DEFENDING GOD—5
5 - Bible Facts About Satan and SpiritualismWitchcraft is increasing in power and influence. Sometimes it is called channeling. It is extremely important that we understand the terrible danger in dabbling with this! There are evil angels who try to destroy our peace and happiness, tempt us to sin, and keep us out of heaven. We must be aware of their devices and be strong in the Lord to resist them. How did sin begin? Is there a devil, and what is he like? How can we resist His advances? And what is his most dangerous method of entrapment? THE TRUTH ABOUT SATAN 1. Who was the first sinner?
Here we have the name of the original sinner. In Revelation, he is referred to as "the great dragon . . that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan" (Rev 12:9). Isaiah refers to him as Lucifer, son of the morning" (Isa 14:12). The time of his sin is "in the beginning." This was sometime near the Creation, as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis. Lucifer was created. The prophet, Ezekiel, presenting Satan under the symbol of the king of Tyrus, presents God as speaking to him of "the day that thou was created" (Eze 28:13). Christ is the Creator; for God "created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph 3:9). "For by Him (Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him" (Col 1:16). Thus Christ created the good angel who later made a devil out of himself. 2. Where was Lucifer created?
Undoubtedly, Lucifer was created in heaven.
3. What special gifts did Lucifer possess?
Lucifer was the wisest of the angels. In addition, he was "perfect in beauty." Apparently, Lucifer was also given an unusually beautiful voice. "The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created" (Eze 28:13). "Tabret" means strings or chords. Apparently, Lucifer’s vocal chords were remarkable. 4. What position did Lucifer occupy in heaven?
In the earthly tabernacle, the two covering cherubim were by the ark of the covenant, which symbolized the throne of God. Therefore, in heaven, Lucifer once stood by God’s throne. 5. How did sin begin?
Sin is without reason or excuse. To excuse it is to defend it. Lucifer chose to sin, and his act will ultimately lead to the destruction of many. God cannot be charged with the origin of sin. 6. How did Satan begin his rebellion in heaven? Here were the five steps down:
Through pride, selfishness, and jealousy, Lucifer corrupted himself into a devil. Lucifer, the light bearer, became Satan, the adversary. He began to question the government and character of God. Satan had to resort to lying to do this. Like many today, he said God’s law cannot be obeyed. Because of pride, he became filled with hatred.
A third of the angels were fascinated with his talk and united with Satan. Then he and his angels made war in heaven. They were determined to kill and conquer their way to rulership.
7. What is Satan doing now, on earth, before he and his followers are finally destroyed? The devil is determined to tempt, harass, and destroy. He wants to take as many souls as possible down to ruin with him.
Satan especially wants to destroy those who love God and try to obey Him.
8. What is the future of Satan, the fallen angel?
Satan, who ruined so many, will himself eventually be destroyed.
When Satan is finally destroyed, his followers will perish with him.
9. Who alone is able to destroy the devil?
Jesus Christ, who died to redeem those who would come to Him in repentance and putting away of their sins, will be the one who will destroy Satan. 10. How will Satan and his followers finally be destroyed?
At the end of time, Christ will destroy Satan and his followers.
11. How can we resist Satan’s devices?
12. When Satan tried to tempt Him, what was Christ’s weapon? "It is written" (Matt 4:4). We should study the Bible, obey it, and we will find it a powerful defense against the enemy. In the strength of Christ, we should obey the commands and claim the promises. THE DEADLY POWER OF SPIRITUALISM 13. What is that great power of evil which we wrestle against?
14. What is Satan himself called? "The god of this world" (2 Cor 4:4). "The prince of this world" (John 14:30). "The prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2). 15. How numerous are Satan’s angels?
A Roman legion, at that time, consisted of about 5,000 men. 16. What agency does Satan especially use to entrap and destroy souls?
"Spiritualism: A belief that departed spirits hold communion with mortals by means of physical phenomena, as by rapping or, during abnormal mental states, as in trances or the like, commonly manifested through a medium; spiritism" (Webster’s Dictionary). "Spiritism: The theory that mediumistic phenomena are caused by spirits of the dead" (Webster). 17. God warns us to have nothing to do with spiritualists.
The "channeling" of our own time is essentially the same as modern spiritualism, which is nothing more than ancient necromancy—pretended communication with the dead, but actually contact with, and guidance by, devils.
We are to have nothing to do with that which is an abomination to the Lord. The devils give a little truth, mixed with a lot of lies, to catch someone’s attention, so they can then capture and ruin him.
18. What is the basic lie upon which spiritualism is based? God told Adam and Eve that, if they sinned and disobeyed Him, they would surely die.
But Satan lied. He told Eve that, if she sinned, she would live forever.
Spiritualism is based on Satan’s lie, that the dead are still alive, conscious, and able to return and speak to us. 19. What is the true state of the dead?
Never again do the dead return to earth to take part in our lives.
20. When mediums bring us spirits impersonating our departed loved ones, what should we call them?
21. How can we test the spirits, to know what they really are?
We are told to test the spirits, but against what standard are we to test them? The test we are to apply is the Word of God and His law—the Ten Commandments. If they speak not according to this Word, we are not to hear them. Spirit mediums are licentious, and their spirits speak lies. We are to have nothing to do with them.
The mediums and psychics will want you to forsake the God of heaven and His holy Bible—and go after other gods. This will be a sign to you.
22. What warning is given us that this terrible deception will especially exist in the last days?
We, who live in the last days, must be especially on guard. It is imperative that we study God’s Word daily, pray, and plead for His guidance and protection. 23. How will Satan deceive men in these last days?
Satan will work great wonders through his special agents. Yet those men will deny basic Bible truths about the plan of redemption and the importance of obedience to God’s Word.
