With the increase of evil in the world, it is very true that false spirits are roaming the earth to every place possible. If some have noticed, there seems to be an increase of negative or evil spiritual events and since these last days are going to get darker, it is reasonable to expect some increase of visitations by ill, false and evil spirits as well.
Being a Latter-day Saint is not a guarantee that we will not suffer evil spirits in our lives, but as a Latter-day Saint, we have something that other Christians do not have, that is the priesthood. With this power and authority, it becomes important to ensure your place of residence is safe from evil influences.
Some Latter-day Saints never experienced the presence of evil spirits, but some have. The presence of these spirits can be annoying if not unsettling. They can impress sinful or negative thoughts to subtlety force you to commit sin by act or by omission, or feed the spiral of negative events in our lives. Sometimes these spirits make appearances. The experience of darkness and evil by Joseph Smith just before God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared shows the power of evil. Thankfully, there has not been many such attacks, but they can happen. To Joseph it occurred during the day while awake, while others experience at night or while asleep.
The importance of keeping a good spirit requires constant diligence and attention. This means that we are always to keep an eye and ear to what is around us. Pay attention to feelings and impressions. Such as suddenly feeling that someone is behind, you look and no one is there. Be assured someone was there in spirit.
An example is trying to resolve an argument in the family or with your spouse, finding it hard because emotions keep flaring up. Take note that something is not letting you end the discord. It may be the inability of the person to control the flaring of their emotions, but be assured, it is true that Satan is in there somewhere using our weaknesses.
Satan’s method is to exploit our weaknesses. When you see a person so overpowered by evil habits that his passion is the master, there you are beholding one over whom Satan has dominion, who thus seeks to destroy in him his individual agency. Satan’s forces are most powerful. I fancy as I grow in experience that I can see his methods in his relentless warfare, with the damnation of the human soul as his stake. He has effective secret agents organized and always at work behind our defenses, putting doubts into our minds by the medium of false philosophies; bringing discouragement when we lose the perspective of faith; and sowing seeds of gloom and despondency that give vent in the dangerous expression of youth, “Oh, what’s the use
Besides these saboteurs Satan has a spy system that has discovered the weakest places in our defenses and has ports marked for invasion carefully charted in each one of us. The D day of your invasion is that day when you lower your defenses. Those ports, through which you are most likely to be “invaded,” are declared by inspired men to be your virtue, your conduct, your ideals or objectives in life, and your thinking. Let the defenses of those ports be weakened by carelessness or negligence and the enemy has taken you into his captivity.
(Harold B. Lee, “Teachings of Harold B. Lee” – Chapter 2, The Plan of Salvation)
The spiritual state of your abode, work place, etc can quickly deteriorate when personal passions, weaknesses etc go unchecked. There is no safe sanctuary when we loose our spiritual place in our hearts and minds. There may be times when leaving that place is the only positive act you can do, depending on your life circumstances. Of course, leaving a public place is the only thing to do if spiritual attacks occur.
One of the times that Satan and his minions use to attack is when we are asleep. This has happened to me several times and each time is when my defenses were down or diminished. One time when I was upset at God, I refused to pray to him and humble myself before retiring to bed. As I lay there I felt the impression to pray and I refused to listen. The impression continued and I wanted to be left alone, so the impression stopped. As I began to fall asleep, in came the spiritual attack. It was similar to what Joseph Smith experienced, the experience of gripping evil. I awoke and sat up in bed and I said to God, “Ok, I get the message”. I immediately humbled myself, repented and prayed for forgiveness and asked for his protection. From that point on I was no longer attacked.
This is an example of how we can open ourselves so easily and quickly to Satan’s attacks or influences. I had to become diligent, determined and persistent in maintaining a good spiritual state in my life and in my own home. It does become harder when staying in a place with other people whose spiritual state is awful, but a personal spiritual state is not impossible to maintain. Service to others, in that case, can be very helpful to spur a better spiritual state all around.
Evil needs darkness to operate, it cannot operate in the light. When Joseph Smith was attacked, he was shrouded in darkness and within that darkness evil attacked him. When God shone his light upon Joseph Smith, evil quickly ran off. Light is a means to ward off evil, so even the light of day or shining a light in a dark room, evil will leave, but beware, wickedness, selfishness, greed, etc, belongs to darkness and this creates a spiritual shroud of darkness around a person giving Satan the means to be close. Thus a wicked person in the bright of day protects Satan and his demons under an umbrella of his/her darkness. Consider this next time a grudge is kept, anger is nutured, revenge is sought or bitterness is savoured.
As the saying goes, “Choose the Right” (CTR) remember another one, “Choose the Light” (CTL). Be it a physical light to help you in dark rooms when being hasseled by evil, or a spiritual light as faith, goodness, etc, choose the light always.
Other things that people can do is promote modesty in their homes and bedrooms. A married couple who practiced modesty in their home will not diminish their love during intimate times and will enhance their spiritual protection. Modesty is from the spirit of purity and chastity, two things that works against evil and Satan. Respect, honour, service and for couples, “forgiveness” will surely promote a good spiritual state.
Of course, the basic core elements as obedience to the commandments and to gospel principles, along with consistent spiritual practices as taught in this Church are always important. Facing and dealing with personal issues is required, because to ignore them only wears you down over time when they keep repeating and that opens the door to evil influences. In those personal issues you will find your personal weaknesses and it is through those weaknesses, if you seek the Lord’s help, you can gain spiritual strength and agility along with spiritual wisdom and knowledge.
Maintaining a good spiritual state and doing things to assist yourself in it, is helping yourself. God will always support all goodness and if you maintain your faith, you are that much better off, spiritually speaking.
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