Fear and Power

{See end of script for instructions and Bible references.}

Narrator: What would the world be like if there were no fear? Think about it for a minute. It would be a wonderful world.

Most people are afraid of something. Even strong and brave people can be afraid. Some people are afraid of storms and lightning. Some people are afraid of the dark. {You can mention specific animals, birds or places if it is appropriate to their situation.}

Some people are afraid of evil spirits, curses or witchcraft. {You could include things like the evil eye, jinn, magic, or sorcery, depending on local context.}

Sometimes people are afraid of what they do not understand. Many people are afraid of death! Is there something you are afraid of?

Fear can make you careful and wise. A fear of falling helps you to be careful on a mountain. Fear of a poisonous snake will stop you from touching a snake. {Use local danger situations.}

If you are afraid of death, spirits, curses and witchcraft, or if you are just afraid, the fear can stop you from enjoying life and living life the way God wants you to live.

I have good news for you. You can be free from this fear. God, who is the Creator of the whole world, has told us how we can be free from fear. He has told us in His book, called the Bible. Let me explain it to you.

I am going to tell you some stories from the Bible. Listen to all these stories, as they can help you learn how you can be free from fear.

{Short musical break}

In the Beginning

(N) After God made (created) the world, he made (created) the first man and the first woman. The man's name was Adam and the woman's name was Eve. He put them in a beautiful garden, called Eden. At that time there was no fear and no trouble. Everything was peaceful.

God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from one tree in the garden. But Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit.

God came to Adam and asked,
(V1 or N) “Have you eaten the fruit I told you not to eat?”
(N) Adam blamed his wife, Eve.
(V2- Adam's voice) “The woman that you gave me, (she) gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
(N) Then God asked Eve, (V1 or N) “What have you done?”
(V3 Woman's voice) “A snake talked to me and tricked me, and I ate the fruit.”

(N) And because they had disobeyed God, everything changed. Guilt, shame and fear came into the world. The peace and harmony that they had experienced was destroyed. Since that time, all the people of the world suffer under the curse of death and separation from God. This happened because they disobeyed God.

God said to Adam and Eve,
(V1 or N) “Because you did not follow My instructions, you will have to work very hard to get food to live. There will be pain, especially in giving birth to children. There will be sickness, suffering and death. The whole earth is cursed because of what you have done.”

(N) Then God sent them out of His good garden.

When we look at the world around us we see that what God said is true. We have to work hard to live. We see suffering and trouble everywhere.

But God promised Adam and Eve that, one day, one of their descendants would come, and He would “crush the snake’s head.” This was God's plan. Through that special descendant, God would destroy the evil that the snake had caused, and would make things right. This special person’s name was Jesus. You'll hear more about Him later.

In this story in the Bible, the snake who tricked Eve is clearly the enemy of God. Later in the Bible, the enemy is called Satan or the devil. He had been an angel (a special servant of God) but had become proud, and rebelled against God. Some other angels joined Satan's rebellion and became his helpers. These are now called evil spirits or demons. Satan is always against God and his plans. He is called the father of lies and he tries to keep people in slavery to fear. He always tries to deceive us, just as he deceived Eve in the garden. Even today, Satan makes people think they are free when they listen to him and follow his lies.

Satan tries to stop people from believing in God and following Him. And Satan tries to deceive those who do follow God and to stop them from enjoying their friendship with God. Satan takes away peace and happiness and makes us afraid when there is no need to be afraid.

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the world became a difficult, hostile place. This is what God said would happen. They were sent out from the beautiful garden, and life became very hard. They had two sons. Their names were Cain and Abel. Cain became angry and killed his brother Abel. Violence spread and people became more and more afraid.

People were afraid of the world around them, and they were often afraid of each other. Many people became afraid of evil spirits, who controlled them and demanded ritual worship and sacrifices. People tried hard to satisfy their demands, but evil spirits are false gods who are never satisfied. They demand more and more, and they make life very hard. Living in fear of evil spirits and powers is a very hard struggle. But this is not the end of the story. God has promised to make things right.

