As Christians, we believe that God is real. We also believe that there are dark and demonic forces that oppose God. But some people live their life as if Satan did not exist and that no forces of darkness surround us. Do they? Should we be concerned? What should be our response? Well, let’s take a deeper look into this often ignored subject.
Welcome to answers from an apostolic faith.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.
Are there really dark and demonic forces around us? Should we be wary and vigilant of such evils as if they were to be taken seriously? Well, for as long as humanity has existed, there has always been an understanding that forces of darkness exist and they are indeed very real. As Christians, we know that Satan fell from heaven, and with him a group of angelic beings, and that these now form the demonic forces that oppose God and all of His creation. These same demonic forces are those that torment humanity and do so with the intention of resisting the goodness of their creator, the Lord our God.
Now somehow, as time has passed, societies claim to be more and more advanced and civilized. We have moved away from all that is spiritual. Not just a movement away from belief in God, but also denying the existence of evil forces. Some claim these sorts of beliefs are nothing more than old wives tales intended to scare children into submission. Others believe that they are nothing more than religious propaganda. But as Christians, it's of extreme importance that we acknowledge the existence of such forces and that we be vigilant against their attempts of spiritual warfare against us. But how can we be vigilant if everything around us seems to imply that there is no such thing as demonic and dark forces?
Well, in his very well-known novel, the Screwtape letters, C.S. Lewis, the author, makes a statement about the demon’s desire to remain unknown and disguised from the world. He explains that their policy is to remain hidden. The main character, the demon called Screwtape, says the following:
“I have great hopes [that] we shall learn in due time how to emotionalize and mythologize their science[s] to such an extent that what is, in effect, belief in us (...) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in [God].” (The Screwtape Letters, Chapter 8)
Well, I believe that this time has come. We now live in a secular and materialistic society that rejects the need for God, and yet it embraces the demonic while never really acknowledging
the existence of the spiritual realities. Let’s examine just a few of the ways by which these demonic spiritual forces surround us today.
The devil has always connivingly implanted himself among people while doing one of two things:
1) Making them believe that he was never there and that his existence is impossible, even foolish to consider.
2) Diminishing the impact or seriousness of dabbling with the dark and demonic forces by acting as if they were harmless or as if they were purely for entertainment purposes.
Take for instance how today, someone can walk into a bookstore and, for under $15, purchase a book on witchcraft, on charms or spells. And thanks to Hollywood that glamourizes and renders such things as fantasy, many think that this is a childish and an innocent hobby. And yet, human history, and specifically the experience of the Holy Church, teaches us that such things open up a door within the soul that then gives a foothold for the devil to begin doing his demonic work.
Another example is how the devil has managed to introduce the dark and spiritual realities in the form of toys or playful objects. Any child above the age of 8 today can now be gifted a Ouija board sold in every big box toy store in North America. This same object was originally designed to call on the dead as a means of speaking to spirits. Now some will argue that this is all fake and simply for entertainment. Meanwhile the Church recognizes that this is truly a dangerous means by which a person is interacting with the occult.
Another example of this is tarot cards or tea leaf readings and other forms of divination and fortune telling seances. So many people claim that this is innocent and meaningless, and yet, as Christians, we know the power that the evil one can have over all those who allow for such things to enter into their lives.
In Deuteronomy, chapter 18, the Lord is speaking to his people that are now surrounded by those who call on spirits, who practice sorcery and divination, and the Lord tells his people: Do not do as they do, for all these things are an abomination to me. Listen to the following:
'' 10 No one shall be found among you who makes a son or daughter pass through fire, or who practices divination, or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts spells, or who consults ghosts or spirits, or who seeks oracles from the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord; it is because of such abhorrent practices that the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You must remain completely loyal to the Lord your God.
