The Submitting Satanists

I have been working on creating some new evangelism material, and thought I would share this story with you… It’s a story that has impacted and inspired me to lean on the name of Jesus in every situation. I hope you find it encouraging!

I was working for The Salvation Army in a drop in centre in the city of Melbourne. One day while I was interviewing people as we were handing out food vouchers, I noticed one couple had black upside down crosses hanging around their necks. Intrigued to hear their story I asked if the necklaces had any special meaning.

Excitedly, they began telling me how they were Satanists. They were very proud of the fact and very keen to share their story with me. I was running out of time so I offered to take them out for a coffee after work so I could spend more time listening to them.

As I sat down with them they began sharing their story. They had both had quite a tough life, had recently lost their children to the department of human services, and were now experiencing homelessness. However, they were very passionate about being satanists.

They began to share stories with me of the dark signs and wonders they had experienced and I got the feeling they were trying to scare me. At one point I rephrased a quote from Smith Wigglesworth and said,

“The Devil himself could wake me up in the middle of the night and be sitting on the end of my bed, and I would simply need to say, “In Jesus name Go!” And he would need to leave.”

I then added my own little spiel,

“When I turn on the light, I never worry about whether the darkness will win. I always know that the light wins. Darkness cannot overcome the light! So it is with Jesus. He is the Light of the world and everything submits to His name!”

They were not convinced and we were able to agree to disagree. We finished out drinks and went our separate ways.

The next morning as I was sitting in the drop in centre playing chess with one of the other homeless men, their couple burst through the doors and shouted out for the whole room to hear,

“James! You convinced us! We want to convert!”

I quickly finished up my game of chess and sat down to hear what had caused my new friends to come to Jesus. As we spoke they told me that they were in the park getting ready for bed. They were gripped with fear. They had an uneasy feeling come upon them, as though the devil was going to come to them.

As Christians, we believe that Jesus lives inside of us. Jesus can do this becasue He is omnipresent - meaning, He is everywhere at once. The Devil however, is not omnipresent. And although he was given permission to come and possess my friends, he wasn’t always with them. And on this night they were sacred that he would actually come to them.

However, they remembered the words I had spoken about the name of Jesus! They clung to the name of Jesus all night long, repeatedly saying His name and asking Him to protect them. The name of Jesus was stronger than any commitment they had made to the Devil. Any decision they had made for the devil was now null and void and now the enemy had to submit to the name of Jesus!

That night, they told me, they were convinced of the power in the name of Jesus. They realised that the name of Jesus was more powerful than any force of hell that came against them. Now, instead of submitting to the power of darkness, they gave their lives to Jesus - the name above every name!

We knelt down in the chapel and prayed together. They repented of their sins, they renounced the decisions and covenants they had made with the Devil, and they asked Jesus to fill them with His Holy Spirit. They not only wanted to know the name of Jesus, they wanted to know the person of Jesus!

Over the following few days this couple changed. Their appearance changed first. Colour returned to their faces. They began wearing different coloured clothes. Next their mental state changed They began making more sense, their love and joy and kindness came pouring out of them. A sense of getting their lives back on track so they could get their kids back returned to them. Jesus was changing their life very quikcly.

A commitment to darkness leads to death, but a commitment to Jesus leads to life and life in all it’s fullness!

So it was a shock when at the end of the week they told me they were moving to a new state. I was devastated. They had just come to know Jesus, and I wanted to help disciple them. I wanted them to grow in their new found faith. Within days of their conversion, they had dramatically changed, but were now leaving the state.

However, that weekend I received a phone call from them. They excitedly told me that they had reconnected with some old Satant-following friends up on the Gold Coast. However, they were no longer Satanists. Months prior, they too had submitted to the name of Jesus. Their friends invited this freshly saved couple to Church where they testified of the power of Jesus name, and continued their discipleship journey in a community of ex-satan worshippers!

Jesus is the name above envy name. Every power of sin, shame and darkness bows to the name of Jesus!

You may not be in fear as a result of a decision to allow the devil come to you. However, you may be living in darkness. Perhaps you are a slave to fear, anxiety, depression, regret, or even sickness. Whatever battle you are facing today, I would love to remind you that everything submits to the name of Jesus. If you need freedom, if you need healing, if you need a breakthrough in your life, call out to Jesus and watch Him come to your rescue!

As always, I’d love to chat and pray this through with you. Drop me a message if you’d like to chat more.

Grace and Peace!