Few moments prepare you in life for what we experienced last night. Just before 3AM, Ashly woke me in a panic with the words, “He’s having a seizure!” I grabbed Axton and pulled him close, holding his little powerfully convulsing body.
We had experienced this twice before, with Aaron, when he was 2 or 3, so I remembered those times. The clock decelerates to a crawl turning seconds into eternities. But this one was different. I think it was because I was yanked out of a deep sleep to a state of hysteria, uncertainty, and chaos.
Febrile Seizure – the unofficial official diagnosis. This is where the body (mostly only in children 5 and younger) reacts to the sudden and extreme change in internal temperature. Febrile just means having or showing symptoms of a fever.
So, as Ashly is dialing and talking to 911 and starting the bathwater, I took Axton to the bathroom and placed him in the tub. As I’m praying, singing, and talking to him while splashing water on him, the seizing stops but there is no spirit inside. I stared into my son’s blank expression holding his lifeless body that is completely unaffected by the new bed of icy water in which he is laying.
After about 30 minutes he begins to slowly come to with spurts of tears, moans, and physical rejection of the paramedics’ (who had arrived) hands giving assessment and administering their work.
We have a follow up today but are pretty sure things are ok. Although we do not know what caused the fever (COVID test negative) he is acting much better as I write this and seems to be back from his tour of darkness in the middle of the night. We’re praising God for the restoration of the morning.
There’s another dad I’ve read about who had experience with this but on a much more severe level. This man’s son would have seizures so bad, and apparently consistently, that the father feared for the son’s life. The dad recounted that his son would shake so bad that he’d been burned by convulsing into the campfire and nearly drowned because a seizure shook him into the water. The other symptoms of the seizures that dad talks about were teeth grinding, drooling, and body contortions.
Ashly’s older sister had a severe case of epilepsy as a young child that required brain surgery and I’ve heard the family share stories about the horror of those moments. I’ve experienced seizures as a youth pastor a couple times. Now, with two of my boys, but I cannot imagine the extreme case this dad was reliving.
Today, we have advanced medical technologies and understandings to explain these issues/problems. But thousands of years ago, when there was no advances in science and medicine, people were left with hopes and prayers. That is until, Jesus showed up.
This dad brought his son to Jesus for help. The man says, “Heal my son, if you can.”
Now, the understanding is that these seizures were spiritual in nature and evil or demonic forces were working in the souls and bodies of the victims. As humans, we demand explanation; we are obsessed with WHY. So, this was common, although not normal, to have this reaction.
Jesus responds with an emphasis on restating the man’s question: “…IF I CAN?” As if to say, seriously bro, you think I can’t?
The father replies with an interesting confession. He says, “I DO believe, but help me overcome my UNBELIEF.”
Jesus commanded the evil spirit to leave the boy alone and Mark records that at that demand, the spirit screamed, made the boy seize again, then left and the boy appeared dead, but Jesus helped him up.
Paul says, we do not wage war against flesh and blood but our fight in this world is against the rulers, authorities, powers of darkness, and evil spirits in the darkness. (Ephesians 6)
I also know that the enemy prowls like a lion looking for the weak and isolated ones he can devour. (1 Peter 5:8). So, there’s no way I’m going to let a moment as scary as that, throw me into a tailspin of retreat.
I don’t know if my son had a demon last night. But you better believe I spoke to the darkness in the name of Jesus and commanded it to leave!
But, I cannot help wonder about the rest of my day, my life, and my world, and where the powers, rulers, and authorities of darkness are at work to take me out.
I wonder in what ways they are work in your life.
If you’re anything like me, the dad from Mark 9 is pretty relatable. I believe in God, am convinced the Holy Spirit is living and active, and know that Jesus can still do miracles, but there are so many bad, evil, and dark things that happen, sometimes UNBELIEF sets in.
That connect at all: Here are 3 Things you can do today to fight against the enemy:
· Recognize that evil is real and darkness is working to destroy you
· Understand that people are not the enemy but fellow victims…no matter what
· Use what little belief you have to trust Jesus and ask Him to help your unbelief
May the LORD of LIGHT and GOD of CREATION bring restoration to you today so that you CAN overcome evil in your life!
Brett
0 Comments