The occult in America operates both openly and more subtly Fifty-plus years ago as I served an internship in San Francisco, I drove past a building marked The First Church of Satan. That church has since gone international and even has its own website. No longer is practice of the demonic underground. Internet sites are available with detailed information for joining the practice of witchcraft through organizations that engage in black magic and Wicca. And there is a very clear association of occult practices with criminal activity. For this reason, the training of police officers in our county routinely includes courses on recognition of ritualistic signs of the occult during the investigation of crime scenes.
The occult is more subtly disguised in the following: the lyrics of rock music; by gaining secret information through the practice of divination; martial arts and yoga where mantras are the names of Hindu gods; and groups that require making secret vows such as freemasonry (Shriners, Rainbow Girls, Eastern Star). The latter appeal to false pride as one strives to meet the demands of “excellence” that produce even greater pride. Any of the above practices like others create what the Bible refers to as strongholds – deeply ingrained ideas having a strong influence on one’s behavior and lifestyles. These strongholds are not easily broken as evil spirits are associated with their existence and serve to fortify their very acceptance.
Strongholds are places of protection from a biblical perspective. David hid for protection in mountain caves and applied the idea spiritually in calling God “my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2). When Paul refers to strongholds in the NT, however, he refers to places of demonic activity which are only destroyed using weapons with divine power instead of worldly weapons like psychology, depending on personal willpower, or the use of psychotropic drugs. “We do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Cor 10:3,4). These strongholds can take many forms, all of which resist submission to the sovereign will of God in one’s life.
Spirits under Satan’s control continually tempt which is why we’re commanded to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). It is through obedience to the revealed will of God with help of the indwelling Spirit of God that we find ourselves able to resist evil influences that entice one toward self-centeredness. Other spirits harass us by observing our failings and bringing condemnation. The Holy Spirit brings conviction of our sin so that we might be led to repent. In contrast, Satan harasses by bringing condemnation and self-loathing. Still other evil spirits cause various types of physical infirmity. Examples of the latter are readily found in Scripture, yet remain quite ignored in our contemporary churches today.
Behind virtually all addictive behavior are evil spirits which compel the feeding of one’s compulsion in order to relieve craving. When compulsions are strong enough, they’ll enslave so that resistance to addictive behavior is virtually nonexistent. Many compulsions are enhanced by deceiving spirits which are especially active in these last days, not only addiction-wise but theologically (see 1 Tim 4:1). Others find themselves tortured by a spirit of bitterness that leads to unforgiveness and resentment because of an actual or perceived offense in the past. This latter is particularly dangerous because of warning by Christ that those refusing to forgive others will themselves not be forgiven by the Father in heaven (see Mt 6:14,15). Few strongholds are as destructive and potentially condemning as those created by bitterness and unforgiveness.
There exists something in the world which is totally contrary to God and it isn’t Satan who is a created being like other angels as is man. This something is ‘self,’ a spirit of independence that likes to operate apart from the dominion of the Creator. A gift of free will was given us by God and it was disobedient exercise of free will by self that led to the Fall in Eden with its disastrous consequences for all generations to follow. It is self that separates man from God and not those trials resulting from the Fall. When endured in obedient faith, trials result in a “crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (Jas 1:12). While it is Satan who tempts us, it is because of our self within that we find ourselves enticed away to sin (1:14).
God is never the source of temptation. By His nature and holiness, He cannot be the source of temptation: “For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone” (Jas 1:13). It is because of self that an exchange of life is required for our regeneration and salvation, an exchange by which Christ comes to live within us by His Spirit. Prophesied by Ezekiel, it is indwelling of the Holy Spirit that enables a “born again” disciple of Christ to live according to the laws and decrees of the Lord: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Eze 36:26-27).
Jesus tells us, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself [deny ‘self’] and take up his cross [crucify desires of ‘self’] and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Mt 16:24,25). Only through crucifixion of self and turning from ways of the world by turning toward God do we live in righteousness, whereby Jesus becomes one’s personal Savior: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ who has been appointed for you – even Jesus” (Ac 3:19,20). God’s demand to repent and turn from sin is being ignored whenever salvation is sought simply by asking forgiveness in a sinner’s prayer.
It is demonic influence which has a gospel preached that fails to emphasize the gate and road to heaven being “narrow” (Mt 7:13,14). There’s no room for the baggage of ‘self’ if a person wishes to enter a narrow gate into the sheep pen of which Jesus is shepherd and follow a narrow road leading to eternal life. This is why Jesus warns that “only a few find it” (7:14). The world and self as well as Satan would have us resist losing our natural lives for the sake of Christ in order to find eternal life. The recognition of demonic influence in our lives should be no mystery. Evil spirits are recognized by their activity in attempting to keep us from knowing Jesus and, if that isn’t possible, to deceive us so our submission to His Lordship is less than complete.
