Category: Spiritual warfare

What will you do if a cat or bat or rat…
that has been terrorizing you at night with blood curdling cries and noises, gets
caught in your trap? And just before you smash its head to pieces, it cries out
with a human voice, “Please don’t kill me, have mercy.”

A cat
had been visiting the dormitory of the orphaned kids at Dreamland by night and
they prayed for it to die and looked forward to its demise.

After
many unsuccessful attempts, one night they trapped it, killed and burnt it to
ashes. They celebrated almost all night. As far as they were concerned, that
cat was a witch and had to die.

If
indeed it was a witch, that is, a human being somewhere, taking on the form of
a cat; should they kill it, knowing someone would die if they did?

All
manner of creatures make good pets in many homes. Could this cat be someone’s
pet scavenging for food at night? Could it be a stray cat seeking the warmth or
shelter?

These
were some of the questions that troubled my western missionary friends here
when they heard this story from the kids.

In a
culture where some creatures are categorized as evil or sacred and are either
killed or avoided, a missionary within that culture runs the risk of losing his
message if sentimental feelings for a “harmless” animal beclouds his
perspectives of the host culture.

Presenting the gospel in a way that is not
culturally offensive is what contextualization is all about. That’s our aim. Though
the gospel can be offensive, but as its bearers, we must clothe ourselves
with love, humbly learn from the host culture, find and use that path every culture
unconsciously, yet divinely paves for the gospel to enter it.  

Witches exist
and their manner of manifestation and mobility could be any creature of choice.

Do not
condemn what you’ve not prayerfully tried to understand. Spiritual things are
never logical. Efforts to analyze them and make sense of them end in
frustration and stupid debates.

The
question in this case though is how do you differentiate between a harmless cat
and a witch-cat? When is it real or an illusion? Good or bad?

In the
movie, The Matrix, Neo eventually realizes things
are not as they seem. The world he lives in is an illusion, an organized sham
foisted on him. But the spirit world is real and like Neo, we need an awakening
to first of all see how things really are, and then, reach out to God for fresh
perspectives as we engage the pressures of the culture of the people we are
sent to.

God in
His wisdom gifts us with the ability to discernment spirits (1Cor 12:10). This Spirit helps decipher
such matters.

I told
my friends, “When it becomes a nuisance or you think it’s sinister, kill
it. It was made for man and not the other way round.”

If any
man or woman foolishly decides to take-on the form of a lower creature like a
cat, as a witch and terrorizes me or my family, I’ll kill it without
hesitation. But what if it pleads for mercy? Well, until then.

I was very happy for the Dreamland kids
when they killed and burnt that cat. Don’t hate me, I grew up with pets and
love them. We have two dogs here. But there’s nothing one can give in exchange
for the sense of victory those children felt after killing that cat. It greatly
boosted their prayer life and faith in Jesus.

May Abba gift us landmark testimonies and victories
that will lift us to the next level.

When Anne left Juba for Yei, she was given eight days “holiday” by these evil spirits. But on arriving Yei, her family insisted she must not return to Juba. Her folks knew nothing of whom and what  she’d become and their instructions greatly annoyed her spirit husband and other spirits.

These spirits began to visit her in Yei and started oppressing her family members. Last week, they gave her an ultimatum to return to Juba by 4th November 2011.

At this time, a brother in church had a vision where he saw Anne and two other ladies in great danger. He shared the vision with me and I asked him to prayerfully pay Anne a visit and witness Jesus to her. He did and came back with a horrific story too long for this piece.

He encountered these evil spirits by the seductive spell that over-powered him when he was with Anne that evening. The demons told Anne right there that this preacher is weak. She confronted him with their views of him and he confessed that his mind was dirty as he struggled with lust for her, while ministering to her.

The brother was greatly jolted by Anne’s revelations and experiences with these evil spirits. He asked for prayer of protection for his family and himself. I encouraged him to go back and bring her. He did and our first session with Anne began.

