Opposing Forces

Tonight my small group (from church) and I went to downtown Salem to feed its homeless under one of the bridges crossing the Willamette River. I have quite a bit of experience with dealing with the homeless and a whole lot of experience with downtown Salem and its diverse culture. I’d love to spend a substantial amount of time writing about my observations of homelessness and its relation to mental illness, drug use, and alcohol abuse, but I simply don’t have the time.

What I would like to write about, though, is a circumstance that took place with a woman whom we fed this evening. When we showed up, the coordinator of downtown homeless feedings alerted us to the fact that there was a new woman hanging around this evening who apparently was schizophrenic.

When this woman showed up to our serving tables, I knew it. She was a tall leather-skinned skinny woman with damaged over-colored, hand-cut hair who smelt of chemicals and who was completely ignored by all of the homeless. She walked about aimlessly, getting as many helpings of food as she could. Each time she came up, it’s like she was battling over what she would say to us.

Upon her final approach to the serving table, she lost the battle. She took several steps backwards, staggered back and forth, set her eyes in all of our ( the small group’s) direction, stared right through us, and began her otherworldly rant that went something ( it was very hard to understand) like this: “You may not know this but I am a minister ordained by God Himself and I am here to tell you that Jesus Christ did not die for the sins of man, he was murdered…..” After she said that, she spoke for at least another two minutes, but I literally could not understand her and could not get myself to say anything in response or even to acknowledge what she was saying. It was like I couldn’t.

I have had several experiences with the demonic and I knew immediately that this was one of those. I believe that the woman was mentally I’ll, but her inability to control herself, I believe, opened up the door for her to be controlled our influenced by demons.

We didn’t do anything overtly to state that we were a Christian group, but the woman, or whatever was influencing her, just knew. And whatever that was, out of desperation, apparently felt threatened and the need to “attack” us by blatantly denying that Jesus died for the sins of man- almost trying to get us to doubt the very basis of our faith and salvation. It was a vert demonic thing to do.

These are the things evil spirits do; get people to doubt the claims of Christianity and to live in fear and condemnation- not impress people by levitating objects and scaring them by shouting “boo” in the dark.

After the woman was led to make that statement, she started rambling incoherent things that I believe were some stories about her life but I’m not sure. She then said,” thank you” and walked off. It was interesting to me that the only coherent thing she could muster out was the statement denying salvation through Jesus. My heart aches for this woman and all who are controlled by the evil forces of cursed world.

Once again my blog bounces back to the reality that for a time ‘the prince of the power of the air (Satan)’ has much control over the affairs of this world. He knows that he has been defeated by the finished work of Christ on the cross and His glorious resurrection, and that his time is short until Christ returns in judgement to make all things new. Jesus said that the gates of hell cannot prevail against His Church. We must make a stance against the devil and a stand for those he is destroying.

As we approached our final turn on the way home tonight, one of our city’s thousands of mentally ill writhed and wiggled on the grass next to a busy street; mouth wide open, back arched high into the sky, and shoes falling off. Their is much freedom to be declared in this dark city and in countless cities around the world.

2 Responsesto “Opposing Forces”

1. Crystal says:

   August 31, 2010 at 10:32 am

   Good perspective – that for some reason is so easy to lose in the day to day.

   I think my experiences with the demonic has led me to a slightly different conclusion. I think ultimately they want to invalidate Christ, but they do seem to enjoy instilling general fear/terror whenever possible as well.
2. Jennifer Allen says:

   September 1, 2010 at 3:03 pm

   Anthony your post kinda reminded me of some comments i noted while studying Luke.

   When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
   (Luk 8:27-39 ESV)

   After the disciples faith had been sufficiently stretched and then built up by witnessing the awesome all powerful Jesus during the storm at the lake in previous verses they ventured to the shore, full of faith, and ready to met the next challenge head on.

   In this passage Jesus cast out a legion of demons from a man who had been tormented by them to the point that his community had cast him out after they tried unsuccessfully to chain the naked wild man down to keep him from troubling their lives. Jesus came with a mission to release the prisoner from the grip of satans power and control. Jesus, after granting a request of demons for him not to torment them before their appointed time, spoke a word and cast out an entire legion of demons and in doing so he demonstrated his power over all forces of evil. The cast out demons entered into pigs as they requested. The startled herd rushed down the hillside to a lake where they drowned. The community was so upset about their personal loss, even after seeing the former wild man clothed and in his right mind, that they requested for Jesus leave! He did! The man, I’m sure for the first time in his life felt free, safe, loved, and accepted. He didn’t want to leave the Lords side but he was given a mission to declare to his community what the Lord had done.

   Here is a list of what I observed in the passage that will help me to understand my mission to encounter people for Christ and the obstacles that will try to stand in my way.

   1. The man was in poverty, homeless, and ran around without clothing. Showing that we are to reach to the poor and homeless.

   2. The man was not in the right state of mind. Showing that we are to reach those people that most in society consider crazy.

   3. The community was unable to control his wild behavior despite their attempts. Showing us that mans attempt to control sinful behavior will not have lasting results.

   4. The man was driven by the demons to a place of seclusion and loneliness at the tombs. Showing us that satan always wants those he has hold of to live alone and close to death.

   5. Once touched by Christ those once out of their minds will be clothed and in their right mind. (because they are really clothed in Christ and are given a new mind)

   6. Jesus expect those once possessed to be brought back into society to a normal life.

   7. More than one demon can posses a person.

   8. All forces of evil recognize Christ power and are subject to his command.

   9. All forces of evil recognize that there is an appointed time of torment awaiting them. Praise the Lord!

   10. Most people care more about their possessions than their neighbor in need. When they lost some of their lively hood (PIGS) and regained a member to their community they wanted Jesus to leave for fear they would loose more of their PIGS if he stuck around!

   11. If Jesus is asked to leave he doesn’t put up a fight he simply grants the request.

   12. Those possessed by demons once touched by the power of Christ do not want to leave his side. But God has a powerful ministry for them to declare what he as done for them. Making them extremely powerful witnesses of the Gospel.

   13. On your way to reaching these people the demons will try to end your life and they would if it not be for the power of Christ as shown to us on their journey over the lake where they experienced the prince of the power of the air and Christ power over them.

   14. If you rely on the power of Christ and not your own you will be a successful tool that God can use
   in powerful ways to reach people around us that no on else in the community would dare touch!

   15. When Christ radically changes a life not everyone is happy about it.