DEMONIC
HORN

Topics: Bondage; Demons; Evil; Hindrances; Oppression; Satan; Spiritual Warfare; Supernatural Occurrences

References: Matthew 8:28–34; Mark 5:1–20; Luke 8:26–39; Ephesians 6:10–18; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8–9; 1 John 4:1–3

I was part of a church visitation team that had just spent twenty minutes explaining the gospel to a tenderhearted woman. When I asked her, “Are you ready to receive Christ as your Lord?” she responded, “Yes, I am!”

I said, “Then simply pray after me, ‘Father, I thank you for sending your Son.’ ” She started repeating, “Father, I thank …”—but before she could finish, her car, parked nearby, started honking. The noise of the horn was so deafening that the woman couldn’t hear my prayer.

We went to her car to investigate. We opened the hood, beat on the horn, and finally shut it off. Only then was I able to resume praying with this woman, but it was a struggle for her to focus again.

Many Christians would conclude that a mechanical failure had set off the horn. It’s possible. But I saw the interruption as a subtle demonic hindrance to distract this would-be believer from the gospel message. Not every negative event has a demonic source. But some do.

—Joseph Winger, “Our Call to Arms,” Discipleship Journal (May–June 2006)