I SHOT THE DEVIL, BUT HE SMILED AT ME.

 

"The head pastor is not his usual self today," I thought as he walked into the hall, looking like the last surviving troop member sent on a deadly mission. One of the young pastors was leading a prayer session. Still, the atmosphere wasn't jubilant enough because he was stressing the Believer's authority in Christ and the need to know who they are in Christ before embarking on the journey of warfare. Seeing the man of God approach his seat in such a mood, I thought he would walk away for us to have real warfare, knowing that the "spiritual bulldozer" was in the building, but this young man continued. Before he could raise the prayer point, the spiritual bulldozer had already climbed the altar with a microphone. To make the young Pastor aware, we stood on our feet to acknowledge the presence of absolute authority. I wondered why we didn't stand while the young Pastor was leading the prayers, but who was I to ask the older woman by me who was hissing and looking at the entrance since the young man took the microphone for his prayer session?

 

The prayer bulldozer tested his microphone with a strong statement: "The devil made a mistake when he attempted to attack me this evening, knowing very well that tonight is war night." To that statement, the older woman jumped to her feet like a fetish priestess that has been intoxicated with some chants. "Turn to your neighbour and tell him or her that we are not here to joke," the head pastor said. The minute I turned to that older woman, I knew the devil would be buried that night. I couldn't pinpoint whatever it was she was there to battle, but I knew the devil and his cohorts had touched the wrong daughter of Eve. For the young lady to my left, I knew she was there to find a husband because she had a white sheet with the names of four gentlemen. I could easily give her an answer to the prayer request because I realised that one of the names had a love symbol drawn with a red pen. "She is just here to cause useless heavenly traffic," I said.

 

"Take out your best weapon tonight because we will start by shooting the devil," he added after we turned to each other to make the previous comment. "Wait, did he say shoot the devil? How can we shoot the devil? I don't even know the types of weapons to think of the best. Why didn't they give this memo on their pamphlets when they planned this program? I only know AK47. My God! I can't win the battle I brought to the Lord," I said to myself as I began to look around, hoping to get some suggestions of the types of guns. My panic took a different turn when I saw the older woman take the poster stance of Rambo with a machine gun. It was then the image of a machine gun came to mind. Immediately, I took a similar stance, waiting for the commander-general to give the instruction. "Fire!!," he commanded. The auditorium echoed with all kinds of gun sounds. My goodness, for a second thought, I was at a playground. "Wait!" he said, and the church went quiet. "You are not taking this exercise seriously. Everybody should close their eyes. I want you to clear your mind and begin to imagine the devil in front of you. Now begin to fire all your bullets, and don't stop reloading," he added with an angry face.

 

With my eyes closed, I could see a disfigured face looking at me and smiling. I opened my eyes immediately, and it was as if the image was stuck in my mind. The annoying part was that the image was before me each time I looked either to my left or right. "This Pastor has put me in trouble. Asem b3n nie" was my immediate thought. Well, I either looked tough and got to work, or I knew this creature would make a mockery of me here. I began to spit out all kinds of gun sounds. I immediately saw the bullets bouncing off the beast as it kept smiling. I knew this was the end for me. But then, the young man's message rang in my spirit. I remember that he emphasised the importance of the blood of Jesus, our identity in Christ and where we are seated in Christ. The scripture he read, Colossians 2:15, began replaying in my mind.

 

Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Colossians 2:15 (NLT)

In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

 

Like a man drunk in the spirit, I smiled at it and boldly stated, "You are not worth my time. My Lord and Master made a mockery of you and your master years ago. I am in Christ and Christ in God. I am seated far above your realm. You are no one in my realm. You have no place in my realm. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. I sit and swim in the blood of Jesus. Before I count one, get out of here." The smile on its face faded, and I immediately sat down to ignore it. "Eeeeiii! Where from this strength? Wow!" I said to myself. I have never felt much peace during an all-night like I felt that night. I felt satisfied for the first time in years before church service ended.

I came back from that imaginative thinking only to find out that the head Pastor was the grown version of an ignorant me, and the younger Pastor was me and what I needed to know currently to be a better version than that grown version I saw.

 

My brother and sister in the Lord, IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO KNOW THE STORY OF JESUS CHRIST. You must understand what His life and living on this earth and after means to your Christian walk.

If Jesus healed the sick, it should mean something to your Christian walk.

If the presence of Jesus made demons uncomfortable, it should mean something to you, who now carries Him wherever you go. How are demons comfortable in your presence, and you are not questioning it?

If Jesus brought the dead to life, how are you comfortable with things dying in and around you?

If Jesus taught all to bring them out of darkness, why are you comfortable with the people around you being in darkness with all the knowledge and insight you have in the Word of God?

If Jesus died to bring salvation to all, including you, why are you refusing to go to the very place He is asking you to go and spread His word to the lost?

 

Why have you abandoned your authority in Christ so that the devil and his cohorts can make a mockery of your Lord and Master? We are to perpetually mock the kingdom of darkness and keep them in that state until we go home. Don't be deceived; that isn't the definition of humility.

You are not doing the Kingdom of Light a favour by being silent when you need to speak to cast out demons and frustrate the enemy's operations. What light is in you if it tolerates darkness? Our Father sent us on earth to frustrate the works of the kingdom of darkness. Don't be silent now when your spirit makes you uncomfortable with what is happening.

 

DAILY CONFESSION: In the name of Jesus, I frustrate the works of the enemy in and around me today. I am soaked in the blood of Jesus. I carry the Holy Spirit of God. I am a terror to the kingdom of darkness wherever I find myself. I cannot and will not be a specimen for demonic arrows. My organs are responding perfectly because I carry the life of Christ. My body cannot carry sickness because there is no sickness in Christ. I live and walk according to the dictates of the Holy Spirit. I have the wisdom of God, and I cherish and uphold that above the carnal ways of men. I am forgiven and free. I will not be imprisoned by my guilts. I am favoured. I am blessed. I carry God, so wherever I find myself, I have introduced God. No man can bring me down. I cannot be cursed. I am the definition of every good thing the Lord want to make available in a territory. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Holy Spirit.

 

Remain in the blessings of God as you remain in Christ.

MD.