Many Freemasons are unaware of the secret practices of their members, but the demonic implications are significant, and require warfare prayers. These “secret” upper levels are well-documented and should be avoided at all costs. Note: the occult areas are not practiced universally.
Dear Roger,
I believe that vampirism is alive and well today. Vampire lore seems innocuous enough, but I have observed cases in my counseling practice that give me pause. Several years ago, I had a client who was involved in the vampire cult. When I asked him to explain to me what he meant, he replied that he belonged to a cult who met at a local cemetery once a week to engage in a variety of rituals including drinking one another’s blood. I asked him what it was that he got out of his participation in this act. He replied that the night would start out with certain rituals of chanting and dancing around headstones, then everyone would run around the cemetery to get their endorphins “revved up.” At that point they would get out their blood-letting kits that included a needle, a tube, and a tourniquet, which was used to get the blood vein ready for piercing. They would each take turns drinking each other’s blood through the hollow tube.
He was told that since their endorphins were so high, he too would received a high from the blood they drank. He admitted to never feeling an actual “high” from the drinking of the blood but did it anyway to feel accepted as a cult member. I asked him if he was aware of blood born pathogens. He believed because they did a “certain ritual” prior to drinking the blood that this would prevent any negative illnesses from being passed between the cult members.
At first I found it difficult to believe this was real. However after he showed me his arms and the totally collapsed blood veins in each, I was then convinced he was engaging in something unusual. He even showed me his blood letting kit.
The reason he came to me for counseling was not because of the vampirism, but because he was suffering from heavy depression. He was unclear why he was so depressed all the time. I asked him if he felt depressed during his time at the cemetery. He stated he felt good after spending time with his cult once a week and doing the rituals but that high led to a greater feeling of depression later on. He not only felt empty, he also felt a sense of numbness. His life had no meaning and he often stated he was suicidal. He was promised by the cult that he would be a part of a family that loved and adored him. He soon realized that all they wanted was to simply use him and the love they described was a deception.
Roger, the cult he belonged to was located here in our hometown, however he stated there were similar cults nearby. Both men and women including teenagers are involved in these cults.
How would you address those issues as they pertain to the incredibly popular vampire-themed materials everywhere? Can vampirism be a doorway to satanic ritual abuse?
A Concerned Counselor
Dear Concerned Counselor,
The vampire legend can be traced back to medieval and later Eastern European folklore, but variations of tales of vampire-like creatures also exist in Africa, Asia and the Americas. The current vampire craze really became popular in two quasi-romantic novels of the 19th century, The Vampyre by John Polidori (1819) and Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897). These two are the progenitors of the romantic vampire genre of fantasy fiction. The seductive “kiss of the vampire” has generated an alluring mystique, especially for young women, and that mystique, along with the “forbidden fruit” syndrome, is the basis for the popularity of the Vampire literature. The romantic/sexual attraction of the suave, sophisticated vampire Count Dracula as portrayed by Frank Langella in the movie Dracula (1979) is an example of the allure of the vampire. The film’s tagline is: “Throughout history, he has filled the hearts of men with terror, and the hearts of women with desire.”
Any obsessive interest in vampires—or for that matter witches, ghosts, and other occultic figures—can be unhealthy at best and dangerous at worst. It depends on the spiritual state of the person whose interest is piqued by such subjects. One such character is featured in the classic Twilight book series. Bella, the central character, is a socially awkward teen who finds her identity and love in a social setting where she is surrounded by vampires and werewolves who are both seductive and compelling. A weak, emotionally fragile young girl, for example, whose life is characterized by family stress, self-esteem issues, and a lack of strong role models, could be at risk for developing an unhealthy interest in the occult.
Such an interest can be an open door for destructive demonic influence to infiltrate her mind and spirit. Satan, as we know, is the enemy of our souls, who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
For example, God says in Leviticus 17:10-12:
“Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood—I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.”
