“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
When I was a young believer, I experienced some very unusual and manifested spiritual warfare. I had never felt or experienced anything like it, and frankly, I never want to again. I was terrified. For some reason beyond my comprehension, God pulled back the curtain of the spiritual world a little bit in my life in that season and allowed me to experience some things that shook me to the core. It was the catalyst of my Christian conversion. In short, I saw the power of Satan and demons in an unusual way and was utterly overwhelmed. It was the darkest season of my life.
I know that sharing something like this can seem bizarre, and it was highly unusual, but the spiritual world is very real, even though we don’t give it much thought on a daily basis. This unusual unveiling in my life allowed me to see that I had been headed in the wrong direction in life, living for myself and in disregard for God. It also made me realize how much we take for granted and how little it would take on God’s part to make us see how truly vulnerable we are without Him.
1 Peter 5:8 warns us, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Thankfully, we don’t need to be afraid, because God is with us and He is much greater than the devil. He has a powerful rod and staff of protection. He stands guard on our behalf, and no one can snatch us out of His hand (John 10:28).
Perhaps you are going through a dark valley in your life. It might not be manifested spiritual warfare like it was for me, but maybe it is depression, the recent loss of a loved one, or an ongoing anxiety. In a very real way, even when you can’t sense it, God is with you. He is watching over you with His powerful strength and protection. I pray that God would open our eyes just a little bit more to see that truth today. He is with us always.