WRESTLING A SPIRIT OF RAPE

A few years back, we had had an unknown rapist in our county; his infamous deeds had gone unchecked for months.

Except for the occasional "lifting it up to God," as I went about my daily business, I had paid very little attention to the problem.

One morning, though, I awoke with the person (rapist) uppermost on my mind. I was so very angry! Still, I went about the mundane things we do, listened to some Christian TV ... still the ANGRY thoughts would NOT leave!

After a few hours of this I finally realized "something spiritual" was going on. I went into my "prayer closet," alone with the Lord and my Bible. I started coming against this 'person' and their actions with a 'passion' ... sometimes we wonder ... why call it 'passion'?

The spiritual works through 'passion'... passionate caring/passionate loving (yes), but also passionate ANGER. Without the 'anger,' how can we "wrestle against powers and principalities?" It isn't 'the people' themselves but what is controlling the people!

I prayed that day for ladies I knew, starting with a list of those closest to me, when suddenly I realized: although I rarely knew my friend DeeDee's work schedule, I KNEW she was supposed to go into work the next morning really early (which was the M.O. of that particular rapist). He was most often at work in the dark and early morning hours, hiding beneath cars, or behind bushes.

I did not know where my friend DeeDee was that day, so I made a call to her house, leaving a message on her machine that something was wrong, and to please call me as soon as she got home.
Fortunately, DeeDee got the message and after we talked, she came and stayed the night with me.

As it turned out, DeeDee had been out of town and her child had been staying with a friend. During the afternoon, her daughter had asked to call home to see if Mom was back yet. A man had answered the phone, calling the child by name, and claiming to be a long lost relative (names were posted on the refrigerator, near the phone).

All in all it was a 'supernatural' day of events, which began with (YES) a spirit of ANGER that would not leave me alone.

So, is that what the verse below means?** And would we be much better off to apply it in this way daily? Not to the people who rub us the wrong way; not to those who ignore our so-called goodness and humility, but shouldn't we apply this each day in prayer?

Just APPLY IT to spirits controlling the people we deal with and the situations GOD puts on our hearts? I believe it must be... WE MUST quit thrashing and lashing out at the "flesh and blood" and realize WHO the REAL enemy is in the WHOLE thing!

**Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. KJV

C. P. Campbell
(c) 2006