In one of Jesus’ most demanding teachings on discipleship He declared that only those who eat His flesh and drink His blood will be “part” of Him. He was talking about total commitment. We can taste something and still spit it out. But, once we eat or drink it, it becomes part of us. It is no wonder that the people who heard His challenge were scandalized! They were quite familiar with Leviticus 17! It is no wonder that every one of His followers left Him that day—except the Twelve.
Communion (or the Lord’s Supper) is a symbol of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus. His body and blood were given on the cross as the working tools of the divine transaction that forgave our sins and made us Christ Followers fit for Heaven. Christ’s work on the cross is often identified as the “atonement” God was pointing to in Leviticus 17:10-12. By sharing communion we not only remember His sacrifice on the cross, we are demonstrating our whole-hearted commitment to Him.
When we come to Christ, we choose to trust Him and give control of our lives to Him. The metaphor of “drinking his blood” represents becoming a part of His body—part of His family. On the other hand, vampires are imagined to forcibly drink the blood of others. The victims have no choice. They are often forced to become part of this dark world without their consent. See the contrast?
Here is another thought about vampires and the Bible. When we think of vampires, we think of blood, death and gore.
But, remember, the Bible is also filled with blood, death, and gore. One of the goriest Bible stories is found in Judges 19:25-30: “So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. . . . When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, ‘Get up; let’s go.’ But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home. When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. . . .”
Vampire stories are not the only unpleasant stories in the world.
Now, let me share a few simple observations about helping your family with media that glorifies vampires.
Many stories espouse values that are unchristian or certainly not the values that we want our children to emulate. Some really nasty aspects of our culture reside just below the surface where our children are too easily exposed to them. Here we must be vigilant. We also need to be aware of the video games our progeny play. Many are great and fun, some are dangerously addictive and/or filled with occult images.
Regarding literature like the Twilight series, Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, the inspiration for her first book came from a “very vivid dream.” She writes: “In my dream, two people were having an intense conversation in a meadow in the woods. One of these people was just your average girl. The other person was fantastically beautiful, sparkly, and a vampire. They were discussing the difficulties inherent in the facts that (a) they were falling in love with each other while (b) the vampire was particularly attracted to the scent of her blood, and was having a difficult time restraining himself from killing her immediately. For what is essentially a transcript of my dream, please see Chapter 13 (“Confessions”) of the book.”
These Christian novels are about the battles behind the scenes in the spiritual realm for the souls of men and women on earth. The books are filled with adventure and suspense. I guarantee that they will not be able to put down either book. Even though they are fiction, they hold much truth about the reality of the spiritual world. I think that many people are captivated by the spirit world because we do inherently know that there is something beyond our physical senses. These books can begin a study of what is really happening “behind the scenes.”
This may sound controversial, but you might choose to read this book together, discussing the concerns you both have about the content. Go to the movies he/she watches as often as you can. Read some of the magazines he/she reads. And then talk. Don’t panic! Listen to their opinions. Be careful not to instantly dismiss them out of fear. Consider that it is OK for them to be searching for truth rather than already knowing the truth. The ultimate goal is for you, as a parent, to lovingly help him/her develop a spiritual “filter”—a high level of spiritual discernment. As they becomes adults, they will be able to search out and formulate answers to these questions on their own.
Help him or her to recognize that they should avoid media he or she “doesn’t feel right about.” God instructs us never to violate our consciences because the conscience often acts as the interface between our inner spirit where God lives and our mind where we live. We must be careful never to violate it (1 Corinthians 10:23-30). Remember, Paul wrote, for Christians to stop worrying about “disputable things”—enjoy them! On the other hand, if your activities (freedoms of conscience) violate your conscience—or the consciences of those around you—then stay away from them.
Finally Philippians 4:8-9 gives good advice for anything we allow ourselves or our children to read or be involved in: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” As parents, we should be well-informed and screen what our children read or watch. Openly discuss the “hidden” and “open” messages of media with occultic overtones, no matter how clever and popular it is. Teach your how to discern good and evil by studying God’s Word and being an active part of a local church. May God give you wisdom—and spiritually discerning sons and daughters.
Love, Roger
Rhodes, Ron: The Truth Behind Ghosts, Mediums, and Psychic Phenomena
Peretti, Frank. This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness.
