VICTORY OVER WITCHCRAFT (PART 1)

VICTORY OVER WITCHCRAFT (PART 1)

August 16, 2020

Growing up in Africa has its peculiarities that people raised in the western world cannot relate to. While witchcraft exists all over the world, the preponderance of the practice in Africa is something the west cannot relate to. The attendant wickedness makes it even more peculiar. Within Africa, itself is also the obvious heightening of such practices in rural areas. My childhood which was partly in villages, therefore, exposed me to true and fallacious tales of all sorts of good and evil performed with spiritual power. Family oral traditions are laced with a history of the exploits of our ancestors at war, supernatural provisions, and protection from harm. To say the least, all the stories filled me with trepidation and so did the nightmares that characterized my childhood. With more than enough of such talks making the rounds in the villages and my five-year sojourn in the boarding facilities of my high school, my belief in their existence only increased my fears.

Coming into Christ as a teenager was one of the best things that ever happened to me. A sense of freedom from bondage resulted from the revelations of my authority as a believer, the power in the name of Jesus, and the indwelling Spirit and power of God. The revelations came from the teachings of Kenneth E Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, John Osteen, David Oyedepo, and my Pastor, George Adegboye which began to liberate me from my fears. The practical demonstration of the supremacy of the power of God as we forcefully expelled demons regularly in the 1990s in Rhema Chapel, boosted my confidence in demonic forces. The book ‘THE TRIUMPHANT CHURCH’ by Kenneth E Hagin helped to bring balance to our practice of the ministry of deliverance and I am indebted to the wisdom of God given the author to bring balance to several doctrines and practices in the body of Christ before his demise.

However, western authors cannot relate to the nature and preponderance of wicked enchantments and divinations as we have them in Africa. For instance, my wife and I had no idea where we went wrong when in a nightmare she was confronted and attacked for getting pregnant a few months after our wedding. She lost the pregnancy after seven weeks and had to be subjected to an evacuation of the remains of the baby. We were emotionally crushed and wept dearly. We wondered who we offended as we endeavored to live in peace with all men and wished everyone else well. Thank God for the victory He gave us, as we were blessed with a bouncing baby girl a year after. I have since prayed for scores of people over the years with such spiritual conflicts over having children, succeeding academically or professionally, getting married, making progress in life, overcoming sicknesses and diseases, breaking sinful habits, addictions, and a host of other issues that defy human solutions. These are first-hand experiences of mine but seem to amaze some believers because they lack such experiences and also know they are contrary to what the word of God says about believers.

The question is, can a Christian be cursed? Can a child of God be hurt by the forces of darkness? Ideally NO, experientially yes; under certain circumstances. It is the truth we know that makes us free(John 8.32). The believer in Christ Jesus will be freely oppressed by forces of evil if he lacks knowledge of his new identity in Christ and of his redemption rights. We must realize that the whole world lies in wickedness under the dominion of Satan. He was called the prince or ruler of this world by the Lord Jesus in John 14.30. He is the god of this world according to 2 Corinthians 4.4 and the prince of the power of the air according to Ephesians 2.2. However, we are delivered from the power or dominion of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear son according to Colossians 1:12. We are no longer under Satan’s rule and authority. We belong under the rule of God and of His Christ. As citizens of God’s kingdom, we are free from the authority of Satan, his demons, and his human agents like witches. We have been raised up with Christ Jesus and are seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2.5-6; Ephesians 1.19-21). We are hierarchically above Satan and his angels and consequently, beyond their reach. They are below us and are therefore under our feet.

We must also realize the name of Jesus has been given to us in the New Testament and that gives us the right to operate on behalf of Jesus. To use the name of Jesus is to invoke His reputation, power, and authority into a situation. What we cannot do, Jesus can. Who we cannot overcome, Jesus can and that makes us unconquerable from forces of evil. Jesus said in His name, we shall cast out devils (Mark 16.17). Jesus rose from the dead with ALL authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28.18). All that authority is behind his name.

The reality of the indwelling of the Spirit is another reality that gives us victory over forces of evil. We are the TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit according to 1 Corinthians 3.16. With the presence of the Spirit within us, we have a power greater and stronger than demonic forces. We have a power within us that will neutralize witchcraft spells and curses.

The above foundational truths are sufficient spiritual realities to establish our spiritual supremacy over Satan and his cohorts and should therefore give no room for fear or oppression of darkness. To see children of God running from pillar to post in search of deliverance really breaks my heart. It is due to nothing but ignorance of who they are and the authority they can operate within Christ Jesus. In my next article, I will discuss practical ways to gain victory permanently.

One Response

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Family and Parenting

Wisdom Calls (Part 2)

I always wondered why Esau was not only called a profane person but also a fornicator. Fornication is a broad word used for all manners

Read More »
Family and Parenting

WISDOM CALLS

“Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.”‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Wisdom is often described as the rightful application of knowledge. It is

Read More »
Church Growth

TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST

““For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender shoots will not cease.”

Read More »