I was first exposed to the realities of demon possession and spiritual warfare as a young teenager. My dad was a well-respected Southern Baptist minister who was gifted at expounding God’s Word and who had a huge heart to help hurting people. However, he had no idea the focal point of his career would end up being deliverance ministry . . . something he would eventually define as his life calling. It all started when a woman (who was part of a satanic coven) called my dad at midnight, saying someone had given her his phone number. She asked, "Is it true that since Satan is real, that God is real too?" This encounter began a long season of late night phone calls, emergent rushes out the door, threats on our family’s safety, and all night prayer vigils. And yet, my parents still welcomed this woman into our lives. She spent many nights sleeping in our guest room, even over Christmas. I watched my parents evolve as they tried to help this woman out of profound demonic bondage, all the while struggling to keep up with an unfamiliar learning curve. But their faith drove them forward, fueled by love for God and love for people . . .
I have never met a person that enjoyed the loss of control. It is during times of crisis, when we cannot solve our problems on our own, that our faith is truly tested. Either panic and fear overtake us, and prove our spiritual foundation unsteady, or our faith is refined as we take God at His Word and stand in His faithfulness (Deuteronomy 31:6).
After 9/11, the churches were suddenly flooded with individuals who did not normally attend (or even claim to believe in God) - dire times drove many on a quest for hope. Often, we do not know how much we need God until God is all we have. The truth is, no matter what crisis surrounds us (whether something like 9/11 or the current global Covid-19 pandemic), there is tremendous peace available for anyone willing to put their trust God . . . but practically even Christians can find it hard to acquire. So during these times of uncertainty (or even times of terror), how can we . . .