By Larry Young

There’s one entire subject area that is generally avoided in our church and denomination, and with good cause: demonic activity. I have been told that focusing to any extent on this subject takes our focus off of Jesus and salvation, putting us at risk of being sucked into the very evil that we may be trying to expose. I happen to agree, because I had an SDA friend near San Diego who made the mistake of focusing on exposing an evil cult…but then he himself got caught up in it. By the time he realized his error, he had to claw his way back into the church, because those evil spirits dogged him every step of the way.

On the other hand, completely ignoring the evil spirits that surround us opens us up to being easily deceived and led astray by those same spirits. Powerful books like “The Great Controversy… between Christ and Satan” clearly exposes the life and death battle going on for our souls. The thread of truth vs lies weaves its way throughout our lives and throughout the Bible.  For instance, the Bible contains 30+ separate episodes of demonic activity narratives, and the word “demonic” and like-words are used 75+ times throughout scripture. We should at least know the basics of this warfare, and know for certain why Christ is the victor.

Unfortunately, I have had several unsolicited experiences up close and personal with Satan’s demons. My first experience involved my father-in-law Bob. When I married Cheryl, I found that she was a diamond in the midst of a bunch of ‘broken glass’. Her dad Bob was the perfect example of why I should avoid Christianity like the plague. Cheryl’s mom Ruth was a nurse at the Elmshaven Sanitarium, living in hospital housing built overlooking a steep hill. It was late Friday afternoon and Cheryl and I were in the living room looking at the view out their big picture window. We were just chatting when Bob ran into the room, yelling that Cheryl was being disrespectful to me (which wasn’t the case at all), so he grabbed Cheryl and started trying to shove her right through that big window. I jumped in between them and found myself eyeball to eyeball with a frothing screaming growling demon. Just then, Ruth burst into the room, yelling “Bob, stop stop! It’s almost Sabbath!” That was surreal.

Just one more example nearby: we were members at Hoodview church and there was an awesome older couple there who were dedicated church supporters in every way. The wife was sadly diagnosed with terminal cancer, so she hired a full time helper until her passing. The much younger helper then ended up marrying the widowed husband, but she proved herself to be a “gold digger”.  Without any kind of provocation ever, that woman had it in for Cheryl. One Sabbath potluck, Cheryl and I were in the kitchen helping prepare the meal during sermon time, but then that woman burst through the kitchen door and attacked Cheryl, yelling and screaming obscenities. I jumped in between them and once again found myself eyeball to eyeball with a frothing screaming growling demon, yelling that she was going to harm my wife. Neither Cheryl nor I said a single word. Fortunately, a deacon heard her and got the woman’s husband, who then grabbed her and literally dragged her out of the church, never to return ever again. That was as surreal as it gets.

Incredibly, Cheryl and I have been shoved out the back door of several local churches over the last 40 years. We’ve even been members of the same church more than once, Sandy church included. By now, are you a little curious why? Cheryl and I both have unique dynamic love relationships with Jesus at a lowly humble level, but we also keep trying to reach out and help others in different ways, but that also makes us targets. Why do you think that the Sanhedrin, leaders of the Jews, wanted desperately to eliminate Jesus? …or the many who stoned and tried so hard to destroy Paul of Tarsus? If we are focused on loving and lifting up Jesus, the devil will spare no expense to try to discourage, deceive, and destroy. (1 Peter 5:8)

The problem is that we as a church and as a denomination tend to bury and ignore the influence and the work of the enemy to destroy true believers in Jesus, our creator and savior and God. We don’t ever openly discuss that big red “elephant” in the room, because we’ve been told (by inuendo or even directly) that it’s too risky to bring up demonic activity that is going on right under our noses. I think it’s safe to say that all of our churches are under major attack from within, but interestingly hardly at all from without. If your church is not under attack by Satan, then your church is dying. So what are the characteristics of those working against God from within? They’re sometimes the ones given a self-important title, or the ones who make sure you know that they are closer to perfection than you are. They are the ones who ran Cheryl and myself out the back door of area churches, because we were only willing to bow down and worship Christ…not them.

We talk openly about unity and being Christ-centered, but we collectively are still too much like what Jesus said: “Their hearts are far from me”. (Matthew 15:8) Sandy church still has the awesome opportunity of being a beacon to all Christians and non-Christians alike in these last moments of history, but we’re not going anywhere until the “shaking” (and the sifting) has done its necessary work. So who will be shaken out? It will be like when I had to jump right in front of one of those demonically controlled people, to prevent them from harming my wife. They can be smooth-talking manipulators or the ones who are totally focused on self or perfection…but it is they who demand control of others. They have one or more demons egging them on, but you may not see their true colors until it’s too late. They operate under the influence of the very same spirits that Christ faced, creating division and discord within the church, driving out those who disagree with them: anything but true Christian unity… or of being of one true accord. (Acts 2: 1)

The Bible says there will only be a “remnant” saved at the end. (Romans 9:27) Can you see that now? The love of Christ will triumph, but only within those who are willing to die to self so that Christ can fill them with His Spirit and His love. This world is passing away, and all the self‑satisfying physical and emotional “stuff” we cling to will mean nothing.

Right now, God’s angels are holding back the winds of strife until the saints are sealed. When Jesus stands up, “all hell” will indeed break loose, but the sealed remnant will not be touched. That is not fear‑mongering; it is Scripture’s own warning and promise. The shaking and sifting will reveal what we truly are like on the inside, not what we pretend to be on the outside. So the question remains, and it’s not meant to condemn, but to awaken: Where will you stand when this hits? Not where your reputation says you stand, or where your habits or traditions say you stand, but where your heart actually is with Jesus.

His grace is sufficient. His power is real. His love is stronger than every demonic force working to divide and destroy from within. But only those who cling to Christ with an unshakeable faith will endure the storm that is coming.  Where will you be?