1. Why people drift into Satan
worship?
It is possible to find certain reasons why people are driven
to worship Satan. However, the next reasons are perhaps the
most common:
Friends. The
influence of the circle of friends in drifting into Satan
worship is common. It is indeed possible that a person
drifts into many bad habits and Satan worship under the
influence of others. None of us wants to look like a mamma's
boy and probably everyone yearns more or less approval.
Therefore, the influence of others on our lives can be very
large. Who would like to be rejected by others, but on the
contrary, everyone wants acceptance, appreciation and honor
from others, as Jesus stated:
- (John 5:44) How can you believe, which receive honor
one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from
God only?
The next verses describe a similar attitude. They show how
we can regard praise from men to be more important than
honor of God. We sometimes do things only because we do not
want to be separated from the fellowship of others or
because we want to belong to a gang. This is certainly true
for many people:
- (John 12:41-43) These things said Esaias, when he saw his
glory, and spoke of him.
42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on
him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess
him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of
God.
Yearning for the supernatural can
be one reason why a person drifts into Satan worship and
practicing the occultism. According to the Bible, God has
put eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and if this
need is not fulfilled in a living relationship with God, it
is possible that we will go looking for it elsewhere. The
practice of spiritualism and different religions, and faith
in reincarnation, are examples of this. We can turn to these
things because we feel an emptiness in our soul, and because
we have not experienced a relationship with God. We do not
understand that a supernatural, loving God could exist and
therefore we may turn to empty substitutes instead of
approaching the living God:
- (Jam 4:8) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you
double minded.
The following quote refers to the same thing. It deals with
how people, in their emptiness, turn to deceiving forces and
eventually drift into ever greater darkness:
Those who walk with Me will grow in the power that is in Me.
I gave all people this ability: to grow both in natural and
supernatural power. Those who do not walk with Me, feel an
emptiness in their soul that yearns for this supernatural
power. Those who do not walk with Me turn to the devil to
get power to fill the emptiness of their soul.
I gave My power to those who are wise and mature enough
to use it. The devil gives his power to those who are silly
and immature enough to yield to its use. There will come a
time on Earth when everyone must choose whether they want to
walk with Me or or being possessed by greater evil than the
world has ever experienced before." (1)
Seeking power. Maybe
the largest reason why people drift into Satan worshipping
is that they seek power. If we feel inadequate and
powerless, we may be tempted to seek knowledge and power
from the dark side. We want to gain power over events that
are otherwise uncontrollable and for people to admire us. If
we do not experience this in normal life, then we may easily
turn to Satan's counterfeits.
The pursuit of power is about the same kind of addiction
that some people can have to alcohol or drugs. These
substances are used so that people can feel braver and
stronger, and they can get rid of their feelings of
inadequacy. Generally, the more powerless and inadequate
one feels, the deeper into these areas in question he or she
probably will be driven:
I
had wanted to be a witch. No one had forced me into a witch
club. And I was very happy to be one of them. I wanted the
powers I thought witches had, probably because all my life I
had no power whatsoever. (2)
Even Anton LaVey, a man who was the high priest of the
church of Satan, has brought out the truth of the matter. He
states that selfish lust is the main reason why people drift
into witchcraft:
White witches want to investigate witchcraft thoroughly, but
are unable to detach themselves from the burner sign
associated with it. That's why they call themselves white
witches... Anyone who pretends to be interested in
witchcraft for any other reason than to get personal
authority and power is a hypocrite of the worst kind. (3)
What then is the teaching of the Bible on this matter, Jesus
said very clearly that it is useless to try to win the whole
world or people's admiration and appreciation. Otherwise we
will lose our souls. Therefore, if His following words are
true, and despite of everything we seek the esteem of others
and only short-term worldly things, we are certainly not
acting rationally. Then we are the biggest fools in the
world:
- (Matt 16:26) For what is a man profited, if he shall
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
- (Matt 6:19-21) Lay not up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves
break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart
be also.
Music
(and of course literature, which will not be discussed in
detail here) is a huge gateway to Satan worship. Many have
said that they drifted into it through Black metal music;
i.e. music that openly brings up occult themes, satan
worship and death, self-destruction and evil.
The importance of music is that if we listen to it a
lot, it will definitely affect our subconscious and our
attitudes just like TV and newspapers do. Many bands are
owned by Satanists, and if we listen to their music, we
begin to accept as truth things that we may have previously
considered false. We will become such what we are looking at
and listening to. (2 Cor 3:18: But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed
into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the
Spirit of the LORD.):
The second side of the truth is the destructive power of
secular music. Harry, the high priest of the Satanists,
showed me several symbols in pop music records referring to
commitment to Satan worshipping and being in its bonds. (…)
He told that 85% of modern heavy metal and punk bands are
“owned” by Satanists. The musicians have without their
knowledge sold themselves to Satan worshipping to get fame
and success. Only a few of these artists really practice
Satan worshipping, but most of them are very deep in it and
they also lead others astray by the ungodly message of their
music. (4)
It is also interesting that for some, the effect of this
kind of music can be similar to that of drugs and alcohol.
For just as an alcoholic can feel momentary relief and
self-assurance through these substances, some can experience
the same by listening to aggressive and angry music. Here is
the story of one such person:
At the same time, my relationship with my girlfriend broke
down. I was overwhelmed by depression and hopelessness. I
had low self-esteem, and I was extremely disappointed.
In a group of friends, we were inspired to listen to
black metal, which was on the rise in Finland at that time.
There was something about it.
I got really excited about the new, strong and powerful
music I found and got my hands on all kinds of black metal
music. It became my source of strength. I listened to loud
music and devoured satanic words. That way I felt strong and
powerful. (5)
Satan's deception.
When looking for reasons why people drift into Satan
worship, the biggest reason is Satan's deception and lies.
The Bible says that the devil is “is a liar, and the
father of it,” (John 8:44), “the prince of this
world” (John 12:31) “which deceives the whole world”
(Rev 12:9), and therefore we too may believe in his lies.
That's why we too may believe its lies. The purpose is to
separate us from God and lead us to damnation, and deception
is one of the most important means. This can be seen, for
example, in the next Bible verses:
- (John 8:44) You are of your father the devil,
and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and stayed not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a
lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the
father of it.
- (2 Cor 11:14,15) And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end
shall be according to their works.
- (2 Cor 4:3,4) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them
that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine to them.