{Music}

The true God and false gods

(N) After Adam and Eve died, many generations were born and died, but God had not forgotten His promise to make right the evil and damage caused by Satan.

God spoke to a man named Abraham. God told Abraham that through his descendants all the nations of the world would be blessed. Abraham's son was named Isaac. Isaac had a son and named him Jacob. Later, Jacob's name was changed to Israel. So the descendants of Abraham were called Israelites, that is, the people of Israel.

More generations of people were born and died. A severe famine came upon the land and there was no food. So the Israelites went to live in the country of Egypt where there was food. Some years later, the Egyptians became worried because the number of Israelites was increasing quickly. So they made the Israelites their slaves. They even tried to kill all the Israelite male babies!

The Israelites were slaves for a long time until God sent a man named Moses to rescue them. With God's help, Moses rescued the people and led them out of Egypt. It’s a wonderful, true story. This is how it happened.

Moses went to the king of the Egyptians and said,
(V1) “God says, let My people go.”

(N) But the Egyptians did not want to lose their slaves. The king would not let the people go.
So God enabled Moses to perform many miracles (amazing acts) to convince the king to let the people go. But the king of Egypt still refused to let the Israelites go. Then, God sent His angel of death, and killed all the first-born sons of the Egyptians. The first-born son in every Egyptian home, from the poorest to the king's own family, died.

The false gods of the Egyptians were powerless against the true God, whom the people of Israel worshipped. The Bible says,
(V2) “The Lord defeated the gods of Egypt that night with great acts of judgement.”(1)

(N) The Israelite people often called God, 'the Lord,' which means ‘Master.’ It was a title of great respect, showing God's authority. The Israelites learned that there were no other gods like Him.

When God killed all the first-born sons of the Egyptians, the king of Egypt changed his mind and told the Israelites to go. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. They went towards the land God had promised to give them.

On the way to that land, they came to a mountain called Mount Sinai. There, God met with Moses and gave him special laws and instructions to give to the people.

He told them this:
(V1) “Do not worship or bow down to other gods.”

(N) God also said to them,
(V1) “Obey Me, and you will live and prosper (do well). If you disobey Me, you will suffer..”
(N) God gave other laws to the Israelite people, also.

Sometimes the Israelites obeyed God's laws, and sometimes they didn't.

While they were on the way to the land God had promised, they came to the country called Moab. The king of Moab hired the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam was called a prophet and was known to have the power to bless or curse. Three times Balaam tried to curse the Israelites, but each time he failed. God made him bless the people instead of cursing them.

You can find the full story about Balaam in the Bible, in the book called Numbers, chapter 22. God told Balaam,
(V1) “You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed.”

(N) When God blesses and protects people they do not need to be afraid of being cursed. God is more powerful than any evil power or evil curse. God is able to protect His people from evil curses.

The question for us is this: “Can we have this protection, so that we don't need to be afraid when someone curses us?”

Keep listening to the rest of these stories and you will find out.

{Music}

The God of Israel and Dagon, the false god of the Philistines

(N) The Israelites arrived in the land that God had promised to give them. This land became known as Israel. After they had been in the land for many years, God allowed the Philistine nation to defeat the Israelites in a battle. The Philistines took something very, very special from the Israelites. It was called the “Agreement Box” (“Covenant Box” or “Ark of the Covenant”). It was a special gold-plated box that the people of Israel had made according to God's instructions. The Agreement Box reminded them of the agreement God had made with them. God had chosen the Israelites to be His special people, and they had agreed to God's requirements. It also reminded the Israelites that God was always with them. When the box was stolen, the Israelites were very upset. God allowed this to happen so he would show His power and glory to the Philistine people.

When the Philistines captured the box, they were very happy. {Optional: several happy voices}. They thought they had defeated the people of Israel and their God. They carried the box into the temple where they kept the statue of their false god, called Dagon. {Explain 'temple' where needed or use an equivalent word, such as ‘house for worship’}.

