1 Samuel 5:2-3 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon.
The presence of God gives a powerful blow on the face of the devil. The devil has no authority or power before the Lord but he constantly prowls for an opportunity to attack God’s children. He has no power over us unless we give him room. So, when we are under a spiritual attack, it is important to check if there is a foothold through which the diabolical forces are intruding into our lives.
We are under spiritual attack when there is no human solution to the problem. A sickness that cannot be diagnosed by the doctors or an illness that perplexes the medical field is clearly a spiritual attack. Some incorrectly conclude anything and everything as spiritual attack. Stubbing your toe in the corner of the table is not a spiritual attack. It is our own carelessness however; repeated cycles of sickness, recurring financial or job losses, unreasonable unrest in relationships are fiendish attacks. To disinfect our domain of demonic attacks we need the overflowing presence of God. Invite the Almighty and the wimpy demons will flee.
Israel had sinned against the Lord and their enemies had taken captive the Ark of the Covenant that carried God’s presence into their territory. They placed the Ark in the temple of their god, Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place (vs3). Dagon could not pick himself up, so the priests put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. Dagon had a fish shaped body with hands and head. His head and hands crumbled and tried crawling out of his own temple and were lying on the doorstep of the temple!
Demons cannot co-exist in the presence of the Lord. When light comes, darkness has to flee.
Presence of God is a punch on the devil’s face:
1. Confusion: The devil is the author of all confusion but the presence of God brings clarity. When puzzled and bewildered, invite the presence of the Lord and confusion will crawl out.
2. Clamour: The devil incites clamour, rambling and lament. The presence of God will turn the clamour into choruses of joy.
3. Contention: The demonic incursion causes contentions and dissension. Invite the presence of God into the argument. The contentions in our mind will calm down and the conflict in our homes will die down when the presence of the Lord is welcomed.
Carry the presence of the Lord everywhere and the demons will fret, fall and flee like the Dagon.
1 Samuel 5:6 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.
Prayer: Father God, make me more aware of your presence everywhere and drive out any contending spirits with the power of your presence. Amen.
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