She tried to be as brief as possible but it was clear from her responses and gesticulations that she was deeply involved, confused and afraid. However, we made her understand the following:

1. Those beings are fallen spirits, outcasts of heaven, and defeated enemies of God. To this she replied that the spirits always told her God was wicked and wanted to destroy her life. So she stopped praying to God and has not stepped into a church since meeting these creatures. We exposed their lies and she began to understand that even Satan can manifest himself as an angel of light (2Cor 11:4)

2. These spirits had prospered her business to get her attention and loyalty (Matt 4:8-9). She agreed with this too and told us that many young men are caught by these evil spirits because of their lust for wealth. She knows many other ladies in Yei that she meets on “the other side”.

But her questions were, “Why me?” “How did they make me disappear and reappear on this side?” “Why do these spirits hate God so much?” “Why are they afraid of Jesus and praying people?” “Can God still forgive me and prosper me?” The answers to these questions and others she asked made a way for Jesus into her life.

3. These spirits are doomed to hell fire and they know it (Matt 25:41) but their aim is to take her and as many as they can to hell too. She believed this and confessed they’d tormented her many times and threatened her life severally.

4. We made her understand that if she says her son died and was buried, he’ll never come back to her in this world. The child she meets as her son on the other side is NOT her’s but a demon that took on the image and personality of her son to deceive her (Gen 3:1-6). She was confused here. She claims the boy is growing up right like other kids, how can he not be her son?

Some of these things have no logical explanation, seeing that her experiences are as real to her as her name. But reality in the spirit world is a mystery to the ordinary man.

5. We presented a clear picture of God’s love for her. The Gospel rests on this one truth– God’s love for us is unconditional! (Rom 5:8) She saw that Jesus’ love was different from that of her spirit husband who forced himself on her and took her Son. Jesus was knocking at the door of her heart, asking politely to be let in.

Her struggles to remain part of that world was finally broken when she understood the gentle love of Jesus. She then agreed to invite the Lord into her life and we went to work.

After hours of ministering to this lady, God proved Himself again as JEHOVAH, the Man of War (Exodus 15:3). She was saved and totally delivered!! We’ve started a special discipleship class for her to run daily.

We covet your prayers for Anne and for us too; that Abba will perfect what He’s started within her, use her to save others trapped on “the other side” and strengthen us with might by His Spirit for His glory.

I was quite surprised to witness and hear of increased
demonic activities here since my last visit. From demonic abductions of adults,
rape of ladies by unknown giant males, blatant seductions by teen girls,
there’s no telling what each day holds.

Barely 48hrs after I arrived here, my phone rang and one
of my disciples needed me to come for a deliverance session. It was 9:30pm. A young
girl in his neighborhood was manifesting and they can’t help or handle her. We’ve
seen much of these before in various shades but there’s an alarming upsurge.

The story of Anne (not her real name) is one of those
you hear and wonder. Her encounter with visitors from the underworld has raised
our concerns to new heights. She shared her ordeal with me and two brothers
before she was delivered yesterday.

Anne arrived Yei few weeks ago from Juba where she has
lived for the past three years. She hails from Yambio, a growing town south
west of South Sudan. She’s in her mid to late 20s and a single mum then.

Desperate for the good life, she roamed around Juba
seeking a breakthrough and one day, she picked Five Sudanese pounds ($2.50
then) along the road and instinctively invested it in the business of roasted
fresh corn and that day, she made a profit of Fifty-five Sudanese Pounds ($22.00).
She used that to buy a carton of beer (alcohol) the following day and sold a
total of Nine (9) cartons same day. She soon bought a bar and the business
exploded within weeks. It was a welcomed but unusual phenomenon.

One day, as business boomed, she returned home and
noticed that the single room she shared with her son was illuminated by a light
source from nowhere. There’s no single shadow in the room. She ran back and called
people to come see it, they came but saw nothing. She was the only one seeing
the wonder. As soon as she braved the presence of this indescribable light and
lay down to sleep, a huge and tall white man, glowing all over, appeared and
grabbed her son from her side and immediately the boy died.

After his burial, she began to see this mysterious man
more regularly. He told her if she wanted to see her son again, she should
follow him to “the other side”. She did and saw her son there. No
soul was to know what she’d seen and heard.

