October 11

Spiritual Warfare

River spirits

“How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him;
but if Baal is God, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21 (NIV)
As we neared the Kaabong (kah-BONG) River, we encountered a
group of 20 women. I was mostly ignoring them until my national
friend asked me to play the first song for them from a cassette tape.
The cassette was of a Lokolia (low-koh-LEE-ah) group singing songs
from a week before.

Almost everyone stayed for the entire song, but you could tell that
they were less than enthusiastic and even a bit antagonistic. When the
song finished, our companion told the Bible story of the fall of Lucifer.
Afterward, I said, “The river spirit that you sacrifice to is one of the fallen
angels that God cast out of heaven. God made them and is stronger
than them. Why would you pray to them instead of to God? Be careful
that you are not deceived by them as Lucifer deceived them.”
As we left, a middle-aged woman grabbed our companion and said,
“We know who you are now. If you steal our river spirit and it does not
rain this year, we will come after you.”

Perhaps our “showdown at Mount Carmel” is in the making. I remembered
what Ahab said to Elijah in 1 Kings 18 when he saw him after some years of drought: “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” Elijah responded, “I have not made trouble for Israel. But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals”
(vv. 17–18, NIV).

May we never put anything before the one, true God!

—John, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa

Holy Father, You require that we not put other gods before You. You are the
one, true God! I exalt You as the King of kings and Lord of lords! Bring light
and truth to the people of Uganda who worship the spirits rather than You.
Amen.

Next day