When we enter an intense spiritual attack the only sure way to survive the assault is to press harder into the word of the Lord that brought us to the place where the attack is first initiated. To retreat from our commitment to God will release greater jeopardy than what is initially coming against us.
When I was a cop in the 1970s, it was a time of increased domestic terrorism. In many ways, it was worse than what we are seeing today. In the San Francisco Bay Area where I worked, ambushes were being set up by radical elements to kill cops. During this time, I was sent to an Officer Survival School at a military base near San Luis Obispo.
During my training, I learned how to increase the survival rates for officers who were being assaulted in strategically planned ambushes. The initial attack of an ambush was only a setup for the real ambush. The real assault happened when an officer, in fear and disorientation, stopped and tried to back up and out of the first ambush. As they backed up, they would come under a hail of devastating gunfire. During the instruction, it was demonstrated to us that the only way of escape to increase our survival was to accelerate and push through the initial ambush to get to a place of safety.
That tactic saved my life long after leaving law enforcement. One night, while serving as a missionary, I was driving alone on a dark road in the middle of a jungle when I came across a roadblock set up to rob me. Instinctively, I hit the pedal and ran the roadblock. Just days before some tourists were ambushed and murdered in a similar situation.
Scripture tells us what we need to believe and how to respond by pressing through intense spiritual attacks that make us want to back up, not press forward in obedience.
IT REQUIRES FAITH
Our spiritual survival requires faithfulness to God trusting Him and His word no matter what comes against us. “For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ” (Hebrews 3:14)
IT REQUIRES FOCUS
We should not allow ourselves to be drawn into distractions that will rob us of our focus on the Lord, “Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path” (Proverbs 4: 25-26).
IT REQUIRES TRUST
When our lives are under attack it is too easy not to trust the Lord and to seek our way when evidence of our impending demise surrounds us, “The Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom” (II Timothy 4: 18).
When we come under attack in a spiritual ambush, we need to realize the Lord has been this way before, we haven’t. He knows how to bring us to a safe place when our surroundings tell us to turn around and run away. When an attack is unfolding and we want to turn around and run away, that is the time to hit the accelerator of our faith and press through the attack. In those moments, we will be amazed at the display of God’s rescue plan for those who stay the course and don’t turn back.
I just came through an intense period, well, I’m still in it. God had shown me who I am and what I needed to do to walk out my freedom. My dream was solidified with confirmations.
My son that passed away last yeat drilled into my mind the need when driving to at times, accelerate to avoid an accident.
One day I was with him in his small sports car going about 50 ish when a big utility truck started backing out into the road. Without much time he accelerated and got past it. Trying to brake would have not avoided that accident.
A couple of years later I was driving down a two lane highway when an accident was unfolding before my eyes. I would have been the third or forth car involved. Instead of hesitating in confusion, I accelerated, took my car to small ditch area along the side of the road, avoided things in the path, and drove out of it unscathed. There was a thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Josiah. And a thought I had to squelching, which was, “Wow, Annette, that was some driving.”
He is also the one who taught me of don’t wait to be on the defensive to try to get out of a bad situation, like a bad person on a trail. Go offensive by showing yourself strong, etcetera. As a female, and older, being on the defense is second option, not first.
In the last few days I have been struggling. Because of your words today, I get it. Your message is going to help me accelerate!
Thank you, I desperately needed to hear this today. 🙏🏼🇺🇸🦅