TITLE: DEMONS AND THE OCCULT
Subtitle: Biblical Reality vs. Popular Misinformation
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Confusion abounds today concerning demons and the occult powers of darkness, due to a lack of serious Bible study. The Word of God is the only authoritative textbook on the subject we need in order to gain a true understanding of its nature. All other sources have their origin in the pit and must be handled with the utmost of care. CAUTION! Only those Christians who are mature in the faith should ever attempt to obtain and study materials of an occult nature—and then only after much prayer and spiritual preparation by “putting on the whole armor of God.” I cannot possibly overemphasize the reality of demonic and satanic influence that is being exerted today—a reality that is consistently being overlooked and/or downplayed by preachers who are supposed to know better!
The word “occult” means “that which is hidden” and deals with the evil side of the supernatural. In stark contrast, the Bible tells us of the goodness and grace of God—knowledge that is to be proclaimed openly and to everyone that will listen. But the point many fail to understand is that the Bible is also a supernatural book and its subject material covers the on-going battle of good versus evil from God’s point of view. God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, along with God’s angels in heaven are routinely discussed in our churches, but for some weird reason people just do not attach the same level of reality or credibility to their evil counterparts. Why do you suppose that this is true? I believe the answer lies in understanding that if I were the devil and possessed the level of supernatural power that the Bible shows him to have, I too would spend much of my time persuading people that I did not exist! His agenda has been well served by staying behind a cloak of superstition and secrecy—hence the “occult” designation given to his plan and program. In order to try to expose him and what he is up to, I want to delve into what the Bible teaches about this malevolent spirit, along with the various beings who owe their allegiance to him.
Rather than trying to do a definitive study on the origin of Satan and the angels who joined with him in his rebellion against God, (a study within itself) I will assume that you already know these biblical facts and focus instead our attention upon their present location(s) and activities. First of all, it may surprise you to find that Satan (the devil) and his evil angels are not in hell! Quite the contrary, they still have free access to heaven and occasionally appear before the throne of God (Job 1:6). After the fall of man (Adam’s sin and subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden), God allowed Satan to become the “god of this world” (2 Cor.4:4). Since he corrupted it, God made him ruler over it. Thus all of mankind came under his rule and became his slaves. Between that day and the present, Satan and his minions have been the highly organized behind-the-scenes manipulators of world leaders and events—ever antagonistic toward God and His revealed will. Isaiah 14:12-14 reveals to us that Satan is the very personification of pride, having an insatiable desire to be like God and attempting to replace God in the hearts and minds of men. Apparently that is one of the reasons he is going to be allowed to have free reign during the Tribulation Period, but the Battle of Armageddon will end his rule and he will be “bound for a thousand years” (Rev.20:2). After this thousand years—during which the Lord Jesus Christ will rule and reign over the earth—Satan will “be loosed for a little season” (Rev.20:3, KJV). He will again attempt to overthrow God by raising an army to fight against Him, but fire from heaven will consume the army and Satan will then be thrown into the “lake of fire” where he will remain forever (Rev.20:7-10).
To further establish the present location of Satan and his angels, I call our attention to Revelation chapter 12 where we learn in verse 6 that, during the Tribulation Period, the woman (Israel) will flee for her life into the wilderness to escape the dragon (Satan). This will occur at the mid-point of the seven year period and elect Israel will be kept safe by God for the last 3 ½ years. Then (verse 7) war will break out in heaven, Satan and his angels will be defeated and cast out of heaven down to the earth! (vs. 8 and 9). Then and only then (during the last part of the Tribulation Period) will they be restricted to earth and denied further access to heaven. Their consignment to hell and the lake of fire will occur even later—(We can only surmise that the fallen angels will be cast into the lake of fire along with Satan at the end of the millennial reign of Christ, because we are not specifically told this.) The still future event of Satan being cast out of heaven may be what the Lord referred to in Luke 10:18, where He said that He “beheld Satan like lightning, fall from heaven.”
