MBMS International. Transforming Lives In Mission

Julia* is a girl who met Christ as a student and began growing rapidly in her faith. After praying fervently for a Christian friend in her life, God brought her one. She was riding the bus one day when she overheard a westerner on the seat behind her talking to a man about God. Turning around, she asked him, “Are you a Christian?” This was the beginning of Julia’s relationship with a team of missionaries. Following this encounter, two people from the missionary team were offered a job teaching at the university where Julia studied. It was an amazing blessing for Julia to have two Christian teachers on her campus so they could have fellowship together. As a result of their presence, Julia saw many of her acquaintances come to faith. Julia was greatly encouraged.

During her last year of school, however, Julia came under a great attack from the enemy. She told the missionaries, “I cannot be a Christian anymore. I know that it’s true, but I can’t accept the cost.” Julia felt like she was being a traitor to her people. Buddhists are simply who they are and they cannot easily separate themselves from this fact. When she would try to share her faith with her friends she was left with heaviness in her heart and the sentiment that she was being disowned by her people for being a follower of Jesus. Being a Christian felt like “too hard of a burden.” She doesn’t believe that her parents will ever come to know Christ, and she can’t bear the thought of being separated from them if they are in hell.

At present, Julia claims that she doesn’t feel anything. She has no emotion. She’s numb. She’s not a Buddhist, because she can’t go back to it, but she’s not walking in obedience to Christ either. Julia’s struggle illustrates the clash of kingdoms. When the gospel of the kingdom comes in against the kingdom of darkness it stirs up tremendous opposition. Julia had a breakthrough. She came to Christ and was growing and sharing her faith. But very quickly she came under spiritual attack and the enemy has wreaked havoc in her life, which she is still reeling from today. There is a spiritual war being waged over her life, but she’s not acknowledging its presence nor is she fighting against in it.

There are so few Christians in this region and Satan wants to keep it that way. Pray for spiritual strength for new believers and intercede on behalf of the weak to fight the battle with spiritual weapons of authority. Pray that God would bring the continent of Asia to its knees in surrender, bursting the bonds to bring complete freedom from darkness.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 6:12

*Names have been changed