I have no hesitations talking about the existence of ‘demon spirits’ or ‘spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies’ (Eph. 6:12) with anyone who cares to listen, read, or discuss. That is because on the very day I took that first step and asked Christ into my life 45 years ago, the very first lesson God wanted to teach me... was just how real these spiritual forces of darkness were, and that I better sit up and take notice. I so wish...I had not ‘grown at ease in Zion’ along the way, falling ‘asleep’ to this reality along with ignoring the ‘schemes’ this enemy uses. (Amos 6:1; 2 Cor. 2:11) It was a night, and a lesson I would never forget though. You can read about it on my Blog post platform archive dated 2.17.24.

After weeks of talking to Glen, the gentleman at work who led me to Jesus, I was full of questions, and my heart was hungering to hear more. What fueled this ‘hunger’ in me was all my questions were being answered directly from the Bible, and I wanted to hear more. Even having been raised in a home where we attended church weekly, I knew there was something more...that had escaped or eluded me. Learning that Jesus really existed and desired for me to know Him and walk with Him was like coming out of a dark cave and seeing the ‘light of day’ for the first time. (John 12:35-36; 1 John 1:7)

So on that day I met up with Glen before work, I had a few more questions before we stepped out to his truck and he encouraged me to pray a simple prayer...asking Jesus to come in and ‘take over’ my life. I can’t say I was aware anything ‘significant’...happening when the prayer was finished, but I know I was as sincere as one could be. It was what ‘hit immediately following as we made our way to work that I remember so vividly. My mind was bombarded with an onslaught of waves...of negative thoughts, doubts and ridicule, as if unseen voices were chiding me for the ‘decision’ I had just made in that simple prayer. These waves of thoughts continued to wash over me for the next few hours as I tried to comprehend what was happening to me. Why had I just ‘joined a cult’...and ‘how low and vulnerable had I gotten...that I felt a need to get into some weird religion’.

I’m telling you... a ‘flood’ of every conceivable reason filled my mind as to why I had just made the biggest and dumbest mistake of my life. A few hours later, Glen rode up to where I was working to check on me and see how I was doing. I was very candid with him and told him exactly how I was feeling. And he chuckled, much to my shock. It would later dawn on me as to why he responded in the way he did, because it only confirmed to him, once again ...the truth of God’s word.

You see, Jesus tells the story of a man who went out to ‘sow some seed’ (God’s word). And He mentions how when some seed fell on the hardened ground...that the ‘birds of the air come immediately to devour the seed’. (Mark 4:4,15). Later, when Jesus was alone with His disciples, they asked Him to explain this parable. Can you take a second and go read Luke 8:11-12 and see for yourself what Jesus informed them what was really happening here... with those ‘birds’. And please underline verse 12.

So there I was waiting for an explanation and after Glen’s initial chuckle, he looked up, with tears in his eyes, and he shared with me that the moment anyone begins to turn (repent) and move in the direction towards God...that the ‘devil’ will do everything in his power to interfere and hinder that decision.

Needless to say, I was incredulous. We had talked about a lot of things in the weeks leading up to my decision to turn my life over to Jesus, but I don’t recall much talk about ‘devils and demons’. And at that moment, everything changed. I was either about to dismiss and toss aside all that had transpired up to that point as nothing but silly superstition, or I was going to have to come to terms that there was a lot more going on in this world that I was ignorant of; and if I could not trust Jesus, then who could I trust? You can read that older blog post to see just how God ‘opened my eyes’ for Lesson 1. To this day, it remains the most horrifying night of my life.

Welcome to the ‘spiritual war’ we all are in. (2 Cor. 10:3-5). Here’s a piece of advice we should all be taught: Don’t be like the “children of Ephraim, who being armed and carrying bows...turned back in the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in His ways and law.” (Ps. 78:9-10). ‘Believers’... are instructed to ‘resist the devil’, not to ignore him. (James 4:7; Eph. 4:27). Join me tomorrow?