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Spiritual discernment is needed in addition to eyesight. Jesus scolded the people for being able to forecast the weather but being unable to recognize the time of His first coming in Luke 12:54-56. We are dutifully reminded that the things that were recorded in the Old Testament were said to be recorded for our benefit, that we do not fall into the same sins and errors as did Israel, largely by unbelief. How can we be sure of seeing the nearness of His return for His Bride if we do not stay ready and watchful? The parable of ten virgins or bridesmaids tells of half of them that were caught by surprise at the return of the groom. The reason given was that they slept and their lamp oil had run out, thus they were shut out of the wedding. This is a sober warning to the church to stay filled with the Holy Spirit and to remain watchful. In the natural we go to eye-doctors for check-ups to make sure we are seeing properly. Spiritually, the church needs to do the same. Apparently, there was a problem with the church of Laodicea, which is also true of many today. Jesus prescribed spiritual eye-salve that they might see. I will never forget the day that I asked the Lord to open my eyes to the reality of the spirit world. Early in my Christian walk, after completing the self-study Design for Discipleship course by the Navigators, I knew there was more to see and do than what I was experiencing by simply attending Sunday morning church services. I had read in the Bible about encounters with evil entities but had never heard or witnessed any trace of them within the comfortable American church environment. I guess I had written them off as things that happened in the past and did not need to concern us now. I knew that we were all involved in a spiritual battle within our minds, but there was still a question mark. God was about to open my eyes. My wife and I had been house-sitting during Christmas at a Christian retreat owned by the Edwards Baking Company on St. Simons Island, Georgia. It once belonged to the Stuckey family, active in Georgia state government, that built all those highway tourist stops by the same name. Later the main house was moved onto a barge and pulled up the intercoastal waterway to a new location in South Carolina. We were staying in the carriage house while the regular missionary housekeepers were on vacation. One early evening the house phone rang, and I answered. It was a strange and trembling female voice. One I did not know. She said that she needed help and was about to commit suicide. All I could think of was to tell her of God’s love by sharing John 3:16 – For God so loved the world (which included her), that He gave His only begotten Son… I put her name in the verse. She was having difficulty saying it after me, which I asked her to do. As I continued to press her to repeat the verse with her name in it, a different voice interrupted her. It was a growling and snarling sound that emanated disgust, with hate-filled words that completed the verse and claimed to have heard it a thousand times. It was startling and was my first such encounter with the demonic. I had never heard of such a thing happening over the phone. Fortunately, God was in control. The girl’s normal voice returned, and I was able to get her to call a friend of mine who was a street preacher. I picked up another friend, a strong prayer warrior, and went over to his house on St. Simons Island. We prayed while he ministered to the girl on the phone. It was a tremendously eye-opening experience for all of us as we heard the multiple spirit entities obeying the commands to leave in Jesus Name. It took several hours into the night before the girl was able to confess her sins of witchcraft and ask Jesus to be her Lord and Savior. Finally, a real peace came and all she wanted was for us to read the Bible to her. Later, we were able to connect her with a ladies Bible study which helped her to grow in the Lord. I tried to sleep that night, but my eyelids would not close. Witchdoctors are not respectable in the United States (yet), but witchcraft seems to be, thanks to Harry Potter and a society that has turned away from God and the Bible. As lawlessness increases in the last days, the devil will come out of hiding to the surprise of many churchgoers who have been taught that such things were just Biblical ways of referring to psychological disorders. With the increased use of drugs, it was bound to break out in the open. We can’t keep sending addicts off for treatments that don’t work. They’re crowding our sidewalks, camping out in our yards, and beating on our doors. When will the church recognize the spiritual problem and confront it with the compassion and authority of Jesus to set the prisoners free?