A Plan of Darkness to Bring Financial Ruin

A Plan of Darkness to Bring Financial Ruin
Doug Addison
April 15, 2009

On January 15, 2007 I had an encounter with God while living in Moravian Falls, North Carolina. I was gathering firewood in my backyard when a strong wind began to blow from the south. At first it sounded sweet and seductive, but as it increased in intensity it became deafening. In this spiritual experience the Holy Spirit allowed me to witness a plan of Satan designed to derail Christians in the area of finances.

When the wind stopped I stood shaken from the experience. Then another wind began to blow but this time it was the Holy Spirit speaking to me the meaning of what had just happened. I immediately ran to my office and wrote down what I heard.

The False Wind
The Holy Spirit showed me that in 2005 a deceptive spirit from darkness disguised as an “angel of light” was released like a wind that blew throughout the world, particularly in the USA. The plan of the enemy was to deceive Christians into listening to this deceptive word of direction and get them to believe it was from God. The deceptive instructions included things like: do not work but instead spend time with the Lord; sell everything and you will find the Lord; and do not store up any savings for the future because God will care for you. The deception also included promises of large returns from business deals and investments that eventually failed because they were not from God.

This demonic spirit and false instruction is similar to how Satan tempted Jesus during His time in the wilderness. Satan used scriptures that contained elements of truth but were out of context for the life of Jesus (Mathew 4). Many Christians who heard and acted on this false word stopped working and spent time praying and seeking God. Some people cashed in their retirement plans early and went to ministry schools and conferences over a period of a few years. Most of these people never got the satisfaction they were looking for and yet continued to go to more places seeking the Lord. Others used their life savings and incurred a high amount of credit card debt to take time off. And some people used their savings and borrowed money on business deals that failed miserably.

Some people felt an “impression” from God and others thought God was speaking to them through Bible verses. The enemy used verses such as Matthew 13:44, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Mark 10:21, Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” These are just a couple of examples.

There are elements of truth in verses like these. I remember that God spoke to me in 2001 to take time off and spend it with Him and to sell everything and go after what He has for me to do. However, my wife and I asked for the wisdom of others and received confirmation that this radical calling was truly from God. The result was obvious to those around us as we launched our ministry, InLight Connection. When we follow instructions that are for sure God’s timing and will for our lives, the spiritual and financial return is very evident.

The Effects of This Plan Go Deep
The devastation that this evil spirit has caused is phenomenal. It came just before a huge economic downturn and it cleaned out the bank accounts of many Christians—leaving them with no savings to get through the difficult times at hand. It caused many people to incur a large amount of credit card debt. It also robbed the inheritance of the next generation.

Many children of the people who stopped working began to resent God. They wondered, “Why would God strip my family of money?” This plan was also designed to discourage the next generation from trusting God. In the experience, God showed me that the primary target for this attack was intercessors and Christian business people. The enemy wants to get intercessors bound in worry and debt to distract them from their place of prayer. He wants to get “kingdom minded” business people discouraged from taking risks in the future when God calls them to do so.

A Balance in the Kingdom
God wants us to impact the world with His love, power and acceptance. This requires balancing our lives with spending time with Him and spending time with others. Unfortunately, many Christians have been relationally wounded. This can cause people to withdraw from others and trust God only. When this happens we are not truly fulfilling the commission Jesus gave us to go to the world and help others (Matthew 28:19). In God’s Kingdom there needs to be a balance of believing and doing practical works (James 2:18–29). We need each other and therefore we need to get healed of emotional wounds that would cause us to withdraw from people and cut off the ability for others to speak into our lives.

Learning to hear and know the voice of God is crucial. John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Hebrews 5:14, “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” If we exercise our ability to hear God’s voice, we will not have to worry about being deceived.

“But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.” Luke 12:39 NIV

What I noticed with people who followed this deception is that they heard what they thought was God speaking to them. It came in the “still small voice”. Most of them did not get further confirmation beyond the initial impression they received. Some people did receive wisdom from others advising them to be cautious but they rejected it. On major decisions we must hear God through several means, not just an impression.

It is great to spend time with God, worshiping and soaking in His presence. At one time in my early Christian life, this is all I wanted to do. I had a sincere desire to not work and just be with my newfound love. This is common in the development of our relationship with God. But just as in a marriage, you may have the desire to spend time with the one you love, but eventually you need to work and build a home and ministry to sustain that love. God is calling us all to maturity.

Conclusion and response
This was one of many attacks coming upon Christians in the area of finances. God wants to bless Christians to have money to help people in need during the dark economic times ahead and to have the freedom to serve Him in what He has called you to. This will require us to get out of debt and be wise in our decision making. Just as Joseph gave wisdom to Pharaoh on how to respond to a coming catastrophic disaster, we need to be prepared to do the same (Genesis 41). God is now calling an army of “Josephs” to take what is intended for evil and turn it to good in the area of finances. These are Christians in business, education, entertainment, and government who can hear His voice and act on it in the right time.

I realize that not everyone who lost money in business during the last few years was deceived. Some people were being tested by God and others were simply robbed by the enemy. You will need to pray and ask God if this false spirit was the cause of loss to you or someone you love. I am writing to expose a plan of darkness and help people recover what they lost. If you fell prey to this deception, simply repent and ask God to restore all that was lost. If your children were involved you may want to consider asking their forgiveness and helping them understand God’s heart is love. If your business failed because you took a serious risk without getting wisdom from others, then repent and begin seeking God for the strategy to recover it all!

DOUG ADDISON is the founder of InLight Connection in Santa Maria, CA . He travels worldwide helping people transform their lives and discover their purpose. Doug is a stand-up comedian and his training seminars include hearing God, understanding dreams and visions, and experiencing the supernatural.
www.dougaddison.com