Traditionally Japan uses a lunar calendar for months. And around October/November every year they have the one called 神無月 (Kannazuki). “No Gods Month”.
They call it that because they believe that all their gods, (8 million of them), all go to a temple in Izumo, in Ise Province towards the western end of the main island of Japan. Where their gods party for a month.
In Izumo they call that month 神在月(Kamiarizuki). “Has Gods Month”.

Every now and then we go back to Japan for 3 months to house sit for missionary friends while they go back to the country they were sent from to raise awareness, and support. Last time we went, it was Kannazuki. So we headed off to Izumo, to the temple where they all go. The temple of Amaterasu, the god who fell from heaven. (Yeah, that’s really what they call him).

Of course all the hotels were booked out, But one hotel had a suite which had one of the toilets not working, so they gave it to us at the normal room rate. And, by the way, both the toilets worked fine! I’m pretty sure it was the last hotel room left in Izumo.

The next day we went off to the temple, and we walked around the grounds and prayed against all the demonic spirits which were there. It was a powerful time. We basically bound them in the name of Yeshua to either never leave, or to never return if they do.
Putting them on notice that Japan is no longer theirs. They can stay in their temples, but the future for Japan is going to be very different for them.

Just after we returned to where we were staying in Tokyo, one of the OMS missionaries from the church went off, as he often does, to some of the small islands for an evangelistic week. Normally in a week like that, nobody decides to follow Yeshua, but hopefully seeds are laid for the future.
That week, 50 people gave their lives to Yeshua to follow him.

We have friends who have been missionaries in Japan for 40 years. And seen a small handful of people become Christian. And suddenly 50 people in a week, on a small island. Wow.

Prayer is the only weapon we have for fighting Satan. But wow, it is so effective. Prayer in the name of Yeshua has power like you cannot even imagine.

I have many stories about fighting demons. (In other people).

One church I was part of in Sydney was definitely under attack. But the pastor and his wife were well aware of that, and the three of us would get together to pray for the church and against the evil spiritual forces which were attacking it. (Even from within - freemasons and their descendants who had historically ruled that particular church).

One day when the three of us were praying at the church I literally saw the demon standing over the church building (he was huge, several stories tall, and flaming)… In the vision I realised that I had a short sword in my hand, so I stabbed him in the leg with my sword. I was filled with a feeling of power. And he fled, and a wall of fire rose up around the church to protect it. In my heart this felt like the Holy Spirit was the wall of fire. 

The church changed incredibly in the month or so after that. The freemasons diminished, and stopped their interference.

I find that most western Christians have no idea whatsoever that Satan is actively working against the church here. They seem to run their church as if it was a business, with a strategy for growth, and funding proposals. And to me, church these days feels more like a sales pitch, and like they are hyping a product that I should buy.

Even the prayer, it just feels like we’ve decided what will happen and we “command” it in Jesus’ name. And we always choose the “nice” outcome. “Mrs X isn’t feeling well again, please have the doctors work out what’s wrong and send her back to us.”
But it feels like we don’t even asking Yeshua if that’s what he wants! Yet we command it in his name!

My wife and I were talking on the way home last week…
If we had a meeting with the Queen, (or the President), for example… We wouldn’t start with, “Can you help me with my lawn?” Or even, “Do you have any rice you can spare?”… We would start with “Yes, your majesty, is there something you wanted to talk with us about?”

I don’t see much listening these days. I don’t see much asking God what he wants us to pray about. And I don’t see much awareness that we are in a battle.

Spiritual warfare isn’t just a thing from the Bible. It’s a thing from now too. It’s happening every day. Even in your church. Are you going to do something about it? Are you going to join the battle? Or just have another latte and pretend it doesn’t exist.