When I awoke, I thought, "Now what could that be all about?" Then I remembered that the previous evening had been spent with family members and I had been laughing all evening. The things we had been laughing at were wholesome and, as far as I could see, had been good Christian fun. Why then would I connect this laughter to something evil?
As I considered this dilemma, I realized what had happened. If we are trying to live a clean Christian life, if we seek God's will in all things through prayer and reading the Bible, if we ask God for forgiveness for every small deviation from His will, we should be happy and free. Sometimes, however, the witch of condemnation robs us of our joy and tries to take us on a guilt trip.
Satan is called "the accuser" (Rev.12:10). If we have sinned, God causes us to feel guilty and this is the way it ought to be. However, if we confess our sin and try to clean up our act and still live under heavy condemnation, it is not God who is condemning us.
Many times modern psychiatry helps us sort out our problems from the past and we get a temporary feeling of peace. The only problem is that if we have not taken our guilt to the cross of Jesus Christ, we have difficulty forgiving ourselves. This accusing spirit continues to harass us and it is not only ourselves we accuse, but we become very critical of others, especially Christians. The world of the spirit is very real and we need to learn to understand it.
The witch of my dream who appeared happy is exactly how people feel when they begin their trip into the occult, the world of Satan. At first things go well, for Satan is described in the Bible as "an angel of light" (2 Cor.11:14). Sometime later, however, their lives become tormented and often end in depression, suicide, or murder. The euphoria does not last, but ends in misery.
There is a strong power with which Christians need to get to touch to dispel evil. It is the resurrection power Jesus left for each true believer. It is a Light which dispels the darkness. "In Him there is no darkness at all" (I John 1:5).
To get in touch with this power which turns on the Light, we must give our lives and hearts to Jesus. We need to admit our sin and ask Him to forgive us.
John the Baptist was a man sent from God to call the people to repentance so that they would be prepared to accept Jesus when He came to minister to them. Today God's "John the Baptists" - His prophets - are calling His people to repentance so that they will be ready to go with Jesus when He comes for them (I Thess. 4:16-17).
Let us repent, therefore, and free ourselves from that life-long burden of guilt. But when we have repented, let us not allow the witch of condemnation to rob us of our peace and joy: "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (NIV Rom. 8:1).
"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36 NIV).
© 1999, Doreen Palmer