Out of the Fire -- Are You in the Light -- Or in the "Twilight"?

Lately I've been troubled by the number of Christian people I know who acknowledge that they are reading and viewing Harry Potter, the Twilight series, and other books and movies of that sort. Apparently, a large section of American Christianity does not see anything wrong with these materials. I have a hard time understanding why there is so little discernment among God's people, that we would cluelessly indulge in entertainment which is clearly demonic and occult in nature.

May I speak to my readers from the voice of experience? If you haven't yet gotten into these things, don't. And if you are already there, stop it!

You may argue that the stories are compelling, well-written, and therefore of merit. You may try to convince yourself that there is nothing more to them than harmless fantasy. You may even reason that it's important to read or view them to be in tune with our culture. But this is all deception, and in buying into it, you will only harden your heart to the Holy Spirit.

"A middle-aged, fuddy-duddy -- probably caught in legalism and the religious spirit," you might be thinking about me right now. But, you see, I've been there. I know what happens when we put such entertainment inside ourselves, and I know it firsthand.

Many years ago, I, too, indulged in books and movies that involved witchcraft, vampires, and the paranormal. And I reaped the results -- years of demonic harassment in my thoughts and physical attacks in the night as I slept -- long after I had put such things behind me, long after becoming a passionate follower of Jesus.

If I had known then what I know now, I would not have had to suffer for years. I did not know then that it was not enough to just stop indulging; it also requires renouncing these activities and calling upon the Lord Jesus for deliverance from demonic footholds that have gotten into our lives through them.

You see, anytime we play with the things of darkness, we fling open doors of entrance into ourselves, and the enemy of our souls is watching for those open doors. He will take advantage. Basically, we have invited him in, whether we realize it or not. And getting him out is not quite as easy as keeping him out in the first place.

Aside from demonic afflictions that can manifest through flinging open the doors, here are a few other things that will certainly happen, if you continue to dance with the occult:

1.) Loss of keen spiritual discernment. (You may even think your perception is keener than before, but this is part of the enemy's deception.)

2.) Hearing inner voices that are a mixture -- sometimes the Lord, sometimes other spirits -- and not being able to tell the difference.

3.) A darkening of your view of yourself, your circumstances, and of other people, including increased criticalness.

6.) A lessening of fervor for Jesus, a lessening of desire for prayer and the Word of God.

You may think, "I'm OK. Those things aren't happening to me." They don't all immediately show up. That is part of the deception -- a gradual lessening of our spiritual strength. And sadly, because it is deception, you may not notice it at all -- but others will, eventually.

If you have already been reading/viewing occult materials, the first step back to spiritual health is to stop immediately, cold turkey. But understand that at this point, you are in need of deliverance -- not always deliverance ministry from other Christians (although this may be necessary if you cannot get free of the addiction to these materials on your own).

1.) Refuse to entertain yourself with the occult anymore.
2.) Get it all out of your house (as in, destroy it; throw it away -- don't sell it or give it to others).
3.) Ask God from a sincere heart to forgive you.
4.) Renounce all such activity. (Make verbal declaration, "I renounce all the occult activity that I have indulged in, and I will not allow it to have a place in me anymore.")
5.) Ask the Lord Jesus, Who is your Deliverer, to set you free. (Joel 2:32 -- "... Whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered.").
6.) Command the devil to let go of you and be gone from you, in the Name of Jesus.

This, then, is the message which we have heard of Him and declare unto you: God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not do the truth, but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Jesus is the Light of the world, and His blood is still powerful enough to wash us clean of all sin, including opening ourselves to occult activity.

Out of the Fire

Practical Insights for the Passionate Christian

Are You in the Light -- Or in the "Twilight"?

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