- (Luke 8:11) Now the parable is this: The seed is the word
of God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then
comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their
hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
If we believe the lie, we are deceived. In fact, each of us
has been or is in this state, unless God has opened our
spiritual eyes. Only when we come into God’s light can we be
gradually freed from the lies of the devil. Jessie
Penn-Lewis has described this well:
DECEIVED.
This word is truly repugnant, and very reluctantly and
evilly, man allows it to be applied to himself, often
without realizing that even more repugnant is the work of a
tempter designed to keep the deceived ignorant of the truth
and to prevent him from being freed from deception. If a man
is so easily deceived by the deception that arises from his
own fallen nature, how eagerly the forces of Satan desire to
join in that same deception without wanting to diminish it
one drop. They work anxiously to keep man in the chains of
his old creation, from which sprout the most diverse forms
of self-deception. The modus operandi of the forces of
darkness are old and new. They are adapted to the nature,
position and circumstances of the victim. The emissaries are
full of hatred, meanness and bitter malice towards humanity
and all that is good and do not neglect to carry out their
plans tirelessly... (6)
How can we then know the truth? Is it possible?
However, Jesus has already answered this, because He
said that He is the Truth and that He speaks true.
Therefore, it is clear that if His words hold true and are
true, we must turn to Him if we want to find out about
things. In the light of the Bible, only through Him is it
possible for us to be freed from the devil's lies:
- (John 1:16,17) And of his fullness have all we received,
and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ.
- (John 8:45,46) And because I tell you the truth,
you believe me not.
46 Which of you convinces me of sin? And if I say the
truth, why do you not believe me?
- (John 14:6) Jesus said to him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but
by me.
Disappointment
with Christianity and its representatives is one reason why
people drift into practicing the occultism. This may be
caused by disappointment with some person close by or
disappointment with the Church and “narrow-minded religion”
in general. Many therefore cannot tolerate any talk of faith
and God, but reject it sharply and rebel against it
As for imperfection in people, it is true that it exists.
It is true that few are good examples and even fewer can say
in the words of Paul: ”Be you followers of me, even as I
also am of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1). In the same way,
religion can be of the kind that does not include spiritual
life, but is hypocrisy. People fought against this kind of
religion already during the early church and, for example,
John the Baptist said to certain people:
- (Matt 3:7-9) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and
Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, O generation
of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to
come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to
our father: for I say to you, that God is able of these
stones to raise up children to Abraham.
As far as narrow-mindedness is concerned, it is a mistake to
think that it appears only in certain places. On the
contrary, everywhere where there are people, this attitude
can also be seen. Sometimes those who claim to be free from
it and who most powerfully preach against it are most tied
to it. Paul wrote about this kind of an attitude:
- (Rom 2:1) Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever
you are that judge: for wherein you judge another, you
condemn yourself; for you that judge do the same things.
It is also good to note that not everything that people deem
narrow-mindedness actually is narrow-mindedness. When it is
a question of such difficult issues as homosexuality, the
views regarding it are not the invention of modern people –
as if they decided it themselves – but what they have
understood from the word of the Bible, which was already
written almost 2000 years ago. Many modern people do not
deem this thing wrong, but in the light of the Word, it is
quite the opposite, and from that different opinions arise.
In our society, we have nullified the word of God, not
because of tradition as in the time of Jesus, but for the
sake of polls, because we appreciate them so much. They are
a greater authority than the words of Jesus and the
Apostles. Jesus said about this type of attitude we can
have:
- (Matt 15:6-9) And honor not his father or his mother, he
shall be free. Thus have you made the commandment of
God of none effect by your tradition.
7 You hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors
me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.
SEEKING PLEASURE. It
is typical in this life that we seek happiness and
pleasures. They can be such things as sex, money, property,
hobbies, watching TV and sports, and a wide variety of
things. We may use our time merely in these activities or in
seeking them and not understand that when we find our life,
we actually lose it:
- (Matt 16:25) For whoever will save his life shall lose it:
and whoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
On the other hand, one characteristic feature of
Satan-worshipping is pleasure-centeredness, which usually
means sexual activity and using alcohol and drugs, because
these things appear repeatedly in ceremonies. We can also
see the same thing from Anton LaVey's Satanic Bible (The
Satanic Bible), in sections 1 and 8 of which he emphasizes
the importance of pleasure:
1. Satan emphasizes pleasure instead of continence!
8. Satan emphasizes all so-called sins, because they all
lead to physical, mental and emotional satisfaction!
However, it is good to study this issue more closely,
because LaVey emphasizes it. We should study it in the light
of the Bible and practical life in order to get a better
picture:
God created sex. First
of all, it is a mistake to think that sex is an invention of
the devil. This is by no means the case, but God created
Adam and Eve as sexual beings, so that it, like all God's
work of creation, was called good (Genesis 1:31). Nowhere in
the Bible does it state that sex between a man and a wife is
a bad thing, but it is considered a matter of course and a
natural thing (1 Cor 7:1-5, Heb 13:4, Proverbs 5:18,19). In
fact, Paul warned that any teaching that forbids marriage or
eating foods created by God would be the doctrines of demons
and Satan:
- (1 Tim 4:1-3) Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared
with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to
abstain from meats, which God has created to be received
with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
In reality, many things that come before us are just
distortions. The thing itself can be good, but it becomes
completely different through distortions. They can be the
following types of things:
• Complete denial of sex and the playboy life, where a man
runs "from flower to flower", are both distortions. On the
other hand, it is possible that an ordinary street guy can
have sex with his spouse even more often than a playboy who
has been with hundreds of women.
• Alcoholism and drunkenness are distortions of the usual
drinking of alcohol. Wine in itself is not a bad thing as
the Bible shows in many places. It was already used in
biblical times and is still used as a drink today, because
e.g. the shelf life of milk has been poor.
• Obesity and binge eating are distortions from eating and
are known to be behind many diseases.
Conclusion. When
Anton LaVey emphasizes the significance of pleasures, he
does not point out the following important issues:
• Pleasure decreases. First, be it any pleasure or the like,
we gradually get used to them. Whether it's a good spouse,
sex, acquiring property, or recreational drugs, they
gradually lose their luster. That's why a 40-50-year-old man
who has had sex for more than 20 years doesn't feel the same
anymore. He approaches it much more calmly and less
passionately than when he was younger.
• Final result. Another thing to note is that when it is
emphasized the role of drugs and alcohol in addition to sex,
if they really bring happiness, then alcoholics and drug
addicts should be the happiest people on earth. However, it
seems to be just the opposite. Many of them lead a rather
miserable life.
