Bitterness and Rebellion

My late husband's bitterness grew and grew over the years. Many doors were opened to the demonic realm around us. Rebellion was as deeply entrenched as bitterness and it continued to prevail until the last year or two of Tom's life. Rebellion and bitterness rendered Tom unable to see, hear or receive love. I vividly remember one afternoon sitting and visiting with him for about 3-4 hours and it was very pleasant. I made a comment that I perceived as constructive criticism. Tom immediately reacted as if the whole afternoon was spent with me verbally criticizing and being negative toward him.

It was then that I realized Tom was unable to see, hear or feel love from me. God gave me the following imagery: 
Love words and words of kindness were represented by pink and red.
Critical and negative words were represented by grey and black.

That afternoon, many pink and red words were exchanged and all was pleasant. But when one comment of grey or black words was made, Tom reacted as if the whole afternoon had been spent in this dark place. It was profoundly obvious the damage bitterness and a critical spirit had had on Tom's ability to relate to me in the Spirit.

People who are given over to a bitter spirit or a spirit of rebellion are incapable of seeing, feeling, hearing and expressing sincere, pure love from any source. They are in bondage and are held captive by their sin, even though they may be born again and their Spirit loves God with all their heart, their capacity to give and receive love is severely hindered. Their Spirit suffers imprisonment. But Tom pressed on and survived in spite of being oppressed and unable to receive the goodness of God, His glory, friendship with The Comforter, as well as, love from Him and others in his life. My husband's spirit was often overshadowed by his flesh. He seldom, if ever, read the Word of God and He often accused me of being a hypocrit because I did spend so much time in the Word. But when Tom was in the Spirit, he loved people with as profound a self sacrificing love as one can have this side of eternity future. My husband was a great man.