Principalities & Powers, #5

The fifth in a series of studies of references to demons in Paul’s Epistles

Behind the Scenes

“Do I mean that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you participants with demons” (1 Corinthians 10:19,20).

Background

It was frustrating. Some folks in Corinth liked steak. And the best stakes were sold at the meat markets behind pagan temples. Of course, the meat had been offered to pagan deities. But these folks know that the gods pagan worshipped weren’t gods at all. Confident that non-existent deities couldn’t pollute meat offered to them, other Christians didn’t agree. To them the pagan gods and goddesses they had worshipped were far too real, and they wanted nothing to do with them. Naturally, each side was critical of the other. The steak eaters looked down on the doubtful. How could they imagine the old gods had any influence at al?. The “no steak for me” group wondered, how could a real Christian have anything at all to do with meat that had been dedicated to a pagan deity?

In responding to this situation Paul first sets the theological dispute aside. When people argue theology, he suggests, there’s a prior issue. And that prior issue is love. We have to make sure that our disputes don’t shatter the unity of the Spirit, and we do that by making sure that even in disagreement we do nothing to hurt one another. So, meat eaters, be so sensitive to the conscience of those who are offended at eating temple meat that you’re willing to give up that porterhouse for their sake. And you others, don’t condemn those who are enjoying a sirloin. Start by showing love to each other, and in that context the Spirit will teach each of you.

The theological issue

When Paul does get to the theological issue. he commends both sides. It’s certainly true that the gods the pagan’s worship don’t exist. But it’s also true that there are evil spiritual forces that masquerade as the deities. And those forces, which are very real, are demons. And it’s not wise to have any kind of involvement with demons.

It’s not that meat is the issue. If your conscience doesn’t bother you because you know the deities pagans worship are unreal, have a steak. But if your conscience does bother you and you can’t separate the steak from the gods the meat was offered to, don’t eat it. But any Christian, if out to dinner and the host announces that the meat dish has been dedicated to this god or that goddess, then definitely don’t eat . . . . for the sake of host’s conscience.

What it boils down to is, don’t dabble with demons. And anything, in any culture, that’s associated with demons is something believers should stay away from.

The underlying reality

In the extended passage in 1 Corinthians where Paul discusses the dispute over steak he emphasizes an underlying reality. And that is that demons are real, and that the believer is to have no association with demons.

Today the issue that led to disagreement in Corinth is irrelevant for most of us. Meat is no longer sold behind pagan temples after being sacrificed to pagan deities. And very few of us are invited to banquets where we’re told the main dish has been dedicated to a god or goddess.
There is, however, an analogous situation that is totally relevant to believers in our culture. And that is in the area of the occult. Today far too many Christians are apt to glance at their horoscope, or to visit a tea room and “just for fun” have their palms or the tea leaves read. Research by The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that 1 in 4 Americans believe there is “spiritual energy” in such things as crystals, and the same number claim to trust in astrology. And these figures include many who attend evangelical churches.
I’m writing this in Los Angeles, where I’m doing a radio program promoting one of my Freedom Workshops. Before flying here I went on the internet to check www.MeetUp.com to see how many and what kinds of occult-oriented groups are meeting regularly within 25 miles of Glendale, where station KKLA is located. Here’s what I found.

• There are 222 “Channeling and Mediums” groups. Among them,
Spirit Circle at Indian Springs Ranch, 16 members
Modern Mystics in Pasadena, 114 members
Great Goddess Circle, 147 members

• There are 102 “Channeling and Psychic Development” groups. Among them,
The Psychic Adventure, Sherman Oaks 97 members
Psychic Development of Santa Monica, 191 members
Behind the Veil [keltic shamanism] 62 members

• There are 324 Sorcery, Wicca, Meditation and Magic groups. Among them,
LA Pagan and Witches network, 557 members
Pasadena Witches MeetUp group, 191 members
San Gabriel Valley Witch and Wiccan , 130 members

• There are 40 Paranormal exploration MeetUp groups. Among them. SoCal Remote Viewing Group, 57 members
The Psychic Medium Collective 350 members

And this is the tip of the iceberg.

