by Jim Croft
One who interprets omens. Those who interpret omens use natural events to predict future events. Divination through tea leaves, palm and Tarot card readings are variations of omen prognostications. Astrologers who chart movements in the heavens to forecast the future are interpreting omens.
We see modern counterparts of these in practitioners of Cuban Santeria, African orisha, Brazilian macumba, Haitian voodoo, aboriginal shamanism and Hispanic curanderoism. Each of these employs mixtures of the practices listed in Scripture.
We draw the second list, the list of curses, from the verses following this warning in Deuteronomy 28:15:
“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.”
Confusion and frustration in all you attempt to accomplish (see verse 20)
Defeat by one’s enemies, humiliation at the hand of competitors (see verse 25)
Groping for reasonable prosperity only to receive significant losses (see verse 29)
Children ensnared by peer pressure contrary to parental values (see verse 32)
Chronic sicknesses for which no remedies are found (see verses 35, 59)
Embarrassment about not achieving success levels common with others who are afforded similar opportunities (see verse 37)
Out-of-control indebtedness when income is sufficient to meet all needs (see verse 44)
Hostility from spouses toward their mates and children (see verses 54–56)
Homes, businesses and vehicles repossessed (see verse 63)
Panic attacks, restlessness and insomnia (see verses 65–66)
Dread of day at night, dread of night during the day (see verse 67)
We have all observed good people struggling with one or more of the symptoms of the curses listed. It is not uncommon for those experiencing the symptoms of curses to battle suicidal thoughts. For many, the oppressive circumstances driving them to thoughts of ending their lives are spawned by demons within and without.
As an example, we see a connection of the curse “defeat by one’s enemies” (see verse 25) to the life of King Saul, who was wounded in battle and subsequently committed suicide. This is tied specifically to his consultation of a medium (see 1 Samuel 28:7–24; 1 Chronicles 10:4, 13).
A number of other practices fall into the category of spiritual adultery. Here are three.
Astrology
Notable theologian Joseph A. Seiss wrote an inspiring book titled The Gospel in the Stars. First published in 1882, his book made the case that constellations and signs of the Zodiac actually support Redemption’s story. Seiss’s suppositions include historical insights and are well-supported by Bible references. Job, for instance, verified the names and locations of three constellations, the Bear, Orion and Pleiades (see Job 9:9). The starry hosts symbolically depict the glory and power of the Godhead to all who might look toward the heavens (see Psalm 19:1–6; Romans 1:18–20).
The divine intention for the significance of stars has been polluted by the false assertions of horoscopes and astrology. Probably the greatest lie is that the alignment of the stars identifies character traits and the futures of individuals. Horoscopes are a satanic deception.
The prophet Jeremiah recorded what our attitude should be toward astrological charts: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them’” (Jeremiah 10:2).
Interest in the Paranormal
All media sources are exploding with occult-related themes. The number of television programs about paranormal activities, such as “investigators” who track sightings, for instance, reveals the unhealthy interest.
A good percentage of the storylines are so much rubbish, by the way. Supposedly, the “things that go bump in the night,” the eerie voices and the moving objects are the haunting ghosts of a house’s previous occupants. I am convinced that for the most part the paranormal events being filmed are staged. The programming is entertainment for the gullible. It is designed to sell the sponsor’s products.
There are, of course, credible reports and sightings. In such instances, it is not ghosts that are present, but rather demons mimicking the dead. The evil spirit(s) causing the disturbances once inhabited a person who lived and died while a resident in whatever building is being affected. Believers have full authority to stop all paranormal activity in their homes.
It is possible for any home to attract paranormal events. That seemed to be the case with a situation I call “A Tale of Two Sisters.”
While I was writing this book, I received a call from a woman whom I will call “Sister 1.” She was alarmed about supernatural happenings in her home. Her no-nonsense husband had seen an apparition mimicking a relative who had died. The relative had never lived with them. Then, days later, Sister 1 told me that she had seen her cell phone floating in midair in the kitchen between the breakfast counter and the refrigerator. It fell to the floor when she gasped at the sight.
