Spiritual Warfare QUESTION from John on November 7, 2002 I have a four year old adopted son who has recently begun to have behavior problems, anger, hitting and kick at school. We have talked to him about what is right to do and what is not right. He has had small episodes at home but they have never been bad until the other day. My wife was on the phone and he wanted to talk on it she told him know and he flew into histerics screaming and yelling. She sent him to his room and when she hung up the phone she called him into to living room to talk to him and to punish him for his behaviour. He began hitting and kicking her she wrapped him up in her arms to control him and told him to look at her so she could talk to him. She asked him to look at her many times and he would not, suddenly he turned and looked at her, she described it to me as the look on his face change and it was not him, the he said to her He is not your baby and he never will be this is totally out of character for our son. He has never reffered to himself as he, he has always said me, or my or I. Needless to say this sent shivers across my wife's soul. She immediately began praying and pleading on the blood of christ and prayed to castout the spirit. My wife was unsure about the time that passed after this but thinks it was less then a minute but said it felt like an eternity, but after she prayed my son was patting her cheek and kissing her saying its ok mama its ok. Please and guidance you can offer would be much appreciated.
ANSWER by Mr. Joe Meineke on November 14, 2002 Dear John,
First, I want to remind you that God is in control. He will not allow you or anyone in your family to be tested beyond your strength; nor will He abandon you and your family. He is always with you and is protecting you and your loved ones in His Fatherly love. We will be praying for you and this situation.
What you described certainly sounds like something that would not normally come from the mouth of a four year old, although we cannot know with 100 percent certainty. Children sometimes do say things that can be very surprising - even disturbing and frightening. I will admit that this particular incident does sound very suspicious and I would advise you to proceed as if this is a spiritual warfare issue. It would also be wise to consider getting counseling support for your son. Adoptions can be very difficult for a child to handle psychologically and counseling can help him adjust to this new situation.
The words that came out of your son's mouth are characteristic of what we would consider possible evidence for demonic involvement, and this is why: It would benefit the enemy to convince you and your wife that this child is not your and her son - which is, in fact, a complete lie. If you were to believe that you have no authority over your son and acted as such, the enemy would have far more room to operate than he would otherwise. As it is in reality, however, you have a true, God-given paterfamilias relationship with your adopted son. Know this and believe it because it is true.
Your wife can and should participate in this with you, but before you both begin, it is always a good idea to take care of any issues that need to be brought to the Lord. If you or she are conscious of having committed any serious sins, you should go to confession and be reconciled to God before attempting to go into battle (I am assuming you are Catholic. If not, please see the prayers in the spiritual warfare catalogue that deal with confessing sins). It is also wise to pray some preparatory prayers (see the Prayer for Filling of The Spirit and the Prayer to Put On The Armor Of God)
You, his father, have a duty to protect him. In addition, as your son's father, you have the God given authority to do so as well. Prayer is your best weapon at this point. Here are some prayers from the catalogue that you should pay particular attention to:
1) For your son's ancestors, pray (on his behalf) the Renunciation of Ancestral Sins prayer. 2) Pray the Prayer for our Children . 3) If your son is having problems at night, you should pray the Bedtime Protection Prayer on his behalf. In addition to that, you may also want to consider purchasing the CD Sleep Sound in Jesus (Gentle Lullabies for Baby) to play softly in the background while he sleeps.
I would recommend that you and your wife pray these prayers together for a period of a few weeks. Although there is no magic number, this period is typically sufficient. Be prepared to continue for a longer period if necessary. Also, blessing your son's room with holy water on a regular basis and placing a few religious articles (i.e., blessed crucifix, holy images, etc.) in his room may also be of benefit. If your son has not been baptized, arrange to have this done as soon as you are able.
Keep in mind that certain behavioral patterns (temper tantrums, emotional outbursts, etc.) are normal for children of that age. This behavior will likely continue regardless of any outside influences. I say this to caution you against presuming that if your son becomes angry, emotional or throws a temper tantrum, there is something abnormal going on.
One final point: we will be resuming personal consultations after the first of the year. If you still need help at that time and would like a personal consultation, feel free to contact us by filling out our Help Request Form.
God bless you,
Joe Meineke Assistant to Bro. Ignatius

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