Occultism - DO NOT BE DECEIVED!

Jun 3

10 min read

In all of the teachings we have just learned about, the enemy and his demonic spirits will continue to tell you lies and get you to go back to old patterns.

Under Envy and Jealousy we mentioned idolatry and occultism. I think we could elaborate a little on each of these. Remember where God warned us that “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” So I encourage you to be open-minded for this last teaching.

Occultism and idolatry are words usually associated with psychics, witches, warlocks, druids, Wicca, Ouija boards, fortune telling, seances and even Satanism.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “idolatry” as: Worship of a physical object; excessive devotion to a person or thing.

A Biblical definition of idolatry centers on giving to anything or anyone, other than God, the worship, trust, allegiance, healing or ultimate devotion that belongs to Him alone.

Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines “occult” as: Hidden; concealed; secret; beyond human understanding; of certain mystic arts or studies, such as magic, astrology, etc.; to hide or become hidden from view; to cover up or conceal.

A Biblical definition of occultism includes any belief or practice that opposes the law of God. Central to occultism is man’s desire to be his own god. Examples would be Pokémon (pocket monster), Mensa (self-idolatry), Sorcery/Pharmakia.

Anything that offers itself as truth – in place of God - and is not God, is Occultism and is rebellion against God and His authority.

Disobedience to God’s Word, lack of trust, fear, self-independence and deception are also indications of the presence of an ungodly spirit.

Let’s remember we have the mind of Christ Who is the Creator of all things and is all Truth. You are the habitation of the Holy Spirit. You cannot cohabit with your enemy because he is a destroyer and will destroy you.

As God’s child, He has planned that you be a holy temple. You are redeemed from death to Life, and part of being redeemed is to start doing some house cleaning. But sometimes we like those critters. They have protected us for years and we called that safety but, in fact, it was bondage. Those critters may have been familiar – but they were not safe. When the Lord reveals them to us we recognize they no longer serve us and get rid of them.

Rebellion stems from self-righteousness and Phariseeism. Since Adam and Eve, rebellion has characterized mankind. Our flesh sees rebellion as a principle of freedom, self-realization, and self-development. People choose to believe that freedom from obeying God’s laws somehow releases them from answering to His laws. Rebellion does not free us from the temporal and eternal consequences of disobedience.

1 Samuel 15:23 says “for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry”. The word “witchcraft” can also be translated as soothsaying and divination.

All conscious disobedience is idolatry, because it places the human self-will on a par with God – like a god. Sometimes we unconsciously idolize things such as statues, fortune telling, Masonry, celebrities or New Age. Opposition to God’s Word and His commandments is really rejection of God, thus idolatry and deception.

o The Biblical definition of divination is: seeking hidden knowledge or guidance through means other than God; attempting to discern the future; uncover secrets; make decisions consulting spirits, omens, objects, or occult practices rather than relying on God’s revealed will.

o Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Leviticus 19:26

Occultism is one of Satan’s principalities.

1. The basis for occultism is:

(a) philosophies of man

(b) traditions of men

(d) rudiments of the world.

Colossians 2:4, 6-8 – “Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Occultism is a form of knowledge that offers itself as if it were the real thing. Occultism is also a form of power or a form of identity. Occultism is Fear and is based on the opposite of who God is and who you are in Him. You are:

(a) truth,

(b) knowledge,

(d) identity.

2. Satan’s kingdom has an agenda to duplicate, replicate, or counterfeit the Godhead. False religions take on a mixture of truth and error.

2 Timothy 3:2-5 “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

2 Corinthians 10:5 – “…taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

§ Meditation is not being mindless. Philippians 4:8 – “…whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are of good report…meditate on these things.”

o A Biblical definition of meditation is: a declaring, groaning, a slow ponder on Scripture, a soaking in.

§ 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us the eyes of those who are perishing are blinded by the god of this age – Satan.

§ Many who are desperate to hear God, be healed, or be blessed, often open themselves to error – (Transcendental meditation).

o Transcendental meditation was developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an Indian guru and is rooted in Hinduism.

