A while back specific threats of a demon spoken through a young gal in prison, who was a known Satanist, directly threatened the ministry. If you have never seen a clear undeniable manifestation of the demonic through a person please don’t dismiss the possibility. I whole heartedly believe in the authority of scripture and our secure position in Christ. I also understand that a battle rages in the area of spiritual warfare. With that said, The guards and other teen girl inmates were dually freaked out when she did at one point manifest demonic control at an earlier visit. This incident is what led me to visit and pray for this young gal who at that time was incarcerated. I was not scared, but somewhat shocked when this demonic spirit spoke through this young teen against me and the ministry. His first words were, “You disgust me. ” He then went on to give specific threats that would be an attempt to dismantle my marriage, family and finances [ministry support] in order to destroy this ministry.
Eventually as a result we decided to take a much needed spiritual retreat where the enemy’s hand was exposed and some strongholds broken! Praise the Lord! I am now going to let Eileen speak below and share her heart on one aspect of the outcome of the weekend that surprised me more than anything.
The following from Eileen:
In relation to our marriage being attacked, I never thought the strategy of the enemy would come through me! I am a born-again Christian woman, who loves the Lord, my husband and family, and have a deep desire to pray. However, the enemy uses any “door” that is cracked or open. He looks for ways to get in. Here’s the way he got in to cause strife and division in our marriage, and it was through the root of bitterness, unforgiveness and rebellion that I had harbored in my heart since I was a little girl. He preys on children because they are an easy target. He used the sin of hatred and rebellion to gain access and establish a stronghold. That hatred being against my alcoholic father for his abuse towards my mother; and the rebellion was in response to his misuse of authority by using his anger and controlling fear against me and my seven siblings. Because these sinful roots were never dealt with in my heart, they would rear their ugly heads in our marriage through disrespect and dishonor towards Victor. Because the Lord in His graciousness revealed this to me, I was able to take those sins to the cross and forgive the offender (my Dad), and ask for my own forgiveness for the bitterness, unforgiveness and rebellion that I harbored in my heart but was blind to. It’s amazing what happens when we forgive and are forgiven. Love and truth are my translators now, not fear, anger and disrespect because those sinful strongholds are destroyed!
I thank you and I also challenge you to ask the Lord to show you areas of blindness and strongholds in your heart that need to be exposed, repented of and forgiven by His Amazing Grace!
-Eileen Marx
P.S. I am so excited to share with you that my fathers life was in fact redeemed by Christ death on the cross just four weeks before he died. I was given a gift from the Lord to be present when my husband Victor prayed with my dad to surrender to Christ! The Scriptures are true “With God all things are possible.”
To God be the Glory for great things He has done!
Victor Marx ( if you’re a husband….. you know I am stoked!)
A Marriage Built on the Rock
Have you experienced spiritual warfare in your life or marriage ? We would love to read your comments.
That is soo awesome! Thank you for sharing your hearts and encouragments! It is such a blessing to hear the Lords victory in your marriage and ministry. We serve such an awesome, powerful God! He answers prayers. I will continue to keep you, your family and ministry in prayer.
God Bless!
Bless your heart Eileen, Thank you Lord for such a brave and wonderful lady to help her soul-mate and her self through this battle. You are a warriors wife Eileen. God bless the work you and Victor do. God be with you and keep you and your family safe.
In Christ, Jill
Totally Awesome! Thank you Eileen for leading other women in healing their marriage. I have seen other marriages struggle with the very same thing. We need to look in our past to see where satan has made little twist of our view of the truths and deal with it by having Jesus reclaim that area. Victor you are an awesome guy with an awesome wife.
WOOT!
That pretty much sums it up. God uses our toughest and darkest hours to prepare us. I used to wonder why God allowed me to do some of the things I did. I now realize that it was those very times that God would later use to help others. As much as I wish that I could erase them, I know that it prepped me for what God had in store.
May God continue to bless your marriage and ministry.
Phil
indeed how great the Lord is.. im so glad to see the hand of GOD upon ATP and the Marx family,,,,,, may the Lord continue to give you all the sufficient grace to go against the whiles of the enemy,, well look at that he tried separating you and now it looks like it backfired indeed all things are working together for GOOD… thanks for the update
Oh Praise Jesus for His faithfulness and power over sin and evil. Thanks so much for the update and for reminding us that the enemy can and will use our past to divide anything precious, including our marriages. Thank you for your example! We will continue to cover you all in prayer.
