"I saw the face of a wolf" - Demonic Oppression vs Power of Prayer

For the last 13 years Ruben has gone to sleep with certain apprehension. During the night he often senses that someone is in the room with him, and then feels an oppression to such an extent that he cannot move his arms and legs, or even speak. Sometimes he feels a cool breeze. Then it passes away. He is not dreaming, he is wide awake. Because he feared for his wife and children, he came to a Christian missionary for help....

Ruben and his wife began attending our mother church in Guadalajara, Mexico, about two years ago. After a year they both gave their lives to Christ.

But the demonic oppression became even more intense. I asked if anyone in his ever been involved in the occult or if there were any items in his house tied to the occult. He said that there was a relative deeply involved, but that his house was clean.

Then I asked Reuben and his wife to begin praying in the name of Jesus against this oppression and to fast every afternoon for three days and see what happens. The next week he came back and said that the oppression had become more intense, and that one night when one of his children was in bed with him and his wife, he felt that presence next to him. As he extended his arm over his child to protect him, the presence leaped on him and he saw the terrifying face of a wolf!

Ruben is at war against the powers of darkness. He is not alone. Guadalajara is a very Roman Catholic city, but it is full of witches, palm readers, and all kinds of demonic practice. Many people in our church come from homes where the occult is readily practiced. Almost all those asking for help from demonic oppression have a parent or grandparent or an aunt or uncle who practices witchcraft. Quite frequently this opens a door that affects the extended family.

In the weeks that followed the spiritual attack on Ruben's family, Ruben and his wife continued to pray and fast, and gradually the oppression diminished. They now report that they have not experienced any demonic oppression in more than two months.

The demonic activity in Guadalajara is evident everywhere - in resistance to the gospel, in the 75 percent divorce rate, in much sickness in our churches, in the increasing crime and violence, and more.

Paul reminds us that our struggle is against the vast spiritual forces of evil, but I take encouragement in that God is at work breaking these bonds of oppression - that "He who is in [us] is greater than He who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

(Kenton Wood, MTW church planter in Guadalajara, Mexico, Network Magazine, Summer 2012)

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