Well it’s happened again, the thing that I use to be so afraid of, the thing that I prayed I would never witness…demon possessions. It’s month six on the Race and I have already had three experiences with demon possessions and casting out satan. It was our first day visiting the orphanage. We were just going to meet the kids and the pastor, teach some English, play games, and maybe do some painting …at least that’s what we thought would happen. But like everything else on the Race, God always seems to have something so much bigger in store.
It had been a beautiful morning so far. Loving on some kids and rocking precious little Nareen in my arms as he fell asleep. Nareen, my newest love on the Race, is a six year old boy with a terrible rash all over his body, that broke out after he had a blood transfusion. I spent the morning holding him in my arms, rubbing his blistering body, trying to comfort him. We had a wonderful English class, where all the kids participated, and a beautiful attempt at an American lunch of mashed potatoes and sandwiches was served to us. And then all of a sudden all hell broke loose…literally.
Out of no where we hear screaming, one of the little boys with rage in his eyes, had a chair in his hands and was threatening to smash one of the older girls in the head with it. The girl removed the chair from the boy and started screaming in his face, the worst screams I have ever heard in my life. The boy picked up several other dangerous objects and attempted to throw them at her. We were then informed by everyone there that the little boy has a demon inside him and that it manifests quite often. My heart stopped, I couldn’t believe how quickly the atmosphere had changed within a matter of seconds. And just as I was starting to process everything, he grabbed a meat cleaver from the kitchen. Now I was really afraid, I didn’t know what to do. It was like reliving what had happened last month at Teen Challenge all over again. Not again God, I said silently, please not again.
And just as my mind was starting to go towards what could have happen, with a ten year old possessed boy with a knife in his hands, they grabbed it from him and were able to put it out of his reach. And the whole time I remained frozen in my seat, watching the whole thing go down. But in that moment God stirred up something inside me, something that I believe He has been stirring within me for the past two years.
Spiritual warfare was a foreign concept to me. You don’t see possessions and exorcisms in America, outside of Hollywood. So when I started learning more about it and found out that possessions are very much real, I was terrified and almost didn’t want to believe it. But I am here to tell you, I have seen it with my own eyes and can attest, that this battle we are fighting is not of Earthly realms but of spiritual realms. Ever since being first introduced I prayed to God to shield me from spiritual warfare and demon possessions, but I knew it was because He was calling me up, calling me up to something, that at the time I was too afraid to face. But I am ready now. God has prepared me and equipped me. I stand firm in my confidence in The Lord now and know of the authority and power that has been given to me in the name of Jesus.
So I got up from my seat and went over to the little boy. The girl was still screaming in his face and something about it felt so off to me, I knew that her screams were not of that trying to cast out the demon. So I picked up the little boy and took him away from the girl. I tried soothing him and holding him in my arms, not wanting to believe he was possessed, thinking he was probably just a little boy who was upset and needed comforting. But as I soon found out, it was not a little boy I was holding, it was the devil.
My teammates and I struggled to hold him down. He was furious. So we let him go and then it happened. He got down on the ground and there the demon manifested itself as a snake, one of the idols that many Hindus worship. The demon started hissing and raised the little boys hands up above his head, like a snake ready to attack. Now I knew without a doubt that possessions are very much real and why God spent so much of the bible warning against idols. And before there was anytime to be afraid or hesitate, my teammates and I were all on our knees, laying hands on this little boy. Rebuking Satan, in the name of Jesus. Proclaiming the victory that has already been won in Jesus’ name. The pastor yelled that we had to stand the boy up and stand on his feet, literally to crush satan, to trample the snake that possessed this little boy. The little boy then passed out and we held him in our arms. But before we had anytime to be relieved, or even praise Jesus for deliverance, the older girl who had been screaming in his face came over.
The pastor then told us that she was possessed as well. That her and the little boy had opened the door to Satan, by worshiping and kissing a Hindu tree that was planted for different gods, inviting these gods to come inside them. So we were at it again.
We laid hands on her in the name of Jesus and began to rebuke the demons. We commanded the demon to tell us its name. With hthe coldest and most evil look, piercing right to my soul, the girl looked at me, and the demon answered Kali, the same snake god that was inside the little boy. Reliving that moment as I write this sends shivers up my spine, but at the time I was so immersed in the Holy Spirit that the demons look of death given straight to me, made me laugh. I looked the demon in the eyes and told it that I was not afraid, that I am the daughter of the Most High King and that I am given all authority to trample on satan. I screamed that it was powerless and my God is Almighty. That it must flee in the name of my God. That the battle has already been won and that there is no room for satan, in this precious girl. Well that really upset the demon and it continued to hiss and lift the girls hands above her head, in the actions of a snake. The demon said that it did not want to let go of this girl and that it wanted her dead. We continued to stand on her feet, trampling satan, and spent hours praying, rebuking, and worshiping. I was so exhausted. But God was giving me His strength and peace. Many times we thought she was delivered. She passed out multiple times, and had brief moments of herself. She’d sit up and when we asked her her name, she’d smile and say her real name. She then even gave each one of us a hug. She’d drink from the cup which we told her was the blood of Jesus and she would then say Jesus’s name after we’d ask her to proclaim his name. But then we’d start to worship and sing, and the demon would come back. This went on for two hours.
I have quickly learned a lot about demon possessions. I have learned that deliverances are not a one time thing. That it can take a lot to cast out a demon. That a person has to want to be freed and that many have openly invited these demons into them. I have learned the danger of idols. That God spent most of the bible warning against this for a reason. I have learned that spiritual warfare is nothing to be afraid of, but just another way for the King of Glory to have His Glory. This Saturday we are going back with our Pastor to perform the deliverance. Please pray for this young girl and the little boy and the rest of the orphanage. Pray that they will want to be freed. That they will be done with their gods and idols. And that in Jesus’s name this demon will be cast out forever.
I still can’t believe this is my life. That two years ago I was sitting in bed, reading blogs about racers casting out demons and praying that this would never happen to me, that I would never witness a possession. But I am so far from that girl that I use to be. That the things that once terrified me, now I find excitement and honor in, in walking in my authority given to me by God. Many have said that God is preparing our team for mighty things and I believe that with all my heart. There are big things that lie ahead for Team Phoenix in India and in Africa and I am blessed to be apart of it. I am blessed to be fighting for the Kingdom of the Almighty God, the God who tramples on serpents. Now I challenge you…what frightens you? What’s that one thing that you could never envision yourself doing? Give it to God and I promise He will do mighty things with it!
