Whether one believes it or not, parents of children with special needs often find themselves engaged in an unseen struggle against forces beyond ordinary perception.
I’ve learnt that simply reading or knowing what the Bible says does not guarantee that its promises will automatically be fulfilled in our lives. As many pastors are preaching that Let God fight your battle, my own experience telling me that without faith and certain actions, we may not see God move on our behalf. We must actively manifest our faith through consistent and persistent prayer and personal worship.
I have also learnt that the exhortation to “resist the Devil” calls us, as parents, to take intentional action against spiritual forces of darkness. For a long time, I questioned why my child- why my son had to endure such struggles. Years passed before one of Pastor Steven Furtick’s sermons provided clarity: the Devil often attacks what we value the most. And what do we cherish more deeply in this life than our precious and beloved children?
As human beings, we are limited in our own strength. Scripture reminds us that “we are in a fight… and it is not against flesh and blood.” Therefore, as parents, we must stand firm against spiritual attacks and refuse to relinquish our children to the influence of evil. Our must pray without ceasing and worship God, resist the darkness, and ultimately to surrender the battle to God- the One who created us and who alone holds the power to protect and deliver.
As parents, when we first received a devastating diagnosis concerning our child, our initial response is often one of helplessness and overwhelming grief. We cry, feeling powerless, especially when senior neurologists and genetic specialists telling us that there is no cure nor any effective treatment available on earth. According to limits of contemporary medical science, nothing more can be done.
In such moments, we may lose sight of the God we have faithfully worshipped in church. Instead, we begin to place our trust in despair, accepting fearful narratives and believing that our children are destined to die.
I have encountered online discussions suggesting that an increasing number of parents in China choose to terminate pregnancies when prenatal testing indicates the presence of genetic conditions (such as SMA). These parents, concerned about the possibility of raising a child with serious genetic disorders, often request comprehensive genetic reveal specific genetic abnormalities, many of them decide to procced with abortion while many already did.
In some cases, individuals have publicly shared their decisions, explaining that they felt they “had no choice” and wished to prevent what the perceived as a future of profound suffering for both child and the family. From their respective, these decisions are framed as an attempt to avert hardship before it begins, motivated by fear, responsibility and lack of knowledge from God.
What they don’t realize is that as parents, they are actually helping demons to end their babies lives before they (demons) start to take actions to steal, kill and destroy.
I've learnt from Pastor John Osteen that resisting the devil begins with a firm rejection of the medical symptoms. Because as parents, our determination to drive the evil spirit away cannot be sustained unless we have become truly weary of (sick and tired) our child's condition.
You might ask "What do mean by that Mary?"
Well, please allow me to ask ... After how many episodes of seizures, and how many repeated trips to and from hospital because of the deterioration, will you finally start to be angry and utterly weary of witnessing your child endure such suffering - that we believe to be caused by demonic influence?
But wait – Please allow me to make this clear.
Although Scriptures teaches us that the battle belongs to the Lord, this does not mean that we are called to remain passive, folding our arms and waiting idly for a miracle to occur. Trusting God never excuses inactivity.
From my own experience, faith is not passive. Without standing, praying, and actively resisting the enemy, the situation does not improve - it worsens.
We position ourselves to receive God's miraculous healing through several biblical actions:
By listening to faith-filled teachings such as Pastor John Osteen’s sermons on faith and healing; by exercising a determined, unwavering faith in God; by engaging in consistent, daily prayer; by offering personal worship filled with thanksgiving; and by walking according to the Law of Faith, a principle clearly taught in Scripture and expounded upon by Pastor John Osteen.