The tragedy is that just as in the first century demons were behind the deities pagans worshipped, so demons are behind and are active in every form of the occult. Paul’s conclusion, “I do not want you participants with demons,” is especially relevant today.

Occult Explosion

I’ve just returned from the beautiful city of Seattle. Wife Sue was in a “story workshop” at Mars Hill Graduate School there. I did two Occult Invasion workshops. As in any city I visit to conduct a Occult Invasion workshop, I looked up “above ground” occult activity there. In addition to many shops offering psychic services, I found 53 different neopagan groups meeting within 25 miles of south-side Burian. The “Greater Seattle Witches” group has 520 members. “Seattle Pagans” boasts 321 members. And EFT claims 336 “evolving spiritual beings.’ While MeetUp.com lists 4 witches group with about 1,000 members, the Website Witch’s Voice adds 23 Covens, none of which are listed on MeetUp. Of course, there’s a lot more going on “underground” and not published for the general public. There truly is an explosion of occult religions.

Two contributing factors

In the workshops I stress two cultural factors that create the climate for the explosive growth in neopagan religions and occult spirituality. The first is our culture’s view of truth as relative. Rather than truth being absolute, and anchored in the structure of the created universe, most in our society view truth as personal and subjective. Thus a thing can be true for you, and not true for another person. Combine this with the value now placed in our society on tolerance, and the stage is set for the proliferation of neopagan and other religions. The goddess you believe in may not be the abstract deity your neighbor believes in, but each is “true” in the sense of being valid for the one who believes it. It would definitely be intolerant for either you or your neighbor to challenge the validity of the other’s beliefs.

In this context anything goes . . . and testing out others religious ideas and notions of spirituality seems to many the thing to do. After all, how else can I discover a faith that’s “true for me”?

Two views of the spiritual universe

It’s important to contrast the views of the spiritual universe that are made explicit in biblically based religions and are implicit in the many varieties of neopagan faith, ranging from Wicca to Shamanism to closely linked eastern religions such as Buddhism.

The Bible reveals a spiritual universe populated by God, angels, and demons, and pictures demons as one-time angels who rebelled against God and turned to evil. Demons’ hatred of God and their hostility toward human beings is fixed and unchanging. The Bible takes a stand against all occult activities, as these activities bring people into contact with demons.

Neopagan religions envision a spiritual universe without a Sovereign Creator, but populated by many beings. These beings range from “the god” and “the goddess” [the male and female aspects of deity] to the pagan deities of Celtic and Scandinavian myth. In addition the spiritual universe is seen as populated by the spirits of people who have died, of animals, of angels, of ghosts, of beings waiting to be embodied, and of demons. The most significant thing about these spirits in the view of neopagans is that they are benevolent, eager to help those who live on this earthly plane. Thus all neopagan faiths encourage contact with spirit beings. Once contacted, a spirit being or beings will function as guides to help the person who’se contacted them make good decisions in life. Thus most neopagan religions encourage adherents . . . and others . . . to be open to contact with spirits and to actively invite “spirit guides” into their lives.

Given these contrasting views its easy to understand why those who believe the Bible find neopagan faiths dangerous. Neopagan religions not only compete with the God of Scripture for humankind’s allegiance. Neopagan religions promote contact with demons who, despite the “help” they may offer, are ultimately intent on causing their hosts suffering and eternal loss.

Our attitude toward neo-pagans

Neopagans, and especially Wiccans, are likely to point out that historically Christians have persecuted witches and those who engage in occult practices. Unfortunately, this is true. And while there are those who are committed to Satanism and ritual abuse, most modern neopagans are normal individuals, good neighbors, and “nice” people. In a pluralistic society such as ours, where people are free to practice their religion of choice, there’s no place for persecution of any kind. In fact, neopagans are to be treated with love and with respect.

But this does not mean that Christians shouldn’t lovingly share their faith with a neopagan neighbor, or shouldn’t respectfully challenge neopagan beliefs with thoughtfully presented biblical truths. And the better we understand neo-pagan faiths and the better we know our Bibles the more equipped we’ll be to share.

