30 Days of Birth Pangs - Day 18 Demonic Activity

Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven." Luke 10:18 and "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" John 10:10.

Be sober-minded; watch. Your adversary the devil prowls about as a roaring lion seeking whom to devour, 1 Peter 5:8.

Revelation 12:12 ... But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Brothers and Sisters, the enemy does indeed know his time is short.  He was there when Adam fell, he knows when his lease on this planet is up, many believe the Scroll in the Seal Judgments (Revelation 5:9) is the very document.  Thus, if even we humans know the Devil's time is short, how much more does he?

As such, we can expect, from Scripture a heightened activity in the demonic realm as this age draws to a close.  One area in particular that has struck me is the number of demonic inspired "deliverance" that have been in the news recently.  Morgan Freeman's granddaughter was murdered by a man claiming to try and save her from a demon.  A Canadian man kills his ex-girlfriend claiming she was possessed by a demon.  A NC woman is arrested after police find her relative unconscious and her claiming to be a higher power who was performing a deliverance.  This is an every day occurrence these days.

Clear thinking, rational people recognize that the demons were possessing someone all right but in these cases it was the perpetrators, not the victims.   Before 2011, I would have scoffed at these murders; but I have an empathy and an understanding now.  Several times in the last few years, I have been horribly attacked, tormented, and oppressed.  The Lord has let Satan sift me like wheat.  It is only when I have come through the trial that I realize what it was and am restored.  I am always quite disappointed with myself for not having recognized what was wrong at the time, but the enemy is crafty and has been at this longer than I.  Furthermore, the Lord uses those times of fire to purify us, to teach us, and because He is sovereign He has His reasons and His purposes.  (John Eckhart of Charisma Magazine has a fantastic article on the subject that rang true to my experiences, if you are interested in the subject here is a link.)

What these highly publicized cases serve to do though, is cast a shadow over deliverance ministries and deliverance ministers.  People seeking help, relatives desperate for loved ones, will be less inclined to get the help they need and THAT serves the kingdom of darkness.  As the time of the end draws closer, the increase in demonic activity will manifest.  The veil between the natural and the supernatural becomes thinner by the day.

The Occult in Plain Sight

The Occult Forest

What comes to mind when I say, "The Occult".... visions of Satanists dressed in black robes, chanting in the deep woods, around a human sacrifice?  Perhaps you see a fortune teller or a voodoo witch doctor performing some spell in a basement around a bubbling cauldron?  These are the obvious and overt images that make up the idea of what the occult is, but what if it is more than that?

What if the occult is in the music that you listen to or the neighbor you are BBQing with this weekend?  What if that sorority/fraternity or social club you are involved with actually has its roots in the occult?  What if your friend has decided to join a secret society?

If you are like me, you simply shrug a shoulder, raise an eyebrow, and shake your head because really, the occult IS that witch doctor not your neighbor.

Ouija Board

"Yeah, sure, they do these hokey ceremonies at the fraternity but it's just part of the tradition and we laugh while we are doing it, nobody takes that stuff seriously, right?"
"I love that band and raise my hand in the sign of the I love Rock and Roll while I am banging my head, big deal, it's just a song."
"My neighbor has invited me down to the lodge, those are some really great fellows down there, I'm going to join to make friends."
"It's a Milton Bradley game for Christ's sake, what harm can a Ouija board do?"

Satanic Symbol

You, my friend, have now had a run in with the occult.  So what, you might ask, and given the seeming innocence of the scenarios I have described above, I don't blame you for that opinion.

Follow me for just a second, if you do an act, say punch somebody in the face but you do it while having fun, have you still punched that person in the face?  If you are singing a prayer to Satan but don't mean it, haven't you still said the prayer?  If your lodge has a ceremony that has it's roots in Dark Magic but you make a farce out of it, haven't you still done the ritual?

In a country that denies or minimizes the Supernatural the answer is still Ho Hum.  We have become conditioned by the Humanist point of view that truth is what we believe it to be.  If we don't believe these things have supernatural significance then they don't, but what if you are wrong?  What if, as the Bible tells us, that the unseen is greater than the seen? (2 Cor 4:18)  What if while you are joking around in your ceremony there are those hidden in another room who take what you are doing very seriously and are invoking curses and demons on your life?

Sorority Ritual

There are rules and laws in the Supernatural and if you give the enemy permission to move into your life, he is going to accept the invitation and once he's in, don't expect him to behave.  Don't expect because this was a joke in your eyes that it is a joke in his.  Are you angry now for no reason?  Has your baby daughter gotten sick?  Has pornography begun to take hold in your life?  Does Scripture make you cringe?  These could all be signs you have an unwelcome visitor in your life.  The Lord does nothing in secret, there should be no secret societies who serve the Risen Christ, yet Satan will always scheme in secrecy.

High Priest Apron

The good news is that there is a way free of this bondage.  Cry out to the Lord for salvation and deliverance.  Repent and stop doing the things that have brought the enemy into your life and you will be free by the Power of the Holy Spirit and the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, I encourage you to find a local evangelical ministry to help you break free of the bondage of the enemy and find salvation and freedom in the Lord.