Our Central Thai team in Khon Khaen has been engaged in profound spiritual warfare over the past couple of weeks. They are one of the pilot sites for the Miraculous Movements studies, and during these studies with local community members the reality of demonic harassment has come to the surface. In one case, after an extended period of prayer and fasting, a local individual was delivered from demonic harassment. Some of the phenomena were “classical” deliverance ministry events, e.g. cursing the name of Christ, the victim having no memory of the deliverance, the victim experiencing a sense of a weight being lifted and inner peace and coughing, which often happens when demons leave a victim. A spirit medium in the community sought her familiar spirit but was instead given a vision of God, commanding her to worship Him alone, so she promptly asked for baptism. It is very clear that the Holy Spirit is at work in a powerful way in the lives of those engaged in the studies and their relatives / friends, so please pray for our KK team as they engage in this intensive spiritual warfare.
And while I talk about this, the Tai Kadai team is also seeing the movement of the Holy Spirit and the rebuke of demonic influences in the homes of those who are studying. The Tai Kadai team have been impressed as they listen to local community members from the dominant faith explore and discuss the stories and how the Holy Spirit is clearly speaking to the hearts and minds of the participants. Some participants have already seen victory and deliverance over demonic assaults on their families. This is significant weakening the influence of demons where just a couple of months ago the demons were dominant and worshipped.
Our other 2 miraculous movement pilots, the Pahari and Dendi Projects, are also seeing God at work. The Dendi Project welcomed 25 new members through baptism in late 2014. The Pahari Project is based in a stronghold of Satan. Spirits are everywhere, infesting homes, trees, stones etc., and spirit mediums invite possession at significant social events, such as weddings and funerals, to allow the spirits to speak to the community. This is very similar to the shamanistic Buddhism of Tibet, and it should give anyone pause before listening to the Dalai Lama.
False gods and deities may differ in name around the world, but everywhere we are seeing a veil of demonic deception shrouding the hearts and minds of communities. This is nothing surprising, as we know from Rev. 16 that Satan’s last assault on the world will be a demonic deception led by three demonic spirits (shaped like frogs in the vision of Revelation) who go out to gather the whole world to do battle against God Almighty. Just as three angels fly with God’s last-hour call of mercy, so Satan’s three demons fly with Satan’s last call to rebellion. Thus our battle is not a battle of wits or a seeking after more complete apologetics, for even this can become a vanity. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual principalities of evil. We should choose our weapons accordingly—the armor of God, prayer, fasting and humbling ourselves before God.
Please keep these four projects in your prayers as they are actively doing battle as the champions of God in their regions. May God be glorified in these communities and people groups, and may Satan be driven from the battle in abject defeat.
