Chapter 10
Concrete Cases
Demons oppress body, mind, soul, spirit. The Church, intimidated and terrified by her adversary and adversaries, the devil and his demon co-workers, has not risen to her full power in Jesus’ name over all the power of the enemy.
Said a sister in recent meeting, to several earnest disciples of Jesus, “O friends, pray for me. I believe demons have gained entrance and control of my nerves, and I want deliverance.” She was a woman of high order of intelligence. She was instructed to refuse all place in body, mind and soul to Satan, and to give all place in body, mind and soul to Jesus. Instant relief came through prayer in Jesus’ name. Let him scoff who will. Christ dealt frequently with demons as the source of bodily and mental oppression and disease — going about “healing all that were oppressed by the devil.”
Jesus never inspires to any wild, weird action, or fierce expression of countenance, or screaming tones of voice. These belong to the adversary.
Two Remarkable Deliverances
Pastor Blumhardt gives an account in his biography, of an interesting case of the healing of the Dittus sisters in Mottlingen, Germany, who were strangely and unaccountably affected for a period of two years. Blumhardt had them constantly on his mind, and presented them to God in prayer. But all this time they grew worse and the attacks became more frequent. To careful observers the symptoms appeared to coincide with those of the demoniacs in the time of Christ. All medical treatment was unavailing, and at last the physician, appalled by the manifestations, exclaimed, “Is there no clergyman in this village who can pray? I can do nothing here !” With characteristic modesty Blumhardt wished to retreat, but some of his people said to him, “If you do not want to shake our faith in your preaching, you can not retreat before the evil one.” After a little he replied, “You are right., but to be in accord with the word of God you also must unite with me in supplication, according to James 5:14:” Prayer was made and the fulfillment of the promise claimed. But Satan would not give up without a struggle. Katarina’s symptoms became terrible, almost beyond belief. Several strong men were obliged to hold her in a chair, and even their efforts were unavailing to control the frightful convulsions and contortions which racked her body. Through an entire night this continued, Blumhardt praying unceasingly and with rising faith. An unnatural voice, not her own, would speak from the poor woman’s throat and strive to engage the pastor in an argument or conversation; but he steadily prayed on. This voice steadily proclaimed its Satanic origin, and at intervals gave utterances to a horrible cry of fear (of being cast out and losing rest) which issued from her mouth, without any intermission for a quarter of an hour at a time. Again the voice addressed Jesus, demanding that, as he was a high minister of Satan, Christ should not compel him to leave this woman in the ordinary way, but that He should cast him out by some wonderful and mighty miracle. Still the pastor prayed, and toward morning the struggle culminated, the demon was vanquished and cried out, with a great and terrible cry, heard by almost the entire village,, “Jesus is Victor!” When the sun arose the afflicted one was whole. During the whole of Blumhardt’s life, the humble, grateful woman, who was afterwards happily married, labored with the pastor for the souls and’ bodies of the hundreds who came to Bad Boll. And now upon her tombstone we may read the words that marked her marvelous deliverance, “Jesus 1st Sieger,” (Jesus is Victor) — From Pastor Blumhardt, pages 13-16, year 1884.
As might be expected in confirmation of the words of Jesus when demons are cast out by the finger of God, the kingdom of God will come nigh. Nearly the whole village heard that night the cry, “Jesus is Victor,” which marked the deliverance of Katarina Dittus from the direct power of Satan. The country, for scores of miles around, was shaken by the wonderful revival which followed.
So startling an occurrence created a marked sensation. The newspapers spread the story in every direction. But Blumhardt’s chief anxiety was for the souls of his people. About a week after that trumpet call, “Jesus is Victor,” had rung through the village, a man of the most depraved and deceitful character, came to the pastor with the unexpected question: ‘Sir, is it then possible that I can be pardoned and saved? I have not slept for a whole week, and if my heart be not eased, it will kill me.” Blumhardt held up Jesus to him as a Savior for the vilest of sinners. But not until he, following the Lutheran form, as an ambassador, of Christ, solemnly assured him of God’s mercy, did light break in upon his soul.
This man immediately went from house to house, telling every one of his experience, urging them to go to the manse, and even dragging some by main force into the presence of the pastor. In this way about twenty were brought to a saving knowledge of the truth. On the monthly day of “humiliation and supplication,” Blumhardt preached from the text, “The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly.” This seemed to be the signal for a general breaking down. The pastor says himself that from that day he was actually besieged in his own house, from seven in the morning till eleven at night. Men who had never cared for their souls sat in the parlor for hours patiently awaiting their turn. In two month’s time there was scarcely a score of persons in the parish who had not thus come in humble confession and sincere repentance.
A boy was brought to Bad Boll in a state of violent lunacy. ‘He was perfectly naked and would not tolerate clothing for an instant. Of course he had to be confined and closely watched. The pastor visited him and prayed with him repeatedly, but he was very violent, and finally injured Blumhardt by a severe kick. After this the lunatic suddenly became attracted by a child playing in the garden, and manifested a strong affection for him. By means of this affection he was much more easily controlled, and finally permitted himself to be dressed, as a condition to being allowed to play with his little friend in the garden. Before he had been long in the open air he encountered the gardener’s son and got into a violent altercation with him, which was terminated by a heavy blow upon the head, inflicted by a mallet in his opponent’s hand. The poor lad was taken up and carried into the house, when an examination revealed a fractured skull, and his case was pronounced hopeless. Another member of Blumhardt’s family, who had visited the boy after the pastor had received his injury, went to his bedside and prayed earnestly for his recovery. In a very short time he was entirely well, and clothed in his right mind.
Similar results can be witnessed if God’s children will unitedly refuse to retreat before Satan and boldly, persistently, in humble faith in the power of Jesus’ name, insist that He who is the same yesterday, and today, and forever, is still Victor.