First you have to manage yourself; then deal with the Spirit world; then learn some skills in handling someone who is angry with you. Use a soft voice, enquiring, clarifying, get the expectations clear; and if need be, say: I’ve noticed this, is there something I’ve done that’s upset you so deeply? Sometimes, just that quiet voice enquiring after the person, just can have a good calming effect.
Another thing is acts of kindness towards that person - acts of kindness can soften that person’s heart as well - a gift or card at an appropriate time. There are many strategies you’ve got to find. In some places in the west, they would actually take a more confrontational line; and actually stand up and say: you have no right to speak to me in that tone. That kind of response tends to cause a huge conflict, and employment laws in New Zealand favour employees, so bosses have to be more careful. I don’t think it’s the case here! So, therefore you have to carefully work out how to handle it.
The last thing in your situation, is that after such an encounter, realise you’ve probably been quite knocked. As you turn away from the encounter, “Lord, I just forgive this man, release him right now. Lord I ask for love to come back to my heard. Amen”. So it becomes an opportunity for you to grow.
You notice it’s a mixture of spiritual and practical - both are needed to solve the problem. In military, first you win the battle in the air; then you can win it on the ground. There’s always a spiritual pressure.
The spirit of idolatry is very strong in their family, both on the father’s side and mother’s side. For quite a few of them, they are full time temple workers, and some of them are even in the committee of the Taoist association in Taiwan - so they are a very high level in Taiwan. Even when she prays very hard, she tries all kinds of anointing in the house; still she is troubled by those spirits. So what can she do to break the power of those evil spirits in the household?
The first thing to realise is that Christ has defeated them. So here’s what I’ve noticed happens in Taiwan: people become very impressed with the devil, very impressed with the idols, and very impressed with demons; in spite of the fact that Jesus has defeated them! So, this is an issue of what you believe in your heart.
Now, I’m not minimising the reality of demonic oppression, and the high level this would be around family members involved in the temple. What you must realise, is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the blood He shed, the blood of a spotless King, is more powerful than any of their offerings, or any of their gods.
For example, I want to Taichung, and there’s the big temple there. I noticed that before I went, everyone was like: ‘Oh Taichung!’ I was thinking: Jesus conquered the demon! But in the belief system, there was an ascribing of power to these things, which they did not have. I said: ‘Let me get to Taichung quickly’! Then I said when I got there: take me to this temple, let me see what’s going on. I refused to be intimidated, because I recognised that everyone was intimidated. When I got into the meeting of church workers, they were some of the most depressed people I’d ever seen. Many were sick, and many people had died! So you either look at it and say: “Woah, big devil”. Or, you say: “Wow! Guys, rise up - you need to believe Jesus!”
So I decided the first night I was there, I will preach on idolatry. I will be highly confrontational. Not only that, it was the feast of Matsu. So Matsu’s coming through the streets with thousands of people - so, I will preach against Matsu as well, and I did! It was a very difficult heavy atmosphere, very oppressed. I spoke and preached, not to the people, but beyond the people into the spirit world - declaring the authority of Jesus Christ, the power of the blood.
We had a great deliverance meeting that night, lots of people got set free - wonderful. Then I read the news the next morning. That night in the temple, the temple committee had voting - and a fight broke out, which became so violent that the police were called, and everyone was dispersed. I realised then, how important it is, never to be intimidated. Arise in who you are in Christ - the demons are terrified of you; don’t be intimidated by them.
I’ll give you a couple of stories. I had a girl who had been dedicated to Sai Baba; and in the home, there’s a huge alter to Sai Baba. So she got massive deliverance. “But I got home and my father has this huge alter to Sai Baba, right in the house!” I said, “Don’t worry about Sai Baba.” I said: “Your room, that’s where you belong. Dedicate your room, make an anointment with oil. Decree no spiritual oppression in this room. Invite the Holy Spirit in. This room is my sanctuary. Play worship music. The rest of the house belongs to your father. So this is what you do: you don’t criticise, you don’t say all kinds of things against what they do, you honour your parents. Every time you go past Sai Baba, then you pray in tongues; and you make a declaration – Sai Baba shall decrease, Jesus shall increase. Every time you walk past that idol, every time you walk past that alter: “Sai Baba decrease, Jesus increase”. Not a big prayer, very easy prayer.
I come back one year later, I said how are you getting on? “I’m a cell leader now, doing very well.” I remembered her, so I said, “How’s Sai Baba doing?” “Not so good.” She said, “We had some financial difficulty. We had to move out of our apartment to a smaller apartment where there’s no alter - only a picture.” “Ah, very good - Sai Baba is decreasing! Keep praying.” So next time I went back, I asked how are you doing? “Oh, I have 3 groups now.” “How’s Sai Baba doing?” “He’s not doing good at all. The picture fell off the wall and got broken. Now we have a smaller picture. Sai Baba is definitely decreasing; Jesus is increasing”.