Dangers Of The Occult

Recognizing The Dangers of The Occult

When you hear the term occult, what comes to mind? My initial thoughts when I hear the word occult are a group of people standing in a circle, draped with black cloaks, chanting some ritualistic mantra, surrounded by candles somewhere in an underground cave dwelling. Though there are absolutely groups that do those things, the dangers of the occult have been lost on most of us through decades of horror movies and misrepresentations. This leaves many people ignorant of the presence of the occult and paganism in our western culture.

You may be taking part in occult traditions without even realizing it. Some people have adopted religious pagan practices into their everyday lives, completely unaware of their origin and symbolism. 

For example, it’s the morning, and you’re having your first cup of Joe. You skim through your emails and while at your computer you read your horoscope as you have for years every morning. Maybe you don’t even take it that seriously, but it’s something you do for fun. Perhaps you and a couple of friends go to get a reading by a medium. You figure, what’s the harm in just hearing what the medium has to say? Perhaps for fun, you’ve fooled around with the Ouija board in the past, or apps that promise to detect ghosts and demons. Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one and have considered a séance to speak with the person who has passed to gain some closure.

There are many roads that lead to the occult, but they all lead to the same thing, an open door to the demonic and out from under the protection and covering of the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we should know the dangers of the occult, and expose them for what they are; lies and deceptions.

Who Is On The Other Side?

It doesn’t matter what your intentions are when messing around with the occult. It doesn’t even matter if you take it seriously or not. Your opinion doesn’t change the very real consequences that result from fooling around with such things. What we should focus on is whether it matters to God, and it clearly does.

When individuals are reaching out into the spiritual realm (second heaven) there are only 2 types of entities that could respond during any divination and occult practices. One is a demonic entity and the alternative is an angel of God, none of which, are spirits of loved ones who have passed on.

Allow me to clarify this for you. An angel of the Lord will not communicate with you through any form of witchcraft or divination. Nor will your dead family members or friends ever contact you. I know this may seem harsh to you, but the Bible is very forward in these things. The Bible tells us that once a person has passed away, there is no communication with them.

Mimicking Demons and Familiar Spirits

Demons have no issue with lying and deceiving people into believing they have contacted someone from their life who has passed on. People convince themselves that it all must be real, and that they must really be in contact with a loved one. One major reason they believe this is because the spirit knows things only the loved one could know. The Bible warns us of the lying signs and wonders of the enemy, and this would qualify as exactly that.

This is where familiar spirits come into play, the demonic spirits familiar with you and your family line. These demons know about your ancestors’ sin, they know the areas in your life where you give them access, and they know what provokes you and tempts you. Familiar spirits will give whatever information is desired to convince you you’re speaking to a human spirit who has passed.  

So, why do these demons pretend to be people from our lives? Well, it’s simple, demons know all about the spiritual laws put in place by God.  In order for them to impede your life, they must be given an open door or legal rights. Any communication, seeking out, or calling forth qualifies as an open door. If the demonic entity can convince you they are the person you think they are, the possibilities of deception are endless.

Almost anything can be used as a tool for divination, to act as a bridge to the spiritual dimension. Quja boards, paper and pencil, crystals or scrying mirrors, etc. It isn’t so much about the tool being used, as it is about the individual who is operating the tool. If you have intentions to reach out, don’t be startled when something answers. I can promise you that no matter what the “spirit” is saying, no matter what dead relative or celebrity they claim to be, it is a lie. Don’t get me wrong, demons are clever, and they will sprinkle in some truth with their lies to better deceive you.

Open Doors and Legal Rights

We’ve all seen paranormal movies where someone sees the ghost of a child in their newly moved into home. Eventually, the homeowner is intrigued and seeks interaction or conversation with this ghost child. When the homeowner reaches out, an open door is created. It can be as simple as speaking aloud to the entity, asking them to knock 3 times, or make a sound to let you know they are there. This is considered seeking out and will result in an open door to whatever demonic spirits want to walk through. By seeking contact, the person has now given spiritual permission (legal rights) to the unclean spirits. Once contact is made in the movie, the paranormal activity intensifies, and becomes malicious and violent. The climax of the movie reveals the entity as a demon mimicking a child in order to gain entry through legal rights.

Open doors are simply the ways in which demons gain entry into our lives or into us. Whenever you open a spiritual door like this, it’s as if you are sending out an invitation into the demonic realm, with your home address and then leaving your front door wide open. Demons want nothing more than to live through the flesh and sin of a human. Doing this allows them to partake in sin and to fulfill their desire for all things contrary to God. They achieve this by influencing and harassing a person.

The results of an open door may not manifest til way down the road. Often subtle at first, but bringing about destruction in the end. The Bible says the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, and open doors give him the opportunity to do just that. God has put spiritual laws in place, which is why he instructs us to refrain from anything that grants legal rights to the enemy. Too many people in their ignorance presume God commands us to stay away from things to prohibit us from having any fun. It is quite the opposite. He is protecting us from giving over any legal rights.

Demonic Oppression
The Bible illustrates the various degrees of influence unclean spirits have over humans. We can see in Mark 8:33, Jesus rebukes the enemy working in Peter, “But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan!” For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men”. Also in Acts 5, we read about Sapphira and Ananias, a couple described as having hearts filled by Satan. It started with greed, which led to lying, which ultimately led to their death. In the gospels, we read the incredible story of the Gerasene demoniac who was severely demonically oppressed and possessed. He was known in the area as a self-mutilating madman that could not be restrained, for he had broken free from chains before.

These instances reveal various degrees of demonic influence and oppression within each person. Some can be subtle and swift, like a flash in a pan, like Peter’s rebuke. Others can be unmistakable and ongoing, like the Gerasene demoniac in the Bible. You don’t have to be foaming from the mouth and spitting up pea soup to be under demonic oppression. The Bible also tells of demons causing infirmities and sickness in some people. Why would anyone wish to open a spiritual door to this? Perhaps most don’t, but their lack of knowledge of such things leads them astray like lambs to the slaughter. We need to start looking at the spiritual impacts caused by the choices we make.

Only Through Jesus

What if you have unknowingly messed around with these occult practices in the past? Is it too late? Are you condemned to walk around under demonic oppression? Certainly Not! There is a way to get out from under the oppressive influence. This is where the fruit of repentance and deliverance prayers really shine. The bondage and strife in your life that is being caused by these unclean spirits will fall away as you drive them out of your life through Jesus. Likewise, the unclean spirits will begin to lose their influence over you.

This is only achievable through Jesus Christ. He is the only one who has authority over all. You will not receive it through the new age movement, modern or ancient medicine, or healing crystals. There is no shortcut and there are no hacks. You will only receive relief through Jesus.

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