When you ask a lot of Racers what they’re excited for and what their anticipating to experience on the Race, many will say they want to experience miracles, healings, prophecy, etc. Basically, the supernatural spiritual gifts. I was not one of those racers. I didn’t grow up in a church that falls on the charismatic side of Christianity. I know Jesus casted out demons and performed many miracles while he was on earth because it is talked about throughout the bible, but I wasn’t a racer who desired wholeheartedly to experience them.
I do not have the gift of spiritual discernment. When people say they’ve experienced a miracle or they’ve casted out a demon, I start thinking of all the ways that it could logically happen or if the person was just being fooled. I’m a skeptic and I try to logically explain things. Part of that is from the culture I grew up in, but a lot of it is how my brain works.
This month my team is in Mozambique, Africa. Africa is the continent where a lot of people hear about supernatural things happening (miracles, casting out demons, etc.) and where a lot of racers expect to see them. A lot of the locals believe in Jesus, but their beliefs are mixed with tribal ones. People will proclaim Jesus as their Lord and savior, but still go to a witch doctor for healing or protection. They’ll receive pieces of fabric, string necklaces or other trinkets and believe they’ll bring healing or prosperity.
Mozambique is our 3rd African country and my team hadn’t experienced a lot of the supernatural. Day 1 of ministry our host sat us all down to talk about the ministry and what we’d be doing for the month. One of the first things he asked the group was, “Has anyone casted out a demon before?” I immediately thought “Oh crap, here comes the month where some crazy things happen. I don’t know if I’m ready to experience that nor do I necessarily want to.” Honestly, I was nervous, afraid and skeptical.
The first few nights we camped out at the pastor’s house in Maputo. One night I was woken up by teammates who said they felt darkness and wanted to pray over the city. Some people were scared because there was a lot of noise from dogs, cars, people, etc. I didn’t sense any darkness, but I prayed with them for a little bit and went back to bed. The next morning we talked to the pastor about it and he said it was just a Saturday night and people were out at the bars.
We left Maputo and headed to Chibuto where we were staying for the month. We’re staying on a compound in a very rural area. One of the first nights there I woke up to a teammate screaming at a spirit. Someone was walking outside her tent in the middle of the night and she was scared. She started praying and waking people up to pray over the darkness. What we think actually happened was a different teammate had been sleepwalking.
Ever since the pastor asked about our experience with casting out demons, my teammates seemed to be extra jumpy, on edge and afraid. Also, those two events along with others weren’t helping with my belief in the supernatural being real and active. If anything, I became more of a critic. I believed people were afraid of nothing and being ridiculous.
We attend church every night in a temporary church that has no electricity. One night when we were at the altar praying over people that needed prayer, a man fell over. He was laying face down on the ground and not moving. No one seemed too concerned, so I finished praying over the young man I was praying for. When I was done, I looked over and more of a crowd had gathered around the man. They were praying for him in Portuguese or Xangana, the local language. All of a sudden he started slithering backwards toward the altar trying to get away. Villagers continued to pray over him and he started to bear crawl forward. Some of the men grabbed him and stood him up as people continued to pray over him. He started charging at people, the women and children backed away, while the men grabbed him. People were still praying over him and eventually he relaxed and feel to his knees crying.
A demon had manifested in the man.
While all of that was happening, I thought the man had been “slain in the spirit.” This man fell hard face down and the thud was very audible. He wasn’t moving and I was concerned that he was physically hurt. I knew he wasn’t “slain in the spirit” when he started to creepily slither around on the floor, but I didn’t feel any darkness. I remember the pastor telling us that when a demon manifests we don’t need to be afraid because God gave us authority over them. He also told us to tell the demon to leave and ask that the Holy Spirit fill the space so that the demon doesn’t return. So I prayed those things along with protection over the rest of the crowd. I also thought I’d be scared and full of fear when I encountered my first demon manifestation, but I wasn’t.
This man had a demon cast out of him and I saw the whole thing happen, but I’m still struggling to understand what I saw. I struggle discerning spirits and I tend to be a critic when believing supernatural things occurred. I do know that this man wasn’t faking it.
Even though I struggle understanding spiritual encounters, I have learned more about it. As a believer of Jesus Christ, I don’t need to fear them and I’ve been given authority over them. A believer can’t be possessed, but they can be oppressed. If a demon is cast out, you need to pray that the space is filled with Jesus because the demon will come back with others to see if it can re-enter. There’s still a lot I don’t understand, but that’s ok. I know that I have nothing to be afraid of as a believer and I know the Lord will help me to understand.
If you were wondering what happened to the man that was possessed, I’m excited to tell you that he has given his life over to Jesus and he’s turned away from witch doctor practices. The transformation of this man has been amazing to watch and be witness to. He is filled with so much joy!