• Thirdly, you should pay attention to eternity. Many things
and pleasures are nothing compared to the eternal life that
God offers us through Jesus Christ. If we only aim for them,
but forget eternity, we have made a very bad decision.
Therefore, do not neglect the matter of eternal life, but
choose it instead of eternal death!
“If your love towards Me does not grow in the coming times,
it will get colder. I AM the life. If you do not stay near
to Me, you will lose the life which is in you. I AM the
light. If you do not stay near to Me, your heart will get
dark.”
(…) ”On earth has been planted life and death, and life
and death will be reaped. I came to give you life. Evil will
give death. (…) Choose life so that you would live. Choose
life by being obedient to Me. If you choose Me and the light
in you is My earnest light, it will shine ever brighter
every day. By this, you will know that you walk in My light.
The seed that has been sowed on good soil will grow and
increase forever: You are recognized by your fruit. (7)
2. Mentions of devil
When it comes to what the devil is like, the Bible is one of
the best sources. It tells of his creation, his fall, his
wickedness, his final destiny, and many other things
connected with him, so that we can get a fairly accurate
description of him. Let's look at some such passages in the
Bible:
He is a created being. Firstly,
the devil is a created being who has his beginning in some
specific moment in history. He is not eternal and cannot be
everywhere in the same way present than the Spirit of God
can be; he has his own set limitations. We learn from the
Bible that he was described at one point as, “the model of
perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty”, so we can
assume that he was the most beautiful and wisest of God’s
creatures:
- (Eze 28:12,13) Son of man, take up a lamentation on the
king of Tyrus, and say to him, Thus said the Lord GOD; You
seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 You have been in Eden the garden of God;
every precious stone was your covering, the sardius, topaz,
and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the
sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the
workmanship of your tabrets and of your pipes was prepared
in you in the day that you were created.
He existed as a cherub or
some kind of an angel before his fall. Cherubs are mentioned
in other Bible passages (Eze 10:18-20: Then the glory of
the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and
stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted up their
wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they
went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one
stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’s house; and
the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. This is
the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by
the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the
cherubim.)
- (Eze 28:12-14) Son of man, take up a lamentation on the
king of Tyrus, and say to him, Thus said the Lord GOD; You
seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 You have been in Eden the garden of God; every
precious stone was your covering, the sardius, topaz, and
the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the
sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the
workmanship of your tabrets and of your pipes was prepared
in you in the day that you were created.
14 You are the anointed cherub that covers;
and I have set you so: you were on the holy mountain of God;
you have walked up and down in the middle of the stones of
fire.“
He fell, and
he and the angels associated with him were hurled to the
Earth:
- (Isa 14:12-15) How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,
son of the morning! how are you cut down to the ground,
which did weaken the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I
will sit also on the mount of the congregation, in the sides
of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be
like the most High.
15 Yet you shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of
the pit.
- (Eze 28:15-17) You were perfect in your ways from
the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in
you.
16 By the multitude of your merchandise they have filled the
middle of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore
I will cast you as profane out of the mountain of God: and I
will destroy you, O covering cherub, from the middle of the
stones of fire.
17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty,
you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your
brightness: I will cast you to the ground, I
will lay you before kings, that they may behold you.
- (Rev 12:9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the
whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels
were cast out with him.
He tempted Adam and Eve
so that the Fall took place. He made them doubt God's word -
"Has God really said?" - which is still his main purpose
number one. He wants to make us doubt the Gospel so that we
will not believe and be saved, as Jesus said:
- (Gen 3:1-5) Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast
of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the
woman, Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of
every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit
of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the
garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall
you touch it, lest you die.
4 And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely
die:
5 For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then
your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing
good and evil.
- (Luke 8:11,12) Now the parable is this: The seed is the
word of God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then
comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their
hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
The originator of illnesses and demonic possessions. When
the devil was behind the Fall, from him and from evil
spirits are also illnesses (this does not mean that every
illness is accompanied by a special spirit of illness) and
demonic possession - things that Jesus came to destroy. The
Bible shows how Jesus and his disciples were able to free
people from both destructive things:
- (Matt 8:16,17) When the even was come, they brought
to him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out
the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the
prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bore
our sicknesses.
- (1 John 3:8) He that commits sin is of the devil; for the
devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the
Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works
of the devil.
- (Acts 8:6-8) And the people with one accord gave heed to
those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the
miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came
out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken
with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
- (Acts 19:11,12) And God worked special miracles by the
hands of Paul:
12 So that from his body were brought to the sick
handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from
them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
Some may ask, “Can the devil do miracles and heal the sick?”
Yes, he can. He can take away the disease he caused or
perform miracles through his servants. We are told about the
activities of Pharaoh’s magicians, a slave girl who had a
spirit by which she predicted the future (Acts 16:16-19) and
Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8), for example. However, the
consequence of this kind of healing is that because of it, a
person falls into even greater spiritual bonds and
eventually perishes, if he does not understand in time to
turn to God. The following example is a demonstration of
this:
The devil can be a good healer of the body! If he can
destroy one’s soul by healing the body, he is willing to
give a temporary blessing of health!
Witchcraft is not found only in heathen countries! I read
recently about a little German girl who was constantly ill.
Someone had given her an amulet, a little box that she had
to keep on her. She was healed instantly. She was completely
healthy after that, but in her heart there was darkness. She
seldom smiled, and at the age of eighteen, she tried to
commit suicide. One evangelist was asked to help. He
inquired whether the girl perhaps kept some kind of an
amulet. People had to persuade her for some time before she
was willing to give it to the evangelist. And the girl said,
“Never open it. He who gave it to me said that it would be
dangerous to do that.” In spite of the warning, the
evangelist opened the amulet and found a little piece of
paper, on which it had been written, "I command you, Satan,
to keep this body healthy until you possess the soul, who is
condemned to hell!" They destroyed the amulet, and the child
was freed, but became very sick immediately. Later on, she
was healed through the laying on of hands in Jesus' name.
(8)
He is a liar and the father of it,
as Jesus said. His main purpose is that people would not
believe and be saved. Such matters as the theory of
evolution, religion without God, and ideas contrary to God's
will in general come from him and the evil spirit world,
even though people may regard them as their own thoughts.
The purpose of these thoughts that seem to be wise is to
prevent us from turning to God:
- (John 8:44) You are of your father the devil,
and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and stayed not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a
lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the
father of it.
- (2 Cor 4:3,4) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them
that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine to them.
