The Spiritual Bully
They torment your life. They call you names. They ridicule, insult or belittle 
family situations, personal characteristics or life situations. Oftentimes, they threaten to take possessions, favors or other unearned privileges. They are called bullies.
A bully is a person who is habitually cruel, persecutes and intimidates weaker people. And they thrive on the element of fear. They can be selfish, prideful, power-seeking and deceitful. Their behaviors include verbal put downs of others, backstabbing or physical attacks.
I want to bring to your attention the spiritual Bully. He is the devil. He operates the same way as a human bully, however you cannot visually see this bully. He is spiritual. He works in your thoughts, through people and situations.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12King James Version (KJV)
As a bully, the devil searches for weaker or unlearned people in the Word who he can consume, belittle, ridicule or intimate. The devil battles in the mind, whispering inimical thoughts, lies and confusion about you and your situation. He calls you names, weak, ugly, unpopular. He magnifies situations to make you feel bad about yourself. For example, if you have a pimple on your face. He will say you’re ugly and unattractive. And will go to imply that you’ll never get a boy or girlfriend. This may be exaggerated, but this is how he operates.
The devil wants to possess your way of thinking and your behaviors for you to react to everyday issues with fear. And wants you to be selfish, stressed and depressed. If you listen to him you may begin to believe him.
- There are ways to go up against a bully. My first suggestion is to pray. Prayer is the first line of defense again the devil. A prayer is an intimate talk to your heavenly Father. Let Him know what’s going on. Ask for His wisdom.
- The Word of God is the best weapon to defeat bullies. There are scriptures you can say to yourself and others you can say out loud. Many reading this will not believe that mere words can do anything. But these are not simple words, they are God’s Word producing power. You must believe the Word is your weapon—a powerful weapon. Say the scripture in the mirror. Say them throughout the day. Keep saying them over and over until you believe.
- Trust God. Believe God. Even though it feels like He is not working. He is working. Have faith. The key is to listen. God will instruct you. He may tell you to do certain things. You must follow his instructions for success.
When it comes to the spiritual bully, the solution sounds simple, but it will take work. You must resist, fight against, and remain strong against the devil. How? Through prayer, the Word, trust, belief and faith.
Avenues of Aspiration
Reflection Road
- Can you think of a time, when the devil whispered something unpleasant in your mind about yourself, or magnified an incident out of proportion? Did you listen? Did feel bad about yourself?
- When bleak or depressing thoughts come to mind the spiritual bully is working. Stop and begin to confess the Word of God out loud to combat the fiery darts of the spiritual bully.
- Begin to think about what you are thinking. Is God speaking to you of grace and peace? Or the devil with stresses and messes?
Devil’s Drive
The devil is aggressive and persistent. He will use forceful methods to fight you. He knows your weaknesses, and will use them to the best of his abilities. If your weakness is your appearance, he will constantly he remind you of your flaws. As far as persistent, he will continue to speak negativity in your mind. He will not stop. The combat method is not to stop his negative thoughts, but to fight them with the Word of God. If he starts on one issue and you win that battle, he will come back in in another area. Remember this is war. It will get easier once you can identify it is him and use the weapons of choice. The weapons will always be the Word of God and prayer.
World’s Way
The devil has convinced a majority of the world he does not exist. He is some imaginary person or illusion existing only in horror movies, or an image for Halloween costumes. He has deceived the world in thinking all tragedies and catastrophes are caused by God. And our loving Heavenly Father is the blame for all problems. He enjoys this illusion, because he can sit behind the scenes whispering evil in your mind.
Personal Pathway
The Spiritual Bully attacks all of us. In the morning, I have noticed the first attack before I barely open my eyes. Finances, job issues and family matters begin to churn. The first thing I say is a prayer to God. Praising His Holy name and thanking Him for all of His blessing small and large initiates the intimate conversation. I thank Him for His free gifts of love, righteousness, grace, peace and joy. I ask Him to bless me so I can be a blessing to others. Guidance and instruction of my days follows. Lastly, I declare I am the righteousness of God. I call this my morning eye opening prayer. Other prayers follow all through the day.
Lord’s Lane
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8King James Version (KJV) Isaiah 14:14King James Version (KJV)
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 1 Peter 3:12King James Version (KJV)
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12King James Version (KJV)
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7King James Version (KJV)
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9King James Version (KJV)