Spiritual possession and miracles of spontaneous fire (p.22). Coercive “love spells” that demonically twist emotions and unbalance the mind (p.10, p.27). Communities that plot murder of supposed sorcerers (p.24). Spells and charms that invoke evil angels to bring sickness and discouragement to evangelists and their new believers (p.06).

This month, a number of our missionaries share about the spiritual battlegrounds in which they live and work. If you live in the Western world, and all this talk of spells and sorcerers and charms and offerings seems like fairytales and nonsense, I invite you to consider this counsel from Ellen White:

“I am instructed to say that in the future great watchfulness will be needed. There is to be among God’s people no spiritual stupidity. Evil spirits are actively engaged in seeking to control the minds of human beings. Men are binding up in bundles, ready to be consumed by the fires of the last days. Those who discard Christ and His righteousness will accept the sophistry that is flooding the world. Christians are to be sober and vigilant, steadfastly resisting their adversary the devil, who is going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Men under the influence of evil spirits will work miracles. They will make people sick by casting their spell upon them, and will then remove the spell, leading others to say that those who were sick have been miraculously healed. This Satan has done again and again” (1903a: letter 259).

As earth’s history winds down, this is a time for renewed commitment to the spiritual warfare to which we all are called. Please pray that God will send His holy angels to strengthen and empower the ministry of AFM missionaries and their local colleagues as they battle “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12 KJV).

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