- (Luke 8:11) Now the parable is this: The seed is the word
of God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then
comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their
hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
In this context, we should look at a certain text. It tells
about how awakenings and movements given by God break lies
that people may have. This always happens when we understand
things in the light of God and turn to the Truth or Jesus
Christ:
Many doctors were also converted in the great revivals I
have been involved in. I would think that their studies
would make them prone to doubt and some kind of materialism.
But they are sensible, and when the Gospel is presented to
them as perfect, it is as easy to win them as any other
person and they turn to God. It is true that their studies
have not made them as ready to comprehend the moral
principles of God as the study of jurisprudence, but I have,
however, found them to be open to contrition, and they are
not at all difficult to handle, as far as the great question
of salvation is concerned.
Universalism, Unitarianism and generally all kinds major
mistakes of people have collapsed in these great revivals. I
have learned again and again that people must only become
thoroughly convinced of their sin by the Holy Spirit, and
they will be ready immediately and forever to give up those
views gladly. (9)
Murderer. The
devil is a murderer who has come to steal, kill and destroy.
His goal with every man is to destroy him and ultimately
lead him to perdition. The help and "blessings" he gives are
also pseudo-help, because through it it only binds a person
deeper into deception and demonic ties.
What is interesting and of course unfortunate is that
these characteristics of the devil manifest themselves in
the lives of people who have completely surrendered to him.
As the devil is a murderer, a thief, a destroyer and the
first rebel, the same things appear almost immediately in
the lives of these people, i.e. self-destruction,
self-mutilation, murder, curses and other features. This
shows that the words of Jesus are really true, and that
Satan even hates every person who surrenders to him:
- (John 8:44) You are of your father the devil,
and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and stayed not in the
truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a
lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father
of it.
- (John 10:10) The thief comes not, but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they
might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly.
He will be bound for a thousand years.
According to the Bible, Jesus has already defeated the devil
on the cross, but his power has not yet been taken away.
However, the Bible shows that when the thousand-year kingdom
begins after the coming of Jesus, a mighty angel will seize
Satan and throw him into the Abyss to keep him from
deceiving the nations. After this, he will be released for a
while, until the rebellion ends quickly:
- (Rev 20:1-3, 7-9) And I saw an angel come down from
heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a
great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent,
which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand
years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and
set a seal on him, that he should deceive the nations no
more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after
that he must be loosed a little season.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be
loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them
together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the
sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved
city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and
devoured them.
His final destiny is damnation,
or the eternal lake of fire, where all those whose names are
not in the book of life will also go. The good news,
however, is that Jesus came to save us from this place and
we receive grace as soon as we turn to Him. He took upon
Himself our evil deeds (Isaiah 53) and we can therefore
receive forgiveness through Him (Acts 13:38: ...that
through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of
sins.)
- (Matt 25:41-46) Then shall he say also to them on the left
hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungered, and you gave me no meat: I was
thirsty, and you gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you
clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw
we you an hungered, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or
sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Truly I say to you,
Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you
did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:
but the righteous into life eternal.
- (Rev 20:10-15) And the devil that deceived them was
cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the
beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day
and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it,
from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and
there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and
the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is
the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to their
works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death
and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and
they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This
is the second death.
15 And whoever was not found written in the book of
life was cast into the lake of fire.
Worshipping Satan and occultism in general is an enslaving
yoke. Practicing of it always leads to demonic bounds and
restlessness – such one did not expect to experience in his
former, “normal” life and which did not bother him then. In
addition, the most serious feature of practicing occultism
is that it closes the doors of Heaven from us. We can see
from the Bible how the magicians, witches, murderers, and
others living in sin will not inherit the kingdom of God:
- (Gal 5:19-21) Now the works of the flesh are manifest,
which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
jealousies, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Contentions, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such
like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told
you in time past, that they which do such things shall
not inherit the kingdom of God.
- (Rev 21:7,8) He that overcomes shall inherit all things;
and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable,
and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and
idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake
which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second
death.
- (Rev 22:14,15) Blessed are they that do his commandments,
that they may have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers,
and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever
loves and makes a lie.
The good news, however, is that Jesus Christ can free us
from all kinds of bounds and guarantee an access to Heaven.
Next, we will study the issues that are important in this
regard:
FREEDOM IN JESUS CHRIST
- (John 8:36) If the Son therefore shall make you free, you
shall be free indeed.
Firstly, it
is good to understand that
only by Jesus can we be freed, because He came to set us
free and because He destroyed the work of the devil by His
work on the cross (1 John 3:8: … For this purpose the Son of
God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the
devil). In the same way, we can see in the Bible how through
Him we can get eternal life and peace to our inner soul. We
cannot get eternal life in any other way:
- (John 5:40) And you will not come to me, that
you might have life.
- (John 14:6) Jesus said to him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.
- (John 6:68,69) Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to
whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ,
the Son of the living God.
- (John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life.
- (John 20:31) But these are written, that you might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that
believing you might have life through his name.
- (Matt 11:28) Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.
- (John 14:27) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give
to you: not as the world gives, give I to you. Let
not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
- (Phil 4:7) And the peace of God, which passes all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.
TURNING TO GOD
- (1 Peter 5:6) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty
hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time
Secondly, we have to turn to Jesus (and of course to God)
and choose to follow Him. It means that we must give our
whole life to Him and to search for His will. Unfortunately,
many want only to find a way out from their present
difficulties, but do not really want to give up their wrong
occult “gifts” (you can pray yourself for God to take
away all these kinds of imitation gifts and all wrong
connections to the spirit world; you can also command all
spirits causing it to go away in the name of Jesus) and
to give up their sins, in other words they actually choose
the eternal death in spite of the eternal life:
“If your love towards Me does not grow in the coming times,
it will get colder. I AM the life. If you do not stay near
to Me, you will lose the life which is in you. I AM the
light. If you do not stay near to Me, your heart will get
dark.”
(…) ”On earth has
been planted life and death, and life and death will be
reaped. I came to give you life. Evil will give death. (…)
Choose life so that you would live. Choose life by being
obedient to Me. If you choose Me and the light in you is My
earnest light, it will shine ever brighter every day. By
this, you will know that you walk in My light. The seed that
has been sowed on good soil will grow and increase forever:
You are recognized by your fruit. (9)
In any case, when one really wants turn to God and follow
Him, he can utter the next prayer, in which he
breaks away from the
devil and evil spirits and gives his
life to Jesus Christ.
