It was the beginning of a new spiritual blessing that each day brings me into a closer walk with the Lord Jesus. Now, whether I am walking in the bright light of His presence, or abiding under the shadow of the Almighty, I know that He is not only with me, He is in me.
Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Though I walk through the valley …
Psalm 23:4
9
Conny
After twelve years of traveling alone, someone joined me in my worldwide travels. The Lord saw and supplied my need in the person of Conny van Hoogstraten, a beautiful young Dutch woman who became my first constant traveling companion. I met her on one of my visits to England.
We worked well as a team—not to say we did not have difficulties, as always happens when people work so closely together. However, those hard moments were used to bring us closer to Jesus as we learned to walk in the light with each other. Yes, 1 John 1:7–9 became a reality, and the Lord used Conny in the lives of countless people all over the world to show and teach them the joy of walking in the light.
We laughed much together, for the Lord had given Conny an infectious sense of humor and a happy laughter. One of Conny’s special gifts was the ability to change a house into a home. People always found an open door and quickly became friends. We were both so different, but the Lord molded us into a team fit to do His work.
I will never forget the day, now almost eight years ago, that Conny told me of the someone else who had come into her life and that we would have to pray for a new partner. That was one of those very difficult days, and the best thing I could do was to go for a long walk. I experienced more than ever before that I was so dependent upon Conny and that I loved her like a sister.
I could not understand the Lord’s purpose, but during that walk, I surrendered Conny to the Lord. I also surrendered myself in a new way and entrusted my whole being to Him who knew best. Conny was in good hands, so why not trust Him for the future? Those last years together were so different from all other years.
In that final year together, the Lord made it clear to me to go to Vietnam. Conny and I talked it over, and Conny shared with me that her fiancé was not in favor of her going there. So we had to look around for someone else.
It was early spring, and I happened to meet a good brother in the Lord who shared that he had been called to go to Vietnam also. I rejoiced and thanked the Lord as we made plans to go together. The young man was Brother Andrew, and he proved to be a very good traveling companion.
In Vietnam the Lord gave me a very nice nurse who worked with the WEC. She took care of me when I traveled while Brother Andrew was away on other trips to very dangerous places.
I will never forget the tremendous needs I saw in the hospitals and other places I visited. But instead of taking all those needs to Jesus, I kept them in my heavy and overburdened heart. How silly I could be! With that heavy heart and aching body, I had to go on to Indonesia. Oh, the Lord worked in spite of me, and the people were very kind to me and helped me in many ways; but the happiest moment came when we landed in Amsterdam.
We quickly drove to Soestdijk where a very dear friend, Elisabeth van Heemstra (who was working in Jerusalem at that time), had made her apartment available to me. That was a great gift from the Lord! I had no place I could really call home, but now I had one—and what a haven it was! Beautiful surroundings in a quiet section of town.
There Conny and I spent our last months together, and it was a precious time. Conny was busy with marriage preparations and the new house she and her husband would move into. Many old-time friends came by to say hello. We talked and prayed much, and we trusted that the Lord would supply a new partner before Conny’s marriage.
How marvelous are His ways! The Lord answered our prayers and gave me another Dutch companion. Her name is Ellen de Kroon, a registered nurse who loves the Lord very much.
I will never forget the first time Ellen visited me. Conny and her fiancé were there also. It was a nice day in June, and we decided to sit outside on the balcony. After talking for some time, Ellen noticed that I was getting cold; so she got up, asked me where she could find a shawl and put it around my shoulders.
I noticed Conny’s face, just beaming, with eyes that seemed to say, “See! You prayed for that ‘someone’ who would take care of you and love you, and here she is.” It was a testimony for Conny as well, knowing that Ellen would take her place.
On Conny’s wedding day, September 1, 1967, the Lord filled the empty place left behind by Conny with Ellen, the tall, fair-haired nurse. Conny and her husband lived not far from us, and she took much time to help Ellen with the work.
Almost a year after Conny was married, her husband had to go to India for several weeks. During that time Conny accompanied me to the United States to start the work on the book The Hiding Place, while Ellen took care of the work in Holland.
Yes, it was Conny who started to type that book which has already blessed so many lives all over the world. I knew that she loved the work we were doing, but she also missed her husband. It was so good to bring him daily before the Lord. Our prayers were answered, and Conny’s husband returned safely to Holland while I continued my travels with my new companion, Ellen.
Two years had passed when we learned that Conny had been taken ill. We returned to Holland and were on our way to visit Conny in the hospital. I knew that she was very ill, because she had received treatment that would indicate terminal illness unless the Lord would perform a miracle.
When we entered Conny’s room, it was like stepping into a flower garden and in the midst of it was Conny, almost asleep. Her husband was sitting beside her. That day her specialist had informed her of her illness and that there was no hope. Conny was prepared to go and be with her Lord and Savior, but to take that trip all by herself was so difficult for her. Would Jesus ask that of her?
