Catholic priests are the ghostbusters of the theological world. For years, these vanquishers of dark forces have been shown in movies and even Youtube clips as fighting demonic powers on a regular basis through a mixture of holy weapons and just the right prayer.Spiritual warfare is something my Baptist brethren talk about, but rarely in any meaningful terms. I have heard the stories of people experiencing demons, but I admit that I cannot pin any significant experience in my 14 years of ministry of going toe-to-toe with a demon (unless I can count a few run-ins with youth parents back in the day). So if I lack a demonic Wrestlemania moment, does that mean they're not real?
This comes up because my brother called me a few nights ago and asked what I thought of demons, and specifically if I thought they were real. Short answer: they sound scary, and they're totally real. He went on to tell me of his friend, John, who believed he was being harassed by a demon. John doesn't go to church and called a couple of pastors in his town asking them what he should do. In each instance, the pastor simply didn't believe John's story and took it no further.
So I called John and asked him to tell me his story. Let's put it this way...YIKES! The hairs on my neck are still at attention recalling how John explained this entity's ability to take a visible shape while bringing him feelings of dread and even depression. He was now worried that this "entity" (I told him demon was the correct term) would attempt to possess him and he was highly fearful.
After telling John that I believed him, I asked about his relationship to God. He admitted to having none, though he had been exploring more about God. Long story short, I shared with John the Good News of Jesus and he repented of his sins over the phone and placed his trust in Jesus. Then we had a crash course in Holy Spirit theology and that according to 1 Corinthians 6:19, no one can ever possess Him now that He has become a temple of the Holy Spirit. John hung up the phone sounding much more confident about the future. John is reading the Bible and reports no visits since his salvation.
What is the takeaway? First of all, there were pastors who had an unbeliever call them for hope and they offered NONE. We have the hope of salvation and purpose in Jesus. We must not remain silent!
Secondly, if the Bible warns us of something, we better doggone take it seriously! Jesus spent many days defeating demons who were bringing hopelessness and harm to people all over Israel (Matthew 8:16, Luke 11:20, Bunches:of others). If the Bible says it, we should believe it!
