When I was eight-months pregnant with our first daughter, Jordan, I really got into fear. I knew that fear was not from God, but through experiences I went through, I had received fear into my life I had “signed the package” and accepted it as mine. One night in bed, the devil began to play with my mind. He brought up before me memories of how I’d almost had a hysterectomy, of my dad dying of cancer, of my miscarriages, surgeries, and the death of our firstborn son. As he reminded me of things in my past, I let him put a terrifying fear in my heart.
Then a spirit of fear attacked me. I began to shake and feel like I was burning up. When I woke up Richard Roberts, he said, “Honey, are you sick?” Through my tears, I cried, “I’m terrified, Richard! I cannot have this baby! The devil told me if I go into labor, he’ll kill me and the baby.” I wanted my husband to do something. I’ll never forget how he looked and me and said, “Lindsay, you need to pray.”
Showdown with the devil
That was the last thing I wanted to hear. But now I’m so grateful Richard Roberts loved me enough to make me deal with my fear, because I’m the only one who could have done it. He said, “Lindsay, this has plagued you since you were 18 years old. You’ve allowed it long enough,” and he was absolutely right. He said, “Go in the other room, shut the door, and don’t come out until you’ve had a ‘showdown’ with the devil and you’ve told him, ‘No, devil! I refuse to live in fear anymore.”
At first I was mad at Richard Roberts, but he was right. I had to face this thing head-on, and now I was getting mad at the devil. I walked in the room, ready to face my fear and stay in that room until victory was mine. What I didn’t know was that on the other side of that door, Richard was praying and believing for me to be set free from fear.
I remember drawing a line in the carpet with my shoe, stepping across it, and saying, “Here’s the line of faith and fear, devil. I’m on the side of faith, and I’m not walking on the other side again.” Then I said, “If your power is greater than God’s, just kill me right now. But if I’m still breathing at the end of this conversation, you will never do this to me again.”
Suddenly, I realized, I’m not dead! I’m still here! The fear and torment that had me in its grip just faded away. I was completely delivered by the power of the Lord. I went into that hospital and had a perfectly normal birth without being gripped in fear. And Jordan has always been my “easy” child—so full of God’s peace.
What God did for me, He can do for you!
I believe what God did for me, He can do for you as well, as you have your “showdown” with the devil and believe God for a miracle of deliverance in your life. Let’s join in a prayer of agreement: Father, You told us in I John 4:8 that Your perfect love casts out all fear. We claim Your perfect love for us right now, and we cast out all fear from our lives. By the authority of the Word of God and in the name of Jesus, we speak directly to you, spirit of fear, and we command you to take your hands off God’s property. You loose this person and let them go free by the power and blood of Jesus Christ. We take authority over this situation and command it to change. In Jesus’ name, amen.