For You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Isaiah 25:4 NKJV

I recently finished watching Raising Dion, a science fiction/super hero series, in which a mom, who is grieving the loss of her husband, discovers her child has supernatural abilities and seeks to not only protect him but find out the mysteries surrounding her new normal. I was also elated to see a little black boy hero, Dion (Ja’Siah Young), one my nephews can see themselves in. Nonetheless, this series was so good and made me get emotional at times. Nicole’s character, (Alisha Wainwright) the mom, was such a force and relatable in her struggles. The dad, Mark (Michael B. Jordan), was such a force too as well as handsome. Oh and I love Esperanza (Sammi Haney), Dion’s friend, who is bound to a wheelchair but so full of life and character. I think it is awesome to see that representation also for kids who have disabilities. Everyone did an amazing job in this series. But one thing that jumped out to me that had me once again turning a scene or part of a film into a spiritual lesson to my nephew was about Pat (Jason Ritter). Warning: Spoiler Alert.

In Raising Dion, the integrity of Pat’s soul is compromised and corrupted, and I believe way before the storm enters his and Mark’s life. Observing closely, you realize that Pat has some insecurities and issues that fully surface towards the end of the series. And that is how I believe the storm was able to attach itself to him and over time weaken him. He became the Crooked Man.

I understand that everyone has been affected by evil in some way for we live in a broken world corrupted by sin and the enemy’s deception as well as all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I also believe we may ignorantly welcome it perhaps through sin and not guarding our hearts. Moreover, what happens when we get use to it and it feeds off of our pain and insecurities, the issues of our hearts? It fully corrupts us and weakens us. And it can cut us off from dwelling in the presence of God. It can cost us relationships and things that God has for us or has blessed us with. It can rob us of our potential and it can affect others around us. It can destroy us and rob us of our destinies.

But no one wants to be seized by the storm. So, if you are not on the winning team and don’t have the He in you that is greater than the he that is in the world, I encourage you to seek out the only Savior that can overcome not just the storm in your life, but has overcome this world and every evil spirit. Read Romans 10.

And let every believer of Jesus Christ saturate in the Word of God. Let us develop the fear of the Lord and start praying for a life in God’s presence. Let us also allow God to heal us and process us through His unfailing love and Word. Let us bind up, with the Word of God, authority of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, every demonic force in our lives and our children’s lives. The storm wants to rob our children of their destinies, potential, and gifts from God. Don’t give in to the storm or enemy because of convenience and because sometimes it is too tiresome to fight. And don’t be passive or even passive until the stuff hit the fan.

Learn to wage war now. And let us seek the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us and our children how to use our kingdom’s benefits and godly power. Let the Holy Spirit also accompany our children like Charlotte (Deirdre Lovejoy) who not only taught Dion how to use his powers but went invisibly yet greatly present with Dion to school. Sorry for any spoilers if you haven’t watched the series. It is on Netflix now.

So, what can we do to wage war against the storm seizing our lives and destinies? What must we do when evil spirits get comfortable in our lives and weaken us spiritually?

• Receive salvation, an eternal, free gift from God. Read Romans 10.
• Cover yourself and your family members with the blood of Jesus.
• Pray daily.
• Read and pray the Word of God.
• See your opponent and sin through the eyes of God and fight accordingly as God leads and with the armor of God as a believer.
• Pray for God to till the grounds of our souls, to break up the fallow ground in our hearts. Create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us, God, and heal us wholly.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your saving grace and unfailing love. Deliver us from evil. Help us hear Your Word for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Don’t let us prostitute our gifts or use them in a corrupted manner or at Your disapproval. Send people in our lives to teach us how to steward over these gifts properly and to give You honor. Help us to guard our children with the blood of Jesus and prayer. Help us to train them in Christ Jesus who is the Way and the Truth and Life. Suit us up in the armor of God and Father, forgive us of all our sins and for opening those doors we have opened willingly and unknowingly to the enemy. Let us value the things of the kingdom of God and godly relationships. Let us put You first and nurture our relationships with You. Holy Spirit, You are welcomed into our lives, homes, jobs, and families. Have Your way! Heal us and help us to trust You as You grow us up in the Lord. We bind up generational curses and strongholds in the name of Jesus. We bind up everything that is detrimental to our faith, relationships, health, destinies, and spiritual development. In Jesus’ name amen.

If you watched this series, what are some other spiritual lessons you were inspired to learn or take note of?