For our struggle is not against flesh and blood

This mission has proved to be particularly informative for learning some of the deep spiritual realities in South Sudan. 

We have been helped in this by having an experienced team member from SOMA Kenya who has been greatly used in deliverance ministry. We’ve also been well instructed by intercessors. One of them sent us the following message: 

- I had an image of some in congregation wearing witch doctors necklaces inside clothing for protection. Felt that the Holy Spirit was cautioning and that deliverance is needed for breakthroughs.

Immediately he read that Revd Zadock confirmed it, and responded that he had been about to share that yesterday when he was cut off by one of the senior clergy because of time. We’ve also experienced intriguing opposition as a team. Revd Zadock had a bout of illness during one of our prayer times but when he rebuked it immediately stopped and it hasn’t bothered him since.

We also experienced our most dramatic breakthroughs on the first mission after night of intercession and clear direction on what prayers of binding, loosing and protection to pray the next day at the conference. We did this gently and calmly and the ministry thereafter was clear and calm and resulted in real breakthroughs in many peoples lives by the end of the morning.  

In our discussions, we’ve also managed to hone from our experiences and theology our own understanding as a team of the ministry of deliverance. It’s been interesting contrasting the manifestations that are common in the UK which often leads to a ‘cold-ening’ of the churches, congregations and clergy, with the more dramatic manifestations that are dealt with in Kenya where Mary reports people sitting in the front row at church putting curses on her while she is preaching and occasionally stopping and rebuking them and saying, ‘why are you doing this to me? I am just trying to preach love.’

It was amazing to reflect that some of the people with oversight over this ministry in the UK have little or no experience or theology of the spiritual realm, and that right around the world there are those in senior leadership still involved in practices / societies closely tied to the occult. One particular interesting conversation was with the Provost, who explained that a number of senior political leaders had been involved in sacrifices to idols in order to accrue power in some parts of S.Sudan there are churches that do not speak against this and so there is a syncrenism between oxcultic practices and Christianity. Iit makes you think about the practices that aren’t challenged in the countries we may come from as well.

Many of the issues of unforgiveness seem to be tied up with genuine spiritual powers making it very difficult for people to take steps of forgiveness even if they wanted to. This was articulated by one participant here said he could respond in forgiveness to all things that just happened to him personally but had no ability to forgive people who hurt those around him and said there was something inside him stopping him from forgiving. Some of that is due to the very strong cultural ties which mean that the young men are expected to reap vengeance on those who have hurt their kin, but it was when this stronghold was bound after prayer and accompanying spirits were cast away that he found freedom to begin to forgive from that point onwards  

As one doctorate student told us: ‘When you come to South Sudan be prepared for spiritual battle.’

This was confirmed by the SOMA USA National Director who said: 

Praying for you and the team. My predecessor told me that spiritual warfare is South Sudan is higher than other places he ministered in. I experienced that as well a while back.

1 Peter 5:10

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will HIMSELF restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

All in all this makes this place an excellent training ground for spiritual warfare, when you are accompanied  by the right team and diligent intercessors. We are so grateful for our SOMA Community of Prayer.  It also makes you more aware of the relatively hidden spiritual warfare going on in every country around the world, particularly in countries that are reopening the door to forces that may previously have been held at bay through the Ministry of the churches.  

Above all we remember this wonderful reality: 

Romans 16:20: the God of heaven will soon trample Satan under his feet.