Spiritual Warfare

Dear Maxine,

What can I do to win in Spiritual Warfare? My family knows this is true. I have a relative that got sick because he stepped on a nuno of a duwende. I also have a neighbor in the province who was an aswang. We saw him transform. My dorm-mate also got possessed because an engkanto liked her. How can I avoid these things and be protected?

I know in Catholic faith first you are oppressed (dark thoughts, you see the spiritual creatures around or you have feelings of being watched), then possessed (when they take over your body at certain times) Please tell me how to be protected from that.

Spiritual Warfare is a term used to talk about battling demons and "fallen angels" that the Catholic church believe are everywhere. The Catholic church believes that these spiritual demons can't read our minds, however, they can implant images into our minds and make us see things. My personal belief and experience is that they can't do anything to us that we don't allow. Don't let them scare you into thinking that they can do anything. More than this, they can read our minds, because their realm is that of the spiritual realm, and also the mental field that we move into when we think is much their realm. However, they cannot have any power over us because like God, we are made in the image of God, we are both physical and spiritual, and in us is the spirit of God that can create in a way, at least our own reality. Their power comes when they strike fear into humans, and make you believe that a spiritual thing can somehow influence you. Then, you work as a sort of vessel or transmitter of that fearful thought, and enable them to affect you, move things around the house etc. Always know that as a son or daugthter of God, you have sovereignty over your own body and soul. Do not ever swear to give your soul or power too any other spiritual entity.

Other-worldly creatures like Aswangs and other elementals are part spiritual and part physical. These need the help of physical things to exist, in our world, sort of as an anchor. The dwarves like trees, the white lady or mymphs like nature, the Tikbalang like big trees, the nuno has his punso. These are "lower" beings that exist partly in the same reality as ours. Because they are near the physical and have no part in the spirit of God, they are closer to their animalistic natures of revenge, fear, anger, power mongering. I am not sure if they can also be good, or if they could ascent to human being.

In my walk with God, I've had encounters with spiritual warfare, and I have gleaned a few very important tips. Here is a concise essential in battling evil.

1. Keep Clean

Keeping clean means being free from sin. This is something every human being should aim for. Sin is like a wound. If you have one, it will hurt you, and the habit of sin is like you cutting yourself again even when the wound hasn't healed. You do it again and again until the small gash is an open festering flesh wound with maggots. That is what a bad spirit is to your sin: maggots, and dirt. So better to clean up. Confess your big sins, and stay away from evil. How do we do this?

1. Resolve in your heart of hearts not to sin again. You can do this by imagining the pain and hurt in your life that sin is causing at present. Then, compound it because obviously it will keep on happening. Imagine your most loved ones finding out about your sin. Imagine what kind of person you are becoming because of your sin. All it takes is to wake up to your conscience, which I am sure, has been giving you signs to do the right thing all along.

2. Confess. Verbally confess. I'm not closed catholic, but I still go to a priest to confess. There is something about telling another soul what you've done, and being sorry for it, and having another soul pray with you for your salvation that is outwardly comforting. I am sure God will also forgive you, as in the case of those people who ask for forgiveness in their deathbed, and I too have had my one on one confessions with God. However, telling someone helps. Specially if that person is well-versed in God's word, He can also enlighten you.

3. Start praying or cling to God to keep you clean. Pray when you get tempted. Pray when you do nothing. What do you pray? Pray for the strength to say no, pray for new circumstances to lead you away from temptation. Having a close relationship with God is the first and best protection for all evil. It has to start somewhere and sometimes, so it starts now, when you pray. Imagine, you get to talk to the ALPHA, the main man, and all you have to do is speak from your heart. That's a direct line to the king of kings, and your greatest bodyguard. He accepts you as you are, loves you as you are and will protect you because He is our perfect Father. Do it now.

4. RUN from evil. Just as we chase peace, we have to run away from evil. That's right. It isn't just sit with sin in the same room, anyway it's not bothering anyone. NO! You RUN AWAY from sin. See it coming or see an opportunity for it to rear its ugly head, then stay away. If you can't pray that you will be saved from temptation. If you are already in a situation that you are getting tempted, that means there was a part of your lower desire that brought you there, and you have to bring that part of you to God and quit it. Actions speak louder than words, so the action is to run away!