The next morning, the Philistines went to look at the box. They found that the statue of Dagon had fallen down with its face to the ground in front of the box. {Optional: several sad voices, “Oh, no!”} So they lifted the statue up and put it back in its place. But the next morning the same thing had happened. {Optional: several sad voices, “Oh, no! Oh, Oh!”} The statue of Dagon had fallen face down before the “Agreement Box” again. This time its head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only its body was left unbroken.

Then the Lord made the people of the town suffer with tumours (sores or strange lumps) on their bodies. {Optional: several voices in pain, wailing} The Philistines were afraid and sent the box to another town. The same thing happened in that town. {Optional: several voices in pain, wailing.} They sent it to a third town and the Lord made the people of that town also to suffer in the same way. {Optional: several voices in pain, wailing}.

{Small break}
{Optional: several voices murmuring, talking together softly}

(N) The Philistines realised that the God of Israel was punishing them, so they sent the “Agreement Box” back to Israel.

You can find the full story in the Bible in the book called One (the First Book of) Samuel, chapter 5.

God had proven that He was the true God. Dagon was a false god with no power. The Bible says that all false gods are evil spirits who are enemies of the true God. They deceive people, making them think they are doing the right thing. These false gods have no power over the true God.

{Brief music}


The True God and Baal

(N) Years later, King Ahab ruled over the nation of Israel. Ahab was an evil king. He turned away from worshipping God and worshipped a false god called Baal. He built a temple for the worship of Baal. He also set up special carved poles to worship a goddess named Asherah. He encouraged the Israelite people to worship these false gods.

So God sent His messenger, the prophet Elijah, to King Ahab. Elijah said,
(V) “I serve the Lord, the God of Israel. Truly, as He lives, there will be no dew or rain during the next few years, until I say so.”

(N) For three years it did not rain, and there was very little water. The drought became severe, and the crops failed. King Ahab became very angry with Elijah. He looked everywhere for him, but God had hidden him. After three years, God sent Elijah to see King Ahab.

When King Ahab saw Elijah he said,
(V2) “Is that you, you trouble-maker in Israel?”

(N) Elijah replied,
(V) “I have not made trouble for Israel, but you and your family have made trouble. You have refused to obey the commands of the Lord. You have worshipped idols of Baal. Now bring all the people of Israel to come together with me at Mount Carmel. Bring the 450 prophets of Baal who are fed and looked after by your wife, Queen Jezebel.”

(N) When everyone was gathered at Mount Carmel, Elijah stood in front of them and said,
(V) “How long will you keep changing your minds between two ways of thinking? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal is God, follow him!”

{Pause}

(N) But the people remained silent.

Then Elijah said to them,
(V) “I am the only prophet of God left, but Baal has 450 prophets. Now bring two bulls for an offering. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish. They are to cut it into pieces and put it on the wood that is on their altar, but do not set fire to it. {If there is no word for or understanding of 'altar' add… ‘An altar is a place where an animal is sacrificed to a god by fire.’}

“I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the Lord's altar, but I will not set fire to it. Then, call on the name of your god, Baal. I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!”

(N) And all the people agreed.

The prophets of Baal went first. They prepared the altar and the bull, and then started calling on the name of Baal. They called all morning but nothing happened. They kept on calling and dancing around the altar, but there was no response. {You could use sound effects here of people calling out “Baal, O Baal, hear us, answer us, send fire,” etc.}

About midday, Elijah started mocking them:
(V) “You'll have to shout louder! Perhaps he is thinking of something else or relieving himself (going to the toilet). Maybe he is away on a trip. Maybe he is sleeping and needs to be wakened.”

(N) So they shouted louder {more sound effects?}. They even cut themselves with knives and swords until blood flowed out. They kept doing this until the evening. But there was no reply.

Then Elijah called the people to come to him. He repaired the altar of the Lord that had been broken down. He dug a channel around it. Then he laid the wood on the altar. He cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood.

Then he did something that really surprised the people. He said to them,
(V) “Fill four large storage pots with water, and pour it over the offering and the wood.”
(N) When they had done this he told them to do it two more times. The offering and the wood were soaked with water. The water also filled the channel.

