This has been my fifth year teaching Principles of Spiritual Warfare at the Emmaus Biblical Seminary in Haiti. [links: 1 2 3] I'd like to invite you into the classroom and let you experience the adrenaline rush of teaching and the outrageous Joy of learning.

It seems to happen every year (five years running now). The class starts a little slowly as I try to feel my way around to determine where the students are and what they know. But in this instance slowly is nearly catastrophic. As the first week progresses I find myself increasingly behind schedule. And the farther behind I get, the faster, it seems, the end of the module approaches.

As of now I'm at least one full day of hard study behind. I don't like being behind though not nearly as much as I dislike being ahead of schedule. Being ahead of schedule gives me the distinct feeling that my students aren't "getting it" perhaps because they're not engaging me with questions. While being behind makes me realize I'm going to have to skip something and potentially something that may be very important in the long term.

If you have ever suffered under the darkness of depression you know full well it's power to crush and destroy. King David's many psalms reflect a man who himself struggled with depression (and found hope in God). Greater and more powerful than any depression is demonic oppression (demonization). Recalling the story of the Gadarene Demoniac the song "Set Me Free" from Casting Crowns does an admirable job of portraying the hoplessness of spiritual captivity and the glorious power of Christ to set the captives free.