It also doesn’t mean that we are to fear neo-pagans we may know because of their possible association with demons. Those who have given demons access to their lives are in most cases victims, not victimizers. And, as we stress on demondope, the Christian has authority over demons, an authority granted by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We’re not to dabble with demons. But we’re not to be terrified by them either. As Scripture says, “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Summing up

Neopagan faiths are flourishing in our culture’s climate of relativism and “tolerance.” Their view of the spiritual universe directly conflicts with the reality revealed in Scripture. Unfortunately, the neopagan view of the spiritual universe makes them vulnerable to demons masquerading as other kinds of spirits. As Christians we’re to love our neopagan and Wiccan neighbors. While respecting their right to their beliefs, we can also lovingly challenge those beliefs by sharing what the Bible teaches and praying for their conversion.

The Seven Faith Tribes

George Barna’s latest research-based book is The Seven Faith Tribes, profiling the religious groups that make up the U.S. population. Barna’s book is a response to what he sees as the dangerous drift of our society away from the core beliefs and principles on which America its was founded and which made it great. Barna’s goal is to discern core values shared by all of the seven faith groups; values which he believes political and other leaders can speak to to re-unify a nation which seems to be breaking apart into increasingly hostile and uncivil groups, in the process tearing down the nation itself.

The seven faith groups that Barna distinguishes are:

   Casual Christians (66%)   People identify themselves as ‘Christian’
                             without a real understanding of or commitment
                             to biblical Christianity.
   Captive Christians (16%)  “Born agains” who are committed to a
                             Christian worldview and actively practice
                             biblical Christianity.
   Jews (2%)                 Ethnically and culturally Jewish although
                             typically not religiously Jewish.
   Mormons (1.5%)       A cohesive religious group that identifies

                                itself a ‘Christian” sans key Christian doctrines.
   Pantheists (1.5%) ?       A category that includes eastern and New
                             age religions.
   Muslims (1%>)             Worshippers of Allah whose practices are
                             derived from the Koran.
   Spiritual Skeptics         Atheists and agnostics, who tend to discount
                             and ignore religious beliefs and practices.

In analyzing these faith “tribes,” Barna looks at their beliefs, practices, and attitudes along a number of spectrums. For example, most groups accept the idea that there is such a thing as “truth,” but most groups view truth as personal, situational, and relative. Most groups are focused on life in this world, and place high value on comfort, good health, material possessions and family. Even when members of most group claim traditional “family values,” members tend to behave the same way as the rest of the population when it comes to cohabiting, using pornography, or adultery.

Having worked his way through descriptions of the seven faith tribes, Barna then identifies 20 shared values, which he offers to political and other leaders as handles which might be used to get America to “pull together” again despite those developed trends in our society which are pulling us apart. On his list are such things as: represent the truth well, seek peace with others, respect life, be a good citizen, etc.

Personally, I find his conclusions naive and far from compelling. His analysis of the faith tribes has pointed up how divergent actual behavior is from professed beliefs and values. The “shared values” Barna identifies might produce united lip service, but hardly are a basis for the recovery of a deteriorating society. Especially when it’s easy to agree on the shared values in abstract, but far more difficult when attempting to apply them to specific cases.

For instance, one of the shared values is “respect life.” To some this means stop abortions. To others stop executing murderers. To some it means “save the snail darter,” while to others it means “preserve the life of the terminally ill by extreme means.”

Or take the shared value, “be mutually respectful of human rights.” To some this is a clear call to grant citizenship to illegal aliens, to others its all about acknowledging the validity of gay marriage.

Even accepting the validity of Barna’s summation of values that Americans share across the faith-tribe spectrum, and Barna is admittedly the premier interpreter of data gathered by carefully designed research, those values hardly constitute a solid foundation on which to deal with the problems which have surfaced in 21st century America.

However, I personally didn’t purchase this book to either endorse or to critique Barna’s conclusions. I was interested in what his research might tell us about what I’ve begun to call the Occult Invasion of our culture. My question was, and is, what vulnerabilities might Barna’s research into the faith tribes reveal?