Then, at the usual time for the evening sacrifice, Elijah walked up to the altar and prayed,
(V) “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, prove today that You are God in Israel, and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at Your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have brought them back to Yourself.”

(N) Immediately, fire came down from heaven. It burned up the bull, the wood, the stones and even the water in the channel!

When the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out,
(several voices) “THE LORD – HE IS GOD! YES, THE LORD IS GOD!” (2)

(N) The Lord, the God of Israel, made it very clear. He is the only true God. Other gods are not real gods. They are just evil spirits.

{Music}


The God of Israel and the gods of Aram

(N) You might think that King Ahab had learned his lesson, but he had not. Sometime later, Ben-hadad, King of Aram, started frightening the people of Israel. He demanded that King Ahab give him all his gold and silver, and his wives and children. Ahab gave Ben-hadad what he asked for. Ben-hadad came and demanded more, but Ahab refused. So Ben-hadad then brought out his whole army to fight against Israel.

A prophet of God came to King Ahab and said,
(V) “You see all these enemy forces that have come against you? Today I will give them all over to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
(N) The prophet gave King Ahab instructions on how to fight the battle.

King Ahab followed the prophet's instruction and the Israelites won the battle. King Ben-hadad and a few of his soldiers escaped, but the rest of his army was killed.

The prophet said to King Ahab,
(V) “Get ready for another attack, because the king of Aram will come back next year.”

(N) After their defeat, Ben-hadad's officers said to him,
(V2) “The Israelite gods are gods of the hills; that is why they won. But we can easily beat them down on the plains (flatlands).”

(N) So several months later the army from Aram marched again to attack Israel. It was so huge that the Israelite army looked like two small flocks of goats.

The same prophet went to King Ahab again and said,
(V) “This is what the Lord says: ‘The army officers from Aram have said, “The Lord of Israel is a god of the mountains and He is not down on the plains.” So I will defeat this large army for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

(N) The battle was fought down on the plains, and the army of Ben-hadad was destroyed.

The God of Israel is the God of the mountains AND the God of the plains. He is the only true God. He is greater than any spirit or anything else that is called a god.

You can find the full story in the Bible in the book called the First Book of Kings, chapter 20.

{Music}


God is with us so we do not need to fear evil.

(N) Many years later, God said these words to the Israelites through one of His own prophets:
(V1) “But you are My witnesses, O Israel. You are My servant. You have been chosen to know Me, believe in Me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God. There never has been another God, and there never will be another God.” (3)

(N) There are many true stories in the Bible that show that the God of Israel is the only true God. Through all these stories and experiences, God was teaching His people this truth.

The Lord is the only true God. There is no other god like Him. He is more powerful than anything or anyone else. Follow Him and obey Him, and He will watch over you and protect you. If you follow Him you do not need to be afraid of any evil.

The greatest king of Israel, King David, wrote these words:
(V2) “... Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me.” (4)

(N) God's people do not need to fear evil. They do not need to fear death, because God is with them.

God also taught His people that all witchcraft, sorcery and foretelling (fortune-telling or future- telling) are evil.

He said,
(V) “Never let your people practise fortune-telling or use sorcery or interpret omens (signs or signals or false hints that something bad is going to happen) (5) or be involved in witchcraft.” (6)

(N) But some of them did. Some people did terrible things like killing their own children in the fire as an offering to the gods. They consulted false prophets and practised sorcery and did all kinds of evil things. All this made the Lord very angry. (7)

Witchcraft and sorcery make God angry. The Bible tells us that the people who practise such things will end up in everlasting fire. (8) That means they will face God's judgement forever. God's people should never take part in sorcery, magic, telling the future, or witchcraft of any kind.

If it happens (to us), though, we do not need to be afraid of it. Let me tell you why.

