Holding Onto God In The Grip of Spiritual Attack

Climbing, climbing – the state of fear,
That’s when feelings constantly leer,
In the midst of the spiritual – a knowledge of lack,
There is only one thing to do when under attack.

Nearer, nearer – going into the Lord,
Going to the One Who can be adored,
The bridge to grace is just a step away,
Make that step – today and each day.

***

Many forms of spiritual attack occur via loneliness or fear or anxiety or depression, etc. They spring up without warning and they take us on a journey away from God. Ours is to draw close. As we draw near, quietly adhering, we sidle up to the Lord by the Word or prayer or fellowship. As God speaks into our lives by comfort and compassion our feelings of estrangement diminish. God will give us strength for this moment as we draw close; we draw close by routine of habit, as we continue to practice this thing – by faith that it will work. Only in faith to risk does it work.

Becoming an Adherent of God

Whilst many people call themselves Christian – thinking that such a person believes in ‘values’ only – not so much in the person and God of Jesus Christ – these many are not adherents nor followers, but worshippers of many things other than God.

Becoming an adherent of God is the safest concept for the overall spiritual journey that every single person alive is taking. Being an adherent of God is routinely drawing close into the heart and Presence of God. But we are apt to think we have little from this experience – like, “Is God really there?” or “I don’t feel much or even any better!”

Drawing comfort from the compassion in God may not usually occur in the instant; as we draw close we do so in faith – that soon enough we will experience the quiet joy and smooth peace of God’s favour as we are relieved of our attending emotions.

Becoming an adherent of God is the perfect answer to every question of life, even though it won’t appear, in the moment, as the perfect answer. But as we journey by faith, adhering to God, in the starkest of emotional situations, we are soon graced by the power of God that we need to our definitive need.

***

There is but one answer for addressing the striking spiritual attack. We draw close to God, in faith that we will soon experience a quiet joy and smooth peace. What may not seem to work in the moment always works out as we look back. Faith works as we look back.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.