Satan will also, in the sight of men, bring down fire from the skies.
Beware! beware! Satan’s devices captivate those willing to consider them. If any man comes to you with a message, purportedly from God, but which is not in the law or the testimony—flee from him.
24. While many will be deceived by these wonders, the faithful will trust in God, obey His Inspired Writings, and look for Christ’s return.
ADDITIONAL FACTSModern spiritualism is disguised under many names: parapsychology, channeling, occult sciences, clairvoyance, spiritism, witchcraft, wizardry, spiritual healing, hypnosis, magnetic healing, yoga, mind dynamics, biofeedback training, psychic phenomena, etc. Upon first encountering it, people sense that a superhuman power is present; and, fascinated, they dabble with it—until they are controlled by a will stronger than their own. You do not want anything to do with it! A young man had lost both his mother and sister by death, and he was encouraged by a friend to visit a spirit medium. She told him his "departed ones" wanted to communicate with him. Soon he was regularly having visits with apparitions, purporting to be his mother and his sister. This continued on for several years. Then he left for Australia, where he was converted to Christianity. Accepting the clear warnings of the Bible about spiritualism, he rejected it outright. But he could not disentangle himself from the spirits. He asked for the help of a Christian friend. "I cannot get away from those spirits," he told him. "They wake me up three or four times in the night." So, to provide him with prayerful support, his friend moved in with him; and, each night in separate beds, they slept in the same room. Soon the strange beings entered the room, as usual, in the middle of the night. First, they would shake his bed, then they would start talking to him. They were usually semi-transparent in appearance. One, he said, looked and sounded exactly like his mother. She would tell him of her affection for him. He would say, "1 don’t believe you," and turn his face the other way. The voice of his sister would come before him, saying that he was hurting his mother’s heart. Then he would get up, switch on a light, and start reading in the Bible. Alter a few minutes of silence, the book would be snatched from his hands and thrown across the room, with the words, "You’ll read, will you?" These were not beloved relatives, but devils, Then he would go outside, take long walks, and discuss the situation with his friend. Eventually, the spirits stopped coming. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous Sherlock Homes mystery writer and one of the world’s leading spiritualists said this: "The organized spiritualist does not accept the atonement of Christ or the existence of sin" (Wanderings of a Spiritualist, p. 25). He predicted that spiritualism, when it has taken over the world, "will sweep the world and make it a better place in which to live. When it rules over all the world, it will banish the blood of Christ!" (Cosmopolitan, January 1918, p. 69). A young engineering company salesman boarded a ship at Sydney, Australia. He was to spend two weeks in New Zealand on business. But, on the ship, he met Doyle, who was on a worldwide lecture trip, to stir up interest in spiritism. The young man told his cabin mate, a preacher, that he was going to talk to Doyle the next day. Although warned that, if he did, he would be caught, the young man laughed and resolutely said he would never become a spiritualist. But, on his return from the interview the next day, the young man seemed like a changed person. The lies of Doyle and his spirits had won over the young man. "Doyle told me," he said, "all about several ancestors I know nothing about. He said, because they were powerful mediums, I will be too—if I will join him. And this I am going to do!" He remained with Arthur Conan Doyle throughout the five-day trip. Arriving in New Zealand, he telegrammed both a resignation to his company and a good-bye to his family. It is well-known that Kaiser Wilhelm II, Adolf Hitler, and Benito Mussolini conducted the two world wars through the continual guidance of spirit mediums. It was the advice of devils which resulted in the terribly murderous decisions which were made. God will protect from the devils if you will yield your life to Him and trust and obey the Bible. But if you go seeking for the devils, you will be caught and captured. A young Fijian woman living in Winembuka, about sixty miles from Suva, whose grandfather had been a devil priest, decided she would try to contact the power with whom he communed. This was to be just a bit of fun, or so she thought. Unknown to her parents, she went to the edge of the village and tried to summon the spirits. Soon the villagers realized the woman was regularly doing it. Her parents, which were Christian, tried to dissuade her, but she would not listen to them. She said the being she spoke with appeared in the form of a great green snake. But it spoke as a person would. Eventually, the meetings became so gruesome that she realized she would be destroyed if she continued. She was face to face with a terrible power. One day, she totally turned her back on it—and refused to go out and talk to the snake. A few days later, she fell to the ground, possessed by demons. In desperation, her family sent for their minister. By the time he and two other ministers had arrived, the girl had been laying on the ground for three days without eating or drinking. When they tried to speak to her, she would scream at them, as though she were a wild animal. The men prayed earnestly. Then they ordered the evil spirits to come out of her. Immediately, she turned toward them and glared like a cornered animal. Then she dropped to the floor; and, stretching out full length with staring eyes and frothing mouth, she crawled across the room toward them, slithering like a snake. Then she stopped and went limp. They bathed her face with water and she sat up. "Where am I, and why are you here?" she asked. Then they told her what had happened. Turning to her parents, she asked forgiveness for her defiance of their counsel. Then, all together, they thanked God for casting out the evil spirits. Never, never have anything to do with any form of spiritualism! We will conclude with this incident: During World War II, a mother received word that her son was missing in action. Although warned by Christian friends not to do so, she went to a spirit medium in town where, each week, she spoke with her boy. They would sit on the couch together and both would share with one another stories from earlier years when they were together. Convinced that it was her dead son, returning to visit with her, soon she gave up Christianity and threw away her Bible. Then one day, her boy came home! He had not died after all! The lying spirits had only appeared to present him to her in the séances. Few things are more dangerous than making contact with evil spirits, and there are many ways in which this can be done. Cling to Jesus Christ as your Saviour and obey His Scriptures. There is no other way you can be safe in this life. How thankful we can be that Christ is more powerful than the demons! |