{Music}

Jesus and the spirit world

(N) At the right time, God sent His special messenger into the world. He was the one whom God had promised Adam and Eve that He would send after they had disobeyed God. His name is Jesus. He came to make right the evil that had come into the world because Adam and Eve had obeyed the snake. Jesus came to destroy the works of Satan, the enemy of God. He came to save us from the kingdom of Satan and all the powers of evil. When Jesus lived on earth, He freed many people who were in bondage to Satan.

One day, Jesus met a man who couldn't speak. He had an evil spirit in him. Jesus removed the evil spirit and the man began to speak! Some people in the crowd said,
(Several Voices) “That’s why He can order evil spirits to leave. He gets his power from Satan, the head of evil spirits.”

(N) But Jesus replied,
(V) “Any kingdom that is divided and fighting with itself will fall apart. If I order out evil spirits by the power of Satan, how can his (divided) kingdom continue to exist? But if I am ordering out evil spirits by the power of God, then that means the Kingdom of God has come among you. For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his house, his belongings are safe. But when someone even stronger attacks, he overpowers the strong man. He takes away his weapons and his belongings.” (9)

(N) Satan is strong, but Jesus is stronger. He came to defeat the strong man, who is Satan, and save all of us from Satan's power.

*******
(N) On another day, Jesus met a man who lived among the tombs in a place called Gadara. This man was filled with many evil spirits. They gave him great strength, more than any other man. Everyone was afraid of him. They tried to bind him with ropes and chains, but he broke them. Jesus came to him and commanded the evil spirits to leave, and they did! They had no choice! Jesus spoke with the authority and power of God, as God’s special messenger. The local people were surprised to see the man who had been possessed by the evil spirits sitting quietly and peacefully. He had been healed and restored. (10)

Jesus is more powerful than all evil spirits.

On another day, a man who was controlled by an evil spirit began shouting at Jesus. (11) Jesus said to the evil spirit,
(V) “Be quiet and come out of the man.”

The evil spirit obeyed. The people there were surprised and said,
(Several Voices) “What authority and power this man's words possess! Even the evil spirits obey Him, and they run away when He tells them to go!”

(N) How did Jesus have this power and authority?

Jesus was more than just a messenger. He was not an ordinary man. He was God, Who had come into our world as a man.

For three years Jesus taught the people how to follow God. He did many amazing things. Some leaders of the Israelite people hated Him and decided to kill Him. Jesus allowed Himself to be killed by these Israelite leaders. Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross and died. Do you know why?

When our ancestor Adam disobeyed God, the whole human race was affected by guilt, shame and fear. We were separated from God, and death came into the world. But you and I have also disobeyed God and not followed His way. We have gone our own way. We too are shamed. We live in fear and we are guilty of breaking God's laws. So we too deserve to die and be separated from God forever.

But God promised Adam that one of His children would come and fix this problem. He would come and make a way for us to come back to God. Jesus is the One who came to take away our fear and our shame and to restore us to God. Jesus never disobeyed God. He did not deserve punishment. But when He died on the cross, He took our punishment. He died in our place (instead of us). Now, when we trust in Him, He saves us from the punishment we deserve. He takes away the shame of our rebellion against God and the fears that grip us.

But Jesus did not stay dead. Because He is God, He has power over death itself. On the third day after He died, Jesus came back to life! By dying and coming back to life again, Jesus broke Satan's power over us. He made us safe from the evil spirits and put them to shame by His victory over them on the cross. (12) Now Jesus offers to free us from our sin, fear, shame and slavery to Satan. He offers us a new life. We call this God’s (great act of) salvation. Salvation means that God saves us.

If we believe in Jesus and trust Him to save us from judgement, He does. The Bible says:
(V2) “Now there is no condemnation (judgement) for those who belong to Christ Jesus. He has set us free from the law of sin and death.” (13)
(N) Jesus offers us freedom from fear of evil spirits (14) and even from the fear of death itself. (15) He offers us life with him that never ends (continues after we die). (16)

Those who follow Jesus do not need to be afraid of sorcery, curses or evil spirits. Jesus has given His people all they need to fight and overcome these things. (17)

What does this mean for you and me?

