It’s Good to Be Afflicted!
Affliction represents a state of distress, grief, pain or misery. We may also look at it as agony, hurt, torment, anguish etc. Everyone in life will experience this at some point whether it be through illness, death, loss of some sort, separation/break-up, poverty etc. It doesn’t feel good while going through it, but it’s in our weakness where we learn life’s greatest lessons as we lean on Jesus’ supernatural strength to get us through it.
Some nights I’ll have my bible app playing while I sleep as it brings me comfort to listen to God’s word. A couple of years ago, I was watching a video of a lady who was suffering from a deathly illness and during the program she stated that when she got her diagnosis she heard God tell her, “I finally got your attention”. She proceeded to say, “I realized that I had been so busy in life that I was far from God but if He wanted my attention, I guarantee you, He has it now”. Now, I’m in no way insinuating that God placed sickness on her to get her attention; however, I thought it not strange that she said this, as God will sometimes allow certain things to happen as a way of ensuring that He has our attention – He is truly a good God.
While the bible app was playing, the Holy Spirit woke me up around 6:00am that morning (as a usual morning routine) and Psalm 119 was playing audibly in the background. As I woke up out of REM sleep, I heard very clearly the following verse, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes' ' – Psalms 119:71 KJV. The NLT version says, “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees''.
This exact verse spoke to the deathly ill individual that I had watched prior to going to sleep that night. I knew God was speaking and wanted me to study this particular verse. Now, I relate to this verse a lot because it was through my sufferings and afflictions that I came to know Jesus for myself. Prior to becoming truly saved, I was spiritually oppressed for years. I was afflicted by demons day and night. I really had no peace. Nobody on the outside could tell that I was going through demonic oppression, aside from my family who bore witness to the torment.
Familiar spirits and demons would literally speak out through me, it would torment me in my dreams and while I was conscious. They would harass me non-stop by poking me all over my body so aggressively that it could be witnessed with the natural eye. I knew that the enemy wanted to end my life, but since I grew up in a prayerful home where my father and mother were prayer warriors and ministers of the gospel, I was covered by their prayers and most importantly, I was covered by the BLOOD OF JESUS!
Here is footage of me that captures the type of physical yet spiritual attack I endured. You can literally see that a force was aggressively manipulating my left thigh.
Surprisingly enough, I was able to function outside my home as though I had no afflictions. This was only by the grace of God! I did well in school considering the spiritual and even natural fight that I had to go through to keep my mind focused, in order to study and retain knowledge. I had my circle of friends and I was able to enjoy life to an extent. However, the torment got so bad to the point where I was living in complete FEAR. Mind you, while going through all of this, I was running away from fully committing to the Lord. I had a form of godliness and I was living in sin — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life had me bound. I was caught up in wrong relationships, which only caused more harm than good.
Even in my rebellious state, I loved God. It was my love for, and the fear of God, which eventually led me to fully surrender and accept the call of God on my life. Through the tugging of the Holy Spirit, I was able to realize that my life needed to change drastically. One day, I heard a sermon that pulled on my spirit and truly caused me to look at my life introspectively. The pastor asked the congregation, if they where to die right now, where do they think they would go? It challenged me to reflect and consider were I would go if I died - heaven or hell? The thought of death scared me, especially when I had first hand experience that hell is real. That day, I truly repented of my sins and immediately prayed to my saviour Jesus Christ to rescue my life, and since that day, I have never been the same — I no longer live in fear.
The Lord took what the enemy meant to destroy my life with and turned it for my good. Now, with the power and authority God has given me, I cast out demons. I’ve had the opportunity to minister deliverance and help others get free from demonic oppression. The fear of God drew me deeper into God’s word and in His presence, where I witnessed the healing power and authority I had as a believer in Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:28 reminds us that for those of us who love God and are called according to His purpose, everything that we go through in life works together for our good! That means the afflictions we go through in life are meant to grow us, mature us and teach us. Those years of torment I experienced was my wilderness season… it was my training for reigning. Knowing this, I have no regrets that I suffered through demonic oppression for years, because it wasn’t in vain. God was training me to be a deliverer! Matter of fact, I needed the training in warfare to prepare me for what was to come in the future, where I would find myself warring in the spirit with a warlock after leaving a false prophetic 5-fold ministry (whewww… that testimony is for another time). I would not be where I am right now, had it not been for that experience. Glory be to God!
I want to encourage all who are reading this and who might be in a season of suffering, trials and tribulation that your fight is not in vain. The enemy wants you to believe that God is not with you because Satan wants you to draw away from your Helper - the Holy Spirit. But the Spirit of the Lord wants me to remind you of His promises to you. He says that He would never leave you or forsake you. He is always with you and He has been with you even in the storms - Know this and receive His peace and comfort. His peace overrides all anxiety and fear. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world! As a blood-bought believer, you already have the victory, so stand in your authority and pull down every stronghold, lie and negative thought that you’ve come into agreement with.
I implore you to spend time with God in order to establish an intimate relationship with Him. Ask Him all the questions in your heart and trust Him to answer it. Stay in to His Word (bible), because it’s full of revelation. If you haven’t repented of your sins, confess them and ask God to wash away all impurities, lies, doubts and fears and to fill you with His Holy Spirit. In time, you will understand why you’re going through what you’re going through… it necessary for your calling and it’s training you for reigning! Remember, you are already VICTORIOUS!
I want to leave you with this last scripture found in the Book of James, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” - James 1:2-4. Amen!
You can watch my testimony video below. I pray it blesses you!