I have a history of dabbling in the occult. Like a moth to the flame, I approached with curiosity. It was a longstanding family pattern. I never got into anything terribly sketchy (or so I told myself), because I still recognized Jesus as who He Is, but let’s just say in my time I saw some things, and fully believe in the existence and power of the supernatural — spiritual — realm.
After a particularly hair-raising encounter that put me face-to-face with the reality of my non-Christian interests, I renounced everything, cleared out my home, consecrated everything, dedicated my life to Jesus, and haven’t look back. But... thanks to past experience, I have some perspective, and what I am seeing really bothers me.
Put plainly: the occult has infiltrated just about everything. Including the church. And it terrifies me.
In the news, I am seeing obvious indicators of people deeply enmeshed in the occult (and that’s a euphemism for stuff far worse than your typical crystal-wielding, yoga-obsessed hippie) in positions of power in our government. I’m watching our government pass legislation far too close to child sacrifice rites discussed in the Bible. I’m seeing church people who are like I used to be: devoted to astrology, or tarot, or crystals. References to the occult pop up in advertisements, TV, and metaphysical shops advertise in local newspapers as if it’s no big deal. Masseuses offering reiki to whomever will pay their fee.
It is deeply unsettling.
God has been walking with me very closely as of late, and He’s been revealing to me not only how sneaky the enemy is in how he makes everything seem beautiful and perfect and wonderful just long enough to get you hooked, but also the reality that all these things are cheap counterfeits of the Real Deal: the spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament. I listened to someone functioning in the prophetic anointing discuss how the church’s biggest mistake was their silence on the spiritual world and the reality of spiritual giftings. Why? Because their silence left the field wide open for the occult, for the forces of darkness under the guise of the New Age movement to own the discussion.
People are hungry for spiritual truth. We have a deep void in our souls that begs to be filled with something more... and the New Age movement has completely taken the offensive. We don’t talk about the gift of Discerning of Spirits, and so the other side talks about being an ‘empath.’ We don’t talk about seeing in the spirit, having visions, or hearing the voice of God, and so they talk about clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairaudience. We don’t talk about the gifts of foreknowledge or intercessionary prayer, and so they talk about being a psychic or medium. It’s a travesty. It’s a travesty, because there are only two teams to play ball for, and if you aren’t playing for Jesus, there’s only one other option.
So why don’t we talk about the gifts? Dear church, what’s stopping us? We know the Truth, and some of us have actually seen the other side thanks to our giftings and/or our stupid mistakes, so why not broach the subject? I was floored when I learned, at age 30, that the Bible talks about the supernatural, about how it affects our daily lives, how we each have unique and beautiful gifts that surpass earthly limitations... and how most of us never discover them because we were never told, taught, or because the enemy lied to us.
That’s got to change, even if it makes us uncomfortable. How are we truly going to exercise and function in the full authority Jesus died to give us if we don’t?
Lord Jesus, grant us courage
to speak, to pray, to walk as you did
one foot here on earth, and one foot with the Father
That we may better serve you and live lives that shine out Your goodness.