§ Yoga is founded in Eastern mysticism in the awakening of Kundalini which is the worship of other gods.

§ Satan uses the Word of God out of context; he perverts it. He is a liar and the father of lies – there is NO truth in him.

o 2 Timothy 2:15 – “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth…”

o 1 John 4:1 – “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

o 2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” (NJK)

§ Satan can also counterfeit false healings, psychic healings and remove evil spirits if he has something to gain from it.

3. Occultism can be inherited iniquity from the ancestral line (fortune tellers, witches. Palm readings, tarot cards, druids, etc.,) including divination. The word python is translated into English as divination.

Acts 16:16-18 tells about the slave girl who had a spirt of divination or “a spirit of python” characterizing her as one inspired by Apollo, the god worshiped at Python (Delphi).

Hypnosis – opens theta brainwave activity which allows you to tap into anything that is spiritual (good or evil).

Again I want to say, ANYTHING OR ANYONE you give credit to in place of God opens you up to Occultism and is an antichrist spirit.

Antichrist Belief

Eve was tempted by Satan and doubted God’s Word, resulting in rebellion. That was the beginning. When we listen to a voice that produces an action against God’s commandments, it sets into place an antichrist system.

In Hebrews 4:1-2 we read, “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering into His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”

Notice it says, “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them” (those coming out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron).

But the word preached to them (and to us) did not profit because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it. The gospel preached to them and the gospel preached to us isn’t working because it is not mixed with faith and obedience – in them or in us.

Now what is the purpose of mixing faith with the gospel that was preached? What is the benefit of having a gospel preached – it is to walk in it! The fruit of hearing a gospel preached and not walking in it is having no rest. What does no rest look like? It’s not trusting, it’s not faithful, it’s deception. These are some of the ways we can identify that we are being deceived or we are in agreement with lies from the enemy, thus establishing another gospel in Rebellion.

We do not realize that often in establishing another gospel and allowing it to become part of our life, we are not taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. We have thoughts and we choose to follow them. We choose to act on them without questioning it. Then we speak and do them. It seems to be no big deal, but five years down the road we have a changed gospel.

Hebrews 4:3, “For we which have believed do enter into rest…” So how do you begin to enter into rest? You begin to believe and trust and that means no doubt. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Remember, what you believe will have a greater impact on your life than the truth.

We want to enter into that rest. This is not talking about a rest that you get in heaven in the resurrection. It is talking about a rest that you have now.

In the midst of my believing I hear doubt and unbelief as strong as I hear my own faith because there is a Principality out there that wants to control me. But the decision I make has nothing to do with the feelings, words, or impressions of doubt and unbelief. It has to do with a decision I make as a son or daughter of God right in the midst of the feelings and the thoughts.

You have three voices coming at you at the same time: God, the evil spirits and you. If you have anything hidden, secret or deceiving you, it will pull you away from God and into doubt and unbelief which brings forth confusion. Faith brings forth the fruit of God’s promises.

The remainder of Hebrews 4:3 reads, “… although the works were finished from the foundation of the world”. The place for your rest has been a finished product from the foundation of the world.

As a child of God, you decide to believe when you don’t feel like it. You speak when you don’t feel like it. You even do things when you don’t feel like it because you decide to not be moved by your thoughts or your feelings that are contrary to God.

You can determine to be moved only by the Word of God. So if you are waiting for doubt and unbelief to be removed before you believe, it will never happen. If you are waiting to be free of temptation, accusation and all the fiery darts of the enemy before you believe, you will never believe.

The prince of the power of the air over your mind and your spirit has to be recognized and put on notice that you are going to quit serving Satan at this level. Remember the 9R’s on page 45 of this manual.

When the spirits of doubt, unbelief, accusation, etc., come at you, God would say to you, “That the rest is where He is, the abiding is where He is – so you choose to enter into that rest.” Are you waiting for confusion to leave before you believe?