{Music}

The Spirit World and You

(N) Jesus taught His followers how to overcome evil spirits. God's Spirit lives inside everyone who is a follower of Jesus. It is by the power of God's Spirit that followers of Jesus can resist and overcome evil spirits.

When Jesus lived on earth, He called twelve men to be His special friends. He trained them to carry on (continue) His work after He would return to heaven. Let me tell you about one of these men. His name was Philip.

One day, Philip went to a nearby town to tell people the good news of Jesus and how they could be saved. Crowds came to listen to him and to see the miracles he did. By the power of God’s Spirit, Philip healed many sick people and ordered many evil spirits to leave people. The people of the town were very happy. (18)

How could Philip do these things? I'll tell you.

The Bible says that God gives gifts to His people. The first gift is the gift of His own Spirit, who is called the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes and lives inside those who believe in Jesus and follow Him. The Holy Spirit, Who lives in His people, is greater and more powerful than Satan and all his evil spirits who live in the world (23).

This means that if we are children of God who believe in Him, when evil spirits attack us, we can fight and defeat them. Jesus has all power and authority, and in the authority of Jesus' name we can command the evil spirits to go away.

Another gift that God gives is the gift of peace. Jesus said to His disciples, “I am leaving you with a gift – peace in your heart and mind. And the peace I give is a gift that the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.” (24) Real, lasting peace is a gift that only God can give.

We do not need to be afraid of people who practise witchcraft. We do not need to fear people who bring curses on other people, or be afraid of their curses. We do not need to fear omens (signs or signals or false hints that something bad is going to happen) or magic customs. We do not even need to fear those people who want to kill our bodies. (25) Even if we die, we will still be with God (26) and He will give us a new life and a new body. (27) This new life and new body are not in this world, but will be in the place that Jesus has prepared for us. (28) We will live there forever with God.

In this life, we may face many difficulties and hardships, but we do not need to be afraid. (29) We can have peace deep inside us.

God gives His children another important gift. He gives us spiritual armour to protect us against the attacks of Satan and a weapon to use in spiritual battles. {If necessary, add, ‘Armour is special protective clothing that a soldier may wear in a battle to protect himself.’}

We need this armour. Although Jesus defeated Satan when he died and rose again (came back to life), Satan still fights hard, and we need God's protection. In some places Satan's power is very strong. But God is still stronger.
The Bible describes this armour for us. (30)

Firstly, there is the helmet of salvation. A helmet protects our head and our mind. In the same way, we are being sure that God has saved us and protects us from worries that Satan tries to put in our minds. We can be sure of the salvation God has given us. God does not lie. His Word can be trusted. We do not need to worry. When we become followers of Jesus, nothing can take away our salvation.

The next part of the armour is the belt of truth. God's truth does not change. His Word is reliable (can be trusted). What is written in the Bible is God's truth. Jesus said, “I am the truth” (31) and “the truth will set you free.” (32)

The next part of the armour is the breastplate (body armour) of righteousness. A breastplate protects the heart (vital internal organs). We are not saved by our own good works, but by the righteousness (right living) of Jesus. When God looks at us, he sees us as perfect in Christ.

For shoes, we have the good news of peace with God. This good news must be told everywhere. When people accept this good news, they find peace. Real peace only comes from Jesus.

The next piece of armour is the shield of faith. Faith in God is our security against Satan when he tries to accuse us, or tempts us to ignore God and go our own way. Faith in God is also a shield for us when we feel afraid. We can trust God to help us.

The last part of the armour is a sword. This is the Sword of the Spirit, which is God's powerful Word. The only attacking weapon we need in spiritual battles is God's true Word. God's Word is true. It must guide our thinking and what we do and say. We can use God's Word and God's truth to defeat evil spirits when they try to harm us or deceive us.

There is another special gift that God gives His children who believe in Jesus. He gives us each other. He gives us other followers of Jesus to be our spiritual family so that we can encourage and pray for each other. The support, encouragement and prayers of other Christians also help us to overcome the attacks of Satan.