Dear Roger,
I am worried that my daughter has joined a cult. She joined this church and it seemed like a good fit for her and then she changed. She lost weight, she cut herself off from friends and family, and she only listened to this pastor. He told her if she didn’t follow his “rules” she would go to hell. How do I know if she has been duped? How do I rescue her?
Sincerely,
A Concerned Mom
“I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30).
Paul is speaking to the early church—and to us—about cults. They will and have come. They existed then and now. If we’re not extremely careful, they can draw us away from the truth.
One quick note before we begin. The term “cult,” as expressed in the English language, can be used in both secular and religious settings. For example, “the singer’s cult of fans” or “the film has a cult following.”
Today, we will work with religious cults, defined by Dictionary.com as “great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers; a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.”
The following characteristics will help us define and recognize the nature of a cult.
To one degree or another, all cults deny the deity of Jesus Christ. Their teachings and principles will eventually leave a person unsaved, without a relationship with Jesus Christ, and spending eternity in hell.
The Bible teaches that faith in Christ, plus nothing else, equals salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
The three most obvious cults today are Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Watchtower Society, and Mormons. All three put good works in the place of “nothing else,” suggesting the redeeming work of Jesus is not sufficient by itself. Faith plus anything else is heresy.
This characteristic of cults is so significant that Paul literally pronounces a curse as he shares his displeasure and outright anger at these false prophets who minimize, distort, or change the gospel:
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; … But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9).
Please note that the word Paul used for “curse” is the strongest word for cursing in the Greek language. Technically, it dooms the one who is cursed to the darkest, deepest, most horrible fate imaginable.
Jim Jones was a psychopathic, manipulative, controlling, and insidious leader. He founded the People’s Temple in Indiana during the 1950s. Jim began moving to different cities, gaining followers at each one. In the mid-1970s, he relocated all of his followers to Guyana on the northwest coast of South America.
Then in 1978, rumors began to circulate, alleging that human rights abuses were occurring in the People’s Temple. United States Congressman Leo Ryan went to investigate. Ryan and several defectors were murdered by gunfire while boarding a return flight home. Shortly thereafter Jones led all of his 918 followers—including 304 children—to commit suicide by drinking Kool-Aid spiked with cyanide.
Jones was a brash overlord who enslaved his followers… ultimately leading to their deaths.
In contrast, true Christian leaders are humble. Jesus described himself as “meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29).
Paul mentored Timothy as a pastor and church leader in two of his letters. In 1 Timothy 3:1-4, Paul described a godly leader:
“Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.”
Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, grew up in a Presbyterian home. Jim Jones attended a Nazarene church; later he pastored a Disciples of Christ congregation before founding the People’s Temple. Moses David (David Berg), founder of the Children of God, is the son of evangelical parents and served as a minister in a Christian and Missionary Alliance church. Mary Baker Patterson Glover Eddy, founder of the Christian Scientists, and Charles Taze Russell, founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, were both raised in Christian homes and churches.
Obviously, there are many reasons why cult leaders turn from Christianity. I would guess that some imagined hearing a voice from God telling them that they were divinely inspired to begin something new. Some were deceived by demonic promptings. Others were arrogant con men and con women who knew just enough Bible to get everything confused. Many were arrogant, grandiose people whose pride led them to destruction.
It is easy to trap Christians when cultists speak Christian language. This is why churches need to teach the Bible early and definitively. This is why new Christians need mentors.
Occasionally, the media draws our attention to a leader who counts up biblical numbers and is convinced that he or she knows the date of Christ’s Second Coming.
I recall one such group in southern Arizona that I identified as a “Second Coming Cult.” This particular cult leader went to the Bible, added up some dates, and declared that he had figured out the exact time and day of our Lord’s return (never mind Matthew 24:36).
Cults like his spring up occasionally. He convinced his followers to sell all their possessions because they would no longer need them after Christ’s return.
Jesus didn’t return on his time. The cult dissipated quickly. Most had nothing to show for it except some clothes in a closet.
