Seven Things Evil Spirits Pin on the Youth

CHAPTER 3 YOUTHFUL CHALLENGES

SEVEN THINGS EVIL SPIRITS PIN ON THE YOUTH

Ever sat down to eat a meal and a fly landed on your dinner? What was your reaction? Did you shove it away or just thought “well, it is just a little fly.” Never taking the trouble to think of where this insect came from or where it was conceived, you will do all you can to get rid of that fly. The Bible calls Satan “Beelzebub” and that term means the lord of the flies or dung.

Like flies, he sends his demon forces to attack the darkened areas of our lives and spread his diseases, causing this darkness to putrefy the very core of our hearts.

Just like the attraction between ants and sweets, I have outlined seven major lifestyles demons are attracted to. If you exhibit any of these lifestyles, you can bet evil forces having their way in your life.

I. LUST: The Oxford Dictionary defines lust as a very strong sexual desire, especially when love is not involved or a very strong desire for enjoyment of life. Never be abated to sex or extravagant in life. In all things, be diligent and strong-willed to make life better for yourself. For the Bible says, according to Genesis 4 vs 7, that “If you

do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you but you should rule over it.”

II. UNFORGIVENESS AND BITTERNESS: Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or a group of people who have harmed you, regardless of whether they deserve forgiveness.

Forgiveness brings the forgiver peace of mind and frees him or her from corrosive anger. While there is some debate over whether true forgiveness requires positive feelings toward the offender, experts agree that it at least involves letting go off deeply held negative feelings. That way, it forbids that pain from defining you, enabling you to lead and move on with your life.

Bitterness on the other hand, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary of English, is a feeling of anger and unhappiness because you feel that you have been treated unfairly by someone you dislike. Let us consider Jesus’ response to Peter’s question about forgiveness according Matthew 18 vs. 21-22: “then Peter came to him and said, Lord how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven”. Please read Mark 11vs. 25-26, Matthew 18 vs. 23-35, John 20 vs. 23 and Hebrews 12 vs. 14-15.

III.HURT AND WOUND: A wound is a serious injury, especially a deep cut through the skin. But things like pride and feelings can also get wounded. Hurt, however is defined as harm, or physical or mental pain.

IV. CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENT: An agreement is any understanding or arrangement reached between two or more parties. A contract is a specific type of agreement that, by its terms and elements, is legally binding and enforceable in a court of law.

V. ANGER: Anger is one of the basic human emotions, as elemental as happiness, sadness, anxiety, or disgust.

These emotions are tied to basic survival and were honed throughout human history. Anger is related to the “fight, flight, or freeze” response of the sympathetic nervous system; it prepares humans to fight. But fighting does not necessarily mean throwing punches; it might motivate communities to combat injustice by changing laws or enforcing new behavioral norms.

Of course, anger too easily or frequently mobilized can undermine relationships and it can be deleterious to bodies in the long term. Prolonged-release of the stress hormones that accompany anger can destroy neurons in areas of the brain associated with judgment and shortterm memory, and weaken the immune system.