Occultic Doorways
"There shall not be found among you any one that... useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch... For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord." — Deuteronomy 18:10–12
The List God Gave
"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee." (Deuteronomy 18:10–12)
That is a comprehensive list, and it includes practices we regard as trivial. An observer of times covers astrology and horoscopes. Divination covers every method of obtaining hidden knowledge apart from God.
Any dealing with the occult, however light or brief, is a doorway.
The Things We Call Harmless
Playing with your horoscope. The curiosity visit to a fortune teller, a tea-leaf reader, a palm reader.
How many school and church fundraising carnivals feature a fortune teller of some sort? None of these are harmless. Small children are sent to them as something fun to do.
How many of those children later find themselves unable to accept Christ — or, if already believers, lose interest and are unable to grow to any depth? The number of casualties from this source alone would appal us if we knew it.
Just one visit to a séance out of curiosity is enough to affect the rest of your life. So is studying books on the occult arts, playing with a spirit board, trying out psychic experiences or projection, magic of any kind, prayers using candles, spells, levitation, or consulting a medium to locate a missing object.
Fraternities, Sororities, and Oaths
There is a high incidence of occult involvement through college fraternities and sororities that is almost never mentioned.
Most of the oaths and pledges taken at initiation are occultic rituals that directly open a person to entrance. Frequently the pledge involves loyalty and faithfulness to the spirit of a deceased founder of the organization — and that spirit is a demon. Pledges with candles and an altar of some sort are common.
Christians should have no part in such ceremonies or clubs. To take part is to be unequally yoked.
Practices That Look Christian
Two categories deserve particular care, because they are found inside churches.
Rituals using salt and oil with recited Scripture. Salt is used in a great many occult rituals. Salt appears in the Bible as a symbol, but it is never used in biblical anointing or baptism. Any time someone tells you to use salt or candles in a ritual manner involving prayers or recited Scripture, be alert — you are being involved in an occultic ritual, however innocent it appears.
"Releasing spirits." In many churches people are taught to bind evil spirits in Jesus' name, which is scriptural. But they are also taught to pray "I release spirits of revelation, peace, love."
There is only one Holy Spirit. Revelation is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Peace and love are fruits of the Holy Spirit. "Spirits" of love, peace, and revelation are not the Holy Spirit — and releasing such things is precisely what practitioners of the occult do.
Likewise, some pray to send curses back on the sender, or to "release spirits of confusion and torment upon this person until he turns to the Lord."
"Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." (Luke 6:28)
Christians do not send demons onto anyone. That is witchcraft. And a "sevenfold return" is commanding seven times as many to go back as were sent. We must be careful not to follow teachings blindly, or we will find ourselves practicing the very thing we oppose.
Point to Ponder
One visit out of curiosity is enough to affect the rest of a life. We send children to these booths at church fundraisers.
Verse to Remember
"For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord." — Deuteronomy 18:12
Question to Consider
What have I done "just for fun" that Scripture calls an abomination?
Today's Practice
Write your history honestly, and go back as far as you can.
Fortune tellers, palm readers, tea leaves, horoscopes — including the casual ones. Séances, spirit boards, psychic experiences, projection. Books studied on occult subjects. Spells, candle rituals, charms. Mediums consulted for any reason. Fraternity or sorority initiations and oaths. Rituals involving salt, candles, and recited Scripture. Prayers releasing "spirits" of anything, or sending curses back.
Include everything you did once, everything you did as a child, and everything you were told was harmless.
For each item, use the prayer from the closing lesson of this section — but you may start now:
"Father, I confess to You my involvement in ______. I recognize that it is an abomination to You and detestable in Your sight. I humbly ask Your forgiveness. I ask You to lift out any demonic entrance that resulted, to cleanse me, and to close the doorway forever with the precious blood of Jesus. In Jesus' name."
Then address it directly, out loud:
"Satan and you demons — I have asked my heavenly Father for forgiveness for participating in ______, and I have received it. I now, by faith, close the doorway of that area of my life to you forever through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross for me. In the name of Jesus I command you to leave me and never return."
Prayer
Father, I have done things for fun and out of curiosity that You call abomination.
Some of it I have never once thought of as sin. A booth at a fair. A magazine column. A game at a sleepover. An oath sworn at eighteen that I have not thought about since.
I confess all of it. I do not excuse any of it by saying I did not know.
Lift out anything that gained entrance through those doorways. Cleanse me. And close every one of them forever with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
And guard me from the counterfeits inside Your church — the rituals with salt and candles, the releasing of spirits, the sending back of curses. Let me never practice the thing I claim to oppose.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
"There is only one Holy Spirit." Everything else being "released" is something else.