Across town about a month later, the caller’s sister, “Sister 2,” began to have worse hassles from the same relative’s mimicking demon. One day her eleven-year-old and thirteen-year-old sons reported seeing the deceased relative. Earlier the same day, Sister 2 had had several disconcerting experiences. She had painfully struck her head on three different doors in her home, even though she has 20/20 vision. Then when she went to pick up her kids at baseball practice, she was hit in the back of the head by a baseball. The following day, a front wheel of her SUV fell off when she turned into a parking place. All four of the wheel’s bolts had broken off as though sawed through with a hacksaw. Evidence was mounting that the demon’s intentions at Sister 2’s home were less than friendly.
In dealing with this situation, in which a demon was mimicking their dead grandmother, I led both families in appropriate repentance and renunciation. They knew about demons and needed to repent of treating the affair in a light manner. To my knowledge they have not had any further trouble.
Yoga and Martial Arts
Hinduism’s yoga and Taoism’s and Buddhism’s martial arts are in the mix of questionable practices. In some cases, the physical benefits of the exercises associated with these Eastern disciplines can be achieved without participating in any of their religious or mystical applications. In my estimation the risks are too high.
Yoga is said to relax practitioners and to heighten capabilities for greater creativity. It did not do so in India. Prior to the economic boosts from U.S. job outsourcing and piggybacked research on the scientific advancements of Western nations, the yogis got messages leading to worshiping cows, monkeys and rats and to kissing cobras.
Concerning the martial arts, some karate masters teach their students to embrace the powers of animal spirits and magic. To be sure, students who are eager for approval naïvely open themselves to become inhabited by evil spirits and the curses of life they bring.
Just as Jesus ministered to the “many” of His day, so He wants you liberated for His eternal purposes. With these gateways securely closed, you can truly manifest the love, peace and joy of Kingdom living, freed from demonic hindrances that have bogged you down. Such freedom equates to an ever-increasing capacity for you to enjoy being you, and for those around you to enjoy the true you as well.
In the next chapter, we begin the process toward that freedom.
Our negative emotions. Sins of the flesh. Spiritual adultery. Any amount of participation, however small, in any gateway activity puts you at risk for demonic opposition and needs to be addressed. If you recognize any attitude or behavior in yourself that you suspect is strongly influenced by a demon, whether it is through a gateway or some other influence, here are initial steps you may want to take before we delve into specific deliverance techniques.
Step One: Discipline
Our first action is discipline. Through the power of C
hrist, a redeemed person when tempted to sin has the ability to say no. In most instances, believers who choose to be self-disciplined will experience instant dissipation of the temptation.
Unwillingness to enact such discipline, however, can eventually open the door to evil spirits. When that happens, whichever action it was that gave the demons a foothold will usually become exaggerated and difficult to control. We may still have the ability to suppress the compulsion, but pressures from the demonic presence can wear down our resistance.
In such cases, we soon find ourselves mired in a habitual, demon-driven behavior that plagues us with guilt over our failure. When we realize we are fighting a losing battle with discipline, there are only two steps to follow: repentance and deliverance.
Step Two: Repentance
Scripture shows us that repentance is the necessary precursor to deliverance. Without repentance we will not be in the proper place to be set free from any holds that evil spirits have gained.
Look at the strategic role John the Baptist played in relation to the ministry of Jesus. John the Baptist drew huge crowds from Jerusalem, Judea and all of the surrounding regions. He was speaking of Jesus when he admonished the multitudes to “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Thousands were baptized, signaling they had indeed repented of their sins (see Matthew 3:1–6).
Repentance loosened the grip of the demons. When those individuals were then exposed to the ministry of Jesus, the power of repentance was already working within them. Any indwelling evil spirits readily came out as Jesus and His disciples told them to leave.
Repentance shows that we are taking responsibility for our transgressions—even those actions that are promoted by evil spirits. That is to say, God is not impressed with the whimper, “The devil made me do it.” The human spirit has the power to resist. Demons are strong, but their compulsions can be quenched by the determined choice of one’s personal spirit.
Is it hard? Yes! Is it life-threatening? No! It is an absolute necessity, therefore, for anyone seeking deliverance to take responsibility and repent for giving in to satanically inspired behavior. Suppose we offer Jesus our heartfelt repentance, but fall into the sin again? Suppose that happens over and over? Do we continue to repent? Yes. God always forgives. When our hearts condemn us, He is greater and more forgiving than our hearts (see 1 John 3:20–21).
