Are you always on Nairaland because you can't face people? And psychologists have described your condition as extreme social anxiety? Have you ever thought that it could be an external invisible influence on your mind. Read my story>

Listen, all my life until now I lived with this wicked spirit. I don't know whether it came upon me at birth or when I was still in the womb but from childhood I knew I was different from other kids. I was weird and preferred my own company. I was extremely shy and afraid of people or any social setting or gathering. When' it was my turn to speak about something I found myself panicking for no known reason.

It got worse as I grew older. Even after I got born again, this spirit was still upon my mind. As long as it remained on me I never had a good quality life. It would pressure me to stay alone, causing other people to stay away from me. In short I was in bondage to this spirit of loneliness.

Last year January, the Lord started to show me his grace and how much he loved me through the cross. He did this through ministers of God who radically preached the gospel of grace. The best for me, was Joseph Prince. I experienced tremendous changes. Note, I experienced changes because all the things I saw manifest in my life were already there for me in Christ Jesus. But through the hearing of faith, they sprouted out. So many chains were broken, and my life had taken a new direction. The "extreme social anxiety" I had was no longer extreme but mild but not very mild. Let me explain, I started walking on the road without panicking much. Before I couldn't dare stare into strangers' eyes for fear of panicking that started to affect even my legs. Standing on queues especially ATM queues became less of a struggle. Previously, once it got to my turn to use the ATM my heart will begin to beat so fast, my hands will start shaking and I will even get a little confused.

This evil spirit started to make me sick too! I had this strange thing happening to me that could not be medically identified. (I won't go into details for now so I don't derail). This spirit of loneliness will cut your life short if you let it. It would have killed you since if it could but God preserved you by his mercies to save you and deliver you. In many churches today, they don't talk about evil spirits because much of the church is ignorant and the consequences are grievous. Child of God don't be ignorant. Jesus while on earth casted out devils many times before there is a mention of him healing the sick because many sicknesses are caused by these "spirits in heavenly places". Anytime the bible talks about Jesus' healing it never does without mentioning that he casted out devils because they are here with us to steal, to kill and to destroy. And they are not merciful! They are not in prison yet remember, they are roaming the earth. Satan wonders about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He seeks who to devour because he can't devour just anyone. But he devours the unbelievers and the ignorant believers!

This year I relocated to a new state. Thanks to God, I got an okay Job but let me tell you, this stinking spirit reared its ugly head like a vengeance. And it tried to turn me into a public spectacle. The strange sick symptom I was having got worse, the panicking got bad. I was tempted to quit the job. The pressure was too much for me. Meanwhile I was still feeding on the gospel of grace, praying in tongues and meditating everyday but I didn't understand why "the anxiety" was getting worse. Though on the inside, I still had peace and joy. But there was this heaviness that was coming upon me. It was depressing. Inside me I was not depressed, but in my emotion I felt traces of depression. It was like I was depressed and not depressed at the same time. My work load piled up and I started to meditate less and less not just because of time but I started to feel discouraged. And this made me scared. Because I knew the solution lies with the Lord, and if I was getting discouraged and leave the Word where would my help come from.

But the still voice of the Lord was "There is light at the end of the tunnel" "You are passing through it right to the top" And like a spark that rose up from the inside of me, I hoped against hope. I asked the Lord to help me and grant me wisdom to get out of this. I thanked him and received it by faith.

After then, the first thing the Lord showed me was how I tolerated this "extreme anxiety" because I thought it was not as bad as before. Its like spotting a cobra under your kitchen table and ignoring it because its not moving around.

The first thing I wanted to get rid of was this strange sickness. (Before I gave up on my ways) I went to several doctors including a vet but none could say what exactly was wrong with me. I will describe to them the symptoms and they will prescribe some drugs for me, then I will feel better but at the end of the medication, I will fall sick again. I made a strong resolve not to take any more drugs because they were just not it at all.

I remember one evening of March, and the Lord skillfully led me to listen to a particular preacher's word on healing. I used to tell myself that one day I'll check out this preacher cos I have a feeling I will be blessed through him. And the Lord was like, "Give him a try now"

I started watching his videos on YouTube. Creflor Dollar's preaching on healing was unique. He emphasized more on exercising spiritual authority over sicknesses, Satan and situations. I was this very passive Christian. Though I saw wonders even while laid back most of the times but I quickly realised that this "passivity" was a problem.