WOW thank you so much for sharing honestly your stuggles. That gives me such encouragement. My husband and I have a great marriage but Satan does whatever possible to put a wedge between us. Right now we are stuggling with our eldest son Nathan(16). He just wants to go the opposite way of what he knows is right. Against God and his parents. He is saved but not surrendered. This weights heavy on us. My husband is a full time youth minister so we see this all the time. I know it is satan trying to distract us from the ministry God has given us. I ask that you pray for wisdom, discernment and unity. Thank you so much for your ministry. You are such a blessing.
Diana
Hi Victor,
Just a quick note, to let you know that I am very touch by your wife story.
Because, it is my story. The Lord did the exact same thing with my father who was a hard core alcoholic.
( My mother separated from Him at 65 yo, 2 of my sisters acted like he was dead and never went to see him again ect…)
Since I am saved, the Lord put in my heart to pray for his salvation that seemed impossible…
But God… did it I can not pin point exactly when but when I was at his bed side 2 hours prior to his departure,
I was alone with my father, crying and the Lord spoke to my heart saying;
Linda what are you trying to do…. ( Because I am a nurse and seeing his pain and incomfort I wanted to save his body )
then after a pause where The Lord gave me the time to reflect on the fact that my father’s body was not good anymore to survive
He told me gently, are you ready for me to take him now?
He took my eyes off the physical unto the eternal.
The Lord gave me the prodigal son verses also to confirm his salvation to me….
So, I will agree with Eileen, with God all things are possible!
Linda.
Just want you to know whenever you two come to mind, I will be lifting your marriage up to God in prayer.
Thank the Lord for the strength and Courage given to our hearts.
I thank him everyday for that ever since my fight with the Devil in November 09.
He to tried to dismantle me through my family.
Wow it has been a very uplifting experiance for me I dont ever want to have those feelings again. The bitterness and hatered what a terrible feeling.
I know exactly what you went through.
People look at us like were crazy because something like this has happened.
well just to let you know your not crazy neither am I.
I am just Thankfull for Christ and all My Good friends who helped to bring me through
that tough spot.
Congrats on becomeing a winner over the Devil and I praise you.
well I rambled enough.
God Bless
Robert
Victor:
Praise God for answering prayers. Our men”s fellowship (Calvary Chapel Phelan) lifted your request up along with our private prayers. May God continue to strengthen your marriage an ministry. God is awesome.
michael gonzalez
Thank God for his great mercies, I pray for you guys everyday, and I know how the enemy comes against us when we’re walking in God’s will. May we all continue to stay strong in God’s will and Word! Lots of Love!!
It’s sometimes unclear why doing the things of the ministry would produce hardship, which is unclear if you don’t read your Bible. Like most humans I seemed to find my lessons lived out the hard way through trials. Early in my Christian life I felt called to the ministry. In wisdom my Pastor told me about James 4:1 and the stricter judgment on those in the ministry. After some consideration I thought why not.(Chuckle) The day after I married my wife I told her about my calling… I know your thinking shouldn’t that have been talked about before marriage. Once again HARD lessons. Well her look was shocking enough but the words that followed were even worse. “If I would have known that I would have never married you.” Wow right? Well my wife grew up in the church and was very close to my Pastor and his family and she saw the effects that Satan can have on the ministry lead family and wanted the easy “Christian life”. I think that’s an oxymoron to have an easy Christian life. No student is greater than his master. They persecuted HIM then they’ll persecute us.
That first year of marriage was the worst and I didn’t contribute the best admittedly. I involved my self in everything. This put my wife as second to the ministry. God is gracious and taught me balance with Gods call to serve and Gods call to be a husband and later a father. Three years into the marriage I wanted to go on a mission’s trip to Russia and about a week or so before my departure we were driving somewhere and my wife turned to me and said, “Where ever the Lord calls you to go and do I will be with you all the way.” Just writing this brings emotion back. From that moment to separately focused people finally became as ONE FLESH. No words can express what would then transpire in our lives due to us now working with a common goal of serving others in ministry. I wish I could say all was well after that but that darn sin nature tends to rear it’s ugly head every so often and it only make that Knot of marriage all the more strong when tension is brought on it.
Victor and Eileen well only be brought closer as the hills and valleys of life come and go.
Act 20:24 “But none of these things move me, neither do I count my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus Christ, to testify fully the gospel of the grace of God.”
Victor and Eileen,
Your family has been such a blessing to me and my family. Praise God for his grace and the work that He has done in us. You guys are some of my favorite heros in God’s work. Thank you for sharing Christ with us all.
Thank you Eileen for sharing your victory in Christ. It is truly amazing how many of us need to bring our unforgiveness and past sufferings to the cross. I can relate to some degree, since my mother was an alchoholic. When I finally forgave her I felt free in Christ and God poured so much love in my heart for her that eventually, right before she died as well, gave her heart to God. God is so good and always worthy tom be praised. His tender mercies are renewed every morning. God bless you sweetheart. God has blessed you with a strong man of God and He knew you were the right one for Him.
