“ONLY A BREATH AWAY” 161out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!' But he
did not know that the LORD had departed from him" (Judg.
16:20). What had departed was the same "Spirit of the
LORD" that "came mightily upon him" earlier (Judg. 15:14).
Can you imagine being in that spot? You think you're
filled, but you're not. You believe you're anointed, but the
Spirit is gone. Samson was totally unaware that he had
betrayed His calling and His covenant with God. He
believed he still had strength, but the Spirit had vanished
from his life.
The same thing happened to Saul. The Lord rejected
Saul as King because "he has turned back from following
Me, and has not performed My Commandments" (1 Sam.
15:11). Not only did the Spirit leave the King, but
something far worse happened: "The Spirit of the LORD
departed from Saul, and a distressing Spirit from the LORD
troubled him" (1 Sam. 16:14).
The Vacuum Will Be Filled
Do you know that every unbeliever is greatly influenced
by demons? It sounds shocking, but that's what Scripture
says: "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses
and sins, in which you once walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit who now works in the sons of
disobedience" (Eph. 2:1-2).
You say, "But that could never happen to me! I'm filled
with the Holy Spirit." That may be true, but if for any
reason the presence of the Holy Spirit leaves you, a vacuum
is created and that is exactly what Satan is looking for.
Then his influence turns to oppression.
Nobody likes to talk about demons. Preachers don't
preach about them. Christians don't discuss them. And