Dispelling the Darkness by Shining the Light

I was around six years old and I began to have terrible dreams about satan. He was a dark creature. He would chase me and try to grab my back while I was running. I would run to Mother, and she would hold me tightly; but the whole time that evil one was pulling at my hair. I would awaken and be shaking in the night. The dreams began to intensify until I could hardly eat and dreaded going to bed for fear of the torment. I did not tell my parents because I was ashamed that evil was coming to me nightly. I knew about the devil because my dad didn’t relent in preaching the Word of God, which often included the devil in Daddy’s messages. In those days, all of the children sat in the services so while we’d heard of the devil, we didn’t know how to resist or bind him. This left me open for satan’s ongoing attacks.

One evening, while at my grandmother’s house, my cousin, Darlene, and I were playing in the bedroom. I was already dreading going home and going to bed because I knew that the devil would once again come to torment me. I began to tell Darlene, who was two years older than me, about the dreams. I was crying so hard that I could hardly share what was going on. Darlene said that she was going to get her mom to help me. I hid in the closet because I was so ashamed. Soon, my Aunt Rachel came into the room looking for me. I was still crying. She helped me out of the closet and asked me what was wrong. I began to share with her. She held me in her arms and began to pray over me. She did not know how to come against the devil, but she knew the Name of Jesus. She prayed, “Father, in Jesus’ Name, Charlotte is being tormented by the devil. I ask You to stop what the evil one is doing against her. Let her know Your peace, in Jesus’ name.” I sniffled a while, as she held me close. I stopped crying and thanked her. I went home still dreading going to bed. I laid down that night and soon fell asleep. I woke up the next morning realizing that the devil had left me alone all night. I never had another dream about him again. The power in the Name of Jesus was enough to send that devil away from me.

Based upon this story and many other stories that I hear in counseling, I want to share some Truths with you. Satan came to torment a little girl at the age of six. He doesn’t care who he torments. He came to me in the night. Notice: I was ashamed and would not talk to anyone about the dreams until I felt that if I didn’t, the evil one would soon destroy me. I often wonder how many children are being tormented by the devil and they are keeping this a secret or “in the darkness.” Many children may not know that satan is already a defeated foe. They may even be acting out due to the ongoing torment. How many children are placed on medicines to treat a spiritual matter? I believe that children need to know about demons, that they have been defeated by Jesus, and that they have authority over demons in the Name of Jesus. I understand that parents are concerned about bringing fear to their children concerning the works of darkness, but fear will come anyway when demons torment a child. How about the darkness that is on their cartoons and games? We need to educate our children on the Truths of God’s Word.

We know satan works in darkness and read in 2 Cor. 4:4, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” If a person is blinded, they are in the dark. They stumble and do not know their way. “But he that…walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes" (1 Jn. 2:11). Proverbs 4:19 says, “The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.” I kept satan’s torments in the darkness of my heart. He kept me in darkness and frightened because I did not know how to escape the darkness. I was blinded to Truth that satan had been defeated by Jesus Christ and that if I would submit myself to God and resist the devil, he would run away from me in terror (Jms. 4:7).

Let us not keep satan’s tormenting thoughts in the darkness. Expose him by sharing the evil one’s attack (actions/words) with someone that can pray and speak the Word with us. (Jms. 5:16). Our talking about it brings it into the light. Praying in the name of Jesus and speaking the Word will make us free! Amen!!!