The Situation Room

“It was like a dream come true when you freed us from our bondage and brought us back to Zion!” (Psalm 126:1 TPT)

Melody stood at the door of the cave and looked out over the jagged rocks. In the distance was a wide expanse of lush land that looked like a patchwork quilt—varying shades of green and brown and yellow and violet and a tinge of red—something like what she had seen many years ago while flying over Kansas or some other mid-western state in the spring or summer. She leaned in for a better view.

Melody had poked her head out this same opening many times before. And each time she would imagine the people who lived down in the valley on the various color swatches. They were enjoying their work, their families, and their God. They were “living”—in joy and freedom. She had longed to join them.

A strong hand on Melody’s back pushed her gently forward. “It’s time to go out,” the voice said.

“But I have been here for such a long time. I don’t remember how to get through the rocks!” The excuses, said more out of habit than anything, seemed rather silly at this point.

“Yes, I know now that You will help me!” she added quickly.

“Indeed, I will!” the voice resounded. 

Melody crept out a few more feet. Her intention to leave was growing stronger now that she was truly free.

The Place of Captivity

Earlier in our counseling session, I had encouraged Melody to visit the place of her demonic captivity. With a bit of trepidation, she had agreed to “go” there.

“Where is it?” I asked.

“It’s a cave,” she explained.

So we entered the darkness, determined to find the truth that would finally set the fragmented parts of Melody’s soul free. The light shining within us was leading the way.

It didn’t take long to find what we were looking for.  There they were, six of them, dark and dastardly looking scoundrels seated at a large table, heads together like war generals, pouring over a large map. They were strategizing over their next move against her.

“It’s a Situation Room!” Melody articulated with concern. “It’s just like what you read about in history books, the hidden place where the generals always meet to devise their war plans!”

The demons were so engrossed in what they were discussing they didn’t notice our approach. We saw them pointing at the map and moving pieces around like on a chessboard.

Finally, we recognized the “chess pieces” to be replicas of destroyer ships. A name was emblazoned on the side of each one: Fear, Rejection, Loneliness. Heartache, and Hope Deferred were their names. There was also a submarine. The name on its side read “Invisibility.”

Yes, Melody had been “invisible” her whole life, she whispered to me emphatically. Once a lady at a car wash had looked straight through her, then proceeded to squirt a large hose straight in her direction. Melody screamed, but the lady kept squirting. She had to cause a scene to get the lady to stop!

Oops! All the loud whispering about the lady with the hose had caught Invisibility’s attention. Suddenly, all the generals turned, in unison, their black eyes pitching darts in our direction, their word curses swirling toward us!

“Jesus, come!” Melody shouted.

Immediately, a bright piercing light appeared on top of the war table. It was Jesus! He was sitting atop the table inspecting the warships.

“Nope, don’t need this one anymore!” He picked up Fear and smashed it with His hands.

“Oh, no!” the generals began groaning. They were holding their anguished heads, swaying forward and backward.

Jesus picked up another vessel, Rejection. It crumbled in His hand.

“Oh, no! Oh, no!” they shrieked, even more loudly.

The swaying continued.

“And we won’t be needing these, either!” Jesus said as He hurled Heartache, Loneliness, and Hope Deferred into oblivion against the cave wall.

“Oh, no! Oh, no!”

The agonized groaning had gotten louder and the swaying more demonstrative with each lost ship.

But when Jesus picked up Invisibility, the “oh no’s” died down to a faint whisper. The demons, once giants, had suddenly shrunk down to almost nothing! Then, as Invisibility dissolved in Jesus’s hand, so did the last traces of evil influence. Melody’s captors were gone.

Freedom

The light emanating from Jesus cast a warm glow all over the cave. Every dark cranny had been exposed. “I will free her now,” Jesus said. We followed him to the back of the cave where a young Melody was held in chains against the wall. Jesus touched the chains around her wrists. They fell to the ground.

Then Jesus extended his hand to the young woman, a teenager whose beautiful voice had once been heard. “You are free, my daughter. Come with me.”

As we all neared the exit of the cave, Jesus said, “I want to show you your destiny.” Melody looked out. That’s when she saw the patchwork quilt. She was mustering her courage. Jesus was patient.  “Yes, I will help you get through the jagged rocks,” He said.

Melody had been studying Jesus’ radiant face. Then she turned again to face the destiny He had prepared for her in advance. Miraculously, a pathway through the rocks had formed near her feet.

“Everything that is Mine is now yours,” He said.

In the distance, Melody saw the gifts Jesus was giving her in exchange for all the fear, loneliness, heartache, hope deferred, and rejection.

Each patch on the quilt was a different gift: Contentment. Joy. Anticipation. Peace. Provision. Hope. Love. Companionship.

Melody took Jesus’ hand. Then, together, they started down the pathway to her new life of freedom.

“Then Jesus made a public spectacle of all the powers and principalities of darkness, stripping away from them every weapon and all their spiritual authority and power to accuse us. And by the power of the cross, Jesus led them around as prisoners in a procession of triumph. He was not their prisoner; they were his!” (Colossians 2:15 TPT).

“In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. And his face was shining like the brightness of the blinking sun! When I saw him, I fell down at his feet as good as dead, but he laid his right hand on me and I heard his reassuring voice saying: ‘Don’t yield to fear. I am the Beginning and I am the End, the Living One! I was dead, but now look—I am alive forever and ever. And I hold the keys that unlock death and the unseen world. Now I want you to write what you have seen, what is, and what will be after the things that I reveal to you’” (Revelation 1:16–19 TPT).