The spiritual battle may be hard, but when the battle is over we will be the winners. So we do not need to be afraid.

God has promised that if we are truly His children then nothing can separate us from His love. The Bible tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Death cannot, and Satan and his evil spirits cannot separate us from God’s love. The fears that we have today, or the worries we have for tomorrow, cannot separate us from the love of God. There is nothing in all creation, not in the sky above or in the earth below, that can separate us from the love of God that we have when we follow Jesus. (33)

If you are still afraid, it may be because you have not understood how God's powerful Holy Spirit can protect and help you. Maybe you have not asked for His help; or maybe you do not have the Spirit of God in you.

You do not need special words or a special language to talk to God. Just talk to Him from your heart like you talk to a friend. {Use whatever term for ‘heart’ that is appropriate in the local culture}. He knows what is in your heart. He even knows what you think!

Stop and think for a moment. Do you have the Holy Spirit of God living in you? Are you truly part of God's family? Maybe you call yourself a Christian. Maybe you go to church, but does God live in you by His Spirit?

If your answer is 'no,' and if you truly want to be a child of God, then there is good news for you. You can choose to turn away from your old life and invite Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour.

Talk to God and say something like this:
(V2) “Lord Jesus, I know that You were sent from God. I believe that You died to take away my sin, my shame and my fear. I believe in You. I admit that I am a sinner. I admit that I have not followed You, and I ask You to forgive me for my sin. Take control of my life and help me to live my life in the way that pleases You. I want to serve You and follow You for the rest of my life. Thank You for saving me, so that I will come to be with You when I die.”

(N) You can stop the recording right now and pray to Him like that, if you want to.

The Bible tells us that when we are honest with God and admit our sins and say we are sorry, and really mean it, then He forgives us. (19) When we believe in Him and accept Him, He makes us one of His own children. (20) He gives us His Spirit (21) to be with us, and to help us to change. The Bible also tells us that if we openly say that Jesus is Lord (Master), and believe that God raised Him from death, then we will be saved. (22) We will be saved from the punishment for our rebellion against Him, and we will be given a new life in Jesus.

Choosing to follow Jesus and turning away from your old life is like starting a new life. A new baby must eat and drink to grow strong. In the same way, a new follower of Jesus will grow strong by listening to or reading God's Word, and by talking with God each day. When a person does this, and understands and follows what the Bible says, he or she will grow strong in his or her knowledge and experience of God.

Even as followers of Jesus, we have hard times in life. In these times of struggle, we grow closer to God as He gives us His peace and love to help us through these hard times. You will be sure that when this life is over, you will be with Him forever in that special place He has prepared for you. (34)

If you are a follower of Jesus, or have just become one, what should you do when you are afraid?

Think about your own life carefully. Have you been disobedient to God, or have you neglected your relationship with Him? Have you become lazy, and stopped praying or listening to His Word, or meeting with other followers of Jesus? Have you been unkind to your family members or others? Have you stolen something from another person? Have you been unfaithful to your spouse (wife or husband)? Have you been involved in sin or anything that is not pleasing to God? If the answer to any of these questions is 'yes,' then confess (admit) your sin to God and say you are sorry. Turn away from those things. When you do that honestly, God will forgive you. When your heart is clean, God will help you to use His armour against Satan’s attacks on you, and you will be ready for Him to use.

What should you do when someone curses you, or when you feel threatened or attacked by evil spirits?

The best thing to do is to pray and praise God. Say out loud that God is the Ruler (King/Chief) of the universe (of everything). Say out loud that Jesus has defeated all the powers of evil through His death and rising to life again. Thank God that you are His child, and thank Him for His protection over you.

After you have prayed to God, speak using the name of Jesus. Announce that the power of the curse or evil spirit is broken by the death and resurrection of Jesus, and command it to leave you alone and go away.

Praise and thank God for His victory over Satan and his evil works. It is the power of Jesus that works through us to overcome Satan.

Remind yourself, and say again, that the purpose of your life is to honour and serve God.