If it is difficult to say, and one
is afraid
of losing his consciousness, he
can command
the devil to go away and to stay away, bound in the name of
Jesus Christ. If necessary, the
prayer can also be repeated as
long as it is easy to utter it without any trouble:
"In the name of Jesus Christ I break away from your power,
Satan, and from all the works of the dark with which I have
been and which I have practiced. At the same time, I also
break away from sorcery practiced by my ancestors and
parents and give up my life to Jesus Christ who is now my
Lord and Savior!”
CONFESSING ONES SINS
- (1 John 1:7,9) But if we walk in the light, as he is in
the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans us from all sin.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
In the verses above, it is said that we must confess our
sins in order to be forgiven and receive the cleansing
through the blood of Jesus.
This confessing of our sins and genuine godly sorrow is
indeed the key when searching for freedom from the wrong
chains. When the doors to the devil and evil spirits have
been opened through sinning, these same doors can be simply
closed by confessing our sins; i.e. through experiencing
godly sorrow for the same things – it is this simple.
An unclean conscience and darkness are always the base
for evil spirits – they work in the dark – but if man brings
the things he has done into the light, i.e. confess them to
God, he will remove the legal right from these powers. They
will not have the right to live in him and to affect him,
and they can easily be driven away. This does not always
require even a separate command: they will automatically
disappear when man is broken enough before God, i.e. he is
genuinely sorry for the things he has done.
Corrie ten Boom points out the importance of confessing
our sins. She states that when people understand based on,
for example, Deut 18:10-13 that they have broken against God
and when they confess their sins, they will be often
immediately freed:
In the same way as Elisha sent 'the son of the prophet' back
to the place where he had lost the axe and where the miracle
took place (2 King 6:5,6), I too send people back to the
place where they have, being guilty of sin, opened their
hearts to the devil. I ask our Jesus our Savior to close the
door where they have opened it. Firstly, it is necessary to
convince people that they really have sinned! Deut 18:10-13
proves this. Confession is necessary, and afterwards we can
claim that the precious promises of purifying belong also to
us (John 1:7-9). How many people did I see freed when they
acted obediently according to this word! (10)
So if you want to be freed from the chains of occultism or
other matters, you must bring these matters before God, and
then you can command the evil spirits to leave.
Below are some of the most usual issues where the
confession of sins and the command can take place.
Among other things, the most usual occult sins are
mentioned, such as spiritualism, spirit healing, and making
our mind passive (making the mind passive is one of the
greatest gates for the devil), but it includes also some
very ordinary sins, i.e., bitterness and accusations against
others as well as self-hatred – they must also be confessed
as a sin to God in order to experience freedom.
Another important issue is being freed from occult
abilities and wrong connections to the spirit world. These
wrong abilities and connections do not always disappear even
in conversion, but one must ask God separately to take them
away. That is, if one still continuously sees into the
spirit world, continues to have out-of-body experiences or
his family has practiced occultism, this kind of a prayer
can be necessary.
In any case, these commands and prayers can be uttered
in, for example, the following ways:
"Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for taking part in
spiritualism, spirit healing, etc. Thank You that You
forgive me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness through the
blood of Your Son Jesus.
"Satan and you demons, I have confessed to God that I have
taken part in spiritualism, spirit healing, etc. Now you
have no more legal right in these areas, because through the
blood of Jesus I have been forgiven. Therefore, I command
you now in the name of Jesus Christ to leave me and my
surroundings, and never to return!
_________
"Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for emptying my mind and
driving it passive for it is not Your will. Thank You that
You forgave me and cleansed me of all unrighteousness
through the blood of Your Son Jesus.
"Satan and you demons, I have confessed to God that I have
emptied my mind and driven it passive. Now you have no more
legal right in this area, because through the blood of Jesus
I have received forgiveness from God. Therefore, I command
you now in the name of Jesus Christ to leave me and my
surroundings, and never to return!
_________
"Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for my wrong connections to
the spirit world! I ask You to take away those supernatural
gifts and abilities that are not from You and also all such
connection with the spirit world that is not from You. Thank
You that You cleansed my body, soul and spirit of all
unrighteousness through the blood of Jesus. In the name of
Jesus, amen.
"Now, in the name of Jesus Christ, I command all evil
spirits who gave me the ability to be in connection with the
spirit world, to leave my life immediately and never to
return!
__________
"Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for interfering with
relationships outside marriage, pornography, and other such
sins! Thank You that You forgave me and You cleansed me of
all unrighteousness through the blood of your Son Jesus.
"Satan and you demons, I have confessed to God that I have
interfered with wrong relations and pornography that are not
the will of God. Now you no longer have a legal right in
this respect, because through the blood of Jesus I have
received forgiveness from God. Therefore, I command you now
in the name of Jesus Christ to leave me and my surroundings,
never to return!
__________
"Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for my bitterness and my
accusations towards... Thank you that You forgave me and You
cleansed me of all unrighteousness through the blood of Your
Son Jesus.
"Satan and you demons, I have confessed to God that I have
been bitter towards... Now you no longer have a legal right
in this regard, because through the blood of Jesus I have
received forgiveness from God. Therefore, I command you now
in the name of Jesus Christ to leave me and my surroundings,
and never to return!
__________
"Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for my self-hatred, my suicidal
thoughts, and my self-pity! Thank You that You forgave me
and cleansed me of all unrighteousness through the blood of
Your Son Jesus.
"Satan and you demons, I have confessed to God my
self-hatred, suicidal thoughts, and self-pity. Now you no
longer have a legal right in this regard, because through
the blood of Jesus I have received forgiveness from God.
Therefore, I command you now in the name of Jesus Christ to
leave me and my surroundings, and never to return!
RESISTING THE ENEMY
In order to be freed, one must utter the prayer of giving up
and confess the sins he has practiced. This is important,
because true freedom can never be experienced before man
wants to give up sins and wrong commitments with all his
heart. If he do not do this, he may be in chains forever.
On the other hand, another issue in freedom is resisting
the devil, if necessary. The fact is that the enemy does not
automatically give up disturbing people if he is given the
chance, but he might still tempt them. (Also, many
Christians can be pressed by the devil in the same way as
Jesus in the desert, so that the pressure comes from the
outside. On the other hand, in some situations it can be a
question of the spirit of despair mentioned in the Book of
Isaiah. This kind of despair that arises from the
supernatural world, normally stops immediately when the
spirit of despair has been commanded to go away in the name
of Jesus, and after we have confessed our bitterness and
other sins. Instead, if our despair arises from some other,
ordinary reason, it will usually continue.) Many
symptoms in the lives of people are caused by the
disturbance and attacks of the enemy. We can observe, e.g.,
the following symptoms, some of which are characteristic of
false anointing:
- Great difficulties in praying and reading the Bible. One
can even lose his consciousness.
