Demons exist, but the world would have us believe otherwise. As we walked through the halls of “the building“, the sense of the presence of evil was strong- like a heat on my skin.The White Building is a major, and well known hub for drug dealing, prostitution, and human trafficking.
As we walked through its filthy, garbage strewn halls, I was definitely on my guard. (Half expecting to be jumped at any moment.) The halls were long and dark- real dark- the only light being what came in where the halls opened onto outside walkways. Small, wall mounted altars beside each doorway held offerings of fruit or burning incense left to appease the spirits. Residents sat on low wooden platforms, or in staircases, watching us as we passed, while children with filthy bare feet giggled and played.
As we passed through another dark hall, an older woman came out of her apartment and began screaming at us. She seemed mighty angry.
She was speaking Khmer, so obviously I had had no idea what her problem was. I turned to my friend- the missionary leading us through the building- “What’s she saying”, I asked.
“Oh, she’s just cursing us out,” she answered very casually. “She’s probably demon possessed.”
The easy tone she spoke in took me by surprise, and I soon realized that this was just another day in the life of a Bible-believing, Holy Spirit filled Christian looking to share the love of Jesus in Cambodia.
The spiritual rawness of Cambodia- the blatant demon worship, idolatry, and the openness of blackest sin- have been used to teach them a very great lesson that we in the West desperately need to learn: As we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we should fear no evil, for He is with us.