Her visits there became more frequent and in time, one
of the men there took her as a wife and she had three children for him; two
boys and a girl. She remarked that this man and others like him are very
jealous beings. He’ll not allow her to have sexual relations with any other man.
It’s been over two years now.

She said there are very many children “on the other
side” and many adults too. Her attempt to describe the beauty of the place
each time made her shudder and her amazement was troubling. She knew from the
first day that the place was not of this world, though it operated in similar
fashion.

I asked, “How do you go there?” She motioned
with her hands and said, “They open the gates for you. When one of them is
walking ahead and another behind, the gate opens and we enter. The chairs there
are made of gold, too many beautiful things and beautiful people with spotless
skin are there.”

How was she delivered?

Read the concluding part
tomorrow.

“The LORD shall go
forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall
cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.” Isaiah 42:13

You may not believe in the powers of witchcraft and occultism. I do
and the Bible isn’t silent on the subject either. Ever wondered how the magicians of
Pharaoh turned their sticks into live snakes? Exodus
7:10-12

During my last mission trip to now South Sudan; on the very first night of
my arrival, I had a most horrific and unforgettable midnight visitation.

Tired from the long road trip from Kampala, I was looking forward to a good
night’s sleep after unpacking my stuff, meeting a handful of friends and
disciples that came to welcome me.

That night, the weather was cool and my entire being needed rest. But just
before I dozed off around 1.30am, I heard something I imagined to be a big bird
land on my roof.

I knew I was not dreaming. Instinctively, I reached for my flashlight but
couldn’t find it. I’d not brought it out from the rest of my stuff. Night birds
like owls roam our area a lot and make very annoying sounds that steal some precious minutes of sleep. But I felt this
was something much bigger, something sinister.

As I lay still, trying to figure out what it was by the sounds it would make,
I began to hear scuffles on the roof. It was like a fight between creatures with claws and a tail. The scratching of claws
and flapping around of what I imagined to be a tail on the roof continued for over
15minutes that seemed like hours. Their movements told me these were big
creatures that could weigh at least 40kgs.

I live cautiously but rarely panicky. That night, I was terrified. The
struggle raged until the “creatures” fell off the roof and landed
hard on the ground beside my window, still “wrestling”.

Within the confines of my well netted bed, I was praying, speaking
in tongues and quoting scriptures. Suddenly, the scuffles ceased. There was a tense calm, so serene it seemed the crickets were silent too and all I
could hear was my heart hammering away.

Then I heard an audible voice I’ll never forget, “They
came for you. They want you but I have you. Nothing will harm or hurt you here.
You are mine.” This statement was repeated to my hearing five times. I don’t know when and how I slept off.

At dawn, I went by that window where the “creatures” fell, hoping
to see something lying dead but I saw nothing. No marks, no foot prints, nothing. I
spent more time than usual, praising and worshiping the Lord that morning.

A mixture of feelings trailed me that week; sometimes I felt like an
endangered species needing a “government decree” to
keep me from poachers [I
had it here]; at other times, I felt like an invincible warrior, destined
for victory [I
had it here too].

It evokes great joy and courage, knowing we have partners praying for our
welfare out there. Better still, acknowledging the unfailing promise of the
Lord’s power, presence and protection as we battle the hordes of hell should motivate us to dare more
boldly.

Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations …And surely I
am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew
28:18-20

Years ago, we use to derive
immense satisfaction and fun from engaging demons and dealing with them. In
those days, you dare not fall to the ground during a prayer meeting, worship
session… If you do, that to us was a clear manifestation of demonic presence
and you’ll not go home until they or it is cast out.

Yes, Jesus said not to be
carried away by the submission of these fallen beings… but the idea of a small
me, kicking the butt of a demon was and still is thrilling. Ha! my name
better be written in heaven… thanks for your concern.

Since arriving Yei a
couple of weeks ago, I’ve heard and witnessed several cases of demonic attacks.
Though I’ve not been involved with any case yet, it’s like there’s a surge of
their activity here. Not even children are spared.

It just struck me that
cases like the ones we have here have diminished back home. Apart from the
stage dramas of T.B. Joshua and his people, I can’t remember when last I
witnessed a real deliverance session back in Lagos.

