Tag: Spiritual

It has been said that the devil does not usually come into one’s life uninvited. He follows protocol. Someone has to have something belonging to Him. For example, in horror films we see a vampire has to be invited in, he can’t just walk in and certain things will prevent him. It may be something we brought have brought into the house, something or things we have done, or something or things we have not done that we should have.

Sometimes demons come in just because they can. It could also be due to ancestral iniquity – sins and the results of sin on the family line. Or it may even be the place itself, one’s home, as there are places that are inherently cursed or the curse is due to the previous occupants and things they did there. Sometimes though it is not possible to cleanse a place, and it is better to just get away and go somewhere else.

Generally speaking, whatever the cause, the remedy is the same – deliverance from evil, as per the Lord’s Prayer, aka spiritual warfare.

The devil and his demons are expert legalists and deceivers and are always looking to get a toehold, a foothold, a stronghold and then a stranglehold in people’s lives. Getting cursed objects and symbols into people’s homes or gardens and lives while blinding them to it, is one of their main methods of achieving that, through a person’s disobedience to God.

In particular, the presence of one or more cursed objects in the home can help to open demonic doorways, or portals as mentioned earlier in this article. In some cases, just removing the item/s and throwing them in the trash can resolve the problem/s. In other cases, it is more complex and there is more to uncover, such as perhaps unconfessed sin, or unforgiveness, etc. but removing cursed objects from one’s home is a good start.

“Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, LEST THOU BE A CURSED THING LIKE IT: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.” (Deuteronomy 7:26)

The presence of a cursed object in our home or garden can affect any and every area of our life. It can affect our health, our physical and mental wellbeing, our finances, relationships, our employment, our home and anything else. It may be just be an indefinable subtle influence on the mind and soul of those near it or it may be more profound and prominent. The purpose of this influence is to take as much (witchcraft) control of their victim as possible and lead them in a wrong direction where more control can be exerted.

The possession of cursed objects and symbols in one’s home, garden, transport or office, along with engaging in other sinful practices and other forms of disobedience to God can effectively open demonic doorways – also called portals or gateways. These doorways provide licence grounds or legal rights, to demons to harass, torment and destroy, in all the ways that they do. Sometimes, in order to get deliverance, we need to find what or where those open doorways are, and shut them down.

These terms ‘demonic doorway’ or ‘portals’ do not appear in the Bible but a TV, radio or mobile phone are types of portals. Examples of what is meant or implied by those terms can be seen in scriptures like this:

“Neither give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:27) [Not give some place, or a little place, but give NO place.]

“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” (Psalm 101:3)

Other Bible versions say: “It shall not fasten its grip on me”, “It shall not grasp hold of me”.

“And do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:27 NIV)

“Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Ephesians 5:11)

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: For we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Corinthians 2:11)

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8)

Other Bible versions say: “Be vigilant”, “Be alert”, “Be on your guard”, “Be clear-minded”, “Be watchful”.

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According to the Bible, it is only ‘living souls’, that is people and animals – ‘nephesh’ meaning any creature that breathes – who are not subject to that rule.

“The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.” (Deuteronomy 7:25)

Some attempt to recycle or upcycle things – or for example a holiday like Halloween – to attempt to purify or sanctify it. They believe that if something is blessed or sprinkled with holy water or somehow repurposed or rededicated to God, that will remove the curse on it and of it, and in it. This is a deception.

“Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.” (Job 14:4)

“But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it.” (Jeremiah 32:34)

“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;” (Hebrews 10:10-12)

“But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” ((1 Corinthians 10:20)

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Objects or symbols can be cursed to various degrees according to the item itself, its origins and history and connections to certain people or places. Also according to its perceived value to the owner and the level of idolatry involved. Things can be particularly cursed if they are directly idolatrous, or directly connected with or used in idolatry. Or if somehow profane or unholy, or directly or indirectly connected with evil, the devil and Satanism, witchcraft, etc.

Even if someone did not know that objects – or symbols – were cursed or did not know they had them in their home or garden, or in their workplace, or even garage or transport, they can still be used by the demonic just the same. Although there would likely be a difference in the degree to which they are able to be used, which can be, for example, according to how much an object was valued or revered, or not. We can test ourselves whether we have the strength to let something go.

The degree to which something is cursed would also depend on what sort of belief system or value system is attached to them and the degree to which it is in conflict with what the Bible says.

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All forms of witchcraft (manipulative control), are regarded by God as idolatry and therefore cursed. This includes any form of paganism such as Druidism, nature worship, New Age practices, white witchcraft, all forms of freemasonry, Christian and other cults, etc.

