Spiritual warfare and testimonials

[This post may disturb some readers. Christians may continue to read on. Don’t worry, it has a happy ending, just like Harry Potter, or so I heard :)]
I had a very engaging conversation with my younger cousins over dinner – boys I seldom talk to for more than a couple of minutes. They have become Christians on their own choice – their parents, like mine, are not Christian. I thanked God inwardly for giving us the chance to share our experiences with each other.
One of them, B, told me of a recent dream where two strangers tapped him from behind and one of them asked him to go somewhere to buy something. The other drew out an ugly, evil face on a piece of paper, and B woke up feeling very uneasy. B has a bible study mate who sees a tall dark shroud staring at her from a corner in her room, during the 7th month. I suggested his group pray in her room together, and that she should play worship music, which seemed to work in driving away the creatures which used to disturb me in the house before it was renovated. But I warned that they should never take things upon themselves – the power isn’t from us but from God.


I told him of how another cousin S woke up in the middle of the night. An invisible creature had put its paws on his chest and he couldn’t move. He could feel it breathing on his face! However, he did manage to say Psalm 23 in his head, and as he got to the phrase “I shall fear no evil…” the creature leapt off his chest. A similar thing happened to my sister – a creature was whispering beside her bed and she was paralysed. She cried out, “Lord Jesus!” and it went away.
However, I told my cousins that we shouldn’t be afraid and transfixed on evil spirits as we should really be fearing God who made all things in heaven and earth. As long as we believe in Him and call on His name, we shall not be harmed. B agreed – he has a friend who can see and hear things, and overheard that the evil spirits would not touch those who believed.
I shared positive stories with B – my testimony about the bus, and how God played a part in matchmaking my bible study mates R and PC, who have been happily married for a few years already.
Then B told me that 7 years ago, while playing competitive basketball in the inter-school semifinals, his team was losing by 10 points. He said a prayer to God to help his team. Suddenly, a local man appeared and advised him to change tactics. B noticed that this man looked ‘brighter’ than other people, in the visual, glowing sense. B spoke to his coach, who did change tactics. B’s team won on the last second – by one point. They made it to the semifinals.
I wasn’t too surprised at how the angel appeared. A friend of mine in Bristol had also asked God repeatedly for a sign, many years ago. From what I was told, one day he came out of a London tube and a Chinese man approached him with flyers, asking if he could tell him about Jesus. My friend turned him down and started to walk off. The man called out behind him, “Didn’t you ask for a sign?” My friend froze, spun round and the man was gone.
When I first heard the story relayed to me by another Christian friend, I didn’t believe it. I asked, what if the station was crowded and the guy ducked? But apparently my friend had spun round really quickly and searched but couldn’t find the man. So B’s personal account kind of confirmed how God works through angels sometimes. Very specific, meaningful and usually in response to a fervent prayer. Then they disappear as quickly as they came, their purpose served.
God has also played my protector for physical things, not just spiritual. I recalled how I heard metallic clanging, shrieking sounds (coming to think of it, like the recent Transformers movie) when I was about to reverse my car unknowingly into a dark hole one evening. I was warned a few times by the sound, and finally realised there was a large hole drilled in the ground behind my car.
Maybe there are times in your life where you wonder, where is God? Maybe He’s speaking but we aren’t listening. Or we’re interpreting things our way. Sometimes He may remain silent so we learn to handle things on our own. But as long as we believe in Him, He is with us.
I should know, because He told me that directly. Several years ago, shortly after sounds were heard around my bedroom and a chill crept up my legs and I heard a woman gasp in my toilet when there wasn’t anyone there, I played worship music fervently, fearful that if I stopped playing it, things would come back again.
I did this fearfully for several days, until His voice came out to me, sound a bit perplexed. He told me not to worry and it wasn’t just about having music. “I am already here,” He emphasised. My pounding heart immediately went back to normal. I felt such great peace that it lasted for days. Now I even sleep without feeling nervous about not having Christian music, because I say my prayers every night and know not to idolise any form of worship. That would be quite an insiduous trick! However, I do play music sometimes for enjoyment, sometimes when I feel like singing praises. It’s never out of fear of evil, or a feeling of obligation. It’s because I want to worship Him. And that’s the most powerful reason.