Several things seem to me to stand out (aside from my belief that his research under-represents the “pantheist” category in which neopagan groups such as Wicca also fall.
Let me summarise…

  (1) The largest faith-tribe, the “casual Christians,” have no theological anchor, but rather hold a host of fuzzy semi-Christian beliefs. They do not believe in absolute truths, place such a high value on tolerance that they abandon the responsibility to discern and to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is bad. As occult concepts of “spirituality” infiltrate our culture through the media and other sources, the “casual Christian” has no mental or emotional defense. The fact that casual Christians are as likely to visit a psychic as the rest of the population is suggestive; while the supernatural world is slightly scary to them, they have no deep seated distrust of the occult that would cause them to turn off any of the many occult-based TV programs currently available. Nor would they necessarily reject the invitation of a friend to join in an occult experience.

  (2) While Barna credits the “captive Christian” with both commitment to Christ and a good foundation of biblical/theological knowledge, the fact is that very few members of this faith-tribe have any knowledge of the conflict taking place in the spiritual universe. Many members of this group believe in angels and demons, but know next to nothing about either. The notion that demons are active in our world; that they can and do influence and impact believer’s lives, is something which few have ever considered. And most churches with which members of this tribe associate themselves with provide no teaching in the area of spiritual warfare.

  (3) Perhaps surprisingly, the tribe of “spiritual skeptics” is also vulnerable to occult spirituality. This is because few of those who describe themselves as “atheist” or as “agnostic” are intentionally so. That is, few do not believe because they have studied the issue and come to a reasoned conclusion. While this group has nearly doubled in size in the past 25 years, representing some 25,000,000 adults, most skeptics have simply drifted into the tribe through simple disinterest in religion. While skeptics do not believe in God, 25% call themselves “deeply spiritual.” And skeptics, as “average Americans,” are, according to Barna, as likely as any other American to visit a psychic.

   What Barna’s research seems to indicate is that over 3/4 of our population is potentially vulnerable to the neopagan ideas and an occult spirituality which provide entire to demonic forces. Whatever the dubious political and national value of understanding the seven faith tribes, the value of Barna’s study in highlighting the vulnerability of our nation to demonic infestation seems to me to be greater.

Occult on TV

I’ll be doing an interview on the Occult on the Hermann and Sharron show on CTN. I’ll be taping on Tuesday the 23rd, but I don’t believe the show will appear then. You can check it out on the Internet on CTN (Christian Television Network). Also check on Channel 22 in Clearwater. The network is carried on Direct TV (channel 376) and on Dish Network (channel 267). Appreciate your prayers. When I find out when the program will be airing I’ll let you know.

TV Appearance

Occult, tv appearancen Tuesday, June 32, I’ll be appearing on the Herman and Sharron Bailey show on Christian Television Network (CTN). There are 13 affiliated stations, and the show is carried on the network by both Dish Network and Direct TV. If you have no other access, you can watch the show on your computer by streaming the Clearwater, Fl channel at 11 AM.

The sunday before I’ll be at the First Methodist Church of Hudson, Florida, with my old Sunday School class.

Spiritual Warfare with the Devil (7)

The Gospels portray humans as the victims of demonic attacks that cause both mental and physical suffering. Jesus deals with this type of possession or oppression by casting out the demons.

The book of Acts portrays human beings cooperating with demons, with the target of the demons efforts not the demonized but those who are deceived by the powers given the one who is possessed. In such cases there are apparent benefits for the demonized individual. Simon the sorcerer was viewed with awe as a “great power.” Elymas gained influence with the Roman procouncul of Cypress and a place in his court. The slave girl of Philippi earned a prosperous living for her owners.

In pointing out such benefits I do not suggest that such persons are not victims of demons. They are . . . and increasingly so as the demonic gains greater and greater control of their lives. At the same time, the fact that the apostles rebuked such persons rather than immediately expelling the demons suggests that there is definite cooperation by the person with the demon possessing him or her. There appears to the demonized individual to be some benefit to be gained through the relationship with the demon(s).

