Ungodly belief systems

An ungodly belief system is any system of belief that bypasses and worships anything or anyone other than the creator God. Such worship is in essence denying the one who created us and may be one of the greatest offenses against God. Satan takes advantage of this and devices ways to get people hooked on to such belief systems and into demonic bondage.
One main channel through which demons gain access to humanity is the occult. Man by nature has a longing to make contact with the spiritual world. It was God who placed this longing within us, but Satan has devised ways to divert the seekers into deceptive, evil systems that bring them into bondage to himself. These deceptive systems can take countless forms (ranging from reading a weekly horoscope in magazines to seeking help from a witch doctor); but the generic form for them all is the occult.
The word  occult is derived from a Latin word that means “concealed” or “covered over.” The power operating through occult practices or systems derives from Satan and is evil. Many people caught up in them do not know this. They have been enticed of labels or claims that make them appear highly desirable.
Two main branches of the Occult
The two main branches of the occult are identified in the scripture as divination and sorcery.
Divination
Divination provides knowledge through supernatural means about people, events and situations. Frequently it predicts future events. Examples are fortune-telling  and extrasensory perception (ESP).
A clear example is offered by the slave girl in Acts 16:16-18, who was said to be “possessed with a spirit of divination” (NKJV). She was the first person in Philippi to discern the identity of Paul and Silas.  “These men are the servants of the Most High God”, she cried, “who proclaim to us the way of salvation” (v. 17).  Everything she said was true, yet her knowledge came from a demon. When the demon was expelled, she lost the ability to tell fortunes.

• This is what makes fortune-telling so deceptive and dangerous. The measure of truth is the bait on Satan’s hook by which he seeks to capture and enslave his victims. Fortune-telling (divination) is truly hidden (occult). It conceals the satanic source of power. Among those who seek to know the future are highly placed political leaders – even professing Christians. Yet that contact inevitably exposes them to demons.
• Another snare which poses as a game, is the Ouija (VJ) Board. The use of Ouija Board and other occult practices like “Coin call”, Yoga has now permeated many branches of our school systems. Another way many people are exposed to divination is through horoscopes. It may be noted that even casual scanning through “your” horoscope in the newspaper with an unguarded mind can expose you to the demonic influence. Here again many Christians are deceived. They consider such activities harmless, not recognizing the snare.
• Another potential door-opener for demons is involvement in martial arts like karate, judo, etc. We need to bear in mind that the martial arts originated in cultures permeated with idolatry and demonic activity.

Sorcery and Witchcraft

• The other channel through which the occult operates is sorcery. Sorcery uses various means to make an impact on physical senses. Some of its tool are drugs, potions, charms, amulets, spells, incantations and various forms of music. Often addiction to drugs opens door to these evils. Some contemporary forms of music such as acid rock falls into the same category and are used as channels of supernatural satanic power.

In Deuteronomy 18:10-12 the Lord declares his attitude towards various forms of occult involvement. “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or is a medium or a spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord…..”. All such people are said to be detestable to the Lord. The word translated “detestable” is the strongest word in the Hebrew language for what the Lord hates and rejects. Note, too, that God places such people in the same category as those who sacrifice their children to a pagan deity.

• The other main category mentioned above, in addition to divination  and sorcery is witchcraft. There are many different forms of witchcraft ranging from open worship of Satan, evil forms of rock music to new age cults, religions and practices.
• Closely related to occult is false religion. Examples are idol worship, Freemasonry, Mormonism, Jehovah’s witness, false mediators (saints), etc.

Wrong Beliefs

• Any wrong beliefs (about God, about self, about others), heretical beliefs, wrong attitude towards scriptures, etc is a potential target for demonic deception. So is any religious practice that becomes more important than God himself and the relationship one has with God.

The Way Out

• Anyone who has been involved in occult or false religion needs to repent of it, confess it as sin and seek Christ for forgiveness, cleansing and release. In addition, any books or other objects connected with the occult or false religion should be destroyed.

This post is a part of a series of posts regarding Inner Healing. Click here to access the Introduction to Inner Healing and the entire list of topics in the Inner Healing series.