14 Although these nations that you are about to dispossess do give heed to soothsayers and diviners, as for you, the Lord your God does not permit you to do so.'' (Deuteronomy 18: 10-14) - [New Revised Standard Version]
You see, in those days, it was common for people to cast spells, to call on spirits, to attempt to tell the future. They practiced such rituals by lighting candles and burning themselves, even cutting themselves. They would do offerings and sacrifices and even drink blood. They did not shy away from saying that all this was done through the dark forces, and so the Lord tells his people that they must at all costs stay away from such things, as they are an abomination to him. And yet today, these practices remain. People still very much do them, but they blatantly deny the existence of evil spirits, hoping that all are deceived and that no one recognizes the dangers of such things.
Do not be fooled, my beloved, into thinking that making offerings, the use of blood, or outright worship are all things of the past; not at all. These things continue to surround us even now in every place of the world. And now more and more, the desensitized world we live in is not even seeing the dangers of the things that are being done publicly.
In 2021, we have seen a rapper team up with a New York based company to launch a shoe that is dedicated to Satan, that has exactly 666 pairs made, containing real human blood within them. These shoes were sold in record time and are considered to be a rare collectable. The same musician is seen in a music video falling from paradise, going to hell, pleasing Satan himself only then to steal the devil’s crown. Again, more and more attempts of desensitizing an entire generation to thinking this is just artistic expression, when in reality, we are offering our time, our energy, our money and now even our artistic expressions to the demonic.
More recently, a megastar couple from Hollywood come out publicly, declaring that they practice seances and rituals where they drink each other’s blood. When asked, the female star confirmed that they do indeed drink a few drops of each other's blood on occasion for ritual purposes only. These are the same ritual practices that many, in the occult, practice as they denounce God and embrace the demonic. None of this is new: all of these rituals were always rejected by Christians as satanic and are only now resurfacing as new and trendy behaviours among the so-called elite of our society.
Another example... Just this month in Birmingham, during the Commonwealth games, a giant mechanical bull standing over thirty feet high, was rolled in during the opening ceremony. At first, the bull seems to terrorize the actors who are terrified of the bull, until suddenly the bull is subdued by a woman holding a crystal. And then all the actors representing the nations, they all fall down and worship the bull, having now been reconciled to him.
What is it that we're seeing here? What symbolism is being depicted? Again, many will argue that this is nothing more than artistic expression, and yet, for every Christian who knows
human history, we see right through this and recognize it as yet another means by which the world is allowing for Satan to make his way into people’s lives and even promoting submission to him.
All of these and many more examples exist of how we are surrounded by so much darkness that is being portrayed as harmless and even glamorous while it brings within it a very dark and evil force that only the Lord our God can cast out.
We cannot speak of dark forces without also speaking of spells, demonization, and even full- blown demonic possession. While some people argue that there is no such thing, others say it's religious superstition, or that these are nothing more than people’s mental illnesses. The Church is fully aware of what we are dealing with and what is actually at stake.
My beloved, to be clear, all of these things are indeed very real and they surround us even in places like North America. Spells and curses are real and many suffer from them. Many people in their own homes or places of work are terrorized by demons. And yes, there are even those who are possessed by devils and need the intervention of our God to be freed from these very real evil spirits.
The good news is that Jesus is Lord. Our God is victorious; He is king. Every knee in heaven and on earth will bow down to Him and recognize Him as God almighty. While to fight such things is a very arduous and spiritual battle, through the intervention of God and his Holy Church, victory is granted to every case where the person involved is willing to recognize Jesus as their Lord and their Saviour. So rest assured, my beloved.
We are indeed surrounded by demonic and dark forces that are at work in a variety of crafty and discreet ways. It is up to us to open our eyes and to view things as they really are. And in so doing, we, as Christians, have no need to be afraid, for it is in Christ that we have victory. It's the words of St. Paul that give us courage:
'' 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'' (Romans 8:37-39)
Amen. Nothing can separate us. While we know that these forces are real, we know our God is greater. For, as we were taught in the life of St. Moses the Strong, we must trust that those who are for us are much greater than those who are against us.
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