Through Creflor the Lord opened my eyes to the Spiritual authority we as believers have on the earth. Seated with Christ on the throne at the right hand of God the Father far above all principalities and powers. Through Christ and in his name I have authority to cast out devils and heal the sick. When Jesus was on earth he had all power and authority over all, everything and he has given the church this same power and authority to exercise in his name. Authority is not exercised when we believe in our heart or give mental assent to a thing. We can only exercise authority by speaking! Speak! Speak! Speak! I got it. Jesus spoke to either the demons, spirits of infirmity or victims. He commanded them to leave or be healed. He never asked the Father to heal the sick or raise the dead. But we see him thanking the Father because God's will is God's Word and God's Word is God's will. God sent Jesus to save men and heal the broken hearted. And God's word is established already as long as Jesus was on the earth healing was given to mankind. The only thing left was to thank God and give the word through our mouths because that's were the power is released for salvation, healing, deliverance, prosperity, etc. And that was Jesus' ministry on earth which he has given us, the church.

Now, I learned a great a deal. I was already healed two thousand years ago which means this whole thing happening to me was a lie from the father of lies. By the stripes of Jesus i was healed. I was even delivered from satanic influences a long long time ago. You must have this revelation. Because if you don't come to this place where you know that you know that you know you wont be able to use your authority. Get hold of the word. Listen to sermons on righteousness by faith, God's love, healing, spiritual authority, meditate. Do everything to get that word into your heart. And when it gets in, it brings forth revelation, faith and so many fruits. You must come to a place where you don't care about the visible anymore. Where only the Word of God is what you see cos God's word is the reality irrespective of how you feel. With this revelation, I turned from asking the Lord to do what he has done for me already to declaring healing upon my body. I started to radically command my body to be healed in the name of Jesus. But first I rebuked the lying symptom and spirit of infirmity. I kept on rebuking and commanding healing with a vengeance for days,the symptoms have not completely gone but I don't consider my body anymore. I stopped considering my body from the day I saw I was completely healed in Christ. My eyes are transfixed on the finished work of healing and it is from this place of rest and victory that we are to wrestle the unseen forces that try to steal what we have in Christ. I have digressed a lot this healing is a whole topic on its own.

Back to this Spirit of loneliness. From my experience, its important to know what exact spirit is troubling your mind because if you don't know it you can't cast it out. You must call it by an identifiable name. For example if you say "spirit of anxiety" leave in place of "spirit of loneliness" something might leave but it won't be the spirit of loneliness. You might feel less anxious or not anxious anymore but the looming spirit of loneliness will still be there.

In my case I commanded the spirit of fear and intimidation to leave and it left(resist every time you feel it coming back,its not you its a spirit that has no right to be on you). I thought now I could socialise well with people but I was wrong. I was back to work the next day and this pressure to stay away from everyone was still there though I was no longer fearful, the lonely spirit was still there.

I knew I was lonely but I didn't even for once think that a spirit was behind this. I thought it was just me, weird me, introvert. I was wrong! The Lord of course was working in me wisdom and precision. He was guiding my steps. My faith was getting stronger with every authority i exercised. Few days after I rebuked fear and intimidation from my life with no successful result yet on my social life, I was listening to the word on YouTube when I saw another video about identifying satanic spirits by Derek Prince(late). And the Lord prompted me to click on it. I clicked on it and I think after about 4minutes or so he started to mention these spirits. And then he said "... the spirit of loneliness" gbam. I just knew this was it! You just know because you have upon you the auction of God's Spirit. The Lord pressed me to cast it out immediately. And then I went like this, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth you spirit of loneliness get out of my life!" Ever since I learned spiritual authority I've hard this burning anger against the devil and all his agencies.

From that moment I commanded it to leave, it left. I sighed in relief or was it the Holy Sprit that kept sighing in relief inside of me? I don't really know but I found myself sighing continuously for 48 hours. This thing was a defeated foe that sought to destroy my life.

When it left, I realised that not only was I closed up to the people around I was also not fully open to the Lord. I kept to myself most of the times. I didn't have that intimate relationship with the Lord like I should especially going by how much I knew of him. I don't know how that happened but one day everything will be clear to me.

Don't waste 1 second, resist him now and he will flee. He is a coward.