My friends and family tell me I have some very unique stories and experiences…would you like me to share? 

On Friday’s a group of 4 of us get together and do the Open Door Technique (see resources page if you want to know more). Essentially, we each come with a question and listen to God’s answers. A couple of Friday’s ago the answer to my question was very unexpected, someone heard God mention fasting. i didn’t know what that meant at the time but it stuck in my mind. The next morning I had a very strong sense I was to take it literally and I started fasting…but I didn’t now how long it would last. God told me he would let me know. 

Later that day I went for an easy hike with a friend. I reminded God that fasting and hiking in the heat isn’t normally a great combination but he said to go ahead. My friend was spiritually in a rough spot and God had plans to help her. On the way to the hike I noticed she was acting strange. As she talked she would add “side notes” to the conversation in a really quiet voice that was very sarcastic. In each case she would look to the side as though talking quietly to someone even though I was the only one there. After this happened a few times I remember thinking it was as though there was a second “person” with her who was clearly not very nice. My guess is she was not aware of it. 

We started our hike and this strange “conversation” kept going from time to time and my friend seemed agitated and maybe somewhat angry. Halfway through the hike we discovered a picnic bench under some trees so we sat down to talk. God began to do his work and showed me a demon on her back that looked like a beetle and one that was inside of her and had been for a very long time.

This might be a time for a theological conversation about demons living in Christians but….while I have heard that demons cannot live in you once you receive Jesus as your Savior, my experiences both personally and with friends indicate otherwise. I have also listened to respected pastors who say that, while it does not fully make sense to them, they have experienced demons leaving people they know very well, who clearly follow Jesus and have dedicated their lives to him. Regardless of the theology I will share the story and each of us will have to work it through with God. 

It became clear to both me and my friend that she had something deep within her that was wreaking havoc. We didn’t know if it was a memory, agreement, or something more sinister but we had talked about it a number of times over our friendship and both knew she would need to deal with it when the timing was right. The thought terrified her and so we had not yet gotten to it yet. 

After talking for awhile, the timing seemed right and I shared that there was a demon on her back. I don’t normally say anything right away because it can really freak people and it doesn’t always go well, so I am a bit cautious. But, this friend had come to me for help and I knew we were there for that reason. In as low key a voice as I could, I mentioned the beetle and asked if she wanted to get rid of it. She was up for it so we started praying. 

As I started, I asked God what we needed to do and he reminded me of the story in the bible of the man who brings his demon possessed son to Jesus after the disciples have been unable to set him free. After Jesus handles the situation the disciples ask: 

Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. Mark 9:29 (KJV)

At that moment I understood my need to fast and why God had cleared my calendar the last 24 hours so I could spend time with him. This realization amazed me because I had no idea I needed to fast and yet he found a way to make it clear. 

As we prayed, my friend rebuked the beetle demon and it simply left. Then we started in on the one with tentacles that went back many, many years. Jesus guided us through some forgiveness and helped us understand just enough about why it was there to deal with it. We covered it with what looked like liquid duct tape so the hooks and thorns couldn’t do any harm and bound it and sent it to the pit. Of course, since it has no authority or other option, It went. 

My friend mentioned another one she saw in her esophagus that looked like an octopus. As we started to approach that one things got really interesting. I heard something going on about 50 yards away on the trail where we hiked earlier. I could see a woman walking slowly and talking loudly – almost yelling – into the air. I could “see” the “crazy” around her. Then I heard a man behind her but couldn’t see him because of a tree. I looked for a couple of seconds and then saw him. He was “yelling” at this woman and calling her “crazy woman”. For some reason that title really offended me. I could “see” the demons at work in them, wreaking havoc on these people’s lives and I was indignant. While I was extremely drawn to this event, God reminded me that I was with a friend so i turned back to her for a moment and said “hang on – I have to do something”. She was fine with it so I returned my attention to this couple and it became clear I was to get rid of the demons. From the picnic bench i simply bound them, told them to get away from this couple and sent them to the foot of the cross for Jesus to deal with. As I write this Jesus is letting me know, as he smiles, that I am welcome to send them away for all eternity in his name rather than putting them at the foot of the cross. Jokingly he is showing me how crowded it can get at the foot of the cross and it adds the extra step of him having to sweep them up. This is really funny to me because he know how efficient I like to be.

Once the demons were gone I asked God what he wanted to fill them with. This is such an important step to ensure we don’t open someone up to something worse.  

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”Luke 11:24-26

I started to pray for the Holy Spirit to fill them and clearly “knew” this couple had known each other a long time and were deeply in love. It was so sweet. I prayed into them the love and remembrance of how much they cared for each other. I commanded the man to never call her “crazy woman” ever again and replaced these words with ones of sanity and love.

All of this took only a few minutes and, as it happened, the couple simply walked along the path. At first they were still talking loudly with each other but as it continued they were more quiet in their conversation. After praying for love to return, the place on the path where they were walking went behind some trees so I couldn’t see them for 10-15 seconds. When they came out behind the trees I saw the woman sit down on a bench, the man came over, sat next to her and she leaned her head onto his shoulder. He leaned into her and kissed her cheek. I was in awe!

As I turned to my friend asking “Did that really just happen?!” we heard the woman say “Out, out, out”. Was she getting rid of other demons or agreeing to the work we just did? I am not sure, but the words were unmistakeable. My friend and I laughed and wondered what was happening in their conversation to lead her to say that. My friend replied “yes, that just happened!”

About 10 minutes later we saw them get up and continue on their walk, holding hands. It was truly amazing!

Again, there is a theological questions going on behind the scenes. Was it right for me to do this without this couple’s knowledge? Is it okay to cast out demons when I don’t know if the people are Christians? These are REALLY good questions. However, in that moment, God made what I was to do so clear to me that would simply would not have refused or put a pause on the work in order to have a theological discussion with him. As is always true, when demons are involved it is so essential to keep our eyes on Jesus. He will always let us know what to do.

My friend and I then turned our attention back to the octopus looking demon she was still dealing with and God showed us how to get rid of it. It left her, yet it was connected to something much larger in the world, but it wasn’t time to deal with that. Stay tuned, maybe there will be another blog in the next few weeks or months about the overall entity but the part that was bothering my friend is bound and no longer an issue. 

After the work God did, my friend’s face looked significantly different, she had some light back in her eyes and color to her skin. Her energy was stronger and she was able to laugh. Best of all… that little side conversation / voice I mentioned was gone.

Between the fasting, prayer and incredible faith God put in me that day – it was an incredible combination for fighting demons! 

So much fun!!!!!

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