More Than a Story: Practical Lessons on Demonic Oppression and Freedom

✝️ Encounters with the Demonic:

It wasn’t a horror movie—it was Sunday service. Discover the practical, no-nonsense principles for spiritual warfare that saved a young man’s soul. In the 1970s, my father took over the pastorate of a church in a small Missouri town, a humble congregation my grandfather had established. It was a time when being “Charismatic” or “Pentecostal” was far from popular; such churches were often relegated to the poorer side of town, what we called “the other side of the tracks,” and their members were generally from the same socioeconomic background.

The Make-Shift Sanctuary

My grandparents’ first meeting place was a former retail building—part of which served as their living quarters, and part of which served as the meeting hall. The building was situated at a fork in the road leading to local industries and a cluster of motels. In due course, my grandfather passed the leadership of the church to my father, and people continued to be added to the membership. As the church grew, they relocated to a nearby, vacant hatchery building.

This new location was rough and ready. The pews were planks of rough-hewn wood, prone to shifting and pinching if you sat carelessly. The floors were concrete, and the exterior was covered in tar paper siding with a metal roof. To elevate the atmosphere, my father took three cans of spray paint and, with great intention, painted the plain glass windows to simulate stained glass. To this day, when I visit my hometown, I can still see the faded residue of his effort, a persistent sign of his dedication to honor God even with meager resources. (That first building, by the way, is now a popular pizza place—I can’t help but be flooded with memories whenever I visit the dining hall where our meetings once took place.)

The Manifestation of Howard

I vividly recall a service where a young man named Howard, who was sitting in the back, began to struggle. Howard had a severe disability; he had never uttered an intelligible word in his life, and in today’s terms, he might have been diagnosed as severely autistic. As the service progressed, he started to whine and growl like an animal, salivating copiously. His eyes darted back and forth, a confusing mixture of panic and sheer malevolence contorting his face. His parents, salt-of-the-earth poor folk lacking the resources or knowledge to best care for him, quietly ushered him out onto the loading dock that served as our front entrance and then returned to the service.

We had a guest speaker that day, my mother’s brother, Donald Busse, or to me, “Uncle Don.” Slight of frame but filled with deep spiritual fire, Don’s preaching was dynamic—he’d bounce on the balls of his feet, occasionally leaping so high that his heels cleared the pulpit. He was known for being bombastic, but unlike many, he genuinely had something profound to say. His piety was authentic, and he was universally respected.

While Uncle Don was preaching, my father, the pastor, Roy Walden, was attentive from his seat on the front pew. He noticed Howard’s struggle, his parents’ hurried exit, and their return. For most, that would have been the end of it, but my father was a man of deep conviction and profound compassion. Our touchstone verse in the Pentecostal movement was Hebrews 13:8:

We believed that the works of Christ—casting out devils, healing the sick, raising the dead—were not mere history but our birthright, and we expected miracles.

My father slipped out and went to check on Howard. He found the young man sitting in a contorted position, covered in perspiration, his eyes pleading for desperate help. Dad helped Howard to his feet and settled him into the passenger seat of his car, planning to drive him the short distance home and return quickly.

The Confrontation in the Car

On the way, Howard did something he had never done before: he spoke.

As my father navigated the neighborhood streets, Howard stiffened. He suddenly became lucid, glaring at my dad with wild, animal hatred. His growling intensified, his clothing soaked with saliva.

Dad instantly knew he was dealing with the demonic. He understood that while Howard had a genuine mental/physical disability, the enemy would exploit that weakness for oppression and manifestation. On this day, things had escalated beyond anything previously seen.

Why the sudden intensity?

1. Howard was vulnerable due to his condition.

2. God’s presence, or anointing, was heavy in the service. Just as in Jesus’ ministry, the manifestation of God’s power often draws out demonic opposition attempting to disrupt the focus.

3. Dad was alone with Howard. While this meant no physical “back up,” it also meant a direct, singular confrontation. My father feared nothing, least of all the devil.

As they pulled into Howard’s driveway, the being speaking through Howard reached over and, in an inflection filled with malice, growled at my father, “You don’t like it when I touch you, do you?”

My father didn’t flinch. He didn’t react or push the hand away. He simply stared back, unwavering, and declared, “You don’t scare me, devil!”

