This will not be a course on casting out demons. I merely want to share another face to face encounter that I had with the powers of darkness this week. I have had these confrontations in the past and no two of them has been exactly the same. I will share some observations and personal opinions on the subject. But for now it is imperative that the reader understand that these things are real TODAY and they are to be taken very seriously.
Some people argue that demonic possession only happened during Bible times. We ARE still in Bible times (see also Mark 16:15). The book of Acts is still being written. It is in Chapter 19 of that same book that we read the account of the 7 sons of Sceva (verses 13-16). They attempted to cast out a demon from a man but they were unable to because they did not have the power of the Lord in their lives, nor did they know Him. The demon jumped on them and left them wounded and naked. So actually the demon did come out of the man but only temporarily and only to do harm to these 7 brothers. Rule 1: you must know the Lord, His promises, and be able to act in faith.
Today, it is fashionable, especially for young adults to dabble in the occult. Hollywood has helped to stitch this subject into the fabric of everyday life. The occult is portrayed as exciting, fun, new age, unharmful, and stylish. But it is real and it is not a game.
The Devil is recorded right at the onset of the Scriptures, but he was around long before that. He and his demons are out for destruction, while Jesus' desire is to bring us abundant life (see John 10:10).
Ephesians 6:10 teaches that our struggles and battles are of a spiritual nature and origin. Therefore the flesh and blood (the people, or the visible things) that bring these things on our lives are being used as the vehicles that bring on these spiritual wars. So as we understand that our "wrestling" is spiritual, we must know how to go into combat in a spiritual sense, not physical. Entire libraries can be written on this subject. For now here are the details of this week.
I was at Pastor Roberto Nuñez church working on some last minute
details for an outreach that I had planned for that afternoon. Just before I left we heard some screaming outside. We also heard many dogs barking. We went outside to check and just a few houses away there was a young girl laying on the sidewalk.
She was screaming. Her mom was with her. She also was screaming and crying. All around them there were about 6 or 7 dogs barking. The girl's 7 year old brother, Carlito, was also standing over his sister. Carlito was crying and very confused. Pastor Roberto and I went over and immediately knew that the girl was demon possessed. She was on the ground like a fish out of water. Her step dad came and helped us hold her down. We immediately began to rebuke the demon in Jesus' name but I began to realize that this one was not going to be an easy one. It was taking 3 men to hold her down and we were having a difficult time doing that. At one point she coughed up a centipede-looking animal about 4 inches long, about 3/4 inch wide and flat. It began to crawl away but the step dad put on end to it's life with his shoe. The demon spoke to us in a hideous and loud voice as white foam filled the girls mouth and she continued to bounce and squirm.
To the mom: "Why are you crying for her, you don't even love her"?
To all of us: "I am taking all of you to hell with me."
My response: "I am a child of God. You are not taking us anywhere, you are a liar."
To me, as the girl's finger pointed to me: "I am not a liar, Jesus is the liar."
Me: "So you admit that He exists. You are defeated. You have already lost".
To me, again pointing at me: "I have not lost. She is mine. She gave herself to me. She is mine. Jesus is the one who lost".
Me: "We will see who lost. You are defeated". He growls back.
We kept up with the struggle, the streets are filled with neighbors, and we decided to carry the girl inside the church. As soon as she crosses the threshold into the church she passes out. We continued to command the demon to leave, more squirming, more foam. After about an hour her face is filled with the look of peace, she is relaxed, and she smiles a bit. She sits up. Her hair is a mess. She looks slightly embarrassed. She wonders where she is at. We begin to speak to her and her family. Soon we are leading her to the Lord in prayer. She informs us that she can see Jesus standing inside the church. Her words: "Jesus loves me so much, oh, how He loves me. I will serve Him all my life". He voice was very tender and sweet. Just the opposite of when she had the demon.
In time I have to leave to get ready for the 5pm outreach along with Pastor Roberto and his family. The girl, her name is Yahaira, leaves with her family.
As it turned out when we got to the neighborhood where I was doing the outreach I find out that the President of that particular Colonia, neighborhood, had forgotten to announce to the people that I was coming that afternoon. I decided to head back to the Pastor's church. I was a bit disappointed but I also knew that God had everything under control.
