Navigating the Clowns.

Our guide, while in country Malawi, was a veritable wealth of information. His warning about these folks pictured here was the best information he shared with us. "Whatever you do, don't pull over for these people."

Brother Blessings, a native of this tiny country, continued to explain these folks, who appeared in costume, were in fact quite serious in their shenanigans. Occasionally while driving the roads of this tiny African country, we would encounter marauding witch people. They would try to flag motorists down and often do weird things to the unsuspecting drivers. If you failed to stop, they would yell and throw things at the car. Blessings explained that they were calling down curses on us for not stopping.

Have you ever had someone call a curse against you? It feels a little unusual. You have to consider the forces they are calling upon actually exist. You also have to consider the power of God that counteracts the powers of darkness. Who wins this tension filled tug of war? In Kasungu and other villages in Malawi there is great angst in drivers who are being cursed by witches. Thankfully, followers of Jesus continue to speak about Jesus Christ in Malawi and push back against the darkness offered by these curse callers.

The Armor of God

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take

your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the

rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of

evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,

you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then,

with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with

your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the

shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of

salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:10-17, NIV)

In a world filled with curse callers and cursing in general, it is imperative for believers in Jesus to be fully protected by the Full Armor of God. All the available protective pieces of this armor are effective in shielding us from evil and the dark side. For each piece, there is a need for us to:

* put on the full armor

* take our stand

* stand firm

* buckle truth around our waist

* fit our feet with readiness

* take up the shield of faith

* extinguish all the flaming arrows

* take the helmet of salvation.

* grasp the sword of the spirit.

You see, for this armor to fulfill its protective abilities, it has to be taken and used by us. God provides it but doesn't force it upon us. Each new day brings another set of challenges and we are inundated with figurative and sometimes literal curses from the devil himself. The protective tools are there, take them and utilize them in your personal life, the life of your family, your church, and your community.