Is Satan Real? Here's My Story.

Is Satan real? I think so and here's my story of a frightening experience that drove me straight toward  Christ.

My story begins in the early 1970's while visiting the Wisconsin Dells area with my parents, I had brought a friend on vacation with us and she and I decided to walk around the local town square while my parents shopped for food and other items for our two week camping trip at Castle Rock Lake. 

Historic Juneau County Courthouse on the town square in Mauston, WI

Image Source: Juneau County Courthouse - Juneau County Courthouse - Wikipedia

My friend and I were both in our early teens; but we looked older. So, we were quite flattered when some local teenaged boys sitting on the lawn of the Courthouse noticed us, and we stopped to talk to them. We told them we were from Missouri and would be camping at Castle Rock Lake for the next couple of weeks. 

Source: Castle Rock - Juneau County Government (wi.gov)

I explained that my dad was in the Missouri Air National Guard and we would come to Wisconsin for what he called "summer camp" every year. Dad would work at the local air base during the day and we would site-see during his hours off. It was a special time for our family and we looked forward to it as we loved the natural beauty of Wisconsin. 

Source: VolkMainGate - Volk Field Air National Guard Base - Wikipedia

A day or so after getting settled at our campsite, my friend and I had some visitors. It was two of the teenaged boys we met in town. They passed my parents inspection and we were allowed to take a walk around the campground with them. They were well-mannered and I found myself connecting with one of the boys - Jim.* He and I had much in common - we liked the same kind of music, books, etc. Jim was a couple of years older than me; but he treated me with respect - he didn't use bad language or behave unseemly.  I was at an awkward age and his attention toward me made me feel special. He revealed that he had a somewhat troubled life, but I didn't pry into it. However, it stirred my sympathy toward him.  

We spent almost everyday together; I remember he and his friend borrowed a tent and camped out at the same campground as us for a few days. At the end of the two weeks Jim and I said our good-byes,  exchanged addresses and promised to write each other. I secretly hoped we would meet again the following year. 

I'm not certain who wrote first, but Jim and I corresponded a few times and then it was as though he had forgotten about me; I was somewhat sad because I really liked him, but I eventually focused on school and other things and got over my hurt feelings. 

This was how our relationship went on for several years - he would suddenly write me a letter or call me, and I would always respond with the hope that he cared for me as much as I cared for him. It was as though he knew I would be waiting in the background for him and sure enough I would be there when he needed someone to talk to or confide in. I was clearly infatuated with him. 

I believe it was after I turned 16 years-old that he unexpectedly showed up on our doorstep. He had hitch-hiked from Wisconsin to the St. Louis area where I lived. My parents weren't quite sure what to do with him as he had no money or place to stay, so my dad gave him some money and found him a cheap place to stay. I have to give Dad credit for making sure it wasn't close by our home and for taking him to see it without me tagging along. I can only imagine what Dad said to him because whenever a boy showed up at our door, he would embarrass me by asking "What are your intentions toward my daughter?"

'Hippie Hill' in 1969  (Forest Park)

Source: Winter on Government Hill: Behind the Scenes with FPF Horticulturist Crystal Camp — Forest Park Forever

Jim appeared to respect my father and never disclosed their private conversation to me. I was happy to finally have the young man who I thought I had loved for several years to notice me and come so far to see me. I was still in high school and while I went to school, he would hang out in Forest Park and talk to people associated with Hare Krishna. He shared their books and literature with me. The images in the books scared me - they struck me as being evil. I wanted no part of it. I also began to suspect he was using drugs. When I confronted him about my suspicions he admitted he had used them, but didn't have a drug problem or addiction. He also admitted he had tried cocaine which was his favorite drug. 

When he ran out of money and couldn't pay rent, he left the St. Louis area. I'm not sure if he went back to Wisconsin or went to stay with family in Iowa. He once more disappeared for a brief period of time. 

The last time Jim and I saw each other I was 17 years-old and staying out of town with family during summer vacation. He followed me there and that's when I caught a glimpse of hell. My parents were becoming alarmed at his bold, possessive actions toward me, and made a secret trip to his hometown where they spoke to his parole officer and the local police. They discovered he had been in trouble with the law, broken parole and recently hitch-hiked to California with a teenaged girl who came from a local respectable family. I'm not quite certain if she became pregnant on the "trip" to California, but once they got there, he abandoned her and went back home. The local authorities told my parents they should keep me as far away from him as possible and that he was trouble. 

I confronted Jim with this news and he admitted it happened, but the girl had done something wrong to him, plus he didn't love her as he loved me. He felt justified in leaving her. Of course, he would never do anything like that to me, he said. 