Therefore, at the present time Satan and his hordes of fallen angels freely travel back and forth between heaven and earth while pursuing their own evil plan of ruling over creation! And yet God continues to grant them the privilege of access to His throne. Why? We are not given any specifics, but it may be that God is “handicapping” the contest between Himself and Satan in some way, by granting concessions such as allowing him to be “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev.12:10). Something of this nature must be true, because God could have destroyed Satan and his angels long ago. It is fairly plain from the conversation recorded in Job chapter one and the actions of Satan during the “temptation of Christ”(in Matthew 4), that his entire viewpoint is antagonistic and he desperately wants to be worshipped as god. By giving him “enough rope to hang himself,” God the Father is patiently looking to the day when all of the devil’s excuses will have run their course and the matter will come to its terminus. Of course there is no chance whatever that Satan will emerge as the victor—Jesus Christ forever settled that matter on Calvary’s cross, when he died for the sins of His people. Satan is a defeated enemy, but as long as the sands of time continue to flow through God’s hourglass—he will continue the struggle and we (those still living on earth), along with God’s angels, will have to continue to deal with him and his “friends.”
It is extremely foolish to believe that Satan has no human followers! Increasingly, more and more people openly admit to being members of his “church”. Just as the Gospel message of Jesus Christ continues to go forth and captivate the souls of men, so too the occult message of the devil continues its evil work. The gospel redeems men from among the spiritually dead, while the occult works to blind their eyes to its message. The power of Satan is enormous and he utilizes that supernatural power to full advantage through the vast organization of his angelic followers. We get a glimpse into this organizational structure in the Book of Daniel, chapter 10 where we read in verse 13 that “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” (an evil angel) withstood (fought with and hindered for 21 days!) the unnamed angel sent from heaven to minister to Daniel. In verse 20 we see that the angel tells Daniel that once he (God’s angel) leaves, the “[hostile] prince of Greece will come.” Bible scholars infer from this and other Scriptures that the fallen angels are organized and have specific spheres of responsibility and influence. The apostle Paul refers to this organizational structure in Ephesians 3:10 and Colossians 2:15, by calling them “principalities and powers.” In Ephesians 6:12 he mentions them again and adds the words, “spiritual wickedness in high places”(KJV)—literally “in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere” (Amplified Bible).
Perhaps by now you have noticed that I have refrained from using the word “demon” to describe these evil angels. I believe that they are two distinctly different entities! The reason for this belief is found in the New Testament account of Christ’s healing the “maniac of Gadara” (Luke 8:27, ff.). This poor man was possessed by so many demons that they referred to themselves as “Legion”! When the Lord commanded them to leave the man, they pleaded with Him to allow them to enter into a nearby herd of pigs. From this primary reference, along with other Scriptures, we gather that demons per se are disembodied spirits and are constantly seeking to possess someone (or something). Since this particular trait or tendency is nowhere in Scripture ascribed to the fallen angels, we must conclude that they are actually two different entities. If they are not fallen angels, then what, or who, are they? Chuck Missler, a well-known business man and Bible teacher, maintains that they are the spiritual remains of the “Nephilim”—the “giants” of Genesis 6:4, who were the offspring of fallen angels (”sons of God”) that cohabited with women (”the daughters of men”)! The flood of Noah was God’s judgment upon mankind for that corruption of the “gene pool” (Satan’s attempt to thwart God’s human Messiah). In the flood the humanity of the Nephilim was destroyed, but their supernatural element survived as disembodied spirits—demons, if you will! Once is never enough for the devil, so he re-introduced Nephilim (also known as Anakim and Zamzummim, Deut.2:20-21), after the flood among the Canaanites and this was probably the reason God told Joshua to kill them all—men, women, and children!
Theologians generally agree that neither Satan, his angels, or demons are omnipresent. Only God Himself possesses the attribute of being everywhere present at the same time. Therefore it is statistically and logically improbable that any of us have ever encountered Satan personally. More than likely, he spends his time directing and influencing world leaders and others who are in positions that could prove advantageous to his cause. Some preachers have said that if we were to see him, he would probably be standing behind a highly regarded pulpit somewhere! The reason for this is found in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 where we read the following:
“For such men are false apostles—spurious, counterfeits—deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ, the Messiah. And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light, so it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. [But] their end will correspond with their deeds” (Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary, emphasis mine).