Like all cult leaders, this man demeaned the truth of the Scriptures. Jesus said that only God the Father knows the day and time of his return.
In an article entitled “The Power Abusers,” Ronald Enroth demonstrates some of the tools used by cults to control their members:
Personally, I know of one freshman college student who fell into a cult led by a man named Brother David. She had been to church all of her life but became entrapped by both his teachings and personal guidance.
She writes: “Brother David (not his real name) pastored a wildly demonstrative congregation, and people prophesied over me twice a week. I didn’t need to listen to God anymore; my fellow followers told me exactly what to do (and what not to do). I had this gnawing feeling growing deep inside that God was mad at me all of the time. I felt that I had disappointed Jesus if I were not fasting and reading the Bible constantly. I withdrew from friends and family, dismissing them as carnal and deceived.”
Fasting at his suggestion, she reached 89 pounds before her parents and boyfriend succeeded in wrenching her free. Unfortunately, she was kind enough to tell Brother David why she was leaving. He told her that she could go to hell.
Some look at the level of religious mediocrity that they see all around them and find cults more attractive, as they tend to be more demanding.
Others are looking for a new or deeper spiritual experience. They listen to an attractive personality and admire their reputation for superior godliness.
Still, others are attracted to authoritarian movements that offer black and white, clear-cut answers or systematic approaches to life’s problems.
Some crave a message that seems to support their own beliefs and desires.
Many lived through a church split and were hurt and disillusioned. They swore never to return. Then, they were exposed to a cult that seemed fresh and new. They were ripe for conversion.
Paul calls out all of these motives in 2 Timothy 4:3-4:
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.”
One other group is especially vulnerable: young Christians who get confused about the truth.
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
1. Study Scripture in order to know true doctrine and biblical teaching.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
2. Don’t forget or ignore what you’ve already learned.
“Peter, knowing that his days were numbered, reminded his readers of those truths which they had already learned.” (2 Peter 1:12-13)
3. Develop a consistent and committed walk with Christ. Grow up!
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” (Colossians 2:6)
4. Consciously pray and practice the filling of the Holy Spirit.
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit”(Ephesians 5:18).
5. Before leaving the house in the morning, put on the spiritual armor of Ephesians 6:10-18.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes… the belt of truth… the breastplate of righteousness… the shoes out the gospel of peace… the shield of faith… the helmet of salvation… the sword of the Spirit… and pray in the spirit…”
6. Use James 4:7 as needed for spiritual warfare.
“Submit to God; resist the devil; and he will flee from you.”
I hope this article is helpful.
By the way, the freshman college girl is my wife.
Best Resources for this article may be found at: Preach It Teach It.org; Bible Gateway.com; Got Questions.com; Wikipedia.com; the helpful teaching of Robert L. (Bob) Deffinbaugh pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas; and Steve Dowdle, retired counselor from Casas Church, Tucson Arizona.
“The best way to think about Satan’s power is not in terms of physical strength, but moral deception.”
Deceiver and Accuser
Even though this supernatural being, this fallen angel and archenemy of God, has a remarkable power in the material or physical realm —he can make people sick, he can throw them in prison, and he can even kill them — nevertheless, his main way of opposing God and destroying God’s people is not in the physical or material realm, but in the mental or intellectual or moral realm. In other words, the best way to think about his power is not in terms of physical strength, but moral deception.
Let me try to illustrate this from the Bible. Here’s the passage that piles up more designations of Satan than any other passage in the Bible. If I had only one or two verses to put the identity and work of Satan before you, it would be Revelation 12:9–10.
Here it says, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent.” And remember what the Bible said in Genesis 3 about him: he’s subtle. He’s subtler than every beast. So it’s his subtlety that’s being focused on here, his serpent-like reality. “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil (slanderer, liar, cheat] and Satan [adversary], the deceiver of the whole world.”
I don’t think you can say anything more sweeping or more basic than the end of Revelation 12:9: “He is the deceiver of the whole world.” Verse 10: “The accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”
So at the center of Satan’s purpose is to deceive on earth and to accuse in heaven. If he can deceive you about God and Christ, you will perish. If he can successfully accuse you of unforgiven sin in heaven, you will perish.
