TheCable

When Pastor Enoch Adeoye, general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), declared war on Thursday, the fourth night of the 2022 national convention, it was total war.

At the end of it, many people lay on floor near the altar of the old auditorium of the Redemption City (formerly Redemption Camp), relieved of their tormentors.

They had been taken there safely  from among the large congregation so they would not hurt themselves as the demons fled violently from them. And by the end of the sermon, two of them were still “manifesting”, shaking and rolling on the floor as demons struggled in them.

In a church that doesn’t publicise live miracles, photographs and television cameras were barred from covering them.

The exercise, which Pastor Adeboye said was common practice in the early days of the church when the congregation was small (millions of people now), was part of the deliverance service.

At the end of the general overseer’s sermon and prayers, the band of the church played high-tempo tunes celebrating the deliverance power of Jesus Christ, as the congregation prayed fervently for deliverance from the grip of the devil — each member focusing on their areas of affliction — while Pastor Adeboye prayed in the spirit.

In his main sermon earlier, he exposed the various ways demons attack their victims. They are:

• Oppression: When demons sit upon the victim, preventing him from rising or increasing, it is putting a ceiling on how high the victim can rise — when a new king, who didn’t know Joseph, reigned in Egypt, he put a ceiling on the rise and influence of the Israelites.
• Repression: This is worse than oppression — when the demonic force does not only presses the victim down, but steadily destroys every effort to rise, like the ordeal of Israel until they were liberated by Gideon.
• Regression: The demon focuses on pushing the victim backwards, until there is nothing left. The woman with the issue of blood spent all her wealth on finding a cure until she found Jesus.
• Vexation: This is demonic attack at intervals. It goes and comes like in the case of epilepsy. Usually it comes at a time when it can cause maximum embarrassment.
• Obsession: A case when the demon fixes your mind on wrong things, like wrong habits that give you pleasure and blind you to their inherent danger. Examples are sex and drugs.
• Confusion: This is mental bondage. When the enemy attacks someone with confusion, he will begin to call what is good bad, and what is bad good.
• Possession: A case where the devil takes full control of the victim, making him do things that are even harmful to himself, like the case of the mad man of Gadara. Pastor Adeboye said the number of demons during such attacks vary, but they are strong enough to cause harm.

The general overseer added that after God has decreed jubilee, no one is allowed to keep anyone in bondage; everybody in bondage is entitled to liberty, and the devil has no choice than to free their victims who are willing to enjoy their liberty.

“Whatever  the form of attack, declaration of jubilee by God, when we run to Him in total surrender, is a declaration of war by the One who never loses a battle,” he said.

As usual, the altar call attracted thousands of people for salvation.

Earlier, the service of songs, which has become a favourite part of the conventions, featured many choirs and individual ministrations. The session was spiced with a poem recitation by the multi-talented general overseer, who is also a composer.

There were also awesome testimonies of healing and fruit of the womb after many years of bareness.

See photos below.