When we study the Gospel accounts of Christ’s earthly ministry and then on through the history of the early church as recorded in the Book of Acts, we find numerous references to individuals being demon possessed—along with accounts of some of the demons being exorcised. Referring to this, some of the Bible commentaries express the opinion that demonic activity was especially strong at that time because of the Lord’s physical presence upon the earth. If that is true, then we should expect the same, or even greater, activity when the false christ—the antichrist is present. His coming is said to be with “all power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Thess.2:9). I am convinced that demonic activity is absolutely raging at the present time due to several factors—Not the least of which are the emails we receive from individuals experiencing problems which bear the unmistakable marks of spiritual oppression. Many of these people were involved in the occult before they were saved and are acutely aware that their problems have a supernatural basis. The senseless taking of human life is becoming pandemic— through mass murders involving guns, through abortions and suicides—all of which should alert us to the evil behind them. Another factor—and one that is not usually stressed—is the “signs and miracles” movement within Christendom. To those who would take exception to my assertion that this is demonic, I want to ask you one simple question: What good is it? What does it accomplish other than make those who participate in it “feel good”? The usual alibi is that “it increases my faith!” If that is the case, then why does Hebrews 11:1 state:
“Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of the things we hope for, being the proof of things [we]do not see and the conviction of their reality—faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.”
Genuine faith is not predicated upon, nor built up by, that which titillates our flesh! And those poor benighted souls who are so infatuated by the “laughing revivals”, “being slain in the Spirit”, Marian apparitions, icons that weep tears, etc., etc., are being seduced by demons into chasing rainbows—thereby effectively captivating them and neutralizing them from anything spiritually productive. Remember that Satan just loves “religion” and is tickled to death to get people totally immersed in it—so that he can divert their attention from what the Bible teaches is really important. If this describes your so-called spiritual life, I beg you to wake up and grow up before you are totally swallowed up! 1 Peter 5:8 echoes this sentiment:
“Be well-balanced—temperate, sober-minded; be vigilant and cautious at all times, for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour” (Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary).
The apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, makes it crystal clear to us that our Christian warfare is not against mere mortals—when he says to us in Ephesians 6, verse 12:
“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood—contending only with physical opponents—but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the [master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere” (Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary, emphasis mine).
He then goes on in verses 13 through 18 to exhort us to protect ourselves by putting on the “armor” that God has provided for us: truth, integrity and moral rectitude, spiritual preparation through Bible study and prayer, saving faith, and then salvation itself—while all the time standing our ground and wielding the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God.
This allusion to military armor, so necessary for our personal protection amid the battles of life, reminds me of Elisha’s servant in 1 Kings chapter 6. The King of Syria was very upset because all of his attempts at warfare against the King of Israel had failed. Each time they had tried to spring a surprise attack against Israel, it was obvious that Israel knew about it beforehand. Syria’s king was so upset that he ordered that his men ferret out the traitor in their midst! That is when one of his servants informed him that none of his men was betraying him—the culprit was Elisha, God’s prophet in Israel! He was keeping the King of Israel up-to-date on everything Syria was doing. The Syrian king then ordered them to find Elisha and take him captive. When the Syrian army located him, they came by night and surrounded the city of Dothan, where he was staying,. The next morning, Elisha’s young servant went outside and when he spotted the huge army surrounding them he panicked! He immediately went inside and said to Elisha, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” To calm his fears, Elisha said to him, “Fear not; for those with us are more than those with them.” Verse 17 of chapter 6 records what happened next:
“Then Elisha prayed, Lord I pray You, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire about Elisha” (Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary).