Jesus calls him “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). The deception and the accusation and the eternal death that results from unforgiven sin is a way of destroying people and opposing God.
Worldwide Battleground
Josh asks me, “To what extent and by what means specifically does Satan influence the world?” My answer, therefore, is that the extent is worldwide and the means is deception.
“He destroys not mainly by the sword or disease or killing, but mainly by lying.”
We can see this in another text. Here’s Revelation 20:8: “[He] will come out to deceive the nations.” There’s the focus again on his major strategy of destroying the world — deceiving them. But he will be defeated, and he will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:8–10).
My basic answer to Josh’s question is that the extent of Satan’s influence is global; it covers all nations. The primary means of his influence is deception. He destroys not mainly by the sword or disease or killing, but mainly by lying. Jesus calls him “the father of lies” (John 8:44). He lies mainly about God, about Jesus, about the gospel, and about sin. Oh, how wonderful it is that he has been dealt a decisive blow!
You can see his deception about the gospel in 2 Corinthians 4:4: “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Hating the Gospel
Josh’s second question is “Where do you see his works most clearly?” My answer is that wherever saving truth is hated and resisted and distorted and muted, Satan is at work so that people are kept from being saved by the truth of the gospel. That’s where I see his works most clearly.
Second Thessalonians 2:9–10 says, “[Satan comes] with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” Satan hates the truth of the gospel and the truth of the cross more than any other truth.
Remember when Satan was on earth, he tried to keep Jesus away from the cross. In Matthew 16:23, when Peter says, “No, no, no. This isn’t going to happen to you,” Jesus says, “Get behind me, Satan!” That’s what Satan wants. He doesn’t want Jesus to die for the sins of the world. Even though at the end, Satan gave up on that strategy and filled Judas to get him to betray Jesus. Nevertheless, at the end, he’s trying to make it as horrible as possible. But his first design was “I’m not going to let him get to the cross, no way.”
Now, Satan is mainly bent on preventing the message of the cross from being spread, from being understood, and from being believed. And he does everything in his power to distort and silence the saving message of the cross.
Snatching the Word
Remember how Jesus said Satan snatches the word (Matthew 13:19). He snatches it. Just as soon as you preach the cross, just as soon as you preach the saving word of the kingdom, Satan will, if he can, snatch the word right out of the mind — just like birds snatching seed off of a path.
Why is he so opposed to this central truth? Because the gospel is the truth that Christ has paid the price for the sins of everyone who believes. That means Satan cannot successfully accuse us in heaven.
He cannot make a case against the elect because our sins have been covered. That’s the only means he has to destroy us, which means, of course, he can oppress us, he can distress us, he can tempt us, he can make us sick, he can kill us. But he cannot damn us — ever. We are eternally safe. The elect are eternally safe in God’s sovereign grace.
Satan Disarmed
He rages against the people of God, and he rages against the gospel that snatches people out of the damning hands of his own greedy self. You can see this in Colossians 2:13–14: “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Here’s what follows: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15).
“Satan hates the truth of the gospel and the truth of the cross more than any other truth.”
When our sins are forgiven, nailed to the cross, the satanic rulers and authorities are decisively defeated. They are undone. Their one condemning, damning weapon has been taken out of their hands — namely, unforgiven sin.
If our sins are not forgiven, Satan can rightly accuse us before God, and we will be sentenced to hell. But if our sins are forgiven, Satan cannot successfully accuse us before God. Paul soars in exultation over the great gospel of deliverance in Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” And Romans 8:33: “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?”
That is in Satan’s face. “Who shall bring any charge? It is God who justifies, Mr. Satan. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, Mr. Satan. You couldn’t stop it. More than that, Jesus was raised from the dead, and he is at the right hand of God. He indeed intercedes for us, Mr. Accuser. So I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers — nor Satan — nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
Fight for Freedom
So, our weapon against Satan in this world is truth — especially the truth of the gospel of the cross of Christ. Our great mission is the deliverance of the world. Tell them the truth. Spread the truth. Defend the truth. Live the truth. As Jesus said, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Free from sin. Free from Satan.
