The Red Pill

“After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill -- the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill -- you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” - Morpheus, The Matrix, 1999

Usually I write these posts around a verse but today I’m writing for those who may not look at the Bible the same way I do. Perhaps it’s been presented to you as a history book, a collection of philosophies, or even a grand conspiracy designed for some to wield power and control. Maybe you do hold the Bible with respect but prefer to leave some of its topics in the past. I’m not going to focus on my view of the Bible in this post, but I’d like to share some experiences with things that are described in it. Are you ready to take the red pill? Read on.

I remember the first time I heard an evil spirit speak. A friend of mine started experiencing intense panic attacks that would sometimes leave her paralised in silence, staring straight ahead. Now, I had been brought up in churches that didn’t really talk a lot about the spirit world, so when I started praying for her I certainly wasn’t digging for any particular spiritual experience. My heart was to comfort her and to just ask God to do something.

Instead I heard a growling voice, “Stop it. She’s mine”. So I did. Probably not the coolest, bravest choice I could have made, but that’s what I did. Thankfully she had other friends in her life who had experienced a lot more of this than me so that wasn’t the end of the story for her. And it wasn’t for me either.

Fast forward a couple of years. I was with a team of students staying in an Indigenous community in Western Australia. We were heading to sleep for the night in our tent, when a whole lot of yelling, banging and barking simultaneously began in various directions around us. To say it was scary would be an understatement! I was chosen to go and see what was going on...thanks girls...so I took a deep breath and crept outside.

Long story short, a girl had been taking drugs, had an incredibly frightening experience and had run to the local pastors for help. They had started praying with her and all kinds of activity had erupted all over the place. The pastors suggested that they change their approach and began singing a song that praised Jesus and thanked Him for the power He had over this kind of activity. At the time I had reached out and placed my hand gently on the girl’s back in support. She convulsed and I felt what I can only describe as a snakelike sensation “slithering” under my hand until it was gone, leaving a complete sense of peace behind.

Another time I was sitting with a friend who was experiencing depression, when I noticed cuts on her arm where she had tried to end her life. I reached out to hold her hand and she pulled it back with a jolt. Again, I heard a growling voice say “Don’t touch.” This time I recognised the voice but I still didn’t really know how to respond other than encourage my friend and help her feel safe.

It’s only recently that I have begun to feel a grasp on how to respond to this spiritual world of activity. I know now that it’s important for a person to take ownership of what’s affecting their life so they can actually ask it to leave themselves. When Jesus died on the cross He gave us the opportunity to accept His Spirit along with the same power that raised Him from the dead. When a person realises the power they have through Jesus, they have every right to tell other spirits to leave!

I’ve shared a few situations where I have felt completely clueless as to how to respond but I certainly learnt a few things through them! 1. Evil spirits are real 2. They like to show off 3. They don’t like Jesus! Just this week I was on an aeroplane when a girl began convulsing. Long story short, I had a chance to pray for her and she threw her head back with a jolt before peace returned. What had been a completely chaotic scene moments before dissipated into nothing as the entourage of doctors finalised their assessment of “absolutely no cause” and the crowd of worried passengers returned to their seats.

If you have followed this post so far then hopefully you’re not completely freaked out but maybe a little more curious than before. We have recently been praying for more supernatural experiences and I hope to be able to document a few more sometime soon. Stay tuned!