PHOTO EPISTLES #32 Demon Possession

One of the stories I’ve followed throughout much of career as a photojournalist was Serial Killer Henry Lee Lucas. I was there the day they found the remains of his first victim while working for the Dallas Times Herald and later would be put into his jail cell to shoot photos a couple of times for Newsweek and Life magazines. Photographed above is Henry Lee Lucas with former Texas Ranger Bob Prince at the Williamson County Jail. It’s not really known how many girls Lucas killed. He confessed to more than 600 killings, but later recanted. Investigators were only able to tie him to 360+ murders and most of those were suspect in the end. When I was in Lucas’ cell with him, he asked if I was afraid to be locked in his cell. I was young and dumb and a new Christian to boot, so I told him “Not at all! I felt the peace of the Holy Spirit and had been in places where that peace was absent, so I knew the difference. I noticed he had a bible and I asked him if he had read it. He claimed to be a new Christian and was sorry for what he had done. He believed that he had been demon possessed before and had lost control of his body to several demons. Many Serial Killers have expressed this same belief. Personally, I believe them in part, but I do not believe they had no control. The Bible tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. (James 4:7)

I know this is a subject many folks just shy away from. In our ministry to the youth, I’ve meet many young people who are or were demon possessed, not to mention numerous adults. Some of them were asked to leave churches, rather than the elders of those churches delivering them of their demons. Jesus did not leave us as orphans, but gave us His Holy Spirit, who lives inside each of us who follow Jesus Christ. Ephesians 6:12 (King James Version) ^“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Knowing the battles before us, Jesus also gave us the spiritual weapons we need to fight these battles. We Christians have what we need to force a demon to leave a persons body, as long as that person is willing! Just last night my daughter came home a reported a girl she was ministering to used to be demon possessed and had been asked to leave a very popular church here in Austin because of this possession. This church said they did not know what to do and just wanted the family to quietly leave. Fortunately, the family landed at another church who did know what to do and this beautiful young friend of Kaitlin’s was freed for good from this demon and she is hungry for God.

I personally used to be really really sceptical of such things until I personally witnessed a young girl dramatically delivered. We were at the local Juvi Jail teaching and praying for the youth with a team of six or seven other Christians. During the meeting, one girl explained in great detail her possession and asked the leader to help her. This normally very quiet man simply stood up and with authority I had never heard before commanded this spirit to leave her in the name of Jesus Christ. It was on! This girl screamed and her body was thrown forward from her seated relaxed back position onto the table and she just shuttered for a good 30 seconds before laying limp. The girl quickly stood, looked down her shirt and then yelled “You did it, I’m free, it’s gone!” I left that meeting believing two new things. First, demon possession is real and so is our power in Jesus Christ. It’s not some fairy tale!!! Second, that our leader Bob was not some quiet wimpy christian, he was a stud, a Christian Stud who I would go into battle with any day!

the Jesusfreak