Thus the young man literally saw the supernatural army of God standing between them and their enemies! He had already been told by Elisha that their protectors were more numerous than their enemies and now he knew for sure, because he could see them. The same thing applies to us today—the very angels of God are on constantly on guard, standing watch over His people. And it is a very comforting thought to realize that they outnumber Satan’s angels 2 to 1! Remember that Revelation 12:4 (along with Jewish tradition) says that a third of the angels of heaven fell with Satan and that leaves two thirds on our side!
Do you sense the presence of “another dimension”—another sphere of reality that we refer to as the supernatural? Many have no hesitation at all to answer in the affirmative where the “good” aspect is concerned, but seem almost embarrassed to admit belief in “the dark side.” Most of our children have no problem at all in relating to “the dark side” because Hellywood (spelling intentional) has thoroughly indoctrinated them through movies such as “Star Wars”, “E.T.”, and a host of others too numerous to mention. At this time of year (the end of October) we are again confronted with another unwelcome celebration of “Halloween”, a pagan holy day sacred to the ancient druids as well as modern day witches, Wiccans, Illuminists, Satanists, and other assorted and sundry devils. If you think that Halloween is just “harmless fun”, you are part of the majority—but let me inform you that you are an unwitting participant in a world-wide deception of staggering proportions. Deception is the stock and trade of hell’s angels and they have, over a long period of time, lulled this world to sleep and have it set up for the ultimate deception: the revelation of their antichrist, Lord Matreya—Satan incarnate! His coming will doubtless be viewed by the people of the world as the most spiritually moving event in their lives and they will welcome him with open arms. He will “wow” them with his signs and miracles (just as his conditioning program is already doing within Christendom) and they are going to eat it up. But little do they know or understand that his bait has a hook from which they cannot escape. His plans for the world will be implemented with unprecedented efficiency and soon war and hunger and poverty will appear to be things of the past. Millions will sing his praises and, in the midst of it all, Israel will be worshipping him as their Messiah—thrilled beyond the ability of mere words to express—once again offering blood sacrifices at their own Temple after nearly 2000 years of exile. But their euphoria will be short-lived, because at the mid-point of the 7 year Tribulation Period the antichrist will reveal his true nature. The Bible tells us that he will stand in the “Holy of Holies” (the most sacred spot in their newly re-built Temple) and demand that both he and some kind of image, or idol, be worshipped as god! The prophet Daniel refers to this as being “the abomination of desolation” and Jesus Christ Himself refers to it in Matthew 24:15. This incident will be the “wake-up call” to God’s elect among the Jewish people. They will recognize the spiritual implications of what has occurred and flee for their very lives. What follows will be beyond description! The antichrist—Satan incarnate—will unleash his fury upon the Jews in particular and the rest of the world in general. That last 3 ½ years will be so terrible that God’s Word calls it “the great tribulation”. Hell will finally “boil over”!
We constantly get email from those who insist that Halloween is only a harmless tradition in which kids can mooch candy from their neighbors. Others say that the practice of Wicca, or witchcraft, or Ouija boards, or Tarot cards, or “native American religion”, or Freemasonry, or Roman Catholicism, or a great number of other “innocent” practices and religions—are not wrong and therefore we should not criticize them. Please believe me when I say that I derive no satisfaction from criticizing the beliefs of others and my criticism is not offered from the standpoint of personal superiority. When one takes the time to study the Bible carefully, it will quickly become apparent that everything associated with the occult is soundly condemned! And each of the aforementioned religions and practices contain an occult component that can be proven with a minimum of diligent study—along with a willingness to admit the truth as found. There are none so blind as those that just will not see! If you are currently involved in any of these religions and/or practices, I urge you to take stock of what you are doing and wake up to reality. Because if you are not aware of the inherent evil present, to put it in the common vernacular, you are being “suckered” big time!
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible Study.
If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but have come to realize His reality and the approaching End of the Age, and want to accept His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can also do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you accept Him as Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that the Kingdom of Antichrist will not touch you spiritually. If you would like to become Born Again, turn to our Salvation Page now.
We hope you have been blessed by this ministry, which seeks to educate and warn people, so that they can see the coming New World Order — Kingdom of Antichrist — in their daily news.
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