- Moments of forgetfulness and unconsciousness.
- Presence and pressure from foreign powers.
- Haunting and supernatural phenomena.
- Uncontrolled outbursts of anger, sexual daydreams,
powerful fear or any sin and lust that is above normal.
These things are a part of the sinful nature, but sometimes
there may also be the enemy's effect in the background that
has gained ground because of man's
sins.
- Illusions, confusion, and visions are ordinary.
- Conditions of fear and pain.
- Self-destructive behavior and suicidal thoughts.
- Obsessions where an internal need drives man
to say or
do things that are contrary to his basic nature. Especially
blasphemous thoughts and deeds may appear.
- Physical symptoms, such as headache, weakness, dizziness,
feeling heavy, and general pain everywhere in the body are
ordinary. Some diseases, such as epilepsy, deafness, and
muteness can also occasionally be the attacks of the enemy
and originate from evil spirits, even though there may be a
medical explanation or injury that has nothing to do with
the devil.
- Voices that are usually accusing, blasphemous or
threatening, that order man to do something that will hurt
him or something humiliating, are common. Often the voices
may resemble our own thoughts or internal speech, and may be
completely against what we would normally think.
- In pastoral care, one may
experience threats, accusations or statements in his mind,
"This won't work, get out from here, you can never be
freed!” Internal resistance in these situations is powerful.
So, if you have the above-mentioned symptoms, you should not
remain passive, but you should resist the enemy of our soul
in the name of Jesus and based on the blood of Jesus. You
may experience great weakness or helplessness, but you
should remain strong because it is a question of your own
deliverance.
The following verses refer to this issue, i.e., to
resisting the devil in the name of Jesus. The first of these
verses (Jam 4:7) refers to the issue mentioned above: how we
must first submit to God with our heart, and only after that
can we resist the devil – this is always how it goes:
- (Jam 4:7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist
the devil, and he will flee from you.
- (1 Peter 5:8,9) Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about,
seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing
that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brothers
that are in the world.
- (Mark 16:17) And these signs shall follow them that
believe; In my name shall they cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues
- (Matt 4:10) Then said Jesus to him, Get you hence,
Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your
God, and him only shall you serve.
- (Luke 10:17-20) And the seventy returned again with joy,
saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through
your name.
18 And he said to them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall
from heaven.
19 Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing
shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits
are subject to you; but rather rejoice, because your names
are written in heaven.
- (Rev 12:11) And they overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved
not their lives to the death.
The following example of Neil T. Anderson shows what
resisting means in practice. He tells of a woman who
suffered from snakes appearing in her life and how she
hesitated to resist them in the name of Jesus. However, when
she finally dared to do it, the snakes vanished from her
life:
One of the first people with whom I dealt as comes to
spiritual battles and demonic activity was Daisy, a
26-year-old hippie of the 60s. Daisy was in faith and she
had a university degree, but she also had serious mental and
emotional problems, which had developed after her father
divorced her mother. Over the course of five years, Daisy
had been in the hospital three times being treated because
of paranoia and schizophrenia. When she had been at my place
in pastoral care for three weeks, she finally got the
courage to tell me about the snakes in her life.
"What snakes?” I asked.
"Well, they crawl on me at night, when I am in bed," she
confessed.
"What do you do when the snakes come?”
"I run to my mother. But they always come back, when I am
alone.”
"I'll tell you what you should do,” I said. “When you
have gone to the bed and the snakes come, say aloud, 'In the
name of Jesus Christ I command you to go away."
"I can’t do it,” Daisy resisted. “I am not ready or
strong enough.”
"It is not a question of you being ready; it is a
question of your position in Christ. You are as much
entitled to resist Satan and force him to leave as I am.”
Daisy wriggled before this thought. “Well, maybe I could
do it,” she sighed and sounded like she had just promised to
drink castor oil.
When Daisy marched to my place the following week, she
said, "The snakes have disappeared!”
"Great! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
"Because I was afraid you too would get them. Now I
understand that it was only another part of the same lie.”
In the course of a few months, Daisy was freed from the
demonic mess and was a part of the child work of the church.
If her problem had been merely neurological or caused by a
chemical imbalance in her system, ordering the snakes in the
name of Jesus would not have helped. But in the case of
Daisy, the problem was spiritual, and five years of hospital
care and medical treatment did not work. (11)
AFTER-FIGHT
When one has been deep involved in occultism, he might have
to fight for weeks, even months afterwards. Even though he
had experienced deliverance, he might not be at peace but
the devil would still be trying to harass him. It is a part
of the mowing process that man may have to experience
because he has driven his mind into passivity before, and
has allowed room for the devil.
A firm will and resisting the devil are of great
significance in this regard. When man actively resists the
devil and its disturbance and sustains a firm will, the evil
powers will be forced to give up eventually. They will be
forced to give up, because man will not offer any room for
them. For example, Jessie Penn-Lewis said very well in her
book "Pyhien sota" (War on the Saints), p. 83, concerning
the firm attitude and activity of the will, "When the
believer keeps his mind in a normal condition of action, he
should sustain firm willpower, i.e. ‘I want my mind not to
be passive, I want to completely control and use all my
abilities, I want to be clear of all that comes from the
enemy’. This shows that the person has made a choice and
decided to give up these things. The powers of darkness do
not care for mere choosing, but they will surrender
powerless, when the willpower is manifested in a determined
decision. God gives us power to walk to the right direction,
if we choose the right way."
In the same way, the following verses show what is the
significance of resisting and enduring. If this is done, we
can achieve true freedom:
- (Eph 6:13) Why take to you the whole armor of God, that
you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand.
- (Hebr 10:35,36) Cast not away therefore your confidence,
which has great recompense of reward.
36 For you have need of patience, that, after you have
done the will of God, you might receive the promise.
Another important thing is to separate faith and feelings
from each other. Deliverance is always based on faith, not
on feelings. We walk by faith, not by sight (2
Cor 5:7), and feelings are often a total opposite of what we
really own in Christ.
It is especially normal for a freed person to turn to
feelings when he experiences physical or other symptoms, the
same kind as before. He may think that he has not really
been freed and saved, but that the evil spirits have come
back.
It
is good to note, however,
that one must only stand in faith, believing that the evil
spirits have departed. If one has already confessed his
sins, received forgiveness through the blood of Jesus and
commanded the evil spirits, then they really have gone – it
is a matter of faith, not of feelings.
