Chap. 22: We Stand Against The Enemy

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

We Stand Against the Enemy
His Evil Spirit Revealed


Friday evening, June 30, 1978. Linda and I were discussing our "impending" divorce, trying to figure out solutions to two opposing situations.
The biggest problem of the two was the effect on her family and how we could eliminate it. No way would they ever really, in their hearts, understand how we could do it at all, let alone be so cooperative and understanding about it. And the biggest single thing bugging us was what it would do to Cork. We didn't want to make her afraid to get involved in a relationship of her own in the future for fear of this happening to her. But how do we handle it all?
The other situation, in direct contrast, was how to avoid my mother saying "I told you so" after all these years. After 10 years it was still "Ar" and "Mr. Williamson". Not "mom" and "dad". So the same aura of distance was still there. And besides, I didn't like the thought of giving my mom an opportunity like that any more than Linda did.
Both were knotty problems, and we felt both should be solved before we actually went through with the split. But if we had to, we'd settle for an answer for her family alone; that one we had to have.
About 8:00 that evening, we were into deep, detailed discussion on these problems, trying as much as possible to catch every pitfall that might turn up and fill it in before it caught us.
Suddenly, without warning, Linda's arms casually dropped to her sides as she sat on the couch, palms down next to her thighs. Her facial expression became completely, thoroughly dead-pan. No emotion showed in it whatsoever. And then, for the most recent few sentences of the conversation, her voice dropped at least half an octave below its normal range. A pitch normally impossible for her to reach. She now looked, and sounded like an entirely different person. Because she was.
And at that single instant when the last of those changes fell into place, I immediately received a Word of Knowledge from the Lord, telling me what had happened:

“Over all this time, Satan has slowly been gaining control of Linda. I have forced him to reveal himself that you may dispose of him."