Pray and believe God's promise that He will be with you always. Sometimes the hard times with evil will be long, but keep going until God brings victory. Freedom from fear comes through living in the truth and power of God's Word.

Now let me tell you what a follower of Jesus should not do. A follower of Jesus should never perform a sacrifice or make an offering to please the spirits. A follower of Jesus should not use magic or consult witchdoctors, or shamans {use local terms}. A Christian should not try to communicate with those who have died. A follower of Jesus should never wear jewellery or charms (necklace or armbands) for protection. A follower of Jesus should not consult the stars to find out the future. All these things are the tricks of Satan to keep you under his control, and only bind you more tightly to him.

The Bible says,
(V1) “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (35)
(N) The ‘devil’ is Satan, the enemy of God. He is also our enemy. The Bible tells us,
(V1) “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil, who prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him and be strong in your trust in God.” (36)

(N) In the last book of the Bible we find these words,
(V1) “Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire ... there he will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (37)

Satan knows what is going to happen to him. His judgement is certain, but he keeps on fighting and tries to deceive as many people as he can. Don't follow the ways of Satan, and don't be deceived by him. Do not fear Satan or his evil spirits.

Obey and honour God. Thank Him for the victory that Jesus won over Satan. Thank God that people who follow Jesus can be free from fear. And tell others about the freedom we have when we are following Jesus.

{Music for end}

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1 Numbers 33:4. This quote also introduces the title “the Lord” and identifies the Lord as God. 1 Corinthians 10:20
2 Exodus 34; 1 Kings 16:29-34; 1 Kings 17 and 18
3 Isaiah 43:10
4 Psalm 23:4
5 Omens are 'signs' or false hints that are interpreted to find out the future or something unknown. In some cultures these might be natural signs, such as unusual weather events. In other cultures they may be the intestines of an animal, special stones or even tea leaves.
6 Deuteronomy 18:10-14
7 2 Kings 17:17
8 Revelation 21:8
9 Luke 11:14-22
10 Luke 8:26-39
11 Luke 4:33
12 Colossians 2:15
13 Romans 8:1-2
14 John 14:12; Romans 8:38; 1 John 4:4; Mk 3:20-27; Ephesians 6:10-18. The sovereignty and authority of Christ.
15 Hebrews 2:15; Romans 8:28; 1 John 4:16-18
16 John 3:16
17 Matthew 10:1, 28:18f; Ephesians 6:10-18
18 Acts 8:7
19 1 John 1:9
20 John 1:12
21 Acts 2:38
22 Rom 10.9
23 1 John 4:4, Luke 10:19
24 John 14:27
25 Matthew 10:28
26 2 Corinthians 5:8
27 1 Corinthians 15:12-58
28 John 14:1-3
29 John 16:33
30 Ephesians 6:10-18
31 John 14:6
32 John 8:32
33 Romans 8:35-39
34 John 14:1-3
35 James 4:7
36 1 Peter 5:8f
37 Revelation 20:10

Instructions for the Recordist

This is a dramatized script in 8 parts. It is primarily meant as teaching for Christians, although others who are afraid of sorcery and witchcraft may find it helpful, and it does have a prayer to receive the Lord. People of animistic background are the main focus, but this script may have application in other religious communities also. Fear of evil spirits is strong in Islam, for example. For an Islamic context the word “jinn” for spirit being may be used in the script. Fear is a universal human response.

'Narrator’ or (N) means narrator or main voice. Other voices are indicated by (V), (V1), (V2), etc. Different voices can be used for variety or effect. Another voice could be used for the Scripture quotations or near quotations. (V1, 2, etc.) does not need to be the same person if it occurs in a different part of the script, such as a different story or section. It is good if the same voice can be used throughout the program where God speaks.

Words in parentheses (like this) are alternative words to help the recordist or translator.

Suggestions or instructions to the recordist are in curly {these} parentheses. Numbers in parentheses refer to the references at the end. Do record the script title and the section titles.

This script is long enough to be a complete program.

There is also a monologue version available for a single speaker.