; a feeling of dejection with sadness

Many people cannot hide this problem. It's on their face and the way their body moves. Some people can try to hide it with a smile or a laugh, but inside is a real dark feeling, this is a spiritual thing that is manifesting in the flesh. We can see in Eph 6:12; for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

This is a spiritual attack against you in a deep place in your life. It is a war of soul, spirit and mind. This is Satan's attack to take you down the path of being a victim. It is all about you, and the hurt you feel. So many people only care about what people did or didn't do. Satan wants you to look at yourself, see what they did to you, and see what they say about you. It's all a lie to take your eyes off Jesus.

Satan knows how to get to you. He will try to destroy who you are in Christ. The church teaches that we have low self esteem and that is the problem with people with depression. But the real problem is Satan's first attack to take you down a path of total control of your life. For years Churches have pastors who are therapists, not real pastors, and these men started to believe that counseling would help these people with depression. Talking about it would help, and if that doesn't work, well we will try drugs. Anti-depressants in just a little dose, just for awhile, the path of addiction begins. We begin to trust in drugs more than the word of God. They say I feel better now but the problem is still there buried by the drugs. The word say cast all your cares on Him for He careth for you. Satan hates God and all of his creations. That also includes you. In his own mind if he can destroy you, he can hurt God and that is the battle plan of Satan and it has been his plan for a long time now, ever since Adam and Eve and believe me, he knows his job and does it well. Just look around; it is not hard to see.

This is why Paul said I die daily. We have to die to self. Who cares what people do or say? I will walk in forgiveness of all that offend me and I receive forgiveness of my Lord Jesus Christ who saved me from the enemy of myself.

I find sometimes I am my worst enemy, but praise the Lord he has slain that man and raised a new man in Him.

When Satan comes with depression the best way to overcome is to praise JESUS and then praise him again. Praise will make the enemy flee.

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

You have to get over yourself. Look at what they did to Jesus. He did nothing but good and they crucified Him. Jesus said they hate me, and they will hate you.

James 1:2-3 my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Many Christians live in Depression for many years and stay in this condition for a very long time, and the cure is so easy like Moses in the wilderness; look up and live. Look at the serpent. The serpent is a tap of sin; I believe this sin is unbelief, not trusting totally in God for the answer. If you don't get victory to overcome this; to Satan will say one down two to go.

2. Oppression

The imposition of unreasonable burdens, to go though misery, mental distress, hardship

Oppression can be a dark time in people lives. You lose a job or your family is broken apart or you lose a love one. You feel like where is God in all this. This is an attack on your faith. A lot of people think that it is not my fault. Sometimes they're right, but Satan will tell them they are a victim in this. They will not take responsibility for their actions; they say things like "I couldn't stop." or "I didn't know what was happening." They blame every one. People go two ways here: some grow closer to God and some blame God for all that is happening to them. When you start the blame game with God, it is a game that no one wins but all are losers.

Satan starts his lies he says "God doesn't care about you," and "It is your fault you got sin in your life" or even "How can God love you after what you did?" He even uses lines like "Nobody cares about what you want or what your needs are" Self pity is a strong hold for him. It starts down a path of self destruction. Satan wants to isolate you so you see only yourself and nobody but you. This is where a lot of Christians begin to go down the path of addiction at the point. Let me say here that addiction is a form of selfishness in a deep and disturbing way. It only cares for what it can get; no matter what the means justifies the end. They will lie, steal, or do whatever it will take to feed their addiction.

Satan enjoys seeing the misery of what man can do to one's self with little or no effort by him. This addiction takes the victim mentality to an all new level. They start believing their own lies. It is amazing to see this going on in their minds. It's "almost" funny as we can see depression work to destroy who you are. Oppression not only tries to destroy you but will try to destroy others around you; the thing is some Christians can still function here. This is in a lot of churches I have seen. There are even board members with this affliction. They have lost their faith to believe that God cares for them. This is a sad thing for the churches. At this stage many Pastors and therapists fear what could happen if his person goes off the deep end? This is more than they can handle. They need more counseling, and stronger drugs to help them to control what they are doing. The antidepressant is not working so let's try mood enhancers. Let's see what happens now.

Let me say here that a lot of therapists are on some of these drugs and sorry to say so are some pastors. They are trying to help in the flesh when this is a spiritual problem and only the power of the blood of Jesus can help.

2 Timothy 3:5 says having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof from such turn away.

James 1:26 says If a man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Yet, he still sits on the board, and some still Pastor Churches. He really believes that God put him there to clean up the mess. He believes in what I call the Cosmic Christ Syndrome. Yes He's out there somewhere but not here, and if He were here why am I here doing his work. This man can't even take care of his own life, but he will tell you how to live yours. In his heart he does not believe that God answers prayer, in his mind he says I prayed and not a thing happen so God doesn't care.

