For the first time in my life, I could feel the darkness of a country. Even stepping out of the airport into the city of Kiev, Ukraine, the feel of this place was different. It seemed more difficult to smile; that it took more effort to breathe, to take a step. These were physical effects of spiritual warfare.
Toto, we’re definitely not in Ireland anymore…
In our first meeting with our ministry contacts, they helped us to understand why it was that we were feeling this way. They explained that there were three main spirits that they had encountered in Ukraine: the spirit of lust, the spirit of rebellion, and the spirit of materialism. These spirits are not of God, but they are deeply rooted in the Ukrainian culture, and the atmosphere of the entire country is affected by them. Part of our job for the month was to battle against these dark forces. But how? There were only 14 of us in a country that seemed to be drowning in darkness. What difference could we really make?
I was inspired by a Word spoken to us through Krista – one of the three Blessing daughters. She said, “In order for our light to shine brighter, the darkness must be darker.”
So, on one of our first days in Ukraine, we set out for the City Center in L’Viv… The town square, if you will. We were supposed to speak to the people. To pray with them. To evangelize. But they wanted nothing to do with us. So, we sat on the steps of a statue in the middle of town, and we sang. Another one of the Blessing daughters, Bria, brought her guitar. We sang worship songs in English, aware that they were full of words that most of these people could not understand. We sang anyway. And as we sang, we began to literally feel the atmosphere shift around us. The darkness and oppression dissolved, and freedom took their place.
We had brought the Light.
However, the enemy was not going down without a bit of a fight. Each of us struggled with at least one of the spirits of darkness that the Blessings had told us about during our time in Ukraine. On top of that, most people on our two teams got unexplainably sick at one point or another. We realized the importance of constant prayer and of continuing to sing, speak, and worship- especially during those times of feeling like that’s the last thing you want to do. God has already won this battle. The enemy has already been defeated. It is our job to hold our ground, remember upon Whom we are centered, and not let the devil think that he has any power over our lives.
So, for the rest of the month, we continued bringing God’s light to the dark places of Ukraine. We organized Vacation Bible School, weekly English Clubs, and a day of pampering for the women of the church. We painted, did yard word, and gardened at the Blessing’s home. No matter what we were doing, we prayed continually for God to make His light apparent through us. And He didn’t disappoint.
Through these experiences, I have made some incredible friends. These are people who I truly hope to meet again someday. They invested in me as I invested in them, and my time spent in Ukraine would not have been as beautiful without them. So, to the Blessing family, Nikki, Marianne (sorry, that’s the best I can do without the Ukrainian alphabet) and Nastya, Marina, and Tanya: Thank you. I hope and pray that you know how much your presence meant to my life.
In truth, Ukraine may have been our first encounter with spiritual warfare, but it will definitely not be our last. We simply must always remember that the battle has already been won. In knowing that with God we already have the victory, we can go boldly into each country armed with His light… and ready for the battle.
