I wish that I could say that all that was left for us was to build our wall – but the truth is that we can never lay down our swords. The enemy is always waiting to find a weak spot and attack if we are not vigilant against his schemes.
On Sunday night I was a guest on a South-African gospel television show to talk about our latest book, A Message of Hope. Little did I know how this interview would stir up things in the spirit and how angry the enemy would be because of this nationwide broadcast. I truly believe that this book is a powerful tool for Christians to gain victory in their lives over the enemy, because it exposes the enemies’ tactics.
Unfortunately it was once again Aldo who felt the brunt of the attack the hardest. That evening after the interview he stepped into a bathtub with boiling hot water, and the hot water burned off the skin of his foot – so much so that he can’t even stand on that foot at the moment. Aldo’s pain tolerance level is very high, so he normally doesn’t complain too much when he is hurt, but this time he was literally screaming of pain.
The TV program was taped on the Wednesday and aired on Sunday night. After the program ended Aldo turned to me and said, “Mom, quickly... you must help me!” I didn’t really know what he meant by that, but before we could start praying together friends of mine walked through the door for a quick visit. I was so preoccupied with welcoming everybody that I forgot about Aldo’s urgent plea for help. I didn’t realize the seriousness of the matter and that the enemy was launching another full scale attack on Aldo’s thoughts.
He became very frustrated because no one was there to help him and he gave a loud shout. “Aldo, what is going on with you?” I asked in surprise. It took quite some time to get him to calm down again. Finally he said: “Mom, they are fighting me in my mind. They hate you because your book reveals their secrets. Mom, arrows of fire and curses are hitting me one after the other!”
We kept on praying and warring for the most of the evening. Eventually he calmed down enough to write in his journal and he explained to us what was happening in the spirit. Before we had to go to bed he asked Tinus, “Daddy, can Mom sleep with me in my room tonight? Mom, and then you have to place your hand on my head the whole night and plead the blood of Jesus over my brain and my thoughts.”
Of course I didn’t sleep much that night. I listened to Aldo speaking to Jesus in the throne room as he was talking in his sleep. It was a long conversation and I attentively listened to every word. It went something like this: “Jesus, will you please help me during the day when the enemy shoots fiery arrows at me like you are helping me now... Are they attacking the weak places in my soul? Oh yes, now I understand Jesus! I will keep on surrendering everything to you.” I quietly lay next to him, careful not to miss a word. I now believe what Josh said about Aldo speaking loudly at night, and that he could hear him from the next room. I prayed and prayed throughout the entire night. His foot was still very sore and I knew that was also a part of the attack. As I was praying I was also breaking curses and resisting evil words spoken against us.
“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed[d] in heaven” (Matt. 16:19).
That night I prayed: “Lord, I bind every cell of Aldo’s body to Your will and purposes for his life. I bind him and his mind to your mind Jesus. Please Holy Spirit, speak to Him – let him listen to Your voice only. I loose, smash, crush and destroy every effect and influence of word curses being directed towards Aldo of any witchcraft or voodoo, and of any calling upon demon forces to attack him. I loose, smash, crash and destroy any hexes and curses or wrong prayers that have been directed towards him. Hear my prayer dear Lord God and turn the words of their own tongues back on the ones who spoke it and bring them to ruin. You are the Judge and we will keep on blessing their souls with Godliness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
The next morning I asked him, “Aldo, what is there that still allows the enemy to attack you?” He didn’t want to talk about it, but later wrote a letter and described a soul-wound that still wasn’t healed completely. I thought to myself that we had dealt with this particular soul-wound in the past, but obviously there was still something that wasn’t healed completely. It was concerning the things the woman who used to work for us did to Aldo. Deep and painful soul-wounds are difficult to heal because you aren’t dealing with some physical problem or external wound – it is something that cannot be seen in the natural. In order for this soul-wound to heal we have to keep on forgiving her and blessing her, while at the same time breaking the curses and binding the works of the enemy. I honour Jesus for His glory light that enlightens our soul-wounds so we can bring it to Him for healing. As we surrender it to Him, we start dealing with our pain and healing can come.
