Prophetic Word – Devouring Spirits

This prophetic word is about Devouring spirits, how to discern them and how to get rid of them.  We’ve been talking about the thief so we need to also address the devouring spirits.

Who is this word for?  Those of you who may feel like you’ve worked really hard and have yet to see the fruit of your labor.  Or you take one step forward and two steps back, as they say, when it comes to your progress in life.

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There are several scriptures in the Bible that refer to the locusts as the devourer.  The Bible also shows 4 different types of the locusts.  I would imagine that in today’s world you would be thinking “but I’m not a farmer, I don’t have a garden so how would this affect me?”

Well, you can take the teaching and look at how it applies to you in your life.  You don’t have to be a farmer, the locust can still show up spiritually.  The question is, would you be able to identify it?

Joel 1:4 KJV

That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.

NKJV

What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.

NASB

What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.

I’m giving it to you in different versions so that you can see that the locusts are represented in different life cycles, at different stages of growth so that in the end everything gets devoured.

The fact that they are referenced in different life cycles says that if you don’t identify and stop it when it just arrives (baby stages), you will have to deal with it when it morphs into another stage, and if you don’t catch it at that stage you will have to deal with it at the next stage, and if you ignore it then?  The final stage arrives when it is completely out of control.

So, let’s examine the growth cycle of this devouring spirit.

1. Stripping Locusts –  A primitive root; to eat off — consume.

caterpillar From chacal; the ravager, i.e. A locust — caterpillar.

Caterpillars are so cute, aren’t they?  This is the first stage of the devourer. They almost appear so harmless. Slowly crawling along but if you allow them to stay there they will slowly begin to strip away what God is growing in you.  It’s that thing that looks very harmless to begin with but if you don’t “nip it in the bud” the minute you see it, it begins to consume everything that you have worked so hard to produce and achieve.  I want you to know that a devouring spirit doesn’t show up unless you have something to devour.

Caterpillars don’t show up for dry dead branches.  No, they show up for FRUIT!  That means that you are producing something or they wouldn’t be there.  You start attracting them when they SEE it.  Even if you can’t see it in your own life, in the realm of the spirit you are already a champion and a winner. The minute they pick up that you are going somewhere….here they come!

 

Watch this video and glean the spiritual significance of getting rid of them the minute you see them.

Please put on your spiritual ears to hear this.  Pray in tongues while you’re watching it and ask God to show you if you have caterpillars in your life…

What jumped out for you on that video?  Write it in the comments.  If you have a scripture to share, you can do that as well.

2. Young Locusts – cankerworm, caterpillar

From an unused root meaning to lick up; a devourer; specifically, the young locust — cankerworm, caterpillar.

They move slowly but it’s moving at a faster pace than a caterpillar.  They start at the base of a tree (notice now they are attacking trees, fully grown ministries, fully grown businesses) they inch their way to the top and if you don’t put things in place to stop them from getting to your branches they will go there and devour everything!  Also, when you are next to other trees (PEOPLE and businesses) who have cankerworms they transfer to you.  Because of your proximity to people, businesses, ministries who have cankerworms, the minute that ministry figures out who they are and show them the door…you’re next! Because the branches are touching.  The minute you identify it affecting others, make sure your branches are not touching theirs.  What I mean by this is, do not take advise from people on solving issues that they have yet to solve for themselves.  When you have a group of ministers who hang out together more than likely when the cankerworms leave one ministry they travel over to the other ministry and start with the same mischief.  It was the proximity that brought them to you.

Same goes if you start to pray for your friends or family members and they have devouring spirits attached to them, if you don’t cover yourself under the armor of God before you take that on in prayer, they will try to attach to you. Proximity.

Talk to your friends and your family members, let them know you are seeing things and they need to guard against it.

Watch this video…

The minute you identify them, put things in place to stop them from going up to the top, climbing the ladder, having leadership positions in your church or business.  They should never have the ability to influence your decision making process because they are destructive!  They are not there to help you, they are there to take from you.  Ask God to show you.

Did you get anything out of this video?  Write in the comments.

3.  Devouring Locusts – palmer-worm

From an unused root meaning to devour; a kind of locust — palmer-worm. gnawing locusts

Gnawing locusts, means that problem has been there for awhile now to the point that you realize you need to get rid of it because it is creating a problem for you.   It is now gnawing at you.  Eating away at you.  Energy vampires they call them.  Taking too much of your time and attention.  Now it is no longer harmless and slow moving, you are aware of its presence and you want it gone!  Have you ever heard of a gnawing pain?  Or gnawing cold?  That doesn’t feel good.  They are a complete annoyance!  It’s taking your T I M E.  A complete time waster.  What are you involved in that’s taking up too much of your time?  Who’s wasting your time?

It is now fully grown, no longer a caterpillar or inching it’s way to the top of your organization.

It’s the Jezebel that didn’t get stopped even though Ahab from the beginning probably saw the markings of the caterpillar.  He ignores it and she works her way in there, get’s married to him and now takes his ring to sign documents pretending that she is him.

By the time Elijah gets to her, it’s not just her anymore, it is her and the 450 false prophets and the entire nation that has now rallied behind her!!!!  Leads to the next point…

4.Swarming Locusts – grasshopper, locust

From rabah; a locust (from its rapid increase) — grasshopper, locust.

Overwhelming many coming from various directions and rapidly increasing in volume.  They are no longer hiding.  They came together and now they start attacking from all angles.  You are totally distracted because there is so much of them and they all have one mission, to completely destroy you.  Eat everything!

What happens is when you don’t address it in the baby stages, it grows and grows into something much bigger and then it becomes out of control to the point where you are now a total victim, running and hiding.

