"WAAAAAAaaaaa!!!!! AAAAAaaaah!" A baby screamed from the back of the church. "Woof! Woof!" A dog joined in the chorus. It was the night of my sermon on baptism. I had just handed the microphone to an elder in the church to finish a special appeal for those who wanted to be baptized. Now, however, the whole room was filled with noise. Disgusted and discouraged at the thought of these loud and obnoxious creatures ruining the effects of my baptismal appeal, I settled down into my plastic lawn chair to pout and let my mind wander.

"Why am I, a 19-year-old nursing student, preaching anyway?" I questioned. I wondered whether or not God had really used me, a novice pip squeak of a speaker, at all. I knew He had called me to go to all of the world. But still, I doubted: "Why me? Why Chinandega, Nicaragua?" Had God really picked a church especially for me as my leaders had said? "There are people there that only you can reach," they had said oh-so-confidently.

Suddenly, I remembered something I had preached only a few nights before. I had shared the story about how Satan rebelled against God and heaven, that Satan and Jesus had been battling over the souls of men ever since. Somehow, I knew that it wasn't the crying baby or the howling dog that threatened to destroy the effects of my sermon. It was the Devil. I knew that just as Jesus overcame Satan long ago, the Devil could be defeated again.

I began to pray—not just for the silence of the screaming baby and the barking dog, but for the audience. I prayed that their hearts would be touched in spite of this not-so touching atmosphere. I prayed that they would make firm decisions for Jesus, to accept His gift of eternal life.

Ever so slowly and gradually, peace and quietude filled the church again. The baby stopped crying. The dog ceased his barking. I knew God had answered my prayers.

Suddenly, as if in retaliation to God's answer, the Devil posed a further distraction. He sent a demon into a most undeserving creature: a cockroach. I'm sure that most people haven't heard of demon-possessed cockroaches. However, I must assure you that they do exist. I met one—a BIG one. He rattled his way into the open side door of the church and headed straight for the ladies of the audience. In an instant, I knew that if he passed under my feet, this little instrument of the Devil would likely grab the attention of the whole audience. Visions of startled women screaming atop shaky white lawn chairs filled my horrified mind. "So this is how the Devil will ruin the baptismal appeal," I thought. Again, I was reminded of the Creator of the cockroach. If God can cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene, couldn't He bring this comparatively tiny cockroach to His obeisance? "God," I prayed frantically, "please take that cockroach away!" Instantly, as if being chased by a bat (or another such animal hungry for cockroaches), the insect reversed his tracks. As quickly as his tiny legs could take him, he ran out the same open door of his entrance.

Yes, we are beholding with our very eyes the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan. The battle isn't about screaming babies. It's not about barking dogs. It isn't even about cockroaches! Jesus and Satan are battling over the hearts of men and women today. You and I have a part to play. We can share the truth with others. We can pray that God will impress on their hearts a desire to accept the fullness of salvation. God will accept our humble offerings and multiply them to more than we could ever ask or think.

After everything the Devil tried to do to prevent souls from accepting baptism, one might think that the meetings were a failure. Praise God! Out of a small and noisy church assigned to a young and inexperienced preacher came a bountiful harvest. At the end of the meetings, ten precious souls had given their hearts to Jesus through baptism, and two more were preparing to do so. The Bible says, in 1 Corinthians 3:7 "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."