Letter 1:
I am so thankful for the blood of Jesus that covers my brain. I know that it helps me so much! You placed the blood of Jesus on me, Mom – thank you so much! The “confusing” demons who are trying to harass this boy have to flee when you plead the blood of the Lamb over my brain. “Confusing” demons are the ones who try to attack my thoughts. You are like Ruth to me – you get your help from Wisdom. I can see that you have bound my thoughts to Jesus’ thoughts, so that I can have the mind of Christ. Thank you that you are fighting with me Ruth. Wisdom says that because we are fighting together we will win the fight. You can see that they are attacking my thoughts with fire. You helped me so much when you prayed with me to bind the works of the woman who was trying to drill a hole through our wall. Jesus says what you did was right, because what we bind here on earth shall be bound in heaven. The dew-love that comes from you and Jesus is healing ointment for the wounds of my soul.
Letter 2:
Wisdom says that you and I will preach His truth. He says that you are His messenger. Will you reveal His heart to His hurting children? I can see them, and she is truly defeated. Our wall is built upon seven stones.
Letter 3:
Wisdom says they hate it when you keep on blessing them. He says by blessing them their hearts of stone will be transformed. Jesus loves you so much. You keep on fighting and praying for me. Thank you so much for that! Are you still mad at me because of what happened the other night? Please forgive me, Mom. I am so sorry about that! Your crying is over now. They were bound when you prayed. They tried to attack me again in my thoughts. Will you keep on binding my thoughts to Jesus’ thoughts? Wisdom is the one who is teaching you. He is the one who blesses my thoughts. Your prayers help me so much. Thank you Mom, you are truly a warrior! The prayer you prayed last night made them run away. I saw them running!
Soul wounds basically come from three places: Unresolved issues, Unhealed hurts, and Unmet needs. All of these sources will have the following symptoms: Restlessness, dissatisfaction, discontent, fear, anxiety, insomnia, self-centredness, self defence. A soul that is not surrendered to Christ will build strongholds to protect itself from getting hurt again. These strongholds include: logic, reasoning, arguments, justification, denial and defensiveness.
Romans 5 vs. 10 says: “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be SAVED by His life.”
“The death of His Son (Jesus) reconciled us to God – and that is an accomplished matter, but being saved in His life from so many negative things unto glorification is a daily matter. This verse points out that God’s full salvation revealed in the book of Romans consists of two sections: Once section is the redemption accomplished for us by Christ’s death, and the other section is the saving afforded us by Christ’s life. Paul shows us that we are saved because we have been redeemed, justified, and reconciled to God. However, we have not yet been saved to the extent of being sanctified, transformed and conformed to the image of God’s Son. Redemption, justification and reconciliation, which are accomplished outside of us by the death of Christ, redeems us objectively; sanctification, transformation, and conformation, which are accomplished within us by the working of Christ’s life, save us subjectively. Objective redemption redeems us positionally from condemnation and eternal punishment; subjective salvation saves us dispositionally from our OLD MAN, our self, and our natural life.”
Jesus needs to perform surgery on us to remove all the soul’s toxic waste and scar tissue in order to thoroughly cleanse and heal our wounds and needs. He will then transplant a new belief system, new attitudes and new thinking pattern into our souls – if we allow ourselves to be transformed by His Word. Jesus only needs us to agree to this surgery in order for us to get healed. He is the doctor who will heal us, we just have to co-operate.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
His word has the ability and power to open up our deepest wounds and scars, and to do surgery in our spirit and soul for us to be whole.
To build the walls of our soul takes time – it is a process and not a quick fix. For me the most painful part is to see how Aldo gets hit the hardest by the attacks. Now I can see so clearly at what the enemy aims his arrows, but I was blinded before by my own ignorance. I never used to acknowledge his attacks. To have your door of ignorance open is just what the enemy wants; because then he can attack you, and attack you, and attack you .... and you will never stop him.
We have learned to be awake and vigilant now... but still, it is so easy to let your guard down when you don’t expect an attack.
“Retah, you have to be alert day and night!” Jesus warned me. “Use your sword of the spirit (the Word of God) and watch and pray as fight and build your wall!
Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armour; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me” (Neh. 4: 13-18).
Aldo’s foot is still very sore, but with all the prayers and the excellent treatment his dad Tinus gives him, his wound is healing and he can even stand on his foot again when it is bandaged up properly.
Thank You Jesus that we know this fight is a part of our lives as the warrior Bride. We will surrender everything to you so that our body, spirit and soul can be transformed into Godliness!
Love,
Retah and the family.