It is possible, however, that one experiences the same
kinds of symptoms as before, but now on the outside – it is
quite a different issue. Every believer can be attacked by
the evil – even Jesus experienced it in the desert (Matt
4:1-11) – but it does not mean that man
himself were
under the power of evil.
The following verses show Gods protection in this regard,
for example. So if you are struggling with this now, you
will be better off trusting the verses below than your
feelings, which change and vary quite a lot:
- (1 John 4:4) You are of God, little children, and have
overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than
he that is in the world.
- (Ps 121:7) The LORD shall preserve you from all evil: he
shall preserve your soul.
- (Rom 8:38,39) For I am persuaded, that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall
be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
- (Col 1:13) Who has delivered us from the power of
darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his
dear Son:
READING THE WORD
- (Eph 6:16,17) Above all, taking the shield of faith, with
which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
The verses above refer to the shield of faith, with which we
can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, but
also to the sword of the Spirit that is the word of God.
The word of God may also be one tool of grace in
deliverance and the fight. Whenever we read the word of the
Bible – especially verses that concern our position in
Christ and as a child of God – we can experience increasing
freedom, when "the truth shall make you free", as Jesus said
(John 8:32). This goes especially to understanding true
righteousness and the grace of God, when we are freed from
false self-accusations and enter a new level in our
relationship with God.
On the other hand, the word of the Bible can be of use
also in being freed from occultism and other similar issues.
Reading aloud, especially verses that speak of the defeat of
the devil and his final destiny, has been found to be very
good for this issue. (E.g., Rebecca Brown – who has
worked among many people who were seriously bound – wrote in
her book "Valmistaudu sotaan" (Prepare for War), p. 347,
that chapter 18 and the last two chapters of the Revelation
are especially good). The following verses where the
defeat of the devil is discussed can be good, for example.
If reading these verses is difficult for you and you fear
that you may lose consciousness, you can immediately resist
the devil in the name of Jesus and continue reading again:
- (1 John 3:8) ... For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
- (Col 2:15) And having spoiled principalities and
powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them
in it.
- (Luke 10:17-20) And the seventy returned again with joy,
saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through
your name.
18 And he said to them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall
from heaven.
19 Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing
shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits
are subject to you; but rather rejoice, because your names
are written in heaven.
- (Luke 11:20-22) But if I with the finger of God cast
out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come on you.
21 When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are
in peace:
22 But when a stronger than he shall come on him, and
overcome him, he takes from him all his armor wherein he
trusted, and divides his spoils.
- (Matt 4:10) Then said Jesus to him, Get you hence,
Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your
God, and him only shall you serve.
- (Matt 25:41) Then shall he say also to them on the left
hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels
- (Rev 20:10) And the devil that deceived them was
cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where
the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented
day and night for ever and ever.
- Chapters 18-22 of the Revelation
OBJECTS
- (Deut 7:25,26) The graven images of their gods shall
you burn with fire: you shall not desire the silver or
gold that is on them, nor take it to you, lest you be snared
therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD your God.
26 Neither shall you bring an abomination into your
house, lest you be a cursed thing like it: but you shall
utterly detest it, and you shall utterly abhor it; for it is
a cursed thing.
- (Acts 19:17-19) And this was known to all the Jews and
Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all,
and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed
their deeds.
19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought
their books together, and burned them before all men:
and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty
thousand pieces of silver.
A barrier for deliverance may be different objects that have
been in the occult. If there are many objects in our home
that have been used in idol worshipping or have had spells
recited over them, they may be the base for evil spirits.
Many of these objects may be neutral in themselves but if
spells are related to them, then they will incur a burden
upon the home – a burden that will not disappear until the
object in question has been destroyed.
Below is a list of such things and objects that may be a
channel for the devil into man’s home and which should be
destroyed. We could also utter the prayer of giving up for
every object before we destroy it:
- Astrologic, spiritualistic, and magical literature is one
of the greatest channels for the devil. The best known in
this area are probably the 6th and 7th books
of Moses or the Black Bible that include an extensive
selection of magic spells, teaching about communication with
spirits and that have no real connection with the Bible. For
example, Kurt Koch gives in his book Onko paholainen
olemassa? (Between Christ and Satan) (p. 129-139)
numerous examples of how this book has produced difficult
family histories, mental illnesses and that it is difficult
for these people and their descendants to later on turn to
Christ.
- Many souvenirs such as idols and statues, fetishes, magic
drums, and masks of the devil can be bases for evil spirits
because many of them have been dedicated to idolatry and
equipped with spells. Several people bring a curse to their
home when they take home these souvenirs.
- Talismans, amulets, and magic tools that are thought to
possess magical powers and which are believed to bring luck
can also be a channel for the devil. Similar objects
connected to superstition are the pictures of saints,
statues, religious relics, and crucifixes.
- Heavy rock and other cassettes or CDs may be harmful. Many
of these bands are owned by Satanists and have dedicated
themselves to Satan worshipping.
- Objects placed under ones skin, such as metal needles, can
be usual in, for example, the worshipping of Satan or in the
practices of the religions of primitive people. One should
have these kinds of objects removed at a doctor or ask the
Lord to take them away because they are a channel for evil
spirits.
- There are also non-occult objects, received as gifts, that
may include a curse and may be difficult to acknowledge,
unless God gives one a special gift of discernment. These
objects themselves may be neutral, but the curse connected
to them can bring a burden to ones home.
- Crystals that are especially used in the New Age movement
can be harmful because they have been used in service of the
evil. Otherwise they are completely neutral objects.
- Nowadays, children's toys and games may easily include
signs and things relating to occultism. It is certainly
worth while to discuss this with the children and explain to
them why they must be abandoned and destroyed.
CURSES
- (Pro 26:2) As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by
flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
Curses sent by others are also certainly included in the
issues that can bind us. It is very possible that we may be
sick and suffer from problems because of the curses of
others which have been uttered upon us or upon our family by
hostile people. The problem with these curses is also that
they are not always easy to discover and it is not easy to
know where they came from.
The following letter illustrates this well:
I have just recovered from a terrible attack of the enemy.