NOW I knew where all those overpowering feelings had come from over the years. Like when I finally had the courage to ask her if she thought we could be in love. And admitting in that same conversation that I was in love with her. Or when I just slid my chair closer to hers in the high school cafeteria and proposed to her as if I’d planned it. And the courage to forget my shyness and my fear of her being upset so that I could start being intimate with her at a time when we both needed it. HE gave me the power to do all of those things. I’d suspected that all along, but now, being in the Spirit and receiving this latest one as a Word of Knowledge I had confirmation. “Lord,” I began, “I thank You and praise You not only for this Word of Knowledge, but for leading us to attend First Christian Assembly of God since last month to ensure we would be in Your Spirit at this most critical time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I lost no time. It was dangerous ground for Spirit-filled novices like us, but I had to take the risk. I was the only chance she had. To wait for help could mean losing the battle. And her future. We’d never seen this done, yet. Only had a description of it from our old minister, Rev. Don Myers, during one of those “Prayer and Praise” meetings that started it all, for us; spiritually, I mean. But I had no physical example to recall at this moment to help me. Not for actions, or words. I prayed:
"Lord, please guide me that I do this the way it needs to be done. I can't be sure I'd remember it all under this kind of sudden pressure. Especially as new at it as we are. I ask this help in Jesus' name. Amen."
Nervously, I began. "Linda, can you hear me?"
"Yes."
That deep, monotone voice again. "Say 'Jesus is Lord'." I knew if she could say those words aloud that she was still in control where it counted. If not, I would need another Spirit-filled Christian before the spirit could be eliminated. There had to be two of us.
"Jesus is Lord."
"All right, honey. I'll say it to you, then we'll repeat it together. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
The moment of truth. Nervously, I began: "Satan, by the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you and all your demons are hereby tightly and thoroughly bound and commanded to leave the body of this Believer, undoing any damage you have already done, and report directly and permanently to Jesus in the desert places, never to return to her. Ready honey?"
"Yes." I grabbed both her hands in mine and put all four of them on her shoulders.
"Praise the Lord," I said (a little insurance never hurts). "Here we go, sweetheart. Satan, by the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you and all your demons are hereby tightly and thoroughly bound and commanded to leave the body of this Believer, undoing any damage you have already done, and report directly and permanently to Jesus in the desert places, never to return to her."
The reaction was immediate. Her head shot back against the couch. Her hands were propelled to her sides with such force that I was almost thrown off balance (I hadn't even had time to let go), and her eyes got large, wide, and staringly evil.
And out came the most sinister, blood-curdling, terrifying laugh you have ever heard in your life, as the spirit departed. All within seconds of our command.
I sat down by Linda. Her head dropped to my shoulder, eyes closed. She was visibly ex-hausted by the departure, but now totally relaxed. About 20 seconds of silent sleep later, she came to.
She tilted her head back, still on my shoulder, looked me straight in the eye with that ear-to-ear grin of hers, and said:
"Thanks. I needed that." We smiled warmly at each other for only an instant, then chuckled at how the use of a punch line from a television comedy show could have such a profoundly im-portant meaning in a serious situation.
"You knew he was there?"
"Yes, but I couldn't tell you. He had too much control for that."
"I think we should say it together." I knew she'd know what I meant.
"Right. One, two, three."
“PRAISE THE LORD!” we yelled happily.
"Hey."
"What, Lin?"
"I love you, Jim. Do you wanna try again?"
"What 'try again'?” I asked, feeling all that warmth and love in her voice through my whole being. “I love you, too, Linda. None of this was our idea. We know that now."
"Right."
That kiss I'll never forget.
Before the evening was over, that list of property and every other indication that we had ever even considered breaking up was gone.
And we made love like never before. This was to be the first night in our married life when SHE suggested it and was totally turned on by it without fantasizing.
"Praise the Lord!" I yiped as we lay in each others' arms afterward.
"What for this time?"
"That He let us know, in no uncertain terms, here tonight, just how much we really mean to each other."
"Amen!" she yelled. Then, cuddling up to me and laying her head on my chest, she added softly, "I love you, Jim. Thanks for caring enough to stick by me all these years, and to be here when I REALLY needed you. Tonight."
“I love you, Squeek. And thank you for being here all these years. I need you too, you know. I'm sorry for the way you were treated. Thanks for sticking it out."
"I don't think we were doing those things, Jim. And even if we were, you only did it because I wanted you to. I wanted the pain. I thrived on it. But I think Satan was trying, even then.
"Thanks, honey. I know what you're saying, but I may still feel a little responsible. But, I'll take your word for it with one addition. I apologize for the times I might have gotten carried away with the whole thing. I suppose you're right, though. It figures it was Satan, even then. But it's all downhill from here, right?"
Well… umm…almost. There’s… one more… thing I.. have to say."
“What is it, darling?” I asked as I noticed her hesitation and the tears that began building in her eyes.
“Jim, honey, sweetheart, I’m… umm.. I’m sorry… so sorry I…”
She’d gotten more broken up with each word, and collapsed in tears before she could finish. “What’s wrong, Lin?” I asked gently, genuinely concerned because I didn’t know where this was going. She’d only started a conversation with those three words two other times in our whole life together. The first was the night of the Junior Class Play when she told me she was an epileptic, and the second was when she kept our pledge of honesty and confessed to me about her date with Ron Mullens. So I knew this was serious. But that’s what had me concerned. She worked at composing herself and tried again.
“Jim, honey, … I’m…so sorry I…ch… cheated… on you… when I… di… did it… with Ch… Charlie Br… Brown.”
She was openly sobbing now, and they were really deep sobs.
“Lin, darling, that…”
“Can… you… you ev… ever… for… forgive me?” she pleaded through the continuing sobs.
“Lin, sweetheart, there’s nothing to forgive,” I said warmly. “You weren’t in control then. Remember?”
“Jim, please,” she begged, still not buying my argument. “I knew… what was hap…pening. I know… I… had… inter… course… with… him.”
Hearing that tone in her voice I knew that for her to be able to put it to rest she had to hear the words. Even though I knew, with what had just taken place, that she was blameless where Chuck was concerned, I also knew this was the best way for her to feel she was completely cleansed on the issue. She knew God had forgiven her, but she needed to know I had as well. I leaned over and took her tightly in my arms. She snuggled in as she tried to stop crying. “Look at me,” I said firmly, but with love. She slowly raised her head, wiped away the tears that were blurring her vision, and looked at me. “Linda, darling, I forgive you,” I said as I squeezed her even tighter.
“Thank you, Jim! I really do love you, sweetheart!” she said as the tears started again. Only this time I knew they were the tears of relief.
I know you're beat, darling, I said lovingly. Pretty busy evening. Ready?"
"Yep."
"Night-night."
"Night-night."
"Sneep tight."
"You too."
"Sweet dreams."
"You too."
"See you in the morning."
"Um-hmm."
"Love you."
"Love you."
Just moments later, a sleep we hadn't known for a long time carried us through the rest of the most important night of our lives.


This work is taken from “A Once In A Lifetime Love: An Autobiography of Two High School Sweethearts”, copyright 2000, as yet unpublished, by the same author.