Adultery, sodomy, polygamy, sex outside of a marriage as God ordained, and all forms of sexual perversion and other sexual sins, and pornography, are liable to be cursed.

“Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” (Colossians 3:5)

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21)

“With his mouth, the godless man destroys his neighbour but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.” (Proverbs 11:9)

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:23)

All forms of unrepentant unforgiveness and revenge, wishing harm to someone, inordinate anger or rage, hatred and any such negative emotions can potentially bring a curse and open doorways or portals.

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

“To me belongs vengeance and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time.” (Deuteronomy 32:35)

Violence and all things associated, such as weaponry and martial arts, including movies and video games and online gaming esp. any that don’t glorify God.

“The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.” (Psalms 11.5)

Anything to do with death cults, such as hell’s angels, skull and skeleton figures, zombies, especially animal sacrifice and blood, or murder, including imagery and paraphernalia, tattoos, costumes or clothing, anything to do with Halloween or horror movies.

Things can be cursed by people too, and some witches of various types and religions and peoples have a propensity for cursing things. For example, many of the Red Indian tribes practised witchcraft and cursed their sacred lands, especially burial grounds. These curses are real and can be deadly.

Places, mountain regions, or lakes, etc. with names including words like ‘hell’, ‘devil’ or ‘death’ have often been found to be dangerous.

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Anything to do with idolatry or pagan worship, especially the idols themselves, their places of worship, temples, gardens, etc. and images of the same are cursed by God Himself and are abominable to Him.

“Cursed be the man that makes any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and puts it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.” (Deuteronomy 27:15)

“You have praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, have you not glorified.” (Daniel 5:23)

“Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. they have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: Neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like them; so is every one that trusts in them.” (Psalms 115:4-8)

“Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.” (Haggai 2:14)

“Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.” (Ezra 9:11)

“Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God; repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.” (Ezekiel 14.6)

“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. “(Revelation 9:20-21)

People can also put witchcraft curses on things, and people, and places. Objects can be cursed due to their history, and associations, a connection to personal unholy soul ties, or due to their connection with the practice of sin in all its various forms.

The removal of Christian values including prayer and worship from institutions such as schools, various occasions, holidays and celebrations etc., is also a form of idolatry, the substitution of idols for the word of God brings a curse.

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Bless and curse in the various forms of the words, along with numerous references to cursed objects, are found in the Bible many hundreds of times, in both the Old Testament and the New. This list contains many of those Bible references and there are more besides.

Some Christians today believe that the New Testament has replaced the Old and we should not pay too much heed to what the Old Testament says. Yet the New Testament contains approximately 250 express Old Testament quotations, and more than 1000 indirect or partial quotations.

The Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament at least 295 times, occupying some 352 verses of the New Testament, or more than 4.4 per cent. Therefore, one verse in 22.5 of the New Testament is a quotation from the Old Testament.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

[The Occult and Cursed Object List itself begins about one-third of the way down this article.]

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Demons are involved in carrying out Satan’s evil plans (2 Cor.11:15).  What Satan is said to be doing (see above) is their work directly.

1. Demons promote idolatry (Lev.17:7; Deut.32:17; Ps.106:36-38).  This activity is blatant in primitive cultures.

2. Demons are active in hindering the spiritual progress of believers every way they can (see Satan’s activities).  They are deliberate and organized in these attempts (Eph.6:10-12).

3. Demons promote false teaching (1 Tim.4:1).

4. Demons can possess and afflict people (see article on Deliverance).

(a) They cause physical ailments (dumbness – Matt.9:32,33; blindness – Matt.12:22;  convulsions – Matt.17:15-18; Mark 9:20; self-injury – Mark 5:5; 9:22).

(b) They cause mental disorders (withdrawal, nudity, filth, irrational behavior – Luke 8:27-29; suicidal mania – Mark 9:22).

(c) They inflict problems upon believers as well, if allowed by God (Job’s troubles – Job 2:7-9; Paul’s “thorn in the flesh: – 2 Cor.17:7).

5. Demons promote selfishness and division in the church (James 3:13-16): “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.”

This article is written by: Sid Litke, Th.M., a 1984 graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, currently pastoring the Open Door Bible Church in Port Washington, Wisconsin:  http://www.odbcport.org/index.htm

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(I) The Existence and Nature of Demons

1. Their Creation:

God created demons as part of the angelic realm originally (Col.1:16).

2. Their Fall:

(a) The evidence

It is clear that Satan has a following of like beings  (“Prince of the demons” – Matt.12:24; the Devil and his angels –  Matt.25:41).

Demons are described throughout the Scriptures (Dan.10:10-20; Matt.10:1; Eph.6:12).

