Kingdom Proclaimers Report
“Oppose the Devil, and He Will Flee From You”
IN THE first century, a group of “magical arts” devotees in Ephesus responded to the Christian message by publicly burning their books of magic. (Acts 19:19) The calculated cost of these books was 50,000 pieces of silver. If the Bible account refers to the denarius, a Roman silver coin, it would have amounted to at least $37,000!
Today there are many who at one time owned literature dealing with the occult but who displayed a determination similar to that of the ancient Ephesians. Consider the following experience from Canada.
About five years ago, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses was preaching from house to house when at one door a woman named Nora literally pulled her into the house. Over many long years of spiritual search, Nora had collected hundreds of religious and spiritistic books, but she wanted to know what the Bible had to say about the hope for the dead. The Witness offered her the tract What Hope for Dead Loved Ones? Nora’s questions were answered, and she accepted subscriptions for the Watchtower and Awake! magazines.
Later she moved away and lost contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, she continued to receive the magazines in the mail at her new address. She also ordered some of the Bible-based publications mentioned in the magazines. After some time, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses came to her door. Impressed that the Witness went directly to the Bible when answering questions, Nora welcomed her and invited her to come back for further discussions.
The Witness, however, found it difficult to contact Nora again. Repeated visits were made at different times of the day and at different times of the week without success. In time, though, her persistence paid off, and she reaped good results. A regular Bible study was started, which at Nora’s insistence often was held three times a week. The things she was learning motivated her to talk to friends and family members, resulting in three of them requesting Bible studies with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Through her study Nora came to appreciate that there are many false religions and false prophets but only one road leading to life. For many years she had been looking for answers to her questions in false religions, but after learning what the Bible has to say about demons, she acted like the ancient Ephesians mentioned at Acts 19:19. She cleaned out her library and, over the course of several days, destroyed more than a thousand books dealing with the occult and false religious teachings. Among the publications destroyed, one set of four books was worth more than $800!
Evidently displeased with Nora’s actions, the demons harassed her for about two weeks. However, these wicked spirits were not able to dissuade her from continuing her Bible study and her association with Jehovah’s modern-day organization.
Such experiences well illustrate the truth of the Bible’s words: “Subject yourselves, therefore, to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you.”—James 4:7.