Spiritual Pests And Problems! (Part 1)
"Jesus casting out Legion"
Taking Authority Over Evil Spirits
By David Berg, April 1985
I was so surprised that time when Mother {Virginia Berg} and I went to pray for that girl in Pittsburgh, Helen Jones. Mother always did all the praying and took charge of the whole thing, whereas I just sort of stood by and helped lay on hands etc. But all of a sudden the Spirit just hit me and I practically began to prophesy when I laid my hands on her head and I got the Scripture about the spirit of fear, "who through fear of death were all their lives subject to bondage." (Heb.2:15) So I knew then right away, the Lord revealed it to me that it was a spirit of fear and I rebuked it.
I DON'T HAVE THOSE EXPERIENCES TOO OFTEN, BUT EVERY NOW and THEN I RECOGNISE SOMEBODY HAS GOT SOMETHING, ONE OF THOSE LITTLE PESTS! It's not like being demon-possessed and a demon's in full control and where people have fits and go absolutely berserk, but it's sort of like having fleas or lice or ticks or something that are just pests. What do they call that kind of pest that lives on you?--A parasite that just lives on you and with you and is a constant pest and annoyance. Although it can't actually completely possess you or control you, it constantly annoys and pesters. Of course, I suppose if some people would yield to it completely they would get possessed. But it's just sort of like harboring a parasite that is living off of you, like a blood sucker.
MY MOTHER USED TO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION BETWEEN SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY BEING POSSESSED BY DEVILS, WHEREAS OTHERS ARE JUST OPPRESSED BY SOME DEVIL OR DEMONS THAT CONSTANTLY PESTER and BOTHER THEM and ANNOY THEM. Like Mr. Machowski, he wasn't demon-possessed by Tom, at first he just worked with him, then after he was saved and found out that Tom was bad, he tried to get rid of him. Tom never really possessed him, he just pestered and annoyed him, he was a pest.
(Maria Fontaine:) WELL, THAT'S THE SAME THING WITH LEAH. SHE HAS BEEN FEARFUL and HAS HAD CHOKING SPELLS, FEELING SHE WAS BEING STRANGLED, and she's had weird experiences where she was sort of out of her body and she didn't know which voice said, "This isn't you and this isn't you," neither of her bodies was hers. She felt like it was trying to get her, trying to annoy her. She knew it was wrong and she always rebuked it.) Because she belonged to the Lord he couldn't possess her, (Maria: I guess people don't realize that. I don't think she realized it was an attack any more than other people who've had attacks. She's had it all her life so she didn't know it was something she could get rid of completely and permanently. I think her idea was that she sort of had to live with it and just rebuke it. She'd get temporary victories, but it kept staying around and pestering her.)
I THINK THIS IS WHAT THE LORD WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE SAID, "GIVE NO PLACE TO THE EVIL ONE!" (Eph.4:27) Some people just sort of harbor them and allow them to hang around without really rebuking them and getting rid of them. See, it wasn't until Mr. Machowski was standing on the street corner preaching in Chicago that he finally really rebuked Tom and Tom left him and entered into that drunk, and the drunk had a fit and fell down on the sidewalk slobbering just like an epileptic. Apparently he could totally possess the drunk, because the drunk wasn't saved.
(Maria Fontaine:) IT'S SO SAD THAT CHRISTIANS GO SO LONG WITHOUT GETTING COMPLETE DELIVERANCE. Like Leah, she has been really sold out to the Lord and really wanted to do His Will and really trying, but it's such a handicap and a hindrance to her.) You see, they have to recognize those devils and sometimes even call them by name and command them in the Name of the Lord to depart, then they have to obey.
Deep Truths TFI