Slowly she said, “I have taken many trips in my lifetime, but there was always someone with me. Mother was there when I was small, Corrie was with me during many of them, and now my husband is with me. But on this trip, who is going to go with me?”
Her husband gently took her hand and said, “Conny, here is my hand; and as soon as Jesus comes for you, I will surrender your hand to Him! ”
Conny did not answer but her face looked content. Suddenly she turned to us and asked us to sing Psalm 23 for her. I swallowed the lump in my throat and asked the Lord to help me in joining the others in the singing, but the phrase we left out was “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ….”
When we finished, Conny said, “You forgot one phrase—please sing it!”
So we sang “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” while the tears rolled down our cheeks. Then Conny thought of all the friends all over the world whom we had come to know and love, and she asked me to greet them. We began to pray, and Conny laid her hands on Ellen’s head and said, “Be … faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).
Conny died a victorious death. Her life bore much fruit, and she prepared many people to meet the Master, our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to call her home to be with Him forever.
And these signs shall follow them that believe;
In my name shall they cast out devils …
Mark 16:17
10
Authority over Demons
For weeks I had been traveling through Eastern Europe: Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia—speaking in many home groups and even, on occasion, in a church. Many churches were still open in Eastern Europe, although the Communists were very strict about who could speak—and what they said. However, as a harmless old Dutch woman, I was allowed to sometimes speak in one of the churches.
As if by a miracle, I was invited to speak in a series of meetings in a great cathedral in a large Communist city. I found that the pastors loved the Lord and had a heavy burden for lost souls.
The first several nig
hts I spoke about the abundant life in Jesus Christ—the joy, the unspeakable love and the peace that passes all understanding. It was as though I was carried by the Holy Spirit through the joyful storehouse of abundance that we possess when we know Jesus. I described in great detail the precious promises made available to us in Christ.
But something was wrong. Although some of the people rejoiced, most of them simply sat rooted to their benches. They were like chained animals, dying of hunger but unable to reach the food. And the more I tried to give them, the more I was aware their hearts were shackled so they could not taste the food I was offering them.
Each night I would return to my room with a heavy heart. I knew that although these dear people wanted to receive what I was giving them, they could not. “It is as if the devil keeps a fence around these people that you cannot reach them,” my traveling companion said.
“Could it be that demons keep them in bondage?” I wondered.
I opened my Bible and read, “In my name shall they cast out devils.”
“Lord, what must I do?” I cried out.
“Obey Me!” came the answer.
“But how, Lord? There are so many who are bound by demon powers, and I cannot meet with each of them individually.”
“Where did I say that you can deal only with individuals?” He asked.
I was confused and returned to His Word. It became apparent that the Lord wanted me to send all the evil spirits away in His name. Yet I knew this type of ministry was forbidden in Communist lands.
That night was the final night of the meetings. The great cathedral was crowded with people, but it was the same as on all the other nights. They were not able to receive what I was giving them. I spoke again on Jesus the Victor. “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good courage, I have overcome the world” (see John 16:33). They sat like stone images, unable to grasp the joy of the Lord.
I knew God was calling on me to act. I trembled, but I had no choice. “I must interrupt my message for a moment, friends,” I said. “Many of you cannot grasp the richness the Lord offers us this evening. The servants of Satan are keeping you in bondage.”
Then I obeyed. Taking a deep breath and offering one last quick prayer, I said in a loud voice, “In the name of Jesus, I command all dark powers keeping people from the blessings of God to disappear. Go away! Get out of the hearts of these people. Get out of this church. Go to the place where God sends you.”
Then, closing my eyes I raised my hands upward and prayed, “Lord, will You now protect us with Your precious blood. Amen.”
I was afraid, but I felt secure. I knew God had told me to do it. Then, as I opened my eyes and looked out over the huge congregation, I saw a miracle happen. The people who had been in bondage came alive. They began to rejoice. As I continued my message, I could sense their eager hearts drinking in the living water as I poured it out before them.
After the service I was scheduled to meet with a large group of local pastors who had attended the meeting. By the time I was able to break away from the crowd of people who came forward to speak to me and get to the back room, the pastors were already meeting. Their conversation was very serious.
“How could you do that?” one pastor asked as soon as I entered the room. “Communists do not allow people to speak about demons! ”
“I had to obey God,” was my only answer.
The pastors resumed their discussion about the meeting. They too had seen the bondage. They had also sensed the release when the demons were cast out. But there were some who had studied psychology and others who had studied demonology. They entered into a heated argument about the subject. I had studied none of these. All I knew was that God had told me to use my authority in the name of Jesus. So I sat back while the argument swirled around me.
