Involved with the Occult?

A Personal Testimony

Unfortunately, it is all too easy to get involved with the occult. Some involvements seem simple and harmless, others are more direct and dangerous. An incident happened to me when I was a teenager that was purely unintentional and yet opened a doorway to the occult that I never dreamed could happen. My pastor knew that I was a very committed Christian and thought that I should be aware of a trend that was sweeping the country at that time. It was the craze that had been introduced by the new movie called, "The Exorcist". My pastor thought I should read the book so I would be aware of what was happening spiritually in our society and also with my friends.

With my pastor's recommendation, I purchased the book and read it from cover to cover. As a result, I was never so scared in my life. I began having night terrors, couldn't sleep without a light on in my room all night long and disturbed my entire family with my sense of paranoia about the occult. Finally, it became so disturbing, that my parents called a respected friend to come and pray for me and pray over our house to rid it of any Satanic oppression. He also shared some keep passages of scripture with me. It took weeks of battle against the attack of the enemy, but eventually my fears calmed and I returned to a more normal existence. Nevertheless, I continued to have residual Satanically themed nightmares for years and continued to stand on God's Word against them. All of this was the result of reading a book that my pastor suggested. It was completely innocent on my part, yet it gave Satan a foothold in my life. Thank God, after all these years I am finally free of this demonic bombardment.

The occult attempts to gain a foothold in our lives in many seemingly innocent ways. Perhaps you've participated in the role playing game, "Dungeons and Dragons"? Maybe your friends wanted you to experiment with a Ouija board just for fun one day? We are surrounded by opportunities to call 1-900 Psychic number, read a horoscope in the paper or online. There are lots of fascinating TV shows to watch such as, "Ghost Hunters" and "Paranormal States".

Satanic involvement can begin in non-threatening ways and then escalate into something dark that allows him to infiltrate our lives and welcome his attack. Ephesians 6:11,12 warns us, "We fight not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and wickedness in high places". This is why we are to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. If you find that you have participated in the occult innocently or even purposely and given Satan a foothold in your life I would suggest that you battle against his influence in the following ways.

First, use the Word of God. God's Word neutralizes the evil one. Second, use prayer. You may need to have others join with you as you enter this spiritual battle zone. Third, never forget to utilize calling on the name of Jesus, the power of pleading his shed blood, rebuking Satan in Jesus' name and singing hymns that talk about Christ, the Cross and redemption. Last, repent of any intentional responsibility that you have taken for involvement with the occult. God is gracious and His freedom is sure. It is his good pleasure to forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. I don't believe for one minute that Christians can be possessed by the devil, but I do believe that Satan delights in oppressing and harassing Christians. Giving Him a foothold in your life through participation in the occult is a good way to welcome his influence into your life.

In today's world of alternative medicine with its focus on the occult, it is easy to be exposed to occult practices without even realizing it. We must take the words of the apostle Peter to heart, "Be sober and be vigilant, for your enemy is prowling about as a roaring lion seeking who he may devour. Resist him steadfastly in the faith" (1 Peter 5:8).