In that instant, the demonic spirit lifted. A profound peace settled over Howard as God’s hand moved to set him at ease.

Further Lessons from Ministry

My experiences in ministry over the subsequent 40+ years affirm my father’s encounters. I’ve seen this play out repeatedly:

• Exposure by Presence: I was once in a teeming train station in Switzerland. As we walked through, random people in our proximity began to scream and foam at the mouth, their startled friends dragging them away. We weren’t engaging anyone, but our simple presence—carrying the manifest presence of God—goaded the enemy into exposing itself. This taught me the core principle: “First we expose, and then we expel!” The power of God forces the demonic to announce itself, just as happened often in the Gospels.

• The Necessity of Repentance: In the second church I pastored, a woman, while meeting with me in my office with her husband, began to growl, roar, and eventually grabbed a letter opener, attempting to stab herself. Her husband and I restrained her, and I instantly took authority, commanding the demon to leave in Jesus’ name. The change was immediate: her face relaxed, the peace of God filled the room, and she was instantly lucid. Her affliction, however, was rooted in unrepentant adultery, a transgression through which Satan gained a foothold. Months later, she returned, cold and resistant, demanding a divorce to return to that relationship. We prayed, but the deliverance failed. The Spirit plainly told me: “She’s unrepentant. She has no intention of breaking off that relationship, and on that basis, the demon has absolute legal authority to hold her bound.” She eventually left the church and quit serving God altogether—a tragic illustration of how legal ground can thwart freedom.

• The Power of Personal Purity: My father once attended a “Latter Rain” movement meeting where five strapping men were trying to restrain a demonized 9-year-old girl who was hurling them about like matchsticks. As they were close to a breakthrough, another leader joined the group and laid his hand on the girl. Instantly, the demon entrenched itself inside its victim, clamping down on the child with renewed, unbreakable force. God spoke to my father: “He’s in sin.” It was later revealed that this man was molesting children. His unconfessed, egregious sin gave the demonic an advantage, neutralizing the corporate effort. This emphasizes the need to maintain personal integrity and control of the ministry situation.

---

💡 Conclusions and Points of Learning

Based on these experiences, here are the core principles for dealing with demonic manifestations:

1. Understand the Source of Manifestation (The Principle of Exposure)

• God’s Presence Exposes: The manifest presence of God (often referred to as the anointing) is the primary agent that forces the demonic to manifest, not manipulation or provocation. Focus on worship, preaching, and personal holiness, and the enemy will reveal itself.

• The Enemy Exploits Weakness: Demonic oppression often latches onto areas of mental, emotional, or spiritual weakness (like Howard’s condition) but this is an invasion and not necessarily the cause. The enemy seeks opportunities to disrupt.

2. Maintain Authority and Focus (The Principle of Expulsion)

• Jesus’ Authority is Undiminished: Our belief must rest on Hebrews 13:8—Jesus is the same, and His authority is available to us.

• Do Not Fear or Entertain: The demonic entity seeks to induce fear and divert attention. Do not react emotionally or engage in lengthy conversations with the spirit; rather, give an immediate, direct command to leave in the name of Jesus Christ, like my father did.

3. Demand Legal Ground (The Principle of Repentance)

• Sin Grants Legal Rights: The most formidable barrier to freedom is unrepentant sin. Adultery, unforgiveness, or deliberate transgression can give the enemy “legal authority” or a “foothold” (Ephesians 4:27) that the authority of Christ alone cannot overcome until the person chooses to repent and break the agreement with sin.

• The Deliverer Must Be Pure: Ministers and those praying for others must maintain personal integrity and holiness. Unconfessed sin in the life of a minister can neutralize the corporate effort and give the demonic a tactical advantage.

🙏 Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, who has triumphed over all the power of the enemy. We thank You for the testimonies of faith and courage passed down to us. We ask for a greater measure of Your manifest presence in our lives, that it may expose all works of darkness and prepare the way for Your light. Equip us with the wisdom to discern the difference between human suffering and demonic oppression, and grant us the courage to stand against all fear. We pray for purity and integrity, that we may offer no legal ground to the adversary. Let the Holy Spirit’s fire cleanse us and make us effective conduits of Your deliverance. We claim the authority given to us through Christ Jesus to bind the strongman and set the captives free.

Amen.