The scene was set: I stood amongst the enemy, brandishing my magic sword and shield. I enjoyed the feeling of control and power that came with my vocation: Warrior Wizard. But a chance encounter changed my life forever. Before that, though, let me explain what led up to that encounter.
I was born Steven Sparlock, on October 31, 2011--commonly known as the worldly holiday of Halloween. Some who were superstitious considered this to be a dark omen, and not knowing any different, I wondered about it myself. I remembered hanging on a shelf in a toy store, amongst the other magical toys, until a rebellious boy, Achan* *Name has been changed, picked me up and loudly demanded that his parents purchase me. From then on, my life changed forever, and my association drew me further into the occult.
Achan and his family routinely practiced magical rites, consisting of devout prayers to Satan, often using me as a direct channel of communication with demons and even the dead. How frightened I often was at their satanic rites! But there was little I could do at the time, as I knew nothing beyond Satan and the world of the supernatural.
One day, Achan brought me to school and introduced me to a boy named Caleb. Immediately I could tell that Caleb was different. He seemed very shy and reluctant to associate with Achan or any of his other schoolmates. He also carefully avoided saluting the flag, and shunned the celebrating of Christmas and other holidays--even avoiding his own birthday. In further observing him, I noticed that Caleb did not use foul language like the other children, nor were any of his toys violent or magical. His favorite toy was a yellow airplane that he kept clean and in good repair, in sharp contrast to the many broken or vandalized toys that the other children in class played with.
Sadly, Caleb experienced a moment of temptation and accepted me as his toy. Although he was hesitant to accept me, I could tell that he would treat me with same the love of neighbor I had observed in his conduct towards others before. Here, though, my life took an abrupt turn that in the end may well have saved it.
Caleb joyfully played with me in both the front yard and the inside of his modest home. His mother, who was dressed modestly and made every effort to keep her home clean and neat, grew concerned when she saw me. She calmly sat her son aside, and, after providing a healthy snack for him, opened a book I had never seen before, which I later learned was Learn From the Great Teacher* *Published by Jehovah's Witnesses. She showed him from that Bible-based publication that Adam and Eve made Jehovah God sad as a result of their disobedience. She explained to Caleb that since Jehovah hates magic, that possessing a magical toy such as what I was would make Jehovah sad as well! I wondered why Adam and Eve looked so old in the painting inside that publication, and made a point to try and find out more. The quality of the art and soundness of the publication's reasoning convinced me that there was a ring of truth to what was written.
Sadly, Caleb's mother convinced him that, as a result of my occult practices, I should be thrown away. I can remember the clean smell of baking soda as I was deposited inside a well-kept garbage can. While inside it, I encountered several old copies of The Watchtower and Awake! magazines. From these, I learned that Jehovah God is a real, loving Father who condemns the use of spiritism and is greatly saddened by the rampant disobedience and demon worship so common in the world. I resolved to please Jehovah God from then on.
I eventually began attending Christian meetings. When I first arrived at the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, I noticed that the men were clean-shaven, modestly attired in suits, and had their shoes well-polished. There were no armed guards or weapons of any kind, nor was there any indication of occult materials in the building. I quickly recognized that many adjustments were to be made to my personal appearance. During the public talk, I heard an invitation to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses and gladly accepted. In time, I shaved my lengthy beard and disposed of my magical sword and shield, knowing that the Bible foretells a time when all mankind will 'beat their swords into plowshares'. (Mic. 4:1-4) Kindly, one of the loving Christian elders I studied with provided me with appropriate attire for attending the meetings, and I began to dress more modestly, no longer preferring weapons of the occult, but rather choosing weapons that were not of a fleshly sort. (2 Cor. 10:3-5) I was eager to "put on the complete suit of armor from God" and shun my past way of life. (Eph. 6:11-18)
Years later, I encountered young Caleb and his mother. To my pleasant surprise, Caleb had remained in the way of the truth and was serving faithfully as a ministerial servant. He was giving the public talk in our congregation that day! How proud of him I was! I introduced myself, and he seemed hardly able to remember me at first. "I can hardly recognize you!" he said after a moment. "You've changed so much!" Though I was a bit hesitant when I met his mother, she welcomed me with open arms as a spiritual brother. To this day, we still recall with some humor my previous way of life. Truly, it can be said that I consider that old wicked life course as "a lot of refuse"! (Phil. 3:8)
Throughout my life course, I have learned that even one steeped in the ways of Satan can repent and become clean in God's eyes. In my ministry I have seen many individuals change their ways and repent of their sins, thus reinforcing my faith in the power of God's Word. (Heb. 4:12) I have been pleased to help 15 individuals to the point of dedication and baptism, and have served for some time as a regular pioneer. Caleb and I have become close friends, and now, while we enjoy refreshing recreation together, we find the greatest joy in pursuing our ministry fully. I was grateful to Jehovah that Caleb's fine conduct moved me to put aside weapons of the wicked and take up "the large shield of faith" and "the spirit's sword"! (Eph. 6:16, 17)