The words of Jesus to the apostle Paul before he sent him out were, “I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:17–18).
That’s our great liberating mission in the world — to open the eyes of the blind, by the power of the Holy Spirit, by the great instrument of truth. Paul said, “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25–26).
May God make us valiant spokesmen and spreaders of liberating truth.
Excerpt from www.desiringgod.org. https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/where-is-satan-most-visibly-active-today
Used by permission of Desiring God.
Southeast of Tucson, in the Dragoon Mountains is an Arizona State Park and campground called Cochise’s Stronghold. Cochise was a Native American military leader of the Chiricahua Apaches in the late 1800’s. He was a brilliant strategist who used three different strongholds to fight for and protect his people from their enemies. He had one in the Dragoon Mountains, which is the modern day campground, one in the Chiricahua Mountains, and one in the Pinaleno Mountains where Mount Graham is located in southeastern Arizona.
The Calvary was never able to discover Cochise’s hiding places on Mount Graham or in the Chiricahuas Mountains. From these three camps Cochise led guerrilla-style warfare against the Mexican government, the United States Calvary, ranchers, and other Native American people groups. The raids he brilliantly orchestrated left southern Arizona in fearful chaos. Even today after so many historic conflicts, the Apache Wars remain the longest period of war in American history.
During war his strongholds provided safe locations unknown to his enemies, where he could retreat to and live to fight another day. One of Cochise’s strengths was his ability to escape and hide from his enemies so he could attack them on his terms.
Like in Cochise’s war, a spiritual stronghold needs to remain hidden for it to be effective. Your spiritual enemy, the devil, desires to keep his existence a secret. So, by this definition you could have a stronghold in your spiritual life and not even know it. Unfortunately, if you stay in denial, Satan can continue to harm you from this place of concealment.
Have you ever become frustrated with your lack of spiritual traction? Do you feel like a remedial learner when it comes to biblical truths? Do you find yourself learning the same life lessons over and over? If you answered yes to any one of these questions, you might be experiencing what they Bible refers to as a spiritual stronghold.
One passage in the Bible that describes spiritual strongholds is 2 Cor. 10:3-5. Two different kinds of strongholds are portrayed in these verses. Look at 2 Cor. 10:3-5.
3) For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4) For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5) We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. ESV
All believers, whether they acknowledge it or not, are engaged in an epic spiritual struggle against the forces of darkness. A Christian lives in this world, but must not fight as someone in the world, because worldly weapons, like thermal nuclear warheads, would be useless against a spiritual foe. The purpose of a spiritual weapon according to 2 Cor. 10:4 is to demolish strongholds, to expose ground where the enemy is trying to hide. Then in 2 Cor. 10:5 Paul defines a spiritual stronghold as an argument or lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.
A stronghold is fashioned when you are deceived about who God really is. You need to understand the spiritual battle being waged is for how you will think about God. Do you believe God is for you or against you? This is an important question to answer because argumentative and pretentious deceptions work to create dark hiding places.
How does an argumentative lie form a stronghold?
1) A spiritual argument seeks to refute your knowledge of God.
Have you ever thought, “God could never love me”? This is an example of a simple, but powerful argument. At first this lie sounds humble, but it is deadly reasoning that comes against what is true about God. God does not love you solely because you are loveable. God loves you because it is God’s nature to love. No one could ever earn his affection. God is love. This truth is so basic to your spiritual growth it is sung as a lullaby to babies. “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.” Unfortunately, if you repeatedly struggle to trust that God could love you, you will be ceding spiritual real estate to your enemy.
Satan has no place to hide when you accept the truth about God. It is your knowledge of God’s heart that will protect you from these satanic strongholds. Capturing how your think about God is your sole responsibility.
The Christian mystic, St. John of the Cross, once penned theses words about the wonders of God’s love.
“…When you regarded me your eyes imprinted grace in me, in this you loved me again. And this my eyes merited to also love what you see in me…Let us go forth together to see ourselves in your beauty.”