1. Guard your thoughts

The evil will try to do these things:

Make you believe you are powerless/unworthy/unloved/alone/useless - This can be a myriad of examples. Basically, anything to make you sad or victimized is what they want.

Because they are mental and spiritual creatures, you will think that those are your thoughts. In reality, they are from the enemy. Guarding your thoughts means approving your thoughts consciously. For example, you suddenly think your friend was out to make fun of you, and now begin to plot out a revenge plan for them. In reality, you don't know the motives of your friend, and you would be making trouble to even think that they have anything against you. Another way is for lustful thoughts to find you when you are alone. If it appears in your mind, you take it as your own, and therefore you think that this is what you consciously want, however, once you know that these thoughts are not necessarily from you, then you can test the thoughts and stop thinking about the sinful thoughts right away.

Even if these were not necessarily from an evil source, letting your mind become the breeding ground for evil thoughts will create in you a lower vibration mind, and the things you will create will also be about those things. For example if you are always thinking of sex and violence, the things you will create in your life are sexual situations and violent opportunities. Thought precede action, so it is best to guard your goodness right at the onset of your thoughts.

1. Avoid Isolation

This is for high level warfare. The enemy will try to isolate you. They will make you believe that the people you love are against you. They will make you over read circumstances so that you think that a person is upsetting you on purpose or doesn't believe in you- the variations are endless. The basic goal is to get you to separate from spiritual leaders, family, and friends that truly love you.

If you are doing a lot of good in an organization, the politics might be a reason for you to leave, but in these cases, persist in acting with love. That is the only way to defeat the evil. You must overcome your own ego, your own need to be right or the best, and continue in your service. Many things in life demand sacrifice, and this is one of these times. Your call to serve in your work, in your organizations, and most specially in your family is a holy work of worship. You are serving life as you help others, so don't ever stop. That is what the evil wants, for you to quit, to start again, to create rifts, and to be alone. Be strong in goodness and love.

The biggest areas of warfare are doing good to our family. Our family can hurt us the most, because we love them the most. We also have not just a spiritual duty, but a physical duty to love and support family. That is why our biggest trials to love is there as well. Let forgiveness be your weapon of choice, and wield it with mercy to everyone.

The enemy will make you feel like you would rather be alone than meet family or friends. The truth is, you will always accomplish more with other people in terms of your development and growth than locked up in a room alone. There, they can lead your thoughts to places or things that you would not think of. This leads to the next:

1. Think before you Speak

Sometimes, you say things that pop into your mind, and act on them right away. Specially in a fight, you want to hold your tongue. Keep the feeling and the thought at bay and screen them before even saying it. IS there a better way to say this? Is my motive for saying these things coming from caring? Do I just want to be right and will I offend anyone with saying this? Being confident is one thing, but being considerate is also another. You have to be aware how your words will impact the people around you.

Many times, we feel we can "be ourselves" with the people we love. However, being yourself is not acting rudely, or being as mean as you can be. Being yourself is being the beautiful soul that God has put inside of you. Being yourself is showing others how amazing a human being can be based on your own example of the life you lead and the words you speak. If you speak and give them a good feeling, a truly good feeling because you affirmed their value, shifted the way they see things without hurting their ego, then you would do a good thing.

We are not made unto the world to express ourselves. We are made to help each other and our happiness and fulfillment inevitably is intricately woven into our relationships. To fully become an accomplished individual, one must have given some benefit to the society one lives in, the most pertinent of which is your immediate family.

1. Pray for protection from our father in heaven.

I know it has been said by a lot of people that you have to pray by the blood of Jesus. However, God said, How quickly would I protect you from your enemies? In my personal experience, God the Father, has protected me against aswangs, Ashtoreth, demons, dwarves etc. I have never had any "retaliation" which is what the Catholics and christians get when they fight evil in Jesus' name. I have never been retaliated on. Not a hair on my head has ever been touched, and this is inspite of destroying legions of lost souls. It is because we are only worshipping one true God, and He was named Yahweh. Under his protection, your salvation is absolute, your protection is sure once and for all. Let your shield be the eternal one.

In the end of days, it is said that we must bring our hearts back to the father. That is today. Bring it back to whom all glory and honor belongs now and forever. Jesus said, pray "Our Father in Heaven", so when you call for protection, let Our Father be your strength and shield.