The Way of Deliverance 549
I could never control myself or could I once manage myself much
better? By answering these questions the person ought to be able to
perceive whether he lacks his normal state, is under attack, or has
grown passive. He in addition will be helped in delineating what his
normal state is.
To define what his original condition was, a person must
acknowledge and believe initially that he does have a normal state.
Though he has fallen today, he nonetheless once experienced a better
life. Precisely that is his normal state towards which he should aspire
to be restored. Normalcy means nothing but one’s normal state. If he
finds it difficult to decide what his normalcy is, then let him recall
the best experience of his life when his spirit was strong, memory
and thought clear, and body most healthy. Let him adopt that as his
normalcy. It can afford him a minimum measure to which he ought
to attain. He should not be content with any measurement less than
that condition. And there is no reason why he should not be able to
arrive at that state since he once was there. Yet even that is still not
his highest possibility. Consequently he must at least regain his
normalcy and refuse to ever again descend from it.
By comparing his present situation to that of his former days the
Christian can determine how far he is now from what he once was.
He whose mind is being assaulted can now see how weak his
memory and thinking have become. And he whose body is being
attacked can well appreciate how low his strength today is in
comparison with his former strength. Upon realizing he has fallen
from his normalcy he immediately should exercise his will to resist
the present abnormal condition and strive to be restored to his normal
state. Usually the evil spirits will withstand such attempted
overthrowing of their strongholds. They will begin to suggest to the
believer: You are now old, naturally you cannot expect to have as
strong a mind as a youth; man’s ability deteriorates according to
years. Or, if you are young, they will intimate: Due to an inborn
deficiency you of course cannot, like the others, enjoy the blessing of