Beware of the Occult

Whitney Hopler

The ability to read another person's mind, a medically unexplainable healing -- these are exciting, supernatural events that can seem to come from God. But while God is behind all genuine miracles, evil spirits can and do produce counterfeits to deceive and entrap people.

You become especially vulnerable to these assaults any time you participate in occult activities, even ones that seem like harmless fun.

Here are some ways you can steer clear of evil encounters:

• Know the Bible. Read it often, and ask the Holy Spirit to use the words to renew your mind. Look to the Bible for God's revelation of truth. Don't trust mere experiences or feelings, however beautiful. Remember that Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
• Always consider what the person or spirit you encounter believes about Jesus. If it's anything less than that Jesus is the Son of God, exactly as the Bible records, the person is misguided or the spirit is evil. Truth must be 100 percent accurate. Remember that a person can be very sincere, but still be sincerely wrong.
• Give up sin that's blocking your intimacy with God. Ask God to reveal the areas of sin in your life, confess them, decide to turn away from them, and rely on God's grace to do so.
• Seek God, not miracles. Although God loves to give good gifts to His children, He wants you to seek Him for who He is, not to try to persuade Him to give you things.
• Don't seek power or knowledge apart from God. Realize that to do so is to invite evil to assault you. Remember that God is the ultimate source of power and knowledge, and trust Him to give you all you need.
• Absolutely refuse to participate in any occult activity. Know that there is no activity involving contacting evil spirits that is safe, even if you participate in jest, not really believing that anything will happen. Most likely, something will. If you have been participating in any occult activities, stop them entirely, renounce them in prayer, and ask for God's help to stop evil assaults on you. If possible, pray with a Christian who can support you in the spiritual battle.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and cultivate His fruit (such as love, joy, peace, and patience) in your life. When interacting with other people, look for the fruit of the Spirit in their lives as signs of their relationship with God.
  

Adapted from The Beautiful Side of Evil, copyright 1982 by Johanna Michaelsen. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Or. Buy this book online by clicking on the link below or by visiting your local Christian bookstore.

Johanna Michaelsen participated in occult activities for years, and worked as a personal assistant to a psychic surgeon in Mexico for 14 months. Later, in answer to her prayers, God allowed her to see the evil behind the outward appearance of beauty and holiness, and Jesus delivered her from the evil that has tormented her.

Have you ever played with a Ouija board, practiced astrology, had your palm read, or participated in any other occult activity that might seem like innocent fun on the surface? If so, how did that experience make you vulnerable to evil? If God has delivered you from any occult experiences, how did He do so? What warnings would you like to offer others? Visit Crosswalk's forums to discuss this topic by clicking on the link below.