A spiritual warfare testimony: My dark night of the soul
In the darkest period of my life, caused by internal struggles, the Holy Spirit gave a promise, Psalm 37:5: “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.”
This was not to be fulfilled until 19 long months later by His illumination of Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Though I was a believer and a deacon in a Baptist church, the darkness continued to intensify. I didn’t know what the answer was, nor even that there was an answer!
Two years later the Holy Spirit called me into the ministry through the text of Isaiah 58:10,11. However, I then came under intense spiritual warfare. Although others prayed for me and I tried to resist the Enemy, the oppression continued for four months. Finally, the Holy Spirit delivered me one night as I read Psalm 37:35,36.
“I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.”
It is my prayer that this testimony of God’s sovereign dealing with my life might, almost half a century later, encourage those who are yet in a similar ‘dark night of the soul’.
A devotional poem: God’s Processing Tunnel
Egypt
As we embark on the journey of life
And partake in its burdens and cares;
Ere long we loathe the turmoil and strife,
And seek respite from its snares.
In vain we search for joy hat endures
Among the pleasures and trinkets of Earth;
Only to find that which beckons and lures
Is empty and void of true worth.
On and on ’til the restless heart cries
For the relentless ache to cease;
Oh, for Someone to wipe tears from our eyes (Rev.7:17)
And flood our beings with peace. (Jn.16:33)
At length we see that He who died
Was acquainted with sorrow and grief; (Isa.53:3,4)
And we come confessing our sin and pride; (Rom.10:9,10,13)
And, in coming, experience relief. (Jn.5:24; 8:32)
Wilderness
In this new-found Friend all grace resides
That abounds to our every need; (2 Cor.9:8)
The promise is to him who in Jesus abides, (Jn.15:5-7)
To him who from Self has been freed.
But the monster Self is a dauntless foe
That insists on ruling the life; (Rom.7:18,19)
So instead of the peace we fain would know
We encounter a new kind of strife.
As the battle rages and clouds are dark
And our way with heartaches is lined; (Rom.7:24)
We almost give up; we almost give out when hark;
A promise: “… I will bring the blind …” (Isa.42:16)
Many are the doubts as He leads us along
By a path that we would not choose;
But, clinging to Him, we can’t go wrong,
Since our life to save we must lose. (Luke 9:23,24)
As in a tunnel whose center is black
We yearn for light on our path;
In the wall of despair we search for a crack
That we might walk by sight not faith. (2 Cor.5:7)
The Spirit’s discipline, reaching far and wide,
Denies the comfort we keep demanding;
But, as we take our place in the Crucified, (Gal.2:20)
We find peace past all understanding. (Phil.4:7)
Canaan
Now, as before, a new battle begins
For which we are ill-prepared
As Satan his fiery darts expends (Eph.6:16)
To tempt us again to despair.
When he launches forth his savage attack (I Pet.5:8,9)
To regain the ground he has lost,
We’re tempted to quit and turn our back
On the warfare and its ultimate cost. (Eph.6:12)
In the battle fierce with strength bereft,
We realize that all is but loss,
And retrace our steps to the place we left (2 Cor.2:14)
As He delivers us alway to the cross. (2 Cor.4:11)
As our mortal flesh shows our union with Him,
Jesus’ life will be made manifest;
And the things of this world will ever grow dim,
As we enter into rest. (Heb.4:3)
Though your way seems hopeless and full of fears,
God is handling you in love, dear friend;
No matter how dark your tunnel appears,
Take heart, there is light at he other end.
So, if you’re going through a dark season, take heart; the light of hope is just ahead.
“God’s Processing Tunnel” Copyright © 1996 Grace Fellowship International
Dr. Charles R. Solomon (1930-2020) founded Grace Fellowship International in 1970 and is the author of books including Handbook to Happiness (Tyndale House), and Handbook for Christ Centered Counseling (Solomon Publications). A video interview is online here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtPRtzFm3nk