Essie is a young lady of about 25 whom I have known for a while. For many years she went to an evangelical church but never really knew God. She started to visit one of my prayer and teaching groups before I became an Adventist. There she was visited by the Man of Golgotha, Jesus Christ, and believed in Him as her Lord and Savior.
Shortly after Essie accepted Christ, she talked to me during a prayer session. She told me she had not been sleeping well for some time. She would wake up very tired, stressed and confused. This seemed to be the result of a disturbing, recurring dream she had been having that a man came into her bed each night. During the daytime, she felt full of anger and would get into fights with the lady with whom she lived and worked.
This was not the first time I had dealt with this kind of demonic attack. I continued to ask Essie questions, and she confessed her sins. Demons thrive on unconfessed sin, and they can take over your life like annoying renters. I told her that it is written that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Confessing sin is like taking off the doors, windows and roof of the demon’s house, leaving him exposed.
After praying for Essie, I invited her to pray and fast for three days to seek the face of the Lord and ask Him to reveal the source of the problem in her life, and I would do the same.
On the second day, the Lord revealed to me that Essie’s parents had dedicated her to a fetish in their village, and this evil spirit had become her “night husband.” The next morning, I went to her house and had a meeting with Essie’s employer, a Christian lady. I talked with her about how to continue with prayers of deliverance for Essie.
But Satan doesn’t like it when people turn to God for help. Later that day, I got a frantic phone call. They said it looked like Essie was dying. I went to the house and found Essie struggling for breath. She said the spirit was pressing on her chest. Everyone was worried and wanted to take her to the hospital, but I said, “Satan is a liar! Essie won’t die. She will live to tell of the wonderful things God has done for her.” I prayed, “Lord, I believe in You. Right now, may Your word be a reality in Essie’s life. Please make this attack stop now in the powerful name of Jesus.” Before I left the house, Essie was practically back to normal, and she didn’t have any more problems throughout the rest of her time of fasting and prayer.
On the third night, still refusing to let go, the demon appeared to her in a dream, and he was very angry. We held another prayer session with her. I felt impressed that she needed to vocalize her faith in Christ’s salvation, so I had her repeat some Bible verses after me. But after only two verses, the demon in her started to show himself, and she fell to the floor. He spoke through her in a hard, menacing voice, “I am the Red Dragon. I will kill you if you don’t leave my wife alone!” I responded by quoting Isaiah 27:1.
The combat was hard, and we prayed for six hours before the demon finally left. We can’t do anything without the Spirit of God! “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6). Even mountains will move at the name of Jesus Christ. Finally, our sister was free. Today she is attending the Adventist church in her town. May God be praised!