Why did Paul ask God to show the church in Ephesus how massive is God’s love? He did this because knowing the size of God’s love for you is truly transformational. Look at Ephesians 3:18-19.
18) may (you) have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, the length and height and depth, 19) and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ESV
You can experience safety and security when you meditate on how incredibly vast is God’s love for you. Remember any argument that rises to destroy your assurance of God’s character has the potential to create secret camps. You can abolish these lies by embracing the truth, God is in love with you.
How does a lofty opinion give ground to Satan?
2) A spiritual pretention or lofty opinion also seeks to refute your knowledge of God.
Have you ever thought, “Well, if I was God I would not have done it that way”? This is a common example of a pretentious thought. Initially it sounds so innocent, especially when your world is upset by a life-changing event. The reality is you are not God. God does not have to consult you or defend his choices. He is the Almighty. His plans are perfect; you don’t dictate how God moves in this world. Remember, while God loves you completely, he is working to bring an eternal plan to fruition. You are privileged to have a part in his design, but he is the creator, originator and executor of this plan. Lofty opinions are prideful reasoning which will invite Satan to move in and assault you.
Humble dependence on God is the weapon which will demolish lofty opinions. When wrestling with the “whys” of God’s choices and allowances it is especially important you remain genuine with him, while at the same time put your trust in God’s goodness. When you don’t understand what he is doing give your confusing circumstances into his hands. While you wait for his deliverance, ask him to use your uncertain times to strengthen you and reveal himself to you.
Satan is always looking for a tactical advantage. He is trying to stake a claim over territory that has previously been surrendered to Jesus. He is very smart. Don’t be impressed with or afraid of his abilities. You too would be good at guerrilla warfare if you had thousands of years to practice.
Your spiritual enemy builds secret hiding places in your thought life by raising arguments and pretensions against the true knowledge of God. He needs his position to remain secret to keep bombarding you. Choose today to trust what God reveals about himself in the Bible. Regardless of what your current circumstances are trying to shout at you, believe God loves you and is on your side. Rest in God’s goodness.
What might change today if you could believe God is love?
What might change if you could choose to love what God sees in you?
The somewhat seedy Book of Judges reveals a repeated pattern in the history of Israel. Life in Israel gets really bad. In fact, the only time the Israelites turned to God is when they had nowhere else to turn. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen anymore. Are you kidding? It’s human nature!
We turn to God when we have nowhere else to turn. But here is the heartbeat of God: the Lord does not turn His back on us. So even when we turn our back on Him, if we return to Him, He is there for us.
That’s the message in the Book of Judges. Maybe here’s a way of saying it –anything that makes us rely upon God more completely is a good thing. But it’s always the bad things that make us rely upon God, so maybe the bad things are the good things. Calamities and disasters and the oppression that the Israelites experienced are like the trials in our lives. Those bad things become good things if we respond to them the right way and return to the Lord in greater dependence, faith and obedience.
The issue is never our circumstances, it is always our response to those circumstances. If the by-product of those circumstances is a deeper-held faith and a more willful obedience to God, do we dare say “thank you, God” for some of the bad things that become good things in our lives? I hope we do.
“The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:11-12
Gideon is not a mighty warrior. Gideon is a farmer! So why doesn’t the angel of the Lord show up and say something like, “The Lord is with you, industrious farmer.” But that’s not what it says. He speaks these words of affirmation, “The Lord is with you, Mighty Warrior.”
God called Gideon and the testing begins immediately. I think sometimes we want to wait until we are ready for God to use us, but we’ll never be ready. As God begins to call you to serve Him, don’t be surprised if the Lord tests you, because that testing process is then what prepares you for that great moment of ministry that God has for us.
I can identify with Gideon. He was fearful. What are people going to think? What are people going to do? For Gideon, this is scary stuff. God asked him to tear down the altars of Baal, but Gideon had the courage to do it. He wasn’t quite ready to take a stand in the daytime, so he did God’s bidding in the cover of night. Some of you aren’t in the place right now where you have the courage to step out in faith in the daytime. That’s all right. I have been there so many times. This is not uncommon. When does Nehemiah circle the wall of Jerusalem? At night. When does Nicodemus come to Jesus? Under the cover of night. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were fearful of affiliation with Christ, the renegade teacher.