We see in James 1:6 where the problem is BUT LET HIM ASK IN FAITH, nothing waving. For he that waverth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. This is one of the things that keeps the power of God out of the churches today. One of the big lies of the enemy is shame; down deep they know the truth. But hurt and distrust overpower them so much that it clouds their minds. Satan wants you unstable and unable to think. It just gets darker and darker for them; the light of God is slowly going out. If you don't get victory over it will be two down one to go.

3. Obsession

The act from an evil spirit ruling a person, it has freedom to come and go as it please

This is going down into real darkness, in obsession. Everybody is a hypocrite, nobody knows the truth. In a very sick and disturbing way, this kind of person has made up a twisted and brazen understanding of truth. It is a mix of things that make since and then they are in outer space. Sometimes you want to laugh right out loud, like where did you get that? You know that makes no sense? But Satan has them believing in what he say to them no matter what it is. Nobody is going tell them different. They know the truth! This would be funny if it wasn't so sad. For at one time they knew the real truth but turn away from it. This is the battle of the mind and spirit. Satan comes and goes at pleases him; he is preparing a house to dwell in.

What's weird is that a lot of these people are still going to church, even though what they believe is way out there, the spiritual power of God is like a moth to the flame. It is hard to understand. All I can say is God's mercy is great far above all the Earth. At this stage a lot of people are still in counseling but know the drugs have changed a lot to hardcore drugs and these really don't work, sometimes it gets worse. It's a bizarre world for them sometime they are in their right mind one minute and crazy the next, the therapist will say the drugs are working but that is a lie. Satan almost has them right where he wants them.

It is hard for them to keep control of their lives. At this stage what I call black out starts to happen. Days go by and they don't even know what they did or didn't do. This is what is scary to them and it could be scary to us. A lot of them are in and out of hospitals.

The doctors don't know what to do with this. They find themselves in and out of craziness. Some go back to churches for help, but the churches don't know what to do. So a lot of churches just call the police and the police take them away, back to the hospitals. The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.

Obsession is also the anger step. When you reach obsession, you become so obsessed with being right you will sacrifice fellowship to be alone.

Hebrews 10:25 says not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

At this time, you need the body of Christ more. You will find any reason to subtract yourself from the equation of God. You will find fault in the Pastor, fault in the members, fault in the elders, but you in your own mind are always right. You couldn't be more wrong. You anger quickly and become quick to react to anything as you want to be left alone and secluded. You hide under the bed rather than spending time in your prayer closet. Once you are totally isolated, Satan can just move in. It's no longer a condo to him, it's his home.

So many people live like this, crying out and no one can help; not doctors, not churches, not the government, no one. Let me say here that most all pastors and people in leadership with this problem have abandoned their faith and the church. If not, get out of that church. Now you know why Jesus wept. Only by the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit can you get help. If they don't get victory with this, it's three down. The Devil he has you.

4. Possession

To occupy in person; to inhabit, to gain strong influence, to dominate

The darkness is complete. In their life all hope is gone. They have lost all ability to control what is going on. The insanity goes to whole new level. No matter what the drugs are, they don't work.

We can see in Mark 5:2-13 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with a unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains; Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces" neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worship him, And cried with a loud voice and said, what have I to do with thee, Jesus thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asks him, what is thy name? And he answered; my name is legion; for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and enter into the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand ;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. Not only the possession is scary to the world, but also the one who is the deliverer.

In Mark 16:17 we read; And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

These are some of the last words of Christ, He also said; will I find Faith when I come back, this faith that I left for you. What have we done with it, because we have forsaken his words; what hope do these sad people have, only by the power of the Holy one is there hope for them, not drugs, not counseling, and not doctors. Only by the blood of Jesus can we command the evil ones to go. At this stage it not always easy to do. If they challenge your Lord, they will challenge you. So don't be surprised if they try to talk to you. You must take auditory over the spirit right away; you don't let him talk to you. If you do, it will lie and say that you don't have the power to do this. But it is not you. It is the power of Jesus that casts them out.

1 Corinthians 2: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, But in power.

I say unto you fear not! Do not show fear! Only show power.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. But believe me a lot of times you better be ready to go to warfare, but the victory is already ours. Jesus defeated him on Calvary. Instead of putting them in metal hospitals, we need to deliver them by the power of God and set them free. It will take prayer and fasting and believing in what Jesus said. Like Jude said that we should earnestly contend for the faith which was delivered unto the saints. Let us earnestly contend for that faith so we can walk in His power and strength, so the world may know that there is a God who Love's and care for them

2 Peter 3:9 says not willing that any should perish, but all come to repentance.

Let us be the light of God in the darkness of this world.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Let us walk even as He walked, let us fight the good fight of Faith.