Ironically we got back to the church at the same time that Yahaira's family were bringing back her home. As they began to approach their house Yahaira began screaming again. This time she was able to see demons in the house. We brought her to the church so she could rest. She was exhausted from the fight she had earlier. Again, as she crossed the threshold into the church she passed out. I felt that her spirit at this time was very sensitive to the spiritual world and the presence of God in the church was enough for her to fall under the power of the Holy Spirit.
The pastor and I went to her house to look it over and pray for it. The house was filled with idols. Idols are doors for demonic forces to operate. I showed all of them to the step father and told him that those things must leave. Later he started to remove them.
The next morning, Wednesday, I had a busy day planned. But at the end of the day I received a call from the Pastor. Trouble was brewing again and he wanted me to come. I was on the other side of town and it would be a while before I could be there.
When I finally got there I was told that Yahaira had visited an 18 year old young lady who lived with her parents right next door to the church. Before long both of them began to manifest demonic activity. Yahaira was brought to the church and the 18 year-old stayed home.
Pastor Roberto found himself in a fix. He had two demon-possessed girls and he was alone. He stayed with the 18 year-old for a while but when he got back to the church Yahaira was dead. He mother was standing over her screaming and weeping. Yahaira was blue, she was getting cold very fast, there was no pulse, and had no breath in her lungs. But Pastor Roberto decided that no demon was going to do this in his watch. He got on his knees and breathed the breath of life back into her lungs. He blew into her nostrils... "In the mighty name of Jesus...arise". Yahaira came back to life immediately. When I got there she was sitting with her family waiting for the Wednesday night services to begin.
The family next door got desperate and called in a professional exorcist, some people call the witches, to work with their 18 year-old daughter, but she just made things worse. And they are there to make a profit. Eventually Pastor Roberto was asked to visit them so that their daughter may be free from the demonic presence. And she was delivered.
Pastor Roberto has struggled recently with his church. One of the men in his church was killed and most of his 70 members left the church for fear. About a dozen of the 70 remain. I believe that this experience, that most of the neighborhood saw, will be used of God to restore his church. Pastor Roberto is close to my heart and he is a wonderful man and Pastor. It is in his church that I started the second lunchroom in Juarez. Last week 74 people were fed there.
I will continue to visit with Yahaira and her family. They plan on coming to church when the doors are open and even when they are not. The Pastor told them that the doors are always open.
Pray for Yahaira, her family, and the other 18 year-old and her family. Also pray for Pastor Roberto Nuñez and his work in this community. And, of course, I always covet your prayers.
In closing I want to share another remarkable story that also happened this week: I had a 38 year old Christian woman on the fast to pass her gall stones. She was about to go into surgery but when I found out about it I offered her the treatment for the stones. Eventually she passed a few hundred stones, but she continued with abdominal pains. Her Doctor couldn't come up with an answer for the pain. Exploratory surgery would be an option. But then one day at work she had to go to the restroom and, after an extended stay in the restroom, she got up and was shocked to see what she had passed. It was a long animal. She called her mom, who works at the same place, and they decided to retrieve it and take it to the Doctor. The Doctor told her that the 1 inch in diameter and 32 inch long "thing" would have eventually killed her. But her fast for the gall stones caused it to be passed. He stated that it eats up the intestinal walls until the person dies. She has intestinal damage but with about a year of medication she should be fine.
I can't thank those who support me enough for keeping me in this ripe field. There is no greater blessing than seeing changed lives by the power of God. A million thanks to all.
Daniel Torres
11985 Pellicano
Ste. G. Box 169
El Paso, Texas 79936
1-501-827-7679
I want to continue to stress that there are various work opportunities for those who wish to come down for a few days or a few weeks. If you prefer to stay on the U.S. side and not go into Juarez there is plenty of work in El Paso to be done. We really need a lot of help to continue to bless and reach out to the City of Juarez and the rest of Mexico. I can help accommodate a small team or a family in very nice facilities in El Paso. Give me a call.
