We often forget that the lives we know are really in the middle of a battle zone for the soul.   Jesus has already won the victory, but not everyone knows that and so the enemy does his best to lure, deceive and taunt.   His lies are smooth, but they have destructive result.

Tonight was one of those nights in our home.  Our house guest just wanted to stay in bed this evening, even though we were supposed to be at Organic Group.   She became rebellious and defiant with Carol and would not speak to me.   It was time for Carol and I to gird ourselves up and stand in the gap.   The triggering mechanism was a lies of hopelessness and the need for comfort…”a cigarette sure would help, you can’t make it without them.”

For nearly an hour we spoke truth and prayed over our guest.  At one point she told me she wanted to return to the street, because she couldn’t handle it anymore.   After an exhausting exchange, love won out.   The Lord once again broke through the lies and darkness, allowing our guest to see the truth of the love around her.  She broke down in tears, having trouble understanding how people could love her enough to fight for her.

Of course the enemy wasn’t quite done yet.  Our Organic Group host and her brother are both smokers.  Bless his heart, he has a learning disability and in his charming, simple way he offered our guest a cigarette.   She stood firm…battle #1 over and done.   She then went to the kitchen to get more coffee and there on the counter was a pack of cigarettes.   She began to tailspin once again.  So we gathered around her, prayed and got beyond it.   On the way home, she began to realize that she had been under the influence of a spirit that was not hers and she also recognized that she had been victorious.

Our guest doesn’t know much about God or Jesus, but He is showing her great things about His love for her.   After our guest went to bed, I had to remind my wife that she too was victorious.  We are both being stretched.  This is not the ministry assignment we originally signed up for, but it is the one God has given us and for that we are grateful.