Dispelling dark clouds!

For the Lord your God is the One who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. Deuteronomy 20:4

Somedays it seems I just can’t shake this dark cloud that seems to follow me every where I go. Keeping me in the shadows where the warmth and comfort of the Son is diminished. These times occur more often than not when I am alone. When I do not have the helpful and healing distraction of the presence of friends and/or family. Even during my quiet times while enjoying the rural scene and accompanying melodies of the birds from my front porch, the dark cloud can intrude. Casting its shadow over my time alone with God.

The words that clamor for dominance take the advantage as the cloud hovers. And when I take a look at 2020/21 and the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, along with chaos within our own nation, the suffering in Afghanistan, and my personal failings, I grow weak under the weight of it all. How does one find joy and peace in the midst of such a dark cloud of suffering?

Then yesterday during my quiet time the above verse caught my attention. And today, as I was listening to a podcast that very same verse was highlighted. I’ve been a Christian long enough to recognize when the LORD desires to get my attention. So I began focusing on that verse.

I came to realize the dark cloud was a tool of the enemy. Manipulating my thoughts by having me dwell on the realities of suffering all around me. In that verse, God reminded me that I wasn’t fighting this tool of the enemy on my own. God was fighting with me for me to give me victory over the fiery darts of the enemy (dwelling on the suffering). When I grasp the vision that God is in this battle with me, then His victory becomes my victory! The dark cloud is dispelled!

I WILL NOT GO THERE AGAIN!

   We often don’t realize when we are in spiritual bondage. The work of fiery darts is to keep us blinded about such things; it’s the old ‘you can’t see the forest for the trees’ dilemma.

   When I think of the years (far too many) that negative thinking (you know, fiery darts) held me in bondage, I stand amazed all the more of God’s deliverance, for I was in my 50’s when God broke through my blindness and began cutting away the scar tissue wraught by years of fiery dart attacks. 

   In looking back on my journey, I have wondered at times why it took me so long to recognize the path out of the darkness of negative thinking that God had illuminated for me. FD p.3

   Recently, a particularly potent fiery dart that kept me enslaved for years and from which God tenderly and patiently has and continues to deliver me, reared it’s evil head. Those former negative emotions came in like a flood, attempting to pull me into the depths from which God’s lessons on fighting fiery darts had long since rescued me. 

   But this time, oh but this time,

I had had several years of experience (and healing) in fighting such temptations, and knew that I knew, I was not going there again! By God’s healing grace and by the power of His Word, He equipped me to resist and the impact of those ugly fiery darts fizzled in their power to pull me back into its bondage.

   Dear Readers,

do you ever get blindsided like this; an old wound that by God’s grace and your faithfulness in calling upon God about it, suddenly opens up attempting to pull you back into its bondage? I’m sure you won’t have any trouble identifying it for the fiery dart that it is, but because of its potency you may find yourself reeling from it once again (I know I did). This is when you summon all of your training in fighting this fiery dart and wield the force of God’s Word against it. For me and in this instance, God provided Galations 5:1. 

Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

   Knowing this attack was on its way, God had prompted me to include this verse in my prayer journal weeks prior to this recent attack. It was there ready and waiting for me to grab and use to defeat my enemy. 

   Therefore, when the enemy attempts to blindside you as he did me, I would confidently remind you of the following:

…Victory is yours as Deuteronomy 20:4 reminds us, “For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” (NIV)  FD, p. 45

Want to know more about how you can defeat your own fiery dart attacks? Order Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice (check sidebar to order)

Bad News vs Good News!

You’d think that once a person had written a book about fiery darts (negative thinking) then those troublesome fiery darts wouldn’t be such a problem anymore.  N-O-T !  One thing I did conclude early on was that the fiery darts didn’t let up, if anything they increased! ugh!  The big difference was this:  They don’t rule my thinking like they use to!  And for me, that’s a really big deal.

My struggle of late is that the fiery darts are coming so fast, coming in such abundance, and are so unrelenting (bombarding my mind 24-7) that my spiritual strength is being sorely tested.

That’s the bad news!

But here’s the good news!

The simple truth (simple but HUGE) and one that I fall on my face before God in gratitude for is that because of what God has taught me about the attack of fiery darts, I DO NOT despair.  And I promise you, before God enrolled me in Fiery Darts 101, problems like I encounter today would have sent me spiraling into depression.  Let me share a scripture verse that puts it succinctly:

2 Corinthians 4: 8-9
‘We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.’

I know that sounds a little heavy but those of you who wrestle with negative thinking that takes over your thinking, influences your attitudes, and spawns negative behavior, KNOW that the above verse speaks a powerful truth.  You know–the kind of truth that sets you free!

John 8:32

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set your free.”

Yes, one does get weary.  Yes, Satan gets more cleaver with every attack.  Yes, the fiery darts can fuel thoughts of despair and hopelessness.  BUT ask yourself the following question,

“Do I want to spend the rest of my life successfully warding off fiery darts, or do I want to remain a victim of them?”(p. 45 from my book)

May I share the final paragraph in Section I of my book? For I do believe you will be challenged and encouraged by it.

  When I am engaged in fighting off these fiery darts it’s not Satan who determines the outcome of the battle.  Remember Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against us will prevail.”(NIV)   The Enemy has already been defeated, and though we may struggle in the battle, the final word from Micah 7:8 is that “we will rise.” I would encourage you to remember that you choose victory or defeat.  And know that refusing to choose is a choice to fall and suffer defeat.  Victory is yours as Deuteronomy 20:4 reminds us, “For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” (NIV)  It is your choice! We know that Satan’s plans are to destroy us, but take heart for God has plans for us as well.  Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”(NIV)   (p. 45, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice)

Know, my dear readers, while those fiery darts are a powerful force, we have someone fighting for us that can turn the tide in our favor.

1 John 4:4

“…greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”

Yes, the attacks are fierce, and at times almost overwhelming.  But hang in there.  Fight back with the Greater Power.  Hide behind your Shield of Faith.  Don’t give up.  Even though you have thoughts that God has looked the other way and your hope is daily dwindling that God is going to intervene, remember–expose those thoughts for the fiery darts they are.  That simple exercise will keep you hanging on and eventually you will see God move.  And when that happens (and IT WILL HAPPEN), I would love for you to share your story with me.

So that God can be glorified and others will be encouraged!