Caught in the swirly

Hey, I've noticed something over the years and you'd think by now I would be wise to it. Sometimes I suppose I am wise to it and sometimes I get caught in the swirly.

Let me 'splain. The swirly is that thing that goes around and around in the spirit realm and usually finds temporary lodging in a local church body. It is usually fueled by the demonic kingdom and manifests in sin.

Well, I've noticed that sometimes people in the same local church are experiencing the effects of the swirly simultaneously. Like, there will be many people experiencing the same kind of depression or perhaps intense temptation of some sort. It could be that you keep thinking things about yourself or people that aren't true. Or maybe you want to keep skipping church week after week. Now, why in the world am I talking about this?

Part of our battle plan is knowledge. "We are not ignorant of his (the devil's) devices." Right? This is a device. And if we ever find ourselves in the middle of one of these swirlys, here is what we should do:

1. Submit to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart for unrepented sin that may give permission for swirling. If yes, repent, ask for the blood of Jesus to cleanse you, thank God for His unfailing love and His commitment to you, then

2. Restrain the powers of darkness with the Word and your words, in the Name of Jesus.

3. If there is not sin to be repented of, repent anyway, then realize that what you are experiencing is an attempt to immobilize/distract you for days/weeks, waste your time, and keep you out of the prayer closet where intercession could be taking place to put an end to or root out the cause of the swirling. (Read that sentence again; its a run-on, sorry.)

4. Listen to conviction; silence the accusation. You may be feeling the effects of the swirly to the point of confusion and then you start to hear the accusations flying. Talking bad about yourself inside your head. Thinking thoughts of accusation about others. Symptoms of the swirly.

5.Finally, for now, the best safeguard is to be on your guard. Walk in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit every day for long periods of time. Don't laugh at sin. It's not funny; it is like yeast in dough, it spreads fast until you stop it with heat. Be conscious of other people. Self-centeredness is a breeding ground for the swirly.

If you didn't do something to make it swirl, get on your face until it stops. We are not alone.