Bleeding, heart disease, heart beating and exhaustion. My
whole being is in a state of collapse. Suddenly, I
remembered in prayer to pray against all psychic powers
focused upon me (psychic 'prayer'). In faith and by the
power of the blood of Jesus, I cut myself off that, and the
result was surprising. Suddenly my breathing was normal, the
bleeding stopped, the exhaustion disappeared, all the pain
left and life returned to my body. Since that moment, I have
been refreshed and become stronger. God let me know that my
condition was due to a group of betrayed souls in opposition
against me who directed their 'prayers' against me. God has
used me to release two of them, but the others are still in
a terrible abyss... (12)
So if you suspect a curse is the cause of your problems, you
can be freed from these bonds. You can simply command the
curse to break and the evil powers causing it to leave in
the name of Jesus Christ. In the same way, you can ask God
for special protection against hatred, and that God would
break all ties between you and the attacks of the spirit
world. This can be done in the following way, for example:
"In the name of Jesus Christ, I break all curses that have
been uttered against me. At the same time, I command all
demonic powers and illnesses in the name of Jesus Christ to
leave me and my surroundings and my family, never to return.
And Oh Lord, beloved Heavenly Father, I ask that You
would give me protection against hatred and that You break
all ties between me and the attacks of the spirit world. In
addition, I want to bless those who have spoken ill about me
and cursed me. In the name of Jesus, amen.
INHERITANCE
- (Lev 26:38,39) And you shall perish among the heathen, and
the land of your enemies shall eat you up.
39 And they that are left of you shall pine away in
their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in
the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with
them.
- (1 Peter 1:18,19) For as much as you know that you were
not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from
your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers;
19 But with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot:
An issue to which we do not always pay attention is the
effect of the spiritual inheritance on the lives of people.
The effect of this spiritual inheritance becomes apparent in
that we inherit both positive and negative matters in the
spiritual world, both blessings and curses that can affect
our life. Often, these matters that have come to us as an
inheritance can cause consequences to the third and fourth
generation (Ex 20:5) and even further down the line.
In
the most clearest way, the effect of the inheritance
probably appears in the area of occultism. For many may have
inherited occult abilities, such as telepathy, clairvoyance,
spirit healing and common spiritualistic burden. We can also
hear about seer families in which these matters are handed
down from generation to generation. Same kinds of bandages
can also be Mormon and freemasonry oaths or parents who have
allowed to heal themselves magically.
Remarkable in the previous kinds of bounds is that even
if even has never practiced occultism, the spiritualistic
strain will appear at the latest when he tries to turn to
God. He can feel like there is a wall in front of him and he
may be faced with hard battles. Many problems of the
believers come from these bounds, because we have not
understood to take them into the light of God. They can
still affect our lives.
However, we can destroy the effect of the inheritance by
bringing these things into light, i.e. confessing them to
God. We can ask Him to forgive us these sins (this does
not mean that we could affect the destiny of our dead
forefathers, but that we
ourselves will
be free from the effect of these issues) and
also those sins of which we are not aware. In this way, we
will destroy the base of the evil spirits who try to affect
us through the inheritance. We can also ask God to separate
us from all the bad deeds of our forefathers. The following
verses in the Bible refer to this:
- (Lev 26:39-41) And they that are left of you shall pine
away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and
also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away
with them.
40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the
iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which
they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked
contrary to me;
41 And that I also have walked contrary to them, and have
brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their
uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the
punishment of their iniquity:
- (Dan 9:16,17) O LORD, according to all your righteousness,
I beseech you, let your anger and your fury be turned away
from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain: because for our
sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem
and your people are become a reproach to all that are about
us.
17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of your
servant, and his supplications, and cause your face to shine
on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.
- (Neh 9:2) And the seed of Israel separated themselves from
all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and
the iniquities of their fathers.
- (Jer 14:20) We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and
the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against
you.
So, as comes to your life, you can bring these things before
God and confess them to Him. You can break away from them
and command all the evil powers to leave in the name of
Jesus Christ and on the basis of his blood. Confessing your
sins and the command can be uttered in, e.g., the following
way. Also, if you have inherited diseases, you can rebuke
them in the name of Jesus, spread oil on the sick spot and
at the same time ask the Lord for healing:
"Oh Lord, Father, I confess to You all the sins of my
ancestors and parents such as witchcraft, spiritualism,
spirit healing, immorality, false oaths, etc. and I break
away from them. Thank You that I may be free from the effect
of these sins and from all the evil spirits through the
atoning work of Jesus. Thank You that my spiritual
inheritance comes from Christ and not from the sins of my
ancestors. Amen.
"Satan and you evil spirits, I have confessed to God the
sins of my ancestors and parents and the false oaths and
broken away from them. Now you no longer have any legal
right in this regard, because through the blood of Jesus
these matters have been forgiven and their effect has been
broken. Therefore, I command you now in the name of Jesus
Christ to leave me and my surroundings, and never to return!
REFERENCES:
1.
Rick Joyner: Soihtu ja miekka (The Torch and the Sword), p. 45, 46
2.
Audrey Harper ja Harry Pugh: Tanssii saatanan kanssa (Dance with the
Devil), p. 64
3. Anton LaVey: The Satanic Bible (New York: Avon Books,
1969),
p. 18
4. Neil T. Anderson: Enemmän kuin voittaja (The Bondage
Breaker),
p. 130
5.
Päivi Niemi: Stooreja varjojen maasta, p. 97
6. Jessie Penn-Lewis: Pyhien sota (War on the Saints),
p. 13
7. Corrie ten Boom: Lyöty vihollinen (Defeated Enemies),
p. 31,32
8.
Charles G. Finney: Ihmeellisiä herätyksiä, p. 296
9. Rick Joyner: Kutsu (The Call),
p. 42,44
10)
Corrie ten Boom: Lyöty vihollinen (Defeated Enemies),
p.
11,12
11)
Neil T. Anderson: Enemmän kuin voittaja (The Bondage
Breaker),
p. 61,62
12) Quote from Sielun piilevä voima (THE
LATENT POWER OF THE SOUL), Watchman Nee, p.46,47. Initially
in Soul and spirit by Jessie Penn-Lewis,
p. 58
More on this topic:
Spiritualism. Mediums, channeling, ghost phenomena, automatic writing. Read
why it is not worth believing that the forces behind these
phenomena are good, but that it is a case of deception
Wicca
and witchcraft. What do the Wicca cult consist of and what power influences
behind it? Wicca members and witches do not consider the
possibility of fraud
Which power influences you? It is possible that man thinks he is acting in the power of God, but he is
not. What are the characteristics of such lubrication from the wrong
source?
Slips How can one
identify whether a teaching, guidance or experience is of God or a lying
spirit? Missteps should be avoided
