Thesis 35/36: The Occult

DOCTRINES OF CULTS
Doctrine 35 / 36: The Occult

When Jesus went into the wilderness, Satan tempted Him by telling Him to worship him. It seems that beginning at the fall of Lucifer in Isaiah 14, Satan's desire is that people would worship him, by following him and not following God. There are many ways in which he does this; some of them are not as frequently recognized as being of him. For example, liars and murderers are said to be people whose actions take after the father of lies, the devil (John 8:44). However, in recent times, the following of Satan has not been hid, and there are people that claim to simply be worshippers and followers of Satan.

The First Church of Satan started in San Francisco in the 1960's by Anton La Vey. He promoted the worship of Satan by name, and said that since man was simply full of carnal passions, he may as well just give in to them. Sex has always played a large part in the church of Satan and its religious ceremonies. Sacrifices, animal and even human, are also known to be performed in certain rituals of devil worship as well. People are drawn to this occultic worship for numerous reasons. Some of them partake in devil worship simply to rebel against the standards. For example, many young people find interest in it because they know that their parents would be opposed to it. Others join because of the sexual acts that are accompanied with it. Since these sexual perversions are allowed in that society, people join them to simply allow their lusts to run uncontrolled and remain accepted.

Spiritism is another way in which Satan draws people to follow him. Spiritism is the interaction of humans with spirit beings of different forms. This includes necromancy, divinations, and speaking with familiar spirits. The Bible gives an example of this type of activity in 1 Samuel 28, when King Saul went to the witch at Endor, and asked counsel of her. To her surprise, the dead prophet Samuel actually spoke to her. Some of these spiritist practices are proven to be hoaxes, however these things do exist, and there can be communication between spirits and humans. Some of these spirits, which are devils, fallen angels, will pretend to be a dead relative of the person seeking them. Due to the knowledge that devils have of people that have lived (Satan is not omniscient, but he is very observant and knows of people from the past), they are able to communicate facts about them that nobody else living could possibly know. These devils deceive people that the spirits of the dead are actually speaking to them, however the Bible teaches that those that are dead without Christ are in hell already (Luke 16:19-23). In Deuteronomy 18:10-11, the Bible directly forbids the practices of divination (foretelling the future), consulting with familiar spirits, and necromancy (speaking with the dead). Ouija boards are another medium through which access into occultic practices begin. They are not just harmless board games.

Another from of following the devil that has become prominent in America as a result of the Harry Potter series of books is that of witchcraft. Witchcraft is the art of using magic, or supernatural powers, to accomplish something. As with Spiritism, some have disregarded witchcraft, considering it a hoax, or some other illusion. While certainly there have been cases of these, the Bible teaches that Satan does have the power to perform signs and lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Wicca is the name of the practice that came from the Celts in Ireland, from which came the name witch. A witch is a female practitioner of Wicca, and a male would technically be called a wizard or a warlock. Witchcraft is often accompanied by drugs, which tend to open up people to devilish influences and possessions. The man possessed with a devil in Mark was able to break chains; it is no surprise that supernatural events would take place around such situations. Enchantments (magic spells), witches, charmers and wizards are also forbidden in Deuteronomy 18:10-11.

A less obvious practice of the occult is in the area of fortune-telling and astrology. In most, if not all, newspapers in America, there is included a horoscope. The word horoscope comes from the Greek words meaning "hour" and "sight." It means looking at the times, and specifically divination based upon the time of a person's birth. A horoscope is an astrologer's prediction about a person's life based on the position of the heavenly bodies and the date of the person's birth. Horoscopes should not be treated as a game or as a silly comic in the paper. Rather, God again directly prohibits the "observer of times" and him that "useth divination" (Deuteronomy 18:10).

Satan has power to perform signs and lying wonders, and he has a desire to deceive and to devour (John 8:44; 1 Peter 5:8). Care must be given to avoid being sucked into his traps. God has promised power through His Holy Spirit by the humiliation of man. Satanism and other occultic practices promise power through self-exaltation and the desire to satisfy carnal lusts.

"Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."