Stories of transformation

Joe Lampshire

Deliverance from evil

Major Rosemary Dawson continues a series in which she remembers some of the inspirational people she met while working on the War Cry

EXPERIMENTING with the occult and paranormal can lead to some frightening and dangerous experiences, as Joe Lampshire – a Lloyd’s of London broker – discovered. The ensuing battle between good and evil finally ended when Joe surrendered his soul to the power of God.

Joe began working in the City of London aged 16. ‘I loved the lifestyle,’ he said. ‘Choosing how much to party depended on how far your money and expense account would go.

‘My grandmother was very interested in spiritualism and I became fascinated by ghosts, poltergeists and films such as The Exorcist and Nightmare on Elm Street. At 18 I started taking marijuana and experimenting with a Ouija board. I got hooked when spirits told me things about my grandfather that were later confirmed as true.

‘One night something weird happened. The board started spinning round violently, spelling out the words, “Sinned! Doomed! Die!” very fast. I was really scared. I remembered the Lord’s Prayer, and repeated it all the way home.

‘I took our old family Bible upstairs and lay with it on my chest, like a kind of talisman, for a whole week.’

Joe decided not to use the Ouija board again.

‘My mum and stepfather had started going to church and invited me along, but I declined,’ he explained. ‘Then I heard a voice say: “Joe, get up and go.” I looked round, but there was no one there. Then I heard it again, very clearly: “Joe, get up and go.” So, to my mum’s surprise, I did.

‘The atmosphere at our local church was warm and loving. It was as if someone had turned a tap on in my head. God was really speaking to me.’

Joe realised he had to make a choice between his lifestyle and his conscience. He stopped drinking to excess and taking drugs.

‘I was being changed inwardly, and fought God every step of the way,’ Joe recalled. ‘The demonic influences I’d let into my life were causing a real battle between good and evil.

‘One night I couldn’t sleep, so went downstairs to watch television and dozed off. Suddenly I became aware of an evil feeling in the room and heard a loud, high-pitched laugh. Something pulled me to the floor. I froze; I couldn’t move or speak, so kept saying “Jesus! Jesus!” in my head, over and over again. The grip on my arm loosened. I grabbed my Bible and started reading it. I felt under attack and was really scared.

‘I woke my stepfather, who went downstairs and said in a loud voice: “You’re not welcome – leave this house!” The room slowly returned to normal. He had exorcised the demon.

‘Two Christian friends came to pray with me. They explained that using the Ouija board had opened me up to the bad influences that were now fighting God for my soul. That night I had my first good sleep for ages.’

Joe finally won his battle against evil at a Spring Harvest event.

‘As I went forward and asked Jesus into my life something flung me on my back, and I started screaming,’ he said. ‘People came to pray with me, and I heard one say: “In the name of Jesus, I command the unclean spirit to come out of this man.” There was a loud roar – and then a feeling of peace.’

Joe believed he had been delivered from demonic oppression and had some plain advice for people experimenting with the occult: ‘Steer clear of it! You’re opening yourself up to attack. It’s not harmless fun; it’s very dangerous. It may feel exciting, but there’s always a price to pay.’

In his late teens Joe developed an aptitude for weightlifting, winning a silver medal in the 2005 Commonwealth Championship, the 2006 British powerlifting championship (100 kg) and breaking the British total weight and squat records.

‘I wanted to use my sport to glorify God in some way,’ he explained, ‘and now belong to a Christian group of strongmen giving powerlifting demonstrations in schools and prisons.

‘Now I have peace, joy, faith and a relationship with the King of kings. I believe he is there for me every moment of every day.’

Based on an article published in the War Cry, 8 March 2008

MAJOR ROSEMARY DAWSON MA

Retired St Austell