Love-in-Him
Patty
Praise God and thank you Jesus! He is so faithful and never fails us. You have a powerful ministry and no weapon formed against you will prosper. It never amazes me what God can and will do for the faithful in Him. I will always keep you and your ministry in my prayers as it’s a daily battle with the satanic spirit world.
God bless you,
Sharon
This is a great victory over the enemy. Thank you so much for opening your hearts and being brave enough to share these very private thoughts with us. May the Lord continue to bless your ministry and your family as you continue to go forward boldly in Jesus’ name, honoring Him with your words and actions. We love you and will continue to pray for you — perhaps even more now that we’ve been reminded just how much the enemy wants to continuously attack and discredit you.
What an encouraging testimony. It seems that Satan’s number one priority right now is to dismantle marriages either through wives lowering their respect for thier husbands or husbands’ harshness toward their wives…and the vicious circles spins round. Only by giving everything over to Christ in complete trust is the cycle broken – thanks so much for being open and sharing what has happened to you.
You are in our prayers for supernatural strength and wisdom and you continue in your ministry. Thank you!
And -GREAT PIC! Love it!
Your testimony, Eileen, is a witness to the need we all have to be honest & open before God. Thank you for that!! Also, the fact that you both saw the need to step aside & take the time to deal with this blesses my heart!
You will continue to be in my prayers. The enemy is raging mad now–I’m sure–& the battle will continue until the day of our Salvation! But the Lord is mighty & the victory is HIS!
May you be covered & protected by Him so that you can press on to do the work that He has set before you. May God richly bless you both!
I remain proud of you guys in the Lord, and continue to stand amazed at the spiritual growth in you both. In Him…Bradley
I am just so happy for the both of you and your family.. , My heart is filled with love.. I honestly can’t stop smiling.
Thank you for sharing..
My family and i were praying for you and yours. I am so glade the battle was won and the truth was revealed. I know that there has been even more obsticles in your path. Stay strong and as a family keep united. We all should pray for those that keep the faith as you and your family does. This world has been tainted by Satan and he has attacked us all from our youth till now. Victor, you and your family are an inspiration and will be in my prays always.
Eileen and Victor,
What a beautiful testimony as to how the scriptures can and do come alive in our lives when we bring the truth of our pain to Christ.
And how God can heal us through His word, by replacing Satan’s lies with God’s truth when you take your pain to the cross.
Eileen you did such a beautiful job explaining how to get victory over the lies that get implanted by Satan through painful experiences, especially in childhood when we make powerful decisions regarding how to emotionally protect ourselves from painful
( and often times parental) relationships. And then these wounds get triggered out in our marriage relationships by the slightest provocation. Often times creating an over-reaction.
You had said these sinful roots had never been dealt with, and Amen that you got to the root and rooted it out, took it to the cross and God has the glory now. It reminds me of the scripture in Genesis, where Joseph was horrible hurt by his brothers and he said to them in Genesis 50:19-21 You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people, which is being done.” And now, many people by reading your post will now know how to get victory in their lives too by your sharing Eileen & Victor. Thank-you for being open to share this painful experience to help others.
May God continue to do a mighty work in you both!
Love in Christ,
Julie
Hi Eileen and Victor ~ praying for you both ~ Eileen after reading what you wrote with what the Lord showed you as far as bitterness goes I can relate ~ did you ever hear of the book “Healed and Set Free” by Tammy Brown a pastors wife from CC Idaho Falls? I used this book for many sexual abused girls and it would be a great book for the women in prison. I hope this will help with your ministry!
In Christ,
Jeannie Perrillo
Hello my little sister.
I am so glad that you were able to fend off the ugly forces and open up the door of Gods love regarding our troubled childhood. I was blessed to have the opportunity to talk with our Dad while he was alive, and to forgive him for the abuse that we witnessed. As bad as it was, we are so lucky to have the Mother that we have, who was the rock, and who was guided by Gods love.
Love you,
Ken
Eileen…
…you have a beautiful heart. God revealed that to me the first time I met you. I used to say this about my dear Daniel: “There is much freedom in not having an ego.” I see that, and admire that in you, too. Your courage to share like you did is very inspiring, and will break many strongholds of pride which is so hard to shake…perhaps the last to go before we see the Face of God! I praise Him for His sanctifying work in our hearts, which changes from glory to glory! It’s my honor to call you friend…
Humbly yours,
Amy