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“I overcome any ancestor’s curse, demon, or evil that stands in the way of my progress. I eliminate any stronghold from my family and friends that watch over my life and desire to see me fail. In the name of Jesus, I command, decree, and send fire from heaven to destroy them…” These are just a few of the numerous prayer topics Christians frequently pray about in their daily lives, in churches, and in other prayer groups in Ghana. In my early Christian life, I was a one-sided Christian. I believed that generational curses, familiar spirits, witches, and wizards were working against my life and career, especially when I was sick or failed my exams without checking other factors. So, many of us lived in illusion, constantly battling forces and principalities in our families that we thought sought nothing but our destruction and death. Today, you will still find some Christians in prayer camps and churches praying to fight, kill, and destroy evil forces, witches, demons, and break imaginary curses. They believe witches and wizards are responsible for their failures, poverty, childlessness, illness, unemployment, marital problems, accidents, disasters, addictions, fornication, and lack of prosperity in life. But are our problems always spiritual per se?

As I matured in the Lord and studied the bible, I realized that many of our problems are self-inflicted and not spiritual as we might believe. We are obviously just the victims of bad leadership, corrupt government, and a broken system. Some Christians live in delusion and are kept in fear because they believe demons, witches, or principalities cause their woes. Don’t get me wrong; I am not suggesting that demons and principalities do not exist. I believe they do (Eph 6:10-18). Even so, I believe that when “the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). You’ll understand what I mean as you read on! I believe any Christian saved by the blood of Jesus has been set free from all spiritual enslavement and is superior to demons and principalities (Luke 4:18). God has secured our lives as God’s children through the death and resurrection of Christ (Eph 1:7-17). Although we must recognize Satan’s power, we need not fear it. Satan is a great liar (John 8:44, Rev 12:9). He works with hallucination and deception, manipulating susceptible minds (1Pet 5:8). An obedient Christian who is blessed by God and steeped in God’s favor is impervious to Satan’s power. A faithful child of God stands in God’s strength (Gen 15:1; Prov 18:10; Eph 6:16). Because vulnerability to evil power and its influence stems from fear and lack of trust, Christians rely on God’s protection when they submit to God’s rule (2 Thess, 3:3). However, when Christians disregard God’s provision for selfish reasons, they join the demonic domain and become exposed to its influence. We become prone to its risks if we live a careless lifestyle. Hence, sin and rebellion feed and increase fear, but a willingness to resist sin demonstrates trust in God. John 4:4 affirms, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Even though the devil can cause a lot of chaos, harm, and destruction in the lives of believers (1 Thess 2:18; Job 1:12–18; 1 Cor 5:5), we do not need to dwell on these things excessively or allow them to dominate our thoughts (see Phil 4:8). If we are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, no power can ever ultimately prevail against us (Isa 54:17). We are overcomers when we put on all of God’s armor and “take our stand against the schemes of the devil” (1 John 5:4; Eph 6:11). Thus, isn’t it questionable when Christians spend all night breaking strongholds that Christ has already broken on the cross?

I query, should we attribute all our problems to Satan and his minions? When we fail in life or struggle with poverty, sickness, isolation, death of loved ones, pains, unemployment, disasters, accidents, etc., does it necessarily mean Satan is always behind these? Sometimes, don’t we suffer because of our negligence or, for lack of a better word, because “the system is not working?”[1] Why does it take a qualified nurse over three years after graduation to get a job in Ghana? Why do I need to pay a bribe before I can serve my nation as a police or an immigration officer or get into the nursing school or university when I qualify?  What happens to people unable to pay such bribes? They continue to blame their family witches while moving from one revival to the other. Poor road networks like Accra-Kumasi road, Accra-Takoradi road, and many other bad roads in our country continue to see accidents every week, sending many people to their early graves. How should that be attributed to the work of the devil? Accordingly, while we pray for God to bind all bloodsucking demons on our highways, why don’t we also campaign for our roads to be fixed and punish reckless drivers? Babies die daily in our hospitals due to the lack of beds and other equipment such as incubators. How is that the devil doing? How do we blame a witch or the devil when a pregnant woman loses her life with her baby because she couldn’t raise less than $100 to fuel the state ambulance that would transport her to the hospital in time?[2] I could continue with the list, but the truth is, if the system were working, many of these wouldn’t be subjects for prayer.

If the system were working, many young men would have been gainfully employed and married to avoid a life of fornication and guilt. If the system were working, many wouldn’t have sought healing from prayer camps where they are abused and exploited when all they require is a minor surgery. If the system had been working, my adorable friend Cecilia Afrah Acheampon wouldn’t have died. She died because there was no bed at Kolebu Teaching hospital, the biggest hospital in Ghana, and we couldn’t find a laboratory in Ghana that could assist the doctors in diagnosing the cause of her sickness. Blood samples had to be sent to South Africa and India for two weeks, in which case the results never came before she passed. Many Ghanaian youths are hopeless with no job, money, or vision. To keep their hopes alive, they spend all their time in church and prayer camps, looking up to God, though God has provided all we need as a people. Many people have turned to gambling, drinking, stealing, and fraud because, even though they are willing and able to work and contribute to development, the system hasn’t given them a chance.

Consequently, some pastors and churches sometimes take advantage of people’s ignorance and vulnerabilities to foster their financial interests and self-aggrandizement. They try to convince people that witches and wizards are to blame for their troubles when, in reality, many of the problems are consequences of the actions of insensitive leaders who disregard the welfare of their people. While we pray against diabolical machinations and plots against us, we should also direct our displeasure at those in power who wastefully spend public funds with impunity. While we pray and break strongholds, let’s put patriotism first, show love, and care for one another by eschewing selfishness, greed, arrogance, cronyism, exploitation, laziness, envy, and dishonesty. Let’s vigorously combat corruption and bribery, demand that our leaders become more accountable and take responsibility for their actions and inactions, and then see if people will not live a better life and enjoy suitable employment, quality education, and financial breakthrough from their hard work.

[1] This is a term used by one of the popular Ghanaian US-based blogger, Twene Jonas, to describe the lack of infrastructures, basic amenities, and corrupt institutions in Ghana

[2] https://www.myjoyonline.com/ambulance-service-admits-charging-600-to-convey-pregnant-woman-who-died-in-transit/#:~:text=The%20patient%2C%2030%2Dyear%2D,charge%20of%20GH%E2%82%B5600.