(b) The Time

At the fall of Satan, many angels followed him in that rebellion (demons are fallen angels).  A third of the angelic host seem to have fallen with Satan (Rev.12:4 – the imagery of Satan as a “dragon” and angels/demons as “stars”).

3. Their Nature:

(a) Demons are by nature the same kind of spirit beings as angels.  They are personal, intelligent beings.

(b) Demons are morally wicked (“unclean spirits” – Matt.10:1; “evil” – Luke 7:21; “wickedness/darkness” – Eph.6:12).

(i) They are deceitful (1 Tim.4:1-3; 2 Cor.11:13-15).

(ii) They are immoral (Gen.6:4; Jude 6,7).

3.     Demons are invisible but also able to appear (Satan – Zech.3:1; Matt.4:9.10; Demons – Rev.9:7-10; 16:13-16).

4.     Demons have great intelligence.  They knew Christ’s identity and power (Mark 1:14,34; 5:6,7).  They know their own future judgment (Matt.8:28,29).  They can attempt to predict the future (Acts 16:16). Their knowledge is not infinite. They learned it through thousands of years of experience and observation.

5.     Demons have great strength (Mark 5:3; Acts 19:16; Rev.9:1-11).

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Satan is seeking to oppose God’s plan by promoting evil in every way possible:

(1) Indirect Activity

He works indirectly through the world (in which he has great freedom and power – John 12:31; 1 John 5:19) and the flesh (Gal.5:19-21).  The world, the flesh and the devil are not three separate enemies of the Christian.  Rather Satan works through the evil world system (1 John 2:13-15) to exploit the fleshly nature that still wars within us (Rom.7:18; Gal.5:19-21).

(2) Direct Activity

He works directly by deception, temptation, attack and possession.

1. In Christ’s ministry:

(a) He tempted Christ (Matt.4:1-11).

(b) He attempted to thwart Christ’s work (John 8:44; Matt.16:23; Luke 22:31).

(c) He possessed Judas to accomplish the betrayal (John 13:27).

2. In unbelievers

(a) He blinds their minds to hinder their understanding of the gospel (2 Cor.4:4).

(b) When the gospel is heard or understood, he tries to hinder its effect (Luke 8:12).

(c) He uses persecution (Rev.2:10) and false religions (Rev.2:13) to hinder the effect of the gospel.

3. In believers

(a) He tempts believers (to pride – 1 Chron.21:1-8; to materialism – John 2:15; James 5:1-7; to immorality – 1 Cor.7:5; to lie – Acts 5:3; to discouragement – 1 Pet.5:6-10; to be unforgiving – 2 Cor.2:10,11 etc.).

(b) He hinders the ministries of believers (1 Thess.2:18; Rev.2:10).

(c) He promotes false teaching among believers (1 John 4:1-4).

(d) He promotes anger, bitterness and division (Eph.4:26,27; 2 Cor.2:5-11). Note:  See the supplement – “Satanic Activity and Spiritual Warfare” for more information on how Satan and his demons work and how we must respond.

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1. Key Passages – Ezekiel 28; Isaiah 14

2. Ezekiel 28:11-19 is a prophetic lamentation over the “King of Tyre” who is described in language that fits Satan’s fall and not a mere human king.  Satan is distinguished form the human ruler of Tyre in 28:2 (“prince/ruler”) and called a “king” in 28:12 (Not even Israel’s rulers were called “King”).  Though Tyre had a human “ruler”, Satan was the real “King” behind that wicked kingdom.

3. His attributes – Moral perfection (v.12) Sinless at his creation until his fall (v.15):

(a) His appearance – Perfect in beauty (v.12b,13).

(b) His privileges – Free access to the garden of Eden (v.12) and to God’s holy mountain (= God’s presence – v.14).

(c) His rank – “Cherub” (vs.14,16).

4. His judgment:

(a) Cast out of the mountain of God (v.16, cf. Rev12:4).

(b) Cast to the ground (v.17).

(c) Consumed by fire (v.18, cf. Rev.20:10).

5. Isaiah 14:12-15 also seems to describe Satan’s fall.  Satan is manifest here by the king of Babylon.  As in Ezekiel 28, Satan is pictured here as the real “king” behind the wicked human kingdom of Babylon:

(a) The imagery of a “star” and “falling from heaven” (v.12) suggests a supernatural fulfilment.  “Stars” (v.12,13) are symbolic of the angelic realm elsewhere (Job 38:6,7; Rev.12:4).

(b) The five “I will’s” of vss. 13 & 14 are literally true of Satan and only metaphorically true of Babylon’s king.  This ultimate form of pride (“I will be like the Most High” – v.14) fits the New Testament description of Satan’s fall 1 Tim.3:6.

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