In a gripping interview with Charisma Media, podcaster Tony Merkel shared an unnerving account of a spiritual encounter that forever changed his understanding of spiritual warfare. Merkel’s chilling experience is a reminder of the unseen battle believers face daily and the necessity of being spiritually prepared.
Merkel recounted a pivotal moment before launching his podcasting career when he was approached by a man expressing suicidal thoughts and curiosity about God. Despite a strong warning from the Holy Spirit about impending spiritual warfare, Merkel agreed to meet the man at his home. What followed was a surreal and harrowing three-hour encounter.
“The Holy Spirit started speaking to me, telling me, ‘You are going to encounter strong spiritual warfare, very dark spiritual warfare,’” Merkel explained. “I didn’t quite understand what to do with that because this guy’s asking me about the Lord. In my mind, on Saturday, he’s coming to Christ…like this guy is hungry for the Lord.”
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When Merkel arrived at the house, he noticed red flags. The home was completely dark, with pinup girl posters covering the walls, and the man ominously remarked, “Most people don’t come.” Merkel was directed by the Holy Spirit to sit in a specific chair, avoiding another near a door that led to the basement. During their conversation, the man admitted the house was haunted by “seven ghosts” and later revealed he was a member of the church of Satan.
“This is what God was trying to warn me about,” Merkel said. “He gets up, walks over to a bookshelf, and pulls out satanic literature, putting it on the table in front of me. He says, ‘I want you to take these out of my house.’” While Merkel agreed to dispose of the books, the man shouted at him not to burn them, further intensifying the eerie atmosphere.
After leading the man in a prayer to accept Christ, Merkel noticed disturbing behavior. The man would violently shake, exhale deeply, and cling to Merkel in full-body hugs. “I’ve done street ministry before…and I’ve never seen anybody act that way after a salvation prayer,” Merkel admitted. Looking back, he realized the exhalations were likely an attempt to transfer demonic entities onto him.
“I think he was trying to mimic what he thought the Holy Spirit would be,” Merkel reflected. “But what he was doing with that exhale, I’ve been told by many people, was him releasing demonic entities onto me. I had no frame of reference for it.”
The spiritual repercussions of the encounter lingered for nearly a decade, leaving Merkel feeling “spiritually numb.” He finally found relief after a deliverance minister prayed for him, lifting what he described as a “spiritual weight” that had burdened him since the incident.
Reflecting on his experience, Merkel emphasized the importance of staying spiritually vigilant. “People need to understand that they need to be strong in their faith but also understand that the attack is real,” he warned. “It comes at you when you least expect it, and you need to be constantly prayed up…because that interaction becomes spiritual warfare.”
Merkel’s story shows the reality of spiritual battles and the enemy’s subtle strategies to undermine believers. “The enemy knows to push certain buttons now because the domino effect five years from now will mean that this person’s so far gone spiritually that they’re just in this spiritual desert not knowing which way’s up,” he explained.
The spiritual fight we face is real, and preparation is vital. “If you’re claiming Christ, you have attack coming towards you,” he said. “Not everything is just a coincidence.” Staying grounded in faith, prayer and community is essential to navigate and withstand the attacks of the enemy.
Merkel’s testimony serves as both a warning and a call to arms for believers to recognize and engage in the ongoing spiritual battle. “We need to practice engaging in spiritual warfare on a daily basis,” he urged, “constantly.”
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
Abby Trivett 
