Chapter One

The Invisible War

It was a perfect winter evening in Southern California when we parked our car in front of the big house in Anaheim Hills. As I turned off the engine, the sun was going down, silhouetting the beautiful house at the end of the cul-de-sac.

“That’s our new house; we’ve just brought it,” I announced to my parents, who were sitting in the back seat of the car. They had arrived from Houston a few hours earlier and this was the first time they had seen the house.

To our right, we could see a breathtaking, panoramic view that included the valley and beautiful snow-capped mountains in the distance. The lights from the houses and cars below sparkled like diamonds and rubies.

We had been talking about the events of the previous months. My wife, Joyce, and I were telling my mom and dad how God had led us to buy this house, how He had confirmed it in so many ways that there could be no doubt.

The escrow had closed a few days before and now the house was legally ours. However, a family was living there and they refused to move. They had moved into the house about six months before on a lease-option to buy. After making their first monthly payment, they were deceived into believing God had given them the house. Since “it was

theirs,” they had refused to make any more payments to the previous owner or to move out.

When I signed the contract to purchase the house, I had assumed this matter would be taken care of long before the escrow closed. The previous owner had been very frustrated with the slow moving legal notices and evictions proceedings.

Now the escrow had closed and it was my problem. I was considering the best method to force the people out of my house. The time was short. Since Joyce and I were to leave on a missionary trip to Hong Kong and the Philippines in two weeks, it was important to be moved in and to have the children settled in their new schools before that time.

My first option was simply to explain the situation to the family, telling them the house had been sold, and that we needed to move in the following weekend. My second option was to hire a lawyer. I knew that if they persisted in their decision to stay in the house, it would take about three months of unpleasant proceedings to move them out legally.

We have found that usually when the Lord reveals a new dimension of truth, we soon have an opportunity to prove that truth is our lives. While we were in the process of purchasing the house, God had begun to teach us about the authority we have in Jesus Christ.

The Lord said this was a battle in the spirit world, and we weren’t to say one word to the people. He reminded us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the

darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Our warfare wasn’t with these people, but with the demonic force that was deceiving them, and thus hindering us from enjoying all that was rightfully ours.

To my own natural minds, this approach didn’t seem logical. I wanted to take immediate action, but God had spoken to my spirit and I knew I must wait.

While the four of us sat in the car in front of the house that winter evening, talking about the location of various rooms and about the situation we were facing with the tenants, I noticed the front porch light was on.

Suddenly, God gave me the name of the leading spirit of deception that was causing the problems. I exclaimed, “Praise God! Satan, I bind you , in the name of Jesus! You spirits of deception, I bind you and I break your assignment over this house and everything you have tried to do to prevent us from taking possession of it.”

Instantly, I was in the middle of a battle in the spirit realm over the house, I found myself speaking rapidly with authority to those demonic spirits. The moment I began to speak to the leading spirit of deception, the front porch light began to flash on and off. At first, I thought a child was flipping the light switch, and then I realized it would be impossible for anyone to flip a switch that fast. It was a manifestation of the spiritual warfare that was taking place over the house.

“All spirits of deception, I command you to leave in the name of Jesus!”

Joyce and my parents joined me in the warfare. We began to declare Scripture to the evil spirits.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons’’’

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over allot he power of the enemy…  (Revelation 12:11, Mark 16:17, Luke 10:19)

All this time, the front porch light continued to flash violently, We began to laugh at the antics of Satan with the confident joy that comes with seeing him defeated. We continued to speak the Word of God, to take dominion over demonic spirits and to order them to leave. After several minutes, we felt a release in our spirits and began to thank God for the victory. At that very moment, the light stopped flashing.

Our faith, confidence, and spiritual boldness grew when we saw the reality of this experience confirmed  by the following events of the week.

The battle had been won! On the very next day, the people started looking for another house. They found another place and when  we arrived with our furniture on the following Saturday, the house was empty, swept clean, ready for us and our furniture. We had not spoken on word to them.

The battle had been won, not with weapons of the flesh, not by legal recourse, but with spiritual weapons that are …mighty in God for pulling down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).

You have read the beginning of the first chapter. You can order this book by following this link. Destined for Dominion