The Christian and the Occult (intro)
(topical)
1. I do a lot of review for Amazon.com, so I am flooded with requests to review books, products, etc., often in exchange for a free copy/product.
2. But I like to set my own agenda as to what I read; my time is precious, and doing one thing means not doing another. I have scads of books waiting for me.
3. A woman sent me this request this week:
I am an international author, psychic medium and nurse.
I am enquiring if you would be willing to review my paranormal fantasy book…
Here is a short description of the book:
[Note: I omitted the email text here because I don't have her permission to publish it]
4. This is not unusual. Our nation has slipped into paganism, witchcraft, eastern mysticism, new age, atheism — anything but the faith described in the Bible.
Main Idea: The occult is all around us. It invades our homes via entertainment, lures power-seekers, the superstitious, escapists, thrill seekers, the victimized, those who want to be like their friends — all kinds of people are vulnerable. A solid Biblical foundation is the best inoculation against this lure.
I. If We Are Oblivious or If We Live Life Walking on Eggshells, Either Way the Devil WINS (Colossians 1:13-14, 2:8-10, 16-21)
A. We have TRANSFERRED Kingdoms: From Darkness to Light (1:13-14)
B. We are in a war for the integrity of our SOULS (8-10)
C. Spiritual TRUTH is not determined by either the ceremonial LAW or subjective spiritual EXPERIENCES (16-19).
D. Our OCD attempts to guard against false doctrine (including the occult) can enslave us and unnecessarily CONSTRICT us (20-22).
1. Elemental spirits — Greek term covers a lot; elements of earth, wind, air, fire and water (tied to witchcraft); angelic/demonic forces (principalities/powers), or angels who control the elements & are to be worshipped…
2. We are not to be hyper and see a demon behind every bush and fear things that we should not fear or abstain from things we should enjoy.
3. Share Hegewisch experiences (met with Erwin Lutzer/Fred Dicakson)
E. Extra-biblical religious practice has a way of DISPLACING God’s Word and the right focus on Jesus.
II. We Must TRASH Anything Occult
A. . EXAMPLES of forbidden practices
Deuteronomy 18:10-12, “ There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.”
Galatians 5:19-21, “ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
B. The example of JOSIAH (2 Kings 23:24)
“Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written ...”
C. The example of the believers in ACTS
Acts 19:18-19, “Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.”
D. The general PRINCIPLE: be content with God’s revelation.
1. Avoid and expose to fellow believers
Ephesians 5:11, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”
2. The quest to go beyond what God has revealed in the spiritual realm is sinful.
Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
IMO, this applies to near death experiences…
E. Be a faithful solider, do not CONSPIRE with the enemy.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…”
III. We Must BOTH Develop Our Walk With God AND Resist the Devil (James 4:7).
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
A. Drawing near to God ALONE will make a big difference.
B. But being near to God does not mean you cannot be TEMPTED.
Think of Jesus in the wilderness.
Application: When we align ourselves with God, His friends become our friends and His enemies become our enemies. As we grow in the Lord, we will often fight the devil without even realizing that is what we are doing. It should become a way of life. And when we are aware, we need to pray fervently and take up the armor of God.
