Most children are afraid of monsters under their beds or in their closets. When I was little, I was afraid of demons and Satan in the dark abysses of my bedroom.
As a kid, I had a wild imagination; sometimes scaring myself out of my wits. I remember trying to get to sleep at night but being afraid and seeing things. Maybe it was just my imagination, maybe not. I would pull the covers close to me and sing the song based off of 2 Timothy 1:7 that my mom taught me. "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but He has given unto us, a spirit of power, a spirit of love, and a sound mind."
I was very aware that Jesus, Heaven, and angels existed, but I was also aware that Satan, Hell, and Demons existed. This is something that isn't talked about very much in the church nowadays, that I can tell. I haven't heard much about it.
Jesus drove out several demons from people in the Gospels. People were possessed by them. It was real. It was scary. One event in mark chapter 9 verses 17-30 was this:
"A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil[a] spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
This man had been taking care of his son for a long time. The boy had almost died several times because of the demon. I can't imagine living with someone like that...someone i love dearly, watching them helplessly. And then to have the disciples of this great man fail in healing him...it would have been despairing. It would have taken great faith to still believe. And He needed help. He said "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" He still had faith. He was still so desperate for his son to be healed. He yelled this, clinging to what faith he had left. And his son was healed.
We all have to yell that at some point in our lives. We all need a little help in our faith. Satan can make us doubt. But God can help us overcome this unbelief.
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