"A remarkable true story of a man delivered from the occult by
Christ's power." (Doreen Irvine, author of From Witchcraft to Christ)
Thoughts from the Author
It is my hope and prayer that the book will be an eye opener
and an early warning for those who are becoming involved with occult and
alternative spiritualities.
I am also certain that the book will be of great interest and encouragement
to many Christians who want to gain a better understanding of ministering
to those who have had occult involvement and/or may be afflicted by evil
spirits.
So for those remotely interested in demon possession, deliverance ministry,
spiritual warfare, the world of the occult, or just wanting to read an
encouraging story about God setting someone free against all the odds, this
book will be of interest to you.
Freed from Satan's Grasp provides incredible first hand insights into the much misunderstood and neglected phenomenon of demon possession and the way evil spirits work.
In an age where this subject is brushed aside by the world, and even some sectors of the Church, this book is a timely reminder to make people aware that this phenomena is still as real today as it was in Jesus' own day.
The bulk of the book consists of the author's amazing true-life account of a slow decline into occult activities and contact with evil spirits. Follow the author into a chilling world of the dark supernatural and into a situation that seems beyond all hope until an incredible turn of events lead to him being dramatically set free by the Lord Jesus Christ.
The last couple of chapters offer some thoughts into how the occult and the activity of evil spirits are affecting our world today. The final part of the book presents the enduring Christian message of salvation and what all people can do to find new life and new hope.
Our thoughts
As the bible so clearly puts it,
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:18).
Some people only become aware of this spiritual battle when they start to take the claims of Jesus seriously. Satan's ultimate aim is to keep you from making Jesus Lord and God and accepting His sacrifice for your sins. If you never come close to believing and trusting Jesus, Satan (and his demons) may seem to leave you alone as you are already doing what the wants.
Some people open the floodgates to demonic activity by actively immersing themselves in activities that allow demons free access to his life. One such person was Vince McCann.
"Darren and I spent much time together experimenting with spells and seeking ways to improve our spiritual knowledge and abilities. As well as spell casting we practised such things as tarot cards, palm reading, creating talismans, astral projection, hypnosis, telekinesis and telepathy." (Page 48, Freed from Satan's Grasp)
What was the result of this involvement in the occult?
"My progressive serious involvement in the occult had opened a door through which hostile spiritual forces were able to pursue and cause me ruin." (Page 51, Freed from Satan's Grasp)
In the concluding chapter of Vince's book he writes,
"Maybe you have had similar experiences to those described in this book. You have been tormented, harassed and frightened by strange spiritual forces. These may manifest themselves as ghosts or something else. Whatever way these spirits choose to come, and whatever mask they may be wearing, they are all evil spirits, under the control of Satan, intent on the spiritual ruin of humanity. If this is your experience, then please know that Jesus Christ is more than able to help you be free. John's Gospel says: 'So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed' (John 8:36). (Page 164, Freed from Satan's Grasp)
No matter who you are, we believe the information in Vince McCann's book Freed From The Satan's Grasp will help, bless and encourage you.
Greg (Changing Lives Online)
Excerpts from the book
Chapter 3 - Enter the Supernatural
'... my quest for answers took me down other paths. I began to look into the world of the paranormal. Browsing through bookshops and newsagents, I felt a strong inner compulsion to purchase literature dealing with strange, unusual and paranormal subjects such as UFOs, ghosts, crop circles and aliens. I had always been fascinated by such topics, and now they provided an escape from the tedium of daily living and maybe even a possible solution to the meaning of this problem called life.
Vince in his earlier days
Strangely though, after a session immersed in these subjects, I felt as though my personality was being sucked from me and I would become very introverted and reclusive. It seemed that the more I tried to escape into this other world, intriguing though it often was, the more I came away with a dissatisfied, hollow feeling. When I became aware of the effect my studying was having on me, I tried to limit the time I spent reading and thinking about these things. Against my better judgement, however, I was drawn back, time and time again. I still felt convinced that there must be some answers to the meaning of life out there somewhere. Why was the truth so elusive? I was attracted by the enticing possibility that I could unlock some sort of mystical secret and drastically improve my life.'
'I watched in total fear as a different personality emerged in Jane in such a way that it seemed to rise up from deep within her, displacing the previous immoral spirit. I had, to some degree, become accustomed to the various characters that spoke through her, but nothing could have prepared me for this new force that manifested itself at this point. She jumped up, screaming at the top of her voice, with white foam gushing out of her mouth. I have never before known such a feeling of absolute terror in all my life. Whatever was looking at me through her eyes was staring with the most intense hatred that I have ever seen and I was paralysed with fear to the very core of my being. My entire body froze and I felt my stomach contract as it was gripped by total panic. When I was able to snap myself out of my temporary paralysis, I snatched up a nearby crucifix - evidence of her parents' nominal Catholicism - and brandished it in front of her face. To my dismay, this classic method of defending myself had no effect whatsoever. Jane simply knocked it out of the way and lunged at me, swinging her fists and kicking out at me.
I tried in vain to protect myself with my arms as a shield, deciding against fighting back, as I realized that the real attacker couldn't be overcome in this way. During a brief pause in the beating, I grasped her by the arms, trying to reach the true Jane underneath the violent personality that had taken her over. Looking her right in the eyes, I cried out 'Jane! Jane! Snap out of it!' naively hoping that this might bring her back. But it was hopeless; the same evil face was still glaring at me with utter fury and hatred.'
Chapter 14 - Jesus Saves
'As the service progressed, however, I began to get the uncomfortable feeling that I had got this whole God thing all wrong. People there seemed to know him as a person, as if they had a relationship with him. And it didn't seem to depend on how good or otherwise they were; it seemed to do with Jesus. They used lots of words I wasn't really familiar with, but the essence seemed to be that Jesus' death and coming to life afterwards made all the difference to how we could relate to God. After the service finished, I was introduced to one of the leaders in the church who explained how the Bible taught a very different scenario to my previous understanding of myself as a relatively decent person…
As I listened, a dawning realisation grew that I was indeed a sinner. I realized that I had done some terrible things in the past and that my mind was full of evil thoughts. Shameful things that I had thought and done in secret also came to mind and I knew that God had seen me at my lowest.
I repeated a simple prayer to Jesus, thanking him for what he had done, turning from all my wrong-doing and asking Him to be the Lord of my life. Never have I meant anything as I did that prayer. I opened my eyes and said, 'I feel as though I have found what I have been looking for all my life!' I suddenly realized that all the things I had been involved in, such as the occult, the music I listened to, my gothic image, Jane, had been a search in all the wrong places; a search that nearly led me to utter ruin. At that moment, I was overwhelmed by incredible, wonderful, inexpressible waves of love and peace. I was bathed in the radiance of love in its most pure form. There was no doubt about it. I knew I had been united with God for ever.'