In the company of two
wonderful friends, we had an unforgettable experience casting out demons from a
15year old boy possessed by fifteen ruthless ones.

It was the last night of
the evangelical outreach on campus; we called it Holy Ghost Night and indeed,
it was His night! 

When it seemed the
commotion of that evening had died down as most students had left the venue, I heard loud prayers and commands to-
“Come Out!!” coming from the uncompleted building near the
hall of meeting. I raced to the point, bubbling with excitement.

There on the ground was
this young boy, pinned down to the floor by six guys. Brother Austin Okeke (now
a pastor) was leading the session. 

I watched for a few
minutes and on hearing the demon speak and make some confessions, I ran to the
hostel to grab a tape recorder. This drama must not go unrecorded.

I returned to the scene
and they had cast out six out of the resident fifteen demons. It was a
methodical approach, one that Bro Austin had not tried before. He asked each
demon to say its name and describe its duties in the boy. One after the other,
they obeyed.

I began to record this
rather bizarre event when the 7^th demon was being interrogated. The
voice of an old man came from this kid as he gnashed his teeth over and over in
a manner that sent cold shivers running through my spine.

After keeping mute for quite sometime, it said, “When a
foolish man holds his peace, he is counted a wise man.”[I cannot forget
my shock 2weeks later when I read the same words from Prov.17:28]

We pressed this demon for
its name and it contorted this boy’s face in a way I can’t even describe and
asked us, “Can you imagine a tree, growing in the midst of the sea?”

Bro Austin tried to
imagine that and said, “So you are Oke osisi” (meaning a great
tree in Igbo language). But no, his name meant more than a great tree.

He said, “My name is Nkpologwu
bina mmiri” (In Igbo language this means: a root that dwells in the
water). On saying this, the young boy shifted with great physical strength and
all six brothers holding him lost their balance. He made it clear to us that he
cannot be uprooted from this kid. But we got him out.

It was late into the night
now and someone advised us to cast the rest out all at once. So everyone
released the boy and began commanding all the demons to go out at once. But to
where?! Each person was casting them to where he felt was safe, some
said “to the moon” another said “to the sun”, to the
Arctic” etc and then the boy made a prolonged loud cry and opened his
eyes. We thought it was all over and retired.

The next day this kid
walked up to Bro Austin and said, “How do you think you can cast all of us
out like that?”

“So you are still in there
eh?”

That Sunday night, Brother
Austin, Brother Ken Nwaopara and I took this boy to a remote area on campus for
the final showdown. We didn’t need a lot of physical restrain to control the
boy that evening. We also kept wondering, “What made this boy come back?”
The only answer was the Holy Spirit.

It was a most amazing
encounter. The remaining eight, each with its own unique voice and
characteristic, told its name, duties and other unsolicited facts we later
confirmed to be true. We heard of past, present and future diabolic local and
international plots, with many other ills neither we nor this kid could have
ever imagined.

Sadly, some of these
horrors are still in the news today; from cultism on campuses, slumber and
nonchalance in the churches in matters dear to Jesus; to leadership issues- one
world government etc. It was an eye opener. We’ll never forget!

We saw from that encounter
that Satan was better organized and more determined than we’re willing to
admit.

When the last demon left
this kid, we knew it. He sprang upon his feet and asked what we were doing
here, why we were sweating… We told him and he wept sore. We led him to
Jesus there.

We know, don’t we, that
Satan’s strategy of deception and camouflage hardly change? But I’m wondering
today, if he has improved on his stealth operations.

Could he be content with
cuffing and blinding some Christians with pride, envy, unforgiveness, assorted
lusts, …, rendering them useless to Jesus and to themselves as they continue
to seek justification for their pitiable status.

I know this blog is too long now but I need to ask if the signs of our
war are manifest where you dwell? Are you moving from victory unto victory… from glory to glory?

“This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk
away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a
life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be
prepared.

You’re up against far more than you can handle on your
own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when
it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet.” Eph 6:12-13 (Msg)

“THE LORD (God)
says to my Lord (the Messiah), Sit at My right hand, until I make Your
adversaries Your footstool.” Ps
110:1 (Amp)