When deliverance follows repentance, the repentance will have performed another marvelous function. When a demon exits a person whom he considers his “house,” the vacated “house” becomes clean and orderly. If the person who was delivered has truly exercised godly repentance, the spiritual realm within is kept in impeccable condition by the presence of Christ within. Even though an evil spirit craves to reenter his former house with a gang of more wicked spirits, it cannot do so.
Step Three: Deliverance
If we are dealing with a demon, then true repentance for our sin is just the first installment of what we need. In order to get a demonically energized problem to come under control, the demon that intensifies the sin must be expelled.
Specifics for this expelling begin in chapter 9, “Self-Deliverance,” and continue throughout the book.
Step Four: Cleaning Your House of Occult Items
The New Covenant releases believers from the obligation to comply with most of the laws of the Old Covenant. Nevertheless, there are some Old Testament laws that carry over into the New Covenant. God is jealous for our affection and our loyalty. The following verse emphasizes that in God’s sight, past and present engagement in pagan practices is idolatry: “My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them; for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they have played the harlot, departing from their God” (Hosea 4:12, nasb).
Christians are told in 1 Corinthians 10:14 to flee from idolatry. The believers at Ephesus exemplified what “fleeing idolatry” entails. It is apparent many of the new Ephesian converts had continued to dabble with the mystical aspects of their culture after coming to Christ. When they discovered the danger of doing so, they confessed the practice as sin and demonstrated their repentance by bringing their books on the magical arts to be burned in the presence of the apostles. Others possessing household images of the goddess Diana destroyed those statues. The craftsmen who sculpted the shrines became highly agitated, fearing their livelihoods would be threatened by the masses coming to faith in Jesus Christ.
The incident that precipitated this burning of occult materials and the destruction of idols was the failure of Jewish exorcists to deliver a demonized man. Sceva, a chief priest of Judaism, had seven sons who were exorcists. They attempted to incorporate the name of Jesus into their exorcism incantations. The demon recognized that the men did not have a relationship with Christ. Not only did it refuse their commands to depart from its host, it empowered the afflicted man with superhuman strength so that he physically assaulted all seven of the exorcists and put them to flight (see Acts 19:11–20, 23–28).
The failure of the exorcists to liberate the man (along with the physical beating the demon prompted) frightened the superstitious Christians of Ephesus. It demonstrated how powerless the traditional magical arts were against forces of evil. In fact, it showed that the use of magical incantations to repulse evil spirits actually gave the entities stronger footholds! As a result, believers at Ephesus repented and destroyed their occult materials.
These verses in Deuteronomy further state the case for getting rid of occult items:
“You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.”
Deuteronomy 7:25–26
The works of darkness have not ceased over the millennia: Evil practices and curses are rampant today, though not all are as blatant as sorcery and witchcraft. Often works of evil make their way into people’s lives in the guise of accepted behavior, even among Christians. Take an inventory of your home. Is it adorned with pagan idols like Buddhas, art pieces like fertility gods and occult knickknacks like good-luck charms? If so, this indicates strong attachments to idolatrous art and to the occult.
The following testimony from a close friend confirms the importance of destroying occult items.
One night some years ago, a brother in the Lord phoned from Atlanta, Georgia, at around two a.m. Let me begin by saying that all in his family were well-educated, dignified Christians with no tolerance for superstition.
This night he was alarmed by something bizarre that was taking place right at that moment in his home. He had just been awakened by strange, guttural sounds coming from the bedroom formerly occupied by his daughter, who was now married and living elsewhere.
He went in to find his wife lying on the floor of that room in what appeared to be a catatonic state, her mouth opened wide and issuing these sounds. Suddenly, the growls from his wife’s throat changed into hateful statements about their son-in-law. My friend told me that he could not figure out how she could articulate intelligible words without moving her lips, but that was what was taking place.
At my instruction, he bound the evil spirit of hatred speaking through his wife. The speech stopped, but intermittent growls continued to resound in her abdominal area and out through her throat.
All attempts to awaken her from her stupor failed. Even stranger, while this man was on the phone with me