"Be Vigilant"

Because of a situation that occurred in our ministry, I want to "blow a trumpet" in order to raise the awareness level of the church concerning the present reality of demonic activity.

I have come to realize that, though we know about, and believe in, demons, we can be lulled into spiritual blindness if we are not careful. No wonder that we are admonished by scripture to "be vigilant and cautious" at all times:

Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (Amp)

One of the precious ones who call our church home but are seldom seen in a service decided that they needed a surgery rather than to try to correct their eating and medication regimen as suggested by the person that they call their pastor. The results were disastrous. One surgery led to another and infection began to ravage the body of this unfortunate individual.

During a hospital visit instituted by a strong prompting of the Holy Spirit, the pastor noticed a leather thong around the patients neck. When asked what it was, the pastor was told, "Oh, a gift from [their] mother." Upon further inspection it was found to be a fetish (a pouch with various contents that are used by Indian medicine men).

Until the spirit of deception was bound and cast out, the patient and spouse were adamant about keeping the "gift." After all, "It was a good luck charm to help [the patient] heal." Binding the spirit of deception immediately brought patient and spouse to their right minds and the item was removed and disposed of.

Isn't it interesting that the doctors could not find the abscesses nor determine why the patient's organs were failing or why, after over a month, their patient was not well until the object was removed from around their patient's neck? Isn't it interesting that the patient began to improve from that moment on? Isn't it interesting that the doctors now know what to do to treat their patient and end this real life horror story?

The object was not only removed but destroyed:

And many of those who had practiced curious, magical arts collected their books and [throwing them, book after book, on the pile] burned them in the sight of everybody. When they counted the value of them, they found it amounted to 50,000 pieces of silver. Acts 19:19 (AMP)

Be aware, be vigilant, be cautious that you do not become complacent and undiscerning in this world where unseen spirits roam about to deceive as they steal, kill and destroy at the direction of their master:

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. . . John 10:10a (AMP)