Welcome to part two of our introduction to the occult and principalities and powers. We are thrilled to teach this material, which is being broadcast to millions of people and carried by over fifty Bible colleges.
The Marching Church
In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus responded, "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:16-18).
What is the rock? The rock is the revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. Upon that foundational truth, He built His Church. Notice that He said the gates of hell shall not prevail. In ancient times, the strongest defensive structure of any city was its gates. Jesus was saying that the strongest fortifications of the devil cannot withstand the marching Church!
God never intended for His Church to sit in a rocking chair. We are a marching army. We must not hide in forts singing "Hold the Fort"; we must march into the devil's territory, attack his strongholds, and destroy his works. If we keep the devil busy defending his own territory, he will not have time to attack ours!
Defining the Occult
To fight the enemy effectively, we must understand his tactics. The media, literature, and academia often use occult words that people do not fully understand. It is possible to get caught in the devil's web simply by not knowing what the web is!
Here is an abbreviated dictionary of occult words and demonic practices that we must entirely avoid:
- Augury: Divination from omens and signs. It is deeply connected to demonology.
- Automatic Writing: Writing done while in a demonic trance. The evil spirit takes control of the person's hand. I knew a Brazilian witch doctor who worked in the President's office by day in a tuxedo, but drank chicken blood in cemeteries by night. When he was just three years old, a demon would take over his hand and write medical prescriptions in Latin, which pharmacists successfully filled.
- Astrology: Fortune-telling by reading the stars and the Zodiac. Astrology has caused the destruction of ancient empires like Babylon. Sadly, many church members study astrology, foolishly thinking it is harmless. The stars are dead—there are no street addresses on the moon! God wants us to live by faith, trusting Him with our tomorrows.
- Astral Projection: When a human soul leaves the body to travel on a different spiritual plane. This is the devil's counterfeit of how the Holy Spirit transported Philip in the Book of Acts.
- Animism: The belief that inanimate objects (rocks, trees, rivers) have souls and are alive. In Hong Kong, I saw people praying to a giant boulder. In the mountains of the Philippines, I saw a tribe worshipping a deformed, leafless tree.
- Amulet: An ornament inscribed with a magic spell or sign, typically worn on the body.
- All Hallows' Eve (Halloween): October 31st is a high witch festival. Christians should not allow their children to dress up and participate in these dark traditions. It came from the devil and belongs to the devil.
- Black Magic: A form of witchcraft using demon power for occult force.
- Black Mass: A blasphemous parody of the Christian communion by Satan worshippers.
- Bewitch: To influence or manipulate people through witchcraft.
- Clairvoyant: A medium who claims to forecast distant happenings through spiritual visions.
- Cult: A religious group that deviates from fundamental biblical truth. They often claim to be Christian but use their own books and codes of ethics rather than the pure Word of God.
- Crystal Gazer: A person who uses a crystal ball for divination.
- Charm: An ornament believed to contain magical powers. Destroy all charms! Do not wear them around your neck or hang them in your car. God does not work through superstitious trinkets.
- Cartomancy: Fortune-telling with cards, such as Tarot cards.
- Curse: A spoken incantation or prayer designed to bring harm to someone. But rejoice—true, blood-washed Christians are immune to curses! The enemy can curse you all day, but you can just shout and praise God right over it.
- Coven: An assembly of witches, traditionally a group of thirteen.
- Cephalomancy: Deep black magic divination using the skull of a donkey or goat.
- Conjure: To summon a departed demon spirit by incantation. In China, I visited the Temple of 10,000 Buddhas. A priest explained to me that the giant idol was just an empty statue until he prayed and burned incense. Then, a spirit would come down from the mountains, enter the idol, and give it power. As the Bible says, the idols of the pagans are devils (1 Corinthians 10:20).
- Divination: Seeking to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge through supernatural means.
- Demon: An evil spirit subservient to Satan.
- Enchanter: A sorcerer who casts spells or bewitches others.
- Fetish: An object regarded as magical or sacred.
- Familiar Spirit: A demon embodied in a person that serves and guards them.
- Fortune Teller: One who uses demonic power to tell the future.
- Hex: An evil spell cast by a spirit.
- Ouija Board: A dangerous game board used to obtain telepathic messages from spirits.
- Palmistry: Divination by reading the lines of a person's hand.
- Satanism: The direct worship of the devil, often involving a travesty of Christian rites. In many nations, demonic spirits even camouflage themselves by taking on the names of Catholic saints to deceive worshippers.
Stay far away from all of these things! We are called to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to walk in the glorious light and truth of Jesus Christ!