At last one of the pastors said, “We know God’s promises and God’s command—but who among us has ever been willing to obey Mark 16:17: ‘And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils’?”
There was a long, uncomfortable silence. When the Bible interferes with man’s theology, it always causes a strain. The pastor then continued, “God has this evening given Corrie the grace to take the authority of Jesus and in His name cast out devils. We should be thankful instead of all this arguing.”
That was the end of the pastors’ meeting; but oh, what a lesson I learned that night. It is tragic to be around people, especially men of God, who do not recognize the fact that we are surrounded not only by angels, but also by the powers of darkness.
Someone once asked my opinion of the missionaries in a certain country. My answer was, “They have given all, but they have not taken all. They have given homeland, time, money, luxury and more; but they have not taken all of the boundless resources of God’s promises. Many do not know about two precious weapons: the power of the blood of Jesus and every Christian’s legal right to use the wonderful name of Jesus to cast out demons.”
In War on the Saints, Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis wrote, “When the existence of evil spirits is recognized by the heathen, it is generally looked upon by the missionary as ‘superstition’ and ignorance; whereas the ignorance is often on the part of the missionary, who is blinded by the prince of the power of the air to the revelation given in the Scriptures, concerning the satanic powers.”
We need to recognize the Enemy in order to overcome him. But let us beware of the mistakes that C. S. Lewis described in Screwtape Letters. He says, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence, the other is to believe and to feel an unhealthy interest in them! They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and they hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
We have a good safeguard and guide—the Bible, God’s Word. Here we find not only the necessary information about Satan and demons, but also the weapons and the armor that we need for this battle.
God wants and expects us to be conquerors over the powers of darkness—not only for the sake of personal victory and the liberation of other souls; but for His glory, so that His triumph and victory over His enemies may be demonstrated!
First, then, let us see what the Bible says about the powers of darkness. The devil (or Satan) is introduced to us as a person who opposes God and His work. He is the “god of this world” who blinds the minds of the people to the truths of God’s Word. Having rebelled against God, he was cast out of heaven; then he caused man’s fall in paradise. Jesus calls him “the father of lies, a liar, a murderer” (see John 8:44). He works often as an “angel of light,” seeking the ruin of the elect. But he was cursed of God. Jesus triumphed over him at the cross of Calvary, and in His resurrection he has been condemned and will finally be destroyed.
There are many kinds of demons, and they afflict people in various ways. They also bring false doctrine, trying to seduce the elect by oppressing, obsessing and possessing. They know Jesus, recognize His power and tremble before Him. For them hell is the final destination, as it is for Satan.
Second, the Bible gives us direction concerning the stand we have to take against these powers. It is most important to realize that ours is the position in Christ. We are called to resist the devil in the “whole armour of God,” by virtue of the blood of Jesus, by faith, prayer and fasting.
I remember in Ravensbruck, for instance, when we had very little to eat, my sister Betsie said, “Let us dedicate this involuntary fast to the Lord that it may become a blessing.” Almost immediately we found we had power over the demons that were tormenting us, and were able to exercise that power to cast them out of our barracks.
Let us remember that God’s Word stands forever, and that His commandments mean for us today exactly the same as for His disciples twenty centuries ago. Those who act on them, in obedience, will in the same way prove God’s almighty power. Yes, Jesus said, “In my name shall they cast out devils.” And that means us today.
Our fight is not against a physical army, a political party, an atheistic organization—or anything like that. Our fight is against organizations and powers that are spiritual. Demons may come in as a result of occult sin, even from years back. This includes contact with hypnotism, astrology charts, fortunetelling, Ouiji boards and other forms of occultism, sometimes entered into “just for fun.” These demons will remain until they are cast out in Jesus’ name.
We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and the spiritual agents are from the very headquarters of evil. Therefore, we must wear the “whole armour of God,” that we may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when we have fought to a standstill, we may still stand our ground.
Conny and I had traveled throughout Poland. Conny was then my constant companion, and we met many wonderful Christians in that Iron Curtain country. It encouraged us to know that God was using us to bring comfort and strength to the men and women of God. However, the longer we stayed in Poland, the more exhausted we became.
“I do not understand it,” Conny said one morning as we were getting up. “I have just wakened from a full night’s sleep, but already I am weak and tired.”
I too felt the same way. We thought perhaps it was some kind of sickness we had picked up, yet neither of us seemed to be really sick.
Then in Warsaw one day we happened to meet an old friend from Holland. Kees was in Poland with his wife, traveling with his camping trailer.
“What a joy to meet you,” he said. “How are things going?”
I looked at Conny, and she looked at me. “You know, Kees, we both feel so tired. It is as if our legs are heavy, like when you have the flu. Yet we are not ill, just tired.”
Tramp for the Lord Page 6
