Christa stared calmly into the face of the demon, and said, “You are not going to intimidate me. I have no fear of you. In Jesus’ Name, I command you out.” Immediately the spirit tried to hide, slinking to the back of the closet, cowering behind coats.
I saw it now for what it was – what it’s whole life revolved around – and said, “You are filthy Hatred, and you no longer belong here. You have no home here, and in Jesus Christ’s Name I command you to leave this place and to go where Jesus commands you.”
In a terrified rush of emotions like betrayal, it was gone.
Marla looked at us, her mouth open and her eyes scared. She wore a white nightgown, trimmed with ruffles, and at once I realized she had miscarried her first-conceived child in that gown.
I saw the child, here with us now. But its appearance was strange. It seemed a shrunken, animal-type figure with matted hair. In fact, it looked like a red panda.
Suddenly Christa called to Roland.
“Justice is done,” she said, “and the sins that happened in this house, the secret sis made known today, I ask forgiveness for. I want no more bitterness carried on here. No more hate. No more black secrets. Thank You, Father, for revealing all these things. Roland, come rest.”
And back to Roland’s bones came his spirit, and lay safely in the dust, and he slept, once again beside Marla. Christa moved toward the baby.
“I remember seeing you when I was four,” she said to him. “No one believed me, but I know you all the same. You climbed down out of a tree in the yard, and ran in here. Father, what do I do with this thing?”
“Command it to be gone.”
“Then in Jesus’ Name, I command this thing to go.”
Stunned, Marla and I watched as the spirit-image of the baby grew sick.
“It’s hair is falling out,” said Christa, grimacing, and we watched it lay down, shrivel…and disintigrate. At last, even its dust disappeared. Marla stared at the place, knowing that had not been her child.
“It was a representation,” I said to her. “It was sorrow, and blame, and your anger over the loss of the child.”
“Now, Marla,” said Christa. Marla looked up, startled.
To be continued…