They move in an organized fashion as a group watching the locusts next to them to see what direction they should be heading in.  Do you think this is because they are taking cues from their locusts neighbors?  No.  They have to watch because locusts are cannibals.  Did you know that?  They eat each other therefore they have to pay attention to the pack to make sure that they themselves are not about to be eaten!

Think about it.  How many times in the Bible did the enemy turn against themselves and kill each other?  If you have strife, envy, jealousy, selfish ambition then after they devour one oak tree do you think this type of behavior just goes away?  No! (James 3:16) They transfer from one branch of an oak tree to another one if they can.  If there are no other trees in sight, it is just a matter of time before the swarm devour each other.

Just because the tree got devoured doesn’t mean they stop being locusts, no.  They are still devouring something, either another tree or each other.  Have you ever observed these people on YouTube with these “exposure channels”?  They never stop exposing other people..and generally don’t do anything else but devour other people.  Then they gang up with each other, to turn on one and then eventually they start exposing each other. They are cannibals.  It’s. A. Spirit.

When you meet someone and all they have to say about their last boss, last job, last church, ex whomever, is bad things….well, shortly it will be YOU that they are talking negatively about.  These are not people you want to be friends with.  Otherwise, you’re next!

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When you are the one creating your own locusts

Yep, you can be the one creating your own locusts.  If you have a garden and you plant potatoes and you get a harvest if you don’t save some of those potatoes as “seed potatoes” but instead you devour everything, guess who will never have any more potatoes?

If you don’t save the seeds from your tomato plants but you devour the whole thing, you won’t have any more tomatoes!

You ate everything and you saved nothing!

2 Corinthians 9:10

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness

When God blesses you, you have 2 piles – one to eat and the other to sow/save.  You cannot just eat everything.  Otherwise, you are your own devourer!

We can also have habits and behaviors that devour our own success.  What are some of the bad habits that you have the devour our own success?  These are the things that if you were to stop doing them you know that you will see huge improvements in your life.  Those things are eating away at your progress.

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How do we stop the devourer

First you need to determine how they got there because they will come for 2 reasons:

(1) You have something they want and it is not your fault why they are there or (2) you are walking in disobedience and God is using it to cause you to change course.

Therefore your solution is:

1. Repentance.  Did you expect me to leave this one off the list?  You know I am going to bring it up!

We have to stop making excuses for our bad attitudes and habits.  I believe acknowledging them is the first step and then coming out of agreement with it.  Then ask God to change that about you.  If you are being disobedient, stop!

Exodus 10:13-19 we see that it was through repentance of the Pharaoh that the Lord removed the plague of the locusts.

2  When we recognize the devourer in others around us, we need to address it.  You don’t want the caterpillar to turn into a swarm so the sooner you can address it, the better.

Understand that not everyone is going to take kindly to “NO” or the fact that you have to correct them.  It may even make you very uncomfortable doing it but just think about the outcome if you don’t stop it.

3. God has clearly said in His word that He will rebuke the devourer for our sake.  So even if you messed up and now you’re dealing with a swarm.  God can handle it.

Malachi 3:11

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts;

This scripture in context (verse 3-12) was talking about tithing but the truth is, the overall message is about being obedient.

The enemy roams around looking for whom he can devour. This is like the caterpillar looking for a leaf to start devouring.  You didn’t call it’s attention to attack you but what you do when he arrives will determine how long he can stay and how much damage he can do.

Therefore, your sin gives him legal access to be there.  If you remove the sin, close the door he’s using to access you, he has to go.

Jeremiah 30:16-17

¹⁶ “But all who devour you will be devoured,
    and all your enemies will be sent into exile.
All who plunder you will be plundered,
    and all who attack you will be attacked.
¹⁷ I will give you back your health
    and heal your wounds,” says the Lord.

The Lord can restore everything that the enemy has eaten and more!

Joel 2:25-27

The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost
    to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts,
the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts.
    It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.
²⁶ Once again you will have all the food you want,
    and you will praise the Lord your God,
who does these miracles for you.
    Never again will my people be disgraced.
²⁷ Then you will know that I am among my people Israel,
    that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other.
    Never again will my people be disgraced.

Your sin allowed it to stay but through repentance it can go!

4. I know this may sound strange for some but just by paying attention to your environment you may pick up on cues in the natural that will tell you what is happening in the spirit.  The Bible tells us to watch the animals and they’ll teach us all kinds of lessons (Job 12, Proverbs 6).  So if you come home one day and there is a grasshopper at your front door, why is it there?  Do you normally get grasshoppers?  If you don’t pray about that right away in another day or two you’ll have rats in your house, then roaches and now weevils are in your cupboards.  All of these are devouring creatures.  The problem is that most of the time we ignore the signs when they are staring us right in the face.  If you start to see strange animals and insects around that are not normally there, something is up!!!  Time to pray.  Ask yourself the question, what does this animal do?  Wasps are not bees.  Neither is an ant a roach.  A moth is not a butterfly. Pay attention.

5. Calling on the fire of God.  There are many scriptures where the Lord says He’ll destroy the enemy with fire.

Simple prayer:  Lord, Send Your fire from heaven to destroy the devourer for my sake!  Send fire to destroy the Locusts in my life, the young locusts, the swarming locusts, the creeping locust, the gnawing locusts, the caterpillars, the palmerworms, the cankerworms and all other forms of devouring spirit.  Destroy them all in the name of Jesus.  Give me wisdom to see the doors they are using the access my life so that I may close them.  Give me grace to address every issue you are pointing out to me and the knowledge on how to stop them from coming back in Jesus name, Amen.

In this season of increase, we do not have time to be messing with these devouring spirits!

Praying this helped you.

Blessings!