We can place all contemporary practitioners of the occult who exercise any real powers in this group. There are those who argue that some clairvoyants, fortune tellers, etc. exercise native human gifts rather than supernatural gifts. However, as Deut 18 forbids reliance on all occult practices, the association of such practices with the demonic seems to me to be established.

Two types of demonization

So far in looking at our spiritual warfare with the devil we’ve focused on two types of demonization. The one involves a direct attack on the victims, with its symptoms being physical and/or mental distress. We can call this “hostile demonization.” The normative response to this type of attack is to “meet the devil head on” and exorcise the demons.

The second involves the demon(s) launching an indirect attack on others through the demonized person. Here the symptoms are the exercise of some occult ability by the demonized individual. We can call this “beneficial demonization.” The normative response to this type of attack is (a) to avoid all reliance on such a person’s powers, and (b) to rebuke the individual.

Satan’s strategy

To put this second type of attack in perspective we need to understand something of Satan’s basic strategy for dealing with humans. Simply put, that strategy is “deceive them.”

It’s not difficult to demonstrate this thesis. The Bible call’s Satan a “liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Paul points out that Satan “masquerades as an angel of light” and notes that it’s not surprising if his agents “masquerade as servants of righteousness.”
Revelation portrays Satan as the deceiver of the nations, a characteristic we observe in early Genesis as the serpent works at deceiving Eve in Eden.

Underlying most if not all demonic activity is the intent to deceive and thus to gain control of humans.

Truth vs falsehood

Jesus encouraged his disciples by promising them that if they acted on his words they would know the truth, and that the truth would set them free. Satan’s strategy is to distort truth, so that humans wander through life in darkness, never able to identify the truth they are to live. Wandering in darkness, a person finds himself in bondage to the evil one.

A brief digression

One of the cleverest of Satan’s strategies is to play with the connotations of words. As the meaning of words is distorted, humans are blinded to the truth and deceived. This is in total contrast with God’s strategy of filling words with freshly defined meaning.

In the first century there were two Greek words we commonly translate by “love.” One was philos, associated with the warm relationships experienced with friends and family. The other was eros, associated with sexual passion. Neither of these words were capable of expressing the character of God’s love, so the writers of the New Testament selected a seldom-used and undistinguished word, agape, to use in the New Testament to express God’s love. They filled that new word with unique meaning by using it to described God’s decision to send Jesus into the world to sacrifice himself for human beings who were his enemies. Suddenly agape, “true love,” conveyed a commitment to the well-being of others so deep that one loving willingly sacrifice himself for his beloveds benefit. And so a word conveying self-less love, a “true love,” was born.

Today Satan has succeeding in draining muddling the meaning of our English word “love” almost beyond recognition. The concept of self-less and self-sacrificial love that was added by agape to the vocabulary of the New Testament has been almost stripped away from our English term. When a person says “I love you” all he is likely to mean is, “I want to have sex with you,” while the enthralled listener understands him to say “I care about you.” It’s likely neither understands “I love you” to mean “I care about you so much I’m willing to sacrifice my own interests for your benefit.” In the process of confusing the meaning of “I love you” the statement “God loves you” has been drained of much of its power.

This process of confusing meanings is taking place constantly in our culture. When I was a youth “gay” was associated with happiness and joy. Not it describes a perverted lifestyle. Not long ago “tolerant” meant “accepting of persons with views that differ from our own.” Today to be tolerant means accepting views that were once believed to be morally wrong as totally acceptable, and even “good.” Just as Miss California has recently been viciously attacked for stating her belief that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman rather than a homosexual pair, “tolerance” has become a word that means forsaking all moral judgment.

“Adult” which once con notated mature and responsible, now has been co-opted to cloak the pornographic with a veneer of respectability.

Satan truly is constantly at work in human cultures to distort truth by manipulating words and their meaning to deceive speaker and listener alike.

But, back to the point

Satan’s basic strategy in dealing with humans is to blind us to the truth, using distortions and half-truths to deceive us. He shapes culture [the world] to resonate with man’s sinful tendencies [the flesh], and convinces us that the evil which results is actually good.

Those who do not accept, understand, and live the truth and who buy into Satan’s distortions of truth are deceived, and vulnerable.