Be encouraged. If you are afraid, you are normal. Gideon was afraid and he only had enough courage to do God’s will by night at the beginning of his faith-journey with God, but I believe the Lord honored that simple act of obedience and gave his “Mighty Warrior” greater grace to lead Israel to victory.
God isn’t necessarily looking for courageous people, He is looking for obedient people. So when the Lord speaks, you are willing to step out in faith. And God grew Gideon into his “Mighty Warrior” name!
That’s how I want to live my life. The longer I live, the more I live for those God-moments when there is no human explanation for what took place…where it is just the power of God at work. Can you imagine how Gideon’s story ends? It’s great. The unconventional battle plan gets even better. “Let’s attack with trumpets and jars and a handful of men.” “We’ve been trained with swords, but never mind.” This is God’s way of saying, “I’m going to totally take you out of the equation. This battle is not about you, it is about Me and My glory. Just stand aside and watch Me work.”
Humanism, Paganism and Relativism have all impacted today’s churches in one way or another. High on man, soft on sin, grey on truth, apathy and consumerism can foster the fatal flaws of the churches in Revelation 3 in our day. In recent years, there has been a denial of the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith from church leaders. This leaves a greater spiritual vacuum in the world, which invites people who have spiritual needs to go elsewhere to have them satisfied. Moreover, some church leaders who have forsaken the gospel have themselves become practitioners of the occult, causing a follow-the-leader mentality in many former churchgoers.
The classic example from church history would be the late Episcopal bishop, James Pike, who rejected the church’s belief in the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, and other central truths. After the suicide death of his son, Pike began to consult mediums, including the famous Arthur Ford, in an attempt to contact the spirit of his dead son. Pike became a firm believer in life after death from his occultic involvement rather than from Biblical doctrine and took many people with him to the dark world of the occult. When the church “waters down” the gospel of Christ, the door to occultic practice swings wide open.
Our age seems to have a fascination with evil, the bizarre and the inexplicable. It thrives on horror and repulsion. Guised as innocent romance, the Twilight saga fosters blood cult practice, cutting and vampirism. Even Christian teenagers are caught up in the pop phenomenon. Unfortunately, curiosity for black magic is not neutral. An individual cannot get involved without adverse effects.
There is a “spiritual” reality in the occultic experience which attracts many people to it. All of us desire some sort of ultimate answer for life’s basic questions, and the world of the occult gladly supplies the answers. The astrologist will chart your future. Even prophetic words given in church, untested, can be misleading if not tested through the lens of scriptural principles. “Discernment of spirits,” if practiced as a spiritual gift by carnal Christians who have past occultic involvement, can lead to clairvoyance. The Ouija board promises you direction, and the medium talking to the spirit of your dead relative informs you that things are fine in the nest world. Saul consulted a medium to talk with the spirit of Samuel the prophet. 1 Samuel 28:7-29:1
There are many indications that we are living at the end of the age with the return of Jesus Christ on the horizon. If this is the case, then we should expect to see an increase in demonic activity as Christ’s coming nears, for this is the clear teaching of Scripture: “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1.
Jesus Christ said that at the end of the age, “…false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order, is possible, to lead the elect astray.” Mark 13:22. Thus, Scripture indicates that occultic activity would be on the rise shortly before the second coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus gave us some guidelines for protection in the Sermon on the Mount. “The lamp of the body is the sys,” He said. “If therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23 We must be in whole-hearted agreement with Jesus. Our behavior needs to be guarded by the light of God’s Word, which also means we need to be careful about what we allow to enter our body through our senses-especially our eyes and ears. Walk wisely. Stay in the Word. “Be shrewd as snakes, and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16
Josh McDowell, The Occult. San Bernadino, California: Life Publishers, 1992, pp.22-26.
