I've known some who've been to countries who practice witchcraft and voo-doo and say the presence of evil is palpable. If you're making a habit of walking in the spirit you can't help but feel evil when you come across it. If you can't feel evil, as you say, you can surely see the effects of it right? We can see evil all around us. It can be in the form of a look, a gesture, an act. People who do evil things give off evil "vibes." It's not like demons are walking around looking for someone to inhabit. Besides, not all witchcraft is evil.
Two years ago, I went on a religious retreat, called an "Emmaus Walk"; its a very intense three days, in which you attend talks and meetings dealing with the Christian faith and mission; that's a very narrow, shallow overview. It's actually much more than that. I would rate it as one of the best things I've ever done, and recommend it to anyone who is at least somwhat mature in the faith. It's not for newbies.
At any rate; my first full day there, a Friday (you arrive Thursday evening) I was very disappointed.
I didn't like it, I didn't want to be there. Couldn't wait for Sunday evening, so I could go home.
Part of the problem was sleep; the bunks were comfortable, the cabins were heated; but I just couldn't get to sleep. I was tired and miserable all day Friday, and didn't get much out of it. Had trouble sleeping again, Friday night.
Saturday morning, I awoke feeling sick.
Didn't know why; just very nauseated. It wasn't food poisoning; I was the only one who got sick. I ate a little breakfast, but because of my overall mood, I just wasn't into it. As the talks started for the day, I got violently ill. I mean SICK. I hadn't been that sick in years. Ran to the restroom and threw up probably everything I'd eaten in the last 12 hours. I went back to my cabin to lay down.
They kept coming up to check on me, though; this irritated me further, because I just wanted to sleep off whatever this was. At about noon or so, two guys came up, one of whom was a friend from my church who was working in the kitchen that walk. They'd brought me some 7Up, and asked if I'd mind if they prayed a healing on me. I'm not really into that, but said no, I didn't mind, and sat up on the edge of the bunk.
They laid hands on me, and prayed.
After they finished, Emil, my friend, looked me dead in the eye and said, "You need to know that there are forces at work in the world, that don't want you here. They don't want you to get whatever message you've been brought here to get." I nodded, just kind of agreeing to get them out of there, so I could go back to sleep.
Later, one of the head guys came up to encourage me to try coming back down for the rest of the talks; I did, and when I got there, all of the staff took me into the chapel, laid hands on me and prayed. I felt kind of foolish, really, but I went along with it.
Well, later that night, after lights out, I was in my nice, comfy, warm bunk, saying my bedtime prayers.
It was then that I began to shake.
Violently.
Out of nowhere, I felt a chill. I began to shiver so hard, that my teeth were chattering, and I had to literally hold my jaw shut, because I didn't want anyone else to hear it.
Now, please remember, I was under the covers in a heated cabin, which was even a little warmer than I usually like it. And even though I was chilled to the bone, I still felt warm. That's the only way I can put it.
This went on for sbout, maybe ten seconds, I'd guess. Finally, I whispered, "God, whatever this is, I don't like it. Please take it away." Less than three seconds later, I stopped shaking, and the cold receded completely; I fell asleep very quickly.
That night, I slept like a baby, and felt as refreshed in the morning, as if I'd caught up on all the sleep I'd lost the previous two nights.
To this day, I'm convinced that something--some 'thing' I wasn't even aware of--left me that night.
And whatever it was, it was mad at me when it left, because it shook me the way it did, and chilled me.
That showed me that the war we can't see is real. Very real. Let me say here that it's not like I was granted some kind extraordniary "vision" or understanding, but it has given me a lot of food for thought.
Our modern culture rationalizes, and thereby minimizes, things like spirituality, and the bells and whistles that go with it.
Science has its place, but there's a whole, whole lot more to this old world, than your public schoolteachers, college professors, the movies and TV tell you about.
We've been conditioned by popular culture, to think of demonic possession as Linda Blair in "The Exorcist"; dr amatic, gross and horrifying.
Now, even though possession that blatantly obvious does sometimes happen, as in Jesus casting out the demons from the man wandering in the tombs--and, for a more personal testimony, my church's worship leader has attended two exorcisms of obvious possession, which she will--but doesn't like to--talk about, unless it has to do with a Bible lesson, or something like that.
I think that's relatively rare, however.
I've come to think that possession, more often than not, is much more subtle. And simple. Something which somehow comes in, and curls itself around your soul, and finds ways to keep you from God. There are evil spirits; call them demons, dark angels, whatever. I know they exist.
I felt one leave me.