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God these are the sons of God (Romans 8:14). I would caution you that deception, occultism, hidden things, secrets, rebellion, etc., will pull you away from God so that you have an altered state of mind – which is NOT God’s mind at all.

You have to decide to believe and trust God whether you feel like it or not. Will it always make sense to you? Probably not always, but choose to believe Him anyway.

Remember Isaiah 5:13 – “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge.” Ignorance is a form of knowledge. We have all been taught, or chosen, to believe something and later, down the road, discovered what we believed was not true. At that point we again can choose what we will believe.

In Matthew 6:23 we are told “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

The Bible tells us there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is destruction. (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25) It also says, “whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

I have included a list of Scriptures and would encourage you to read through them and ask the Holy Spirit who lives within you, to reveal any beliefs that are contrary to God and then you earnestly deal with them.

Surrendering the flesh and walking in the Spirit, will be a key in all of this.

Galatians 5:16 – “I say then; Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (KJV)

Scriptures Regarding the Occult

Genesis 3:5 Daniel 4:7

Exodus 7:11-13 Micah 5:12

Exodus 20:3-5 Zechariah 10:2

Exodus 22:18 Malachi 3:5

Leviticus 18:20-22 Matthew 7:22-23

Leviticus 9:26-28 Matthew 23:25

1 Samuel 15:20-29 Matthew 24:24

1 Samuel 28:3-19 Luke 11:15-26

2 Kings 17:17 John 10:10

2 Kings 21:1-6 Acts 8:9-13

2 Kings 23:5 Acts 13:6-11

2 Chronicles 33:6 Acts 16:16-18

Proverbs 14:12 Acts 19:19-20

Isaiah 2:6 Romans 1:24

Isaiah 2:8 1 Corinthians 10:19-22

Isaiah 2:19-20 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Isaiah 5:13 2 Corinthians 11:3-5

Isaiah 5:20-21 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Isaiah 8:19-20 Galatians 5:6-21

Isaiah 19:3 Galatians 6:1

Isaiah 30:1-3 Ephesians 5:11

Isaiah 47:9 Ephesians 6:10-18

Isaiah 47:12-13 Colossians 2:8

Jeremiah 10:12 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12

Jeremiah 14:14 1 Timothy 4:1-5

Jeremiah 27:9 2 Timothy 3:8

Jeremiah 29:8-10 Hebrews 4:12

Ezekiel 12:24 James 4:7

Ezekiel 13:1-23 1 John 2:18-19

Ezekiel 21:21-23 1 John 2:22-23; 26

Ezekiel 22:28 1 John 3:8

Daniel 2:27

1 John 4:1-4

Revelation 16:14

Revelation 18:23

Revelation 19:20

Revelation 21:8

Revelation 22:14-15

This is NOT an exhaustive list

SPIRITUAL WARFARE DELIVERANCE PRAYER

A Prayer of repentance and renunciation should include at least the following elements:

Person being ministered to says:

· Heavenly Father,

· I recognize and take responsibility for participating with and serving the sin of ( Principality ) in my life.

· I take responsibility in my generation, on both sides of my family all the way back to the Cross, for the following spirits: (individual spirits ).

· Father, in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth I repent to You and ask You to forgive me for allowing the above named spirits to manifest through me and by faith I now receive Your forgiveness.

· Sin of (Principality), I renounce everything you stand for in my life. I will no longer serve you. I take a stand against you and everything you represent. You must now leave me and go into a dry place in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth.

· Father, I thank You for Your forgiveness and ask that the curses be broken.

Person doing the ministry now says:

· Spirit of ( Principality ), you have heard his/her confession and declaration and you MUST obey him/her and leave now in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth.

· By the power of the Holy Spirit, I take authority over the spirit of (Principality ) and break your power in his/her life. You no longer have any power, right, or authority in his/her life and I cast you out.

Holy Spirit, I invite you into our hearts to heal us in the areas of (Principality ). Please speak your words of truth to us about these situations.