We could, if we had time, go through the Scriptures and contrast hundreds of truths with the half-truths and lies promulgated by Satan. The apostle Paul takes this approach in 2 Corinthians 2. The church in Corinth has disciplined a sinning brother, who has now repented. Paul urges them to now forgive him and accept him back into fellowship, “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” (2:11). In this situation Satan would over-emphasize the importance of church discipline, insisting “let’s really make him pay for his sin” to the exclusion of complimentary truth about forgiveness and restoration.

However, since I don’t want to publish a book on Satan’s distortions on this blog, let’s focus on a Scripture that speaks of combating specific distortions and deceits through which the Devil attacks believers.

The Armor of God

In Ephesians 6:10-18 the Apostle Paul describes a Roman foot soldier arrayed for battle in his panoply–fully armored. Paul tells us to put on full spiritual armor; armor provided by God “that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Paul then develops his analogy by linking each piece of the soldier’s armor to a particular divine provision for standing against the devil’s schemes [strategies].

As we look at each piece of armor we see (1) our vulnerability, (2) Satan’s exploitation of that vulnerability, and (3) how we “stand against” Satan’s attack.

So in following posts I plan to examine each piece of armor as well as our vulnerabilities and Satan’s corresponding schemes. I’m personally looking forward to this study to see just what we discover. And to apply what we discover to dealing with both hostile demonization and beneficial demonization.

Satan’s Web

This is the fifth in a series of spiritual warfare against the Devil.

 Satan like a great spider lures people into the clutches of demons with promises of supernatural aid. When we’re fearful and uncertain, desperate to make choices that will help and not harm us, Satan lures us with offers of insight into the future. This web is spread widely, and has great appeal even to Christians. One key to successful spiritual warfare is to take a firm hold on truths that remind us that we walk by faith, not by sight.

An event recorded in Acts reminds us of how tempting the idea that we gain knowledge of the future can be. Paul and his companions in Philippi are being followed around by a slave girl who is clairvoyant. The girl keeps on identifying the missionaries as servants of the Most High God who “is showing you the way of salvation.” Finally Paul turns to her, and expels the evil spirit that has possessed her and given her her ability to foretell events. With the demon exorcised, the girl has no ability to predict anything accurately. Her owners, furious at the loss of the considerable income she’s generated for them, incite the citizens and the ensuing riot leads to the Apostle’s imprisonment.

The incident confirms something that the ancients firmly believed: It is possible to gain some knowledge of the future through occult means. The incident also conveys a warning. The beings who provide that special knowledge are demons.

Oracles and Omens

Two major sources relied on by the ancients were oracles and omens. One of the most famous of ancient oracles was at Delphi. There a girl breathed fumes rising from the ground and in the induced trance uttered words and sounds that were interpreted by priests. The messages delivered by oracles were typically obscure and required interpretation. One of the most famous pronouncements was provided to a ruler contemplating invasion of a neighbor. The oracle assured the ruler, “If you invade, a great nation will be destroyed.” Emboldened by the pronouncement the ruler launched his invasion. He was defeated, and the great nation that was destroyed was his own.

It was typical in the ancient world that before any significant action was taken omens were consulted. Books were written on the interpretation of omens, from the reading of the entrails of a sacrificial animal to the direction taken by birds when they rose into the air. “Good” omens were considered confirmation by the gods that the action to be taken would have a positive result, while “bad” omens frequently required a change in plans.

The reliance on oracles and omens reflected human beings awareness of life’s uncertainties, and a search for some source of information that would guide human choices and provide a better chance for a positive outcome of the decisions life demands from every individual and nation.

Horoscopes and ouija boards

Today our Senate, unlike the Roman senate, opens its important meetings without taking the omens. But many individuals are just as uncertain about the ancients concerning the course of their own lives. And so today as in ancient times a surprising percentage of our population look to occult sources for personal guidance.

It’s no wonder, then, that we can go on the Internet to sources like “Paranormal Phenomenon” on About.com and find how-to articles on seeking guidance through divination (17), ouija boards (32), scrying (5), and automatic writing (8). It’s also no surprise that there are some 31 how-to articles on channeling (contacting a person who has died or other disembodied beibg), something that modern spiritists claim to do. Nor is the explosion of interest in spirit guides to take over decision making [see earlier posts on Spirit Guides]. seeking advice from Palmists, tea leaf readers, tarot card readers, and a variety of othera claiming to access supernatural sources who will provide information individuals seem desperate to gain. And despite the utterly insipid “advice” provided in horoscopes, should a newspaper drop this feature an overwhelming number of complaints would be generated.

Foolishness?

It’s easy for us to dismiss these so-called sources of occult knowledge as plain foolishness. In our society, we rational individuals know better than expect help from such practices. Unlike the people of the ancient world, we don’t believe in oracles or in clairvoyants who can provide information not available from natural sources.

The problem is, of course, that the clairvoyant girl of Acts actually did provide such knowledge to her owners’ clients. And the source of that knowledge was an evil spirit. This, plus the command in Deuteronomy 18 to reject every form of the occult, reminds us that there are supernatural beings who actually may communicate through these channels. But the beings who communicate are hardly friends. Rather they are hostile spirits, dedicated to harm those who contact them. It’s clear not only from Scripture but from experience that any such contact may make a person vulnerable to influence or control by demons. In essence, taking the initiative to contact supernatural beings gives demons a “right” to be present and active in a person’s life.

One of the first things that a person seeking to help a potentially demonized individual needs to do is to find out if there has been past involvement in the occult, and understand the right the demon may claim to be present. Dealing with the basis for the demonic presence is frequently a vital step in deliverance.

The Christian defense

As always, in warfare against the demonic our relianced must be on truth. Too often untaught believers may become panicked when things seem to be going wrong. Fearful and uncertain, the believer may grasp at any straw for a way out of what seems to be an impossible situation.

In the fifth book of the Invisible War series, tentatively titled Possessed, the wife of a demonized husband desperate to know what to do to protect herself and her son, seeks a spirit guide. The spirit guide does contact her, and leads her through the maze of decisions that bring about a divorce in which she and her son are supposedly protected from the husband’s eratic behavior. This depiction is based on the experience of many who have sought supernatural aid from occult sources and believe they have received positive help. But that “help” fosters a dependence on the demonic which leds to significant deterioration of the woman’s relationship with God, and increasing emotional and spiritual trauma. Such “aid” comes at a price that is far to high.

What truths does a believer need to understand and appropriate when facing “impossible” choices that generate fear and uncertainty.

> God is a Father who loves us.Matthew 6:25-34 assures us that he does and that he will care for us. As we see him in his nature as Father, our anxiety can be trasnformed into trust.

> God is Soverign, with full knowledge of and in control of the future.Isaiah 46:9-11 affirms God’s soverign control of events. 40:25-41 reminds us of how focusing on this truth provides the strength we need to meet every situation of life.

> The same Isaiah passages remind us that while we do not know the future, God does. And Jeremiah’s 29:11’s words reflecting God’s commitment to his Old Testament people have direct application to us as well. Our God “knows the plans that I have for [each of] you . . . plans to give you a hope and a future.”

These are truths that each of us can . . . and is to . . . rely on. God is our Father. He is committed to care for us. God, the sovereign ruler of the universe, who knows and who controls the future,intends to do us good, so we have a hope, and a future.

No one who takes a stand on these wonderful truths will be shaken by life’s uncertainities. Oh, we’re human and there will be moments of anxiety. But with these truths as an anchor we will never be driven to seek guidance from occult sources. The truth will protect us from falling into this trap of the enemy.

Ouija boarding

It’s discouraging. There is so much on the Internet about the occult. This morning I looked at one website recommended in a paranormal enewsletter I receive, and I looked at another site promising to provide “the secret” behind “the secret.”