Comments

  1. kelvin

    “I told him of how another cousin S woke up in the middle of the night. An invisible creature had put its paws on his chest and he couldn’t move. He could feel it breathing on his face! However, he did manage to say Psalm 23 in his head, and as he got to the phrase “I shall fear no evil…” the creature leapt off his chest. A similar thing happened to my sister – a creature was whispering beside her bed and she was paralysed. She cried out, “Lord Jesus!” and it went away.”

  2. mike

    Thank you for sharing this. I was very encouraged reading about your experiences with the Lord and spiritual warfare.

  3. walter

    Van, you know what? I experienced something like this just a few weeks back.
    What happened was that I was sleeping next to my son in his bedroom (we now take turns as he refuses to sleep alone…sigh) and I vividly remembered sensing an apparition moving from my bedroom (where my wife was sleeping), opening the door of that room, opening the door of my son’s bedroom and sleeping beside me.
    The freaky thing was this:
    1) The window to my son’s bedroom shook and when the door was open. This was the exact same sound that it makes each time the door opened.
    2) I felt a hand across my waist when the apparition laid next to me.
    From my recollection, the being was black in colour without any particular form. I was extremely scared when I woke up and quickly went to my own bedroom to sleep. What is unusual is that my son slept soundly throughout the whole episode and didn’t seem particularly disturbed.
    Perhaps next time, I should heed your advice to pray to Him and let the Holy Spirit drive away all other ungodly spirits and demons. I know that prayer works because I have experienced it personally myself when I was hospitalised and in great pain before. When I prayed, He gave a clear sign that He is in charge and what followed was also an incredible sense of peace and relief.

  4. dionne

    Apart from spiritual attacks, unholy or evil surrounds us in many aspects of everyday life -so we need not fear if they try to manifest in our physical surroundings. I always belief that those who suffer spiritual attacks are being tested in their faith – just like Christ during his 40 days in the desert. As long as we stay focused on our true guiding force in life, such beings will have no power over us. Good on you, Van!

  5. Matt du Plooy

    Dear Vanessa,
    I have some information which I believe would be of great benefit to you regarding spiritual
    attacks and give you a deeper understanding of dream deception.
    I have just started a blog, but I see you are on facebook, so i will invite you as a friend.
    Regards,
    Matt

  6. renea brown

    i have never read anything on the “blog” page before. i just went on the website because i have had some things happen to me while i sleep. this page came from God. reading this has really put a calm in my heart. you cant talk to alot of people about this because, well.. you know. thank for this. in His love…

  7. vantan

    Thanks Renea, it is heartening to hear from you. I do hope this blog will continue to stand as testimony of God’s work among us. Take care!

  8. Kate

    I just came I accross this page as I woke up and was desperately searching for answers……
    I’v been having spirituals attacks for about 7years now …….Maybe more, I just became more aware of them around 7years ago. (I call it spiritual attack because I can’t think of any another way to name it )
    To be honnest I have no Idea what it is ……it happens in my sleep (always ) They basically try to choke me. So for a significant amount of time I can’t breathe , feel some areas of my body, wake up or talk.However I stay absolutely aware of what is going on. And it can happen anywhere…( On the bus ,on an airplane in my bed or anywhere else. The only way I can get out of it is by praying in my mind.Call the name of Jesus. It doesn’t always happens with the same strenght. Sometime they are not too persistants or violent but not all the time.( I almost passed away from that).When I happen to wake up I have a really horrible headache I’m sweaty and I can feel their presence eventhough I can’t see them.They usually operate through my dreams I think they try to put me in a specific state of mind. They want me to either be scared or drop my guard…..
    Sometimes I would have no physical reasons to be tired but they would just push me to fall asleep ( In the middle of the day or so . And almost every time I’v had that happening to me, I could sense it ….feel it in air BEFORE I fall asleep. And today is the second time they actually talked to me ……I can hear the words and feel their breath on my ear or face very vividly .
    Through prayers they go away ! I know that for a fact….Thats actually the only way I’v managed to stay alive for as long as I have . But most importantly I would like for that to stop happening in the first place. Now I don’t exactly know what it is. But if there is anybody out there who have had similar experiences or who has infos about something like that .please e-mail me ASAP
    PS: I’v never had any attack in my sleep When I said my prayers before falling asleep……I just so hapen to forget some times for whatever reason .And thats when thay come .
    Stay blessed
    Kate

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