Hello, everyone! I hope y’all are doing well.
A few weeks ago, my squad was asked to accompany some folks from REAP to cast out demons from a house.
Yes, cast out demons.
It was dark and raining when we pulled up to the property. The house was a home to a mother and two boys. Two members of REAP spoke to the family to understand what they had been going through. Their collective experience included having nightmares, feeling chills, seeing shadows, and hearing voices. When one of the boys was asked what he had heard the demons saying, he fell over and needed to be physically supported to stand.
We began to pray for the boy and his family and eventually split up to pray that any demonic forces would be cast out of the home in the name of Jesus Christ.
I went outside to pray over their backyard. One member of our squad—who is gifted in spiritual discernment—felt a spirit of fear and hopelessness in this area, especially surrounding the pigs that were there. As we spent more time at the house, this squad member’s voice became hoarse. She eventually lost it altogether. As I prayed over the larger of the two pigs in the name of Jesus Christ, it proceeded to squeal off and on for a few minutes. I was reminded of Luke 8:26-39, where Jesus cast out demons from a man and commanded them to enter a herd of pigs.
When we went back to the house the next day, we spent time in worship and in prayer for the family and their home. The family said that they were no longer having nightmares, seeing figures, or hearing voices.
What the HECK is going on?
A few days later, we were asked to accompany some members of REAP to pray over another home experiencing demonic activity. This house was home to a mother and three to four children. The mother had felt strange things in the home and the oldest child had seen a spirit. The youngest child was a baby. At less than a month old, he was having ten to eleven seizures a day. Despite these seizures, he was found to be healthy when he was brought to the doctor. From a medical perspective, the cause of his seizures was unknown.
I prayed for the mother and the baby. A friend of mine from REAP translated my prayer to them. Among other things, I prayed that any sickness in the child would be cast out in the name of Jesus Christ.
We split up and prayed over the home. The squad member that had sensed the spirit of fear and hopelessness in the first home sensed a spirit of unrest over a specific corner of this home. When we moved to this corner and prayed that demons be cast out in the name of Jesus Christ, the baby began to have a seizure in the next room. The seizure was short-lived and he had recovered by the time we went back to REAP.
Before we left, however, the oldest son (who had previously not been home) entered the house and spoke with the members of REAP that had come with us. The son, who had seen a spirit in the room, said that he had seen it in the SAME CORNER of the home that my squad mate had sensed it.
Again—what the HECK is going on?
A passage of Scripture that has been incredibly encouraging to me in this season is Luke 10:17-20. In this passage, seventy-two individuals that Jesus appointed to spread the word about the kingdom of God return to Jesus to speak about what they experienced after being appointed:
“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He (Jesus) replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.””
The works done by this authority doesn’t make the one who does them superior to others. This is why Jesus says “…do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” The one to whom this authority is given is a vessel—not the source—of the power that comes with said authority. This authority allows them to “overcome all the power of the enemy.” Not some of the power or most of the power—ALL of the power of the enemy. For those who are in Christ Jesus, there is no nothing to fear in casting out demons. The power that these spirits have is nothing compared to that of the Lord. The authority given by Jesus to be a vessel of His power is something that I am still learning to walk in.
A few days after we went to the second house, our squad received an update on the two houses. A pastor that went to both houses with us said the family in the second house was no longer seeing or feeling the presence of the spirits that were once there. In addition to this, the baby that was having ten to eleven seizures a day was now only having about one seizure every other day. Both families that we visited have experienced peace and freedom from that which they were facing prior to our visits. James 5:16b says that “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” This righteousness is not our own–it was given to us when we called on the name of Jesus and He gave His righteousness to us. All glory and praise be to God!
May this be a testimony to you of the saving power of Yahweh, the Lord Almighty. Grace and peace to you from Granada, Nicaragua!