By this time I was almost completely under his spell. Family members tried to warn me that something wasn't right about Jim as he was isolating me from friends and even trying to isolate me from family members. I remember he didn't like my mother and he would tell me things about her that he thought would make me angry toward her. Thankfully, I didn't believe him, but I did begin keeping things from mom because I knew she didn't like him. At this point I would have run away from home with Jim if they tried to break us up. I think my parents suspected that might happen, so they tolerated the relationship for the time being.

Eventually that summer we did break-up - I must have done something wrong, in his opinion, as he told me he no longer loved me. I wasn't given an explanation for his sudden change of heart; he just left town. I remember that I was heartbroken. 

Then one day shortly after our break-up, he called me on the phone and told me he was shooting up (injecting heroin) and it was because of me. I began begging him not to do it. I think I even began praying outloud when suddenly I heard a voice - not his - say "You are mine. You think you know the Bible and God? Everything God says is a lie. The truth is the opposite of what the Bible says." I responded with something to the effect of  "I am not yours and never will be." I then hung up the phone and called a local Baptist Church where the pastor just happened to be in his office. I asked him if I could come talk to him right away because something terrifying had just happened to me. He agreed to see me and I literally ran to the church. I told him about the weird phone call and the evil voice I heard that clearly was not Jim's as he had a distinctive voice due to a slight speech impediment. The voice I heard sounded like pure evil. I don't think the pastor believed it was actually a demon I heard, but he could see I was terribly shaken-up. He prayed with me to receive Christ and while still terrified, I knew I had done the right thing by calling the pastor. I vowed to stay away from Jim.

I didn't hear from Jim for a long time after that experience. I went on with my life, married and had two sons when suddenly, out of the blue, Jim wrote me a letter telling me he was in prison. I didn't even read the entire letter - I destroyed it immediately. 

I've recently learned that Jim died at least a decade ago, if not before 2013.  It might very well be that his addiction to drugs killed him.

For more information on deaths due to drug overdoses please see:

• Trends & Statistics | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (nih.gov)

Here are some links to resources on Satan and demons from reliable sources. Please share them if you know of others who are in need of a rescue. 

• Lawful & Unlawful Remedies Against Witchcraft – Purely Presbyterian
• Satan’s Evil Wonders – Purely Presbyterian
• Satan’s Dominion Overthrown De Jure & De Facto – Purely Presbyterian
• TheSeed.info - The Devil Hates You and Has a Terrible Plan for Your Life
• Know Your Enemy - and Your Father - Wes Bredenhof
• Who/what is Satan? Who/what is the devil? | GotQuestions.org
• How are idols connected to demons (Deuteronomy 32:16-17)? | GotQuestions.org
• Angels, Demons & Spiritual Warfare - Berean Research
• 10 Truths About a Liar: A Biblical Theology of Satan - Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (mbts.edu)
• For the Church | Ten Truths About a Liar (ftc.co)
• For the Church | Living Wisely to Spite Satan (ftc.co)

Jim was manipulative, lacked empathy and showed no signs of remorse after lying, hurting people or committing crimes. I suspect he was a sociopath. He controlled as much of my life as possible. I remember he would tell me what to wear and even went so far as to disagree with how my parents wanted me to dress. He would pout and tell me I didn't love him unless I did what he told me to do. He kept me on an emotional roller-coaster. The article Signs of a Sociopath: What to Look For (webmd.com) tells us:

"Sociopaths are more likely to abuse their partners, spouses, and children. Since they may engage in criminal behavior, they are also more likely to spend time in prison, and their aggressive behavior can put them at risk of harm. They may have other mental health disorders, like depression and anxiety."

What are the signs of a sociopath to look for? WebMD tells us to look for these consistent personality traits:

• Lack of empathy for others
• Impulsive behavior
• Attempting to control others with threats or aggression
• Using intelligence, charm, or charisma to manipulate others
• Not learning from mistakes or punishment
• Lying for personal gain
• Showing a tendency to physical violence and fights
• Generally superficial relationships
• Sometimes, stealing or committing other crimes
• Threatening suicide to manipulate without intention to act
• Sometimes, abusing drugs or alcohol
• Trouble with responsibilities such as a job, paying bills, etc.

In conclusion, did I actually hear the voice of a demonic entity during that torturous phone call? Was Jim somehow manipulating my feelings again? Or was it my imagination? Only the good Lord knows, but it is a fact that that experience drove me closer to Him and that's what really matters.  I sincerely hope Jim found Christ at some point in his life. But, regardless, I am forever grateful that Christ came to rescue this little lamb from the clutches of Satan. 

May God be glorified forever!

You can read more of my journey toward Christ here:

• Kent State, the Summer of 1970 and the Grace of God (christian-heritage-news.com)

May the good Lord bless the reader and continue to keep Satan on a leash. Amen.

*Please know that I am not using the actual name of the young man in this story due to respect for his family's privacy.