In an interview with Charisma Media, Pastor Chris Garcia of Father’s Glory International shares his powerful testimony of encountering demonic forces and finding freedom through the gospel.
Growing up in a family with roots in Puerto Rico, Garcia explains that both sides of his family practiced spiritualism, witchcraft and voodoo, especially on his father’s side. His great-grandfather, described as a healer, would invoke spirits for curses and false healings. Looking back on his family’s background, Garcia notes, “Satan is a great counterfeit.”
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Although his mother shielded him from these practices, Garcia recounts seeing altars dedicated to deities in family members’ homes, particularly tied to Santeria, a blend of African spiritualism and Roman Catholicism.
“As a kid, I would ask questions, and my family members would tell me about those things,” he shares. However, these experiences always left him feeling uneasy. “It felt off to me, almost like a very scary feeling would come over me,” Garcia recalls, describing the strange sensation he often felt in these environments.
The turning point in Garcia’s life came on Mar. 3, 2006. After being introduced to the gospel and invited to a church service, Garcia faced a relentless spiritual attack. “Before going there, for seven days I was attacked by spirits,” he reveals. “Anytime I would try to go near, towards, the things of God, I would get attacked.”
These encounters were terrifying, including moments of attack by demonic figures.
He recalls, “It was what I could describe as a very tall, spiritual entity that went through the window and began to straddle me, and had its legs between my ribs right here, and I couldn’t move my body.
“I just didn’t know what it was. And this thing comes out of the the window. And the best way I could describe it is, like, it was like an invisible form. I can tell it was very tall. I can tell it was very big, and I can tell it had its feet right here, across my chest, next to my rib cage.
“And finally, just out of sheer desperation, the last name that I thought to mention, I said, ‘Oh, Jesus.’ And before I even said ‘Jesus,’ I didn’t even finish saying the name. It was like a reverberation in the air, like something was shaking, and there was like a boom, like whatever that was there fled as soon as I said, ‘Jesus,’ and it let me go,” he explains.
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Despite these terrifying episodes, Garcia turned to prayer and ultimately found freedom from this demonic oppression.
In response to this newfound freedom, God began giving him visions as a means of warning.
One particularly intense encounter occurred when Garcia and his wife prayed early in the morning. “I saw a specific person all dressed in white, and he fled in terror when I exposed it in prayer with my wife,” he shares. This vision confirmed to him that there was an attack of witchcraft against his church. After calling his pastor, Garcia discovered that there were indeed signs of witchcraft happening nearby, including dead animal sacrifices. “My pastor told me, ‘You’re seeing correctly,’” he says, confirming the accuracy of his visions.
Since breaking free from demonic oppression, Garcia has continued to engage in spiritual warfare and lead others in prayer for their own victories over the devil. His testimony serves as a powerful reminder that spiritual battles are real, and victory is possible through Christ.
As Garcia’s story shows, all who have accepted Jesus Christ have power over the devil and are called to engage in spiritual warfare. Scripture reminds us of this truth: “Look, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you,” (Luke 10:19). Through Christ, believers can stand firm against Satan’s schemes and walk in complete freedom.
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