The first site pointed me to a dozen “sworn to be true” stories about Ouija board use. The first was a young woman’s story of her sense of being watched in the house she lived in with her dad. One night when she was alone she heard steps on the stairs, but no one was there. When she heard them again, she threw open a door … and found no one. Wondering if something there wanted to communicate with her she got out an Ouija board, lit candles at its corners, and called out to the spirit she suspected might be in the room. To shorten a long story, the spirit communicated through the Ouija board, identified itself as a young man who had died, and warned her that it wanted to harm her. Later after she moved from that house she learned the next family to move there had a dog that wouldn’t enter her old room, and that when the wife was alone she was often shoved by an invisible presence.

The story is typical of many accounts . . . so typical there’s reason to wonder if its an honest account of an experience or made up by a Steven King wannabe. But what’s troubling is the young woman’s reliance on the ouija board to deal with her fears. We do know from Scripture that reliance on any occult means to contact supernatural beings is both forbidden and dangerous. It’s an invitation to evil spirits to become involved in one’s life. And one thing that seems to true is that there must be some level of cooperation with evil spirits to give them access to a human personality. And that cooperation need not be a conscious intent to invite demons in.

Often in exorcism its necessary to discover what the demon views as its legal basis for its presence an the individual’s life . . .whether its an implicit invitation through the seeking of information through occult means via an ouija board, medium,etc., or perhaps dedication as an infant to dark forces.

I suspect that the view ascribed to Pope Benedict . . . that the increase in demonization and requests for exorcisms witnessed in Europe and the rest of the Catholic world is in part due to the Internet, probably is true. As long as stories like the one above present using Ouija boards and other occult means as a normal means to seek information about paranormal experiences,more and more people will inadvertently come in contact with the demonic.

The other site I looked at offered to explain the workings of the Law of Attraction. This fad, encouraged enthusiastically on Oprah, assumes that the universe is eager to grant the wishes and desires of human beings. All one needs to do is focus on what one wants and “believe.” The universe, apparently delighted that someone is paying attention to it, supposedly showers such a believer with the wealth, love, health, fame, or whatever it is one seeks.    

I don’t see the current fascination with the supposed Law of Attraction as an avenue for contact with evil spirits. Rather its simply foolishness . . . and a way for those who put up all the websites offering advice, training, and “aids” to make a buck off the gullible.

Overall, its discouraging to surf the net. Personally, I don’t have time for it, and so focus on searching for specific information I want or need. Hope that’s your experience too.

Speaking of the Internet, I hope to soon have an Invisible War website up where folks can learn about the Invisible War novels and interact. In the meanwhile, check Amazon.com. I noticed two reviews on The Blind Prophet up there this morning.

Sante Muerte

The cult of Sante Muerte had its origin in the 1980’s in Mexican prisons. Saint Death, an aspect of Satanism, is the patron saint of smugglers, and is represented as a skull-faced figure with clothing of various colors to represent the gift she is expected to bestow on her worshippers. Figures dressed in green are prayed to for wealth, in black to aid in carrying out revenge, etc. The cult has spread to many US cities where there are large populations of Central Americans. The first day of every month is Saint Death’s day, and in many cities crowds march in the streets to honor her. She is represented in tatoos on the bodies of many of her worshippers. One gang member who was interviewed expressed doubts about the existence of God . . . but no doubts about the power of Sante Muerte.

Realtors turn to the occult

Barbara Corcoran, a regular on NBC’s Today show, recently reported how realtors are turning to the occult to move properties that won’t sell.  Popular methods of riding properties of “bad energy” include Smudging, a Native American purification ritual that’s performed to the ringing of bells and waving of incense. Also popular is calling in a Feng Shiu practitioner. Corcoran herself used Smudging after a 5th Avenue aparment in New Yortk failed to sell after two years to rid the property of the “bad energy” caused by the constant fighting of a couple who went through an accrimoneous divorce. “It works if you believe,” she said, and told Matt Lauerthat the very next couple she showed it to put in a full price offer.

Some realators are also using “ghost busting” approaches. All one needs is to purchase a voodo kit from Dennis Voodo.com, which includes statues of St. Francis and an eastern deity which can be buried on the property.

It doesn’t take a prophet to predict that as econcomic conditions worsen many will be looking for supernatural aid. And that all too many will turn to the occult rather than to Christ.