Chapter Seventy-nine:
If we are to fight a war, we must know and understand our enemy. We must not only understand our enemy’s end goal, but also be intimately familiar with the tactics that are to be used against us. Throughout the centuries, the Church has had to fight off false teachings and false doctrines that sought to demolish the very foundation upon which it had been built. When that didn’t work, the enemy navigated his forces into infiltration, and weakening of the building itself, by enticing Christians to weave erroneous beliefs into their faith. The encroachment of paganism is one such method of infiltration that seeks to ensnare, and make useless, a generation that has been poorly taught in the teachings of the Bible.
There has been a resurgence in paganism over the past number of years amongst those who have either outright rejected parts of what the Christian faith teaches, or have added in different parts of these other beliefs/rituals to their Christian faith. It has morphed into what many consider to be their own personal brand of faith. I’m reminded of the term many have adopted to explain their modern-day life’s philosophy, “spiritual, but not religious”. Sadly, even those within the Church have been drawn to paganism in its many forms, seeing the addition of these practices as simply a way to be free from the need to adhere to long-established moral standards, or core Biblical principles. The result is that it causes one to value their own individuality, and live their lives in a way that’s more preferable. Add in to the mix that social media abounds with those calling themselves Christian, while also admitting they are sorcerers, witches, and spell casters.
Due to a weak knowledge of how the enemy works, many unsuspecting Christians are tempted, and craftily drawn in to learning how to gain power, success, popularity and notoriety. This distorted perspective not only inevitably leads a person to be unable to distinguish between light and darkness, good and evil, but it also opens the door for the enemy to come in and affect them. Scripture warns us in Second Corinthians 6:14b, “…what fellowship can light have with darkness?”. And Ephesians 5:11 reads, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
Paganism is simply a term used to describe those who have abandoned, or ignored, what we would consider to be mainstream forms of religion. They have been drawn to, or added into their Christian beliefs, practices that are rooted in different ideologies. Some of these include the belief that there are many gods, not just one (polytheism), and the worship of nature itself rather than worship of the Creator. Some will venture so far as to learn the art of casting spells or dabbling in altered states of consciousness in order to receive special knowledge. Some terms you may be familiar with, or have heard of, are Kabbalah, Wicca, the occult, witchcraft, New Age, and druidism. All of these are but a few that fall under the overarching term “paganism”.
Pagan practices include nature rituals and worship, celebrating festivals that invoke specific deities, casting spells and curses, ceremonial magic with the intent of gaining spiritual enlightenment, and communing with higher spirit guides or angels. Altered states of consciousness are achieved through techniques such as drumming, chants and dances. Often mythology, astrology, folklore and dark magic are used in the hopes of enhancing one’s power. New Age users often use crystals, and other metaphysical objects, as a way to tap into what they consider to be the divine consciousness in order to achieve wisdom and oneness with the universe. They seek to gain insight, special knowledge and power. Many are seeking a way to blend their views on nature with a higher form of spirituality. The end result is that the blending of several beliefs leads one into creating their own personal belief system and ultimately a different way of perceiving life that is anti-Biblical.
Christians are exposing themselves to demonic entities without even realizing it. Many still consider yoga to be simply an exercise routine, without understanding the spiritual implications that are at its foundation, and can lead one astray. One of the seemingly harmless objects that are often carried around are crystals, which many believe to have healing properties that channel “good” energy. Some even believe they will bring such things as happiness and financial prosperity. Playing around on a Ouija board is simply considered to be entertaining. Many believe that they are experiencing visitations from dead relatives or friends as a result, or getting some special insight into life. Some go a step further and go to seances, or tarot card readers, in order to communicate with their departed love ones. What is not realized is that these practices are absolutely forbidden in the Bible. Talking to a dead relative or friend is called necromancy.
In Deuteronomy 18: 9-12 God warns against having anything to do with supernatural affairs that are outside of a relationship with Him. He warns His children, the people of Israel…“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you”.
A story of necromancy can be found in First Samuel 28: 3-25. It tells the story of King Saul secretly going to see a witch because he wanted to know if he would win the upcoming battle. God chastised him as he was invoking dark magic, using necromancy, by asking to speak to someone who was dead, rather than praying to God and seeking His counsel. God’s word strongly warns against having anything to do with such practices as He knows they can ultimately lead to our ruin. What a person thinks is a departed loved one interacting with them is actually a demon, and any information that is imparted comes from a demonic source.
Unfortunately, many are into seeking alternative ways of getting information or achieving power, apart from having a relationship with Jesus Christ, and Satan is only too happy to help them get it. First John 2:16 warns, “For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Satan uses the same lures he has used for a millennium, and he is especially eager to ensnare, and cause the ruin of, a Christian.
Another area that has gained the attention of those seeking otherworldly experiences, and extra-Biblical knowledge, has been fueled by the United States’ 2024 Congressional Hearing, which discussed the potential government coverup of UFO/UAP’s (Unidentified Flying Object/Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). The highlight of the hearing was the retelling of a U.S. Air Force intelligence officer’s statement that he would refer to those types of UFO beings as "inter-dimensional, not aliens”. This has thrust the phenomena of UFO/UAP into center stage. Many believe these beings are of a more developed lifeform, and those who would seek to deceive, are giving fodder to the belief that they are somehow benevolent beings who will come to help mankind. For those of us who are believers walking in the discernment of the Holy Spirit, we understand them to be demonic in nature, but to those who are not discerning, nor forewarned, they do not see them as such. This is appealing to many, as it is yet another way of seeking guidance and information from beyond what the Bible cautions is safe and permissible.
The Apostle Paul indicated in his second letter to the Church in Corinth that he was well aware of the dangers of holding on to pagan practices while becoming a new Christian. He wrote in Second Corinthians 6:14-18 “ Do not be yoked (connected) together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (another name for Satan)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.” He was giving a strong reminder that believers, followers of Christ, should have no interest, nor desire, to combine their Christian faith with practices rooted in paganism or demonic influences.
Unfortunately, many Christians today are downplaying these warnings in Scripture and are risking opening themselves up to be influenced by those who are in stark opposition to God and His Word. While trendy, and promoted by those who say they are Christian, these practices lead Christians away from a Christ-centered faith and introduce them to things that are more in line with pagan or occult philosophies than with the Bible.
Anything that is added into one’s beliefs, that do not have their root in Scripture, quickly causes the Christian to depart from traditional faith, lured by the mystery, caught up in searching for the unknown. If you discover due to the warning from the Holy Spirit that you have taken part in any of these aforementioned practices or belief systems, you must run from them. In the next chapter, we will look at what Scripture says we must do to untangle ourselves from anything we have exposed ourselves to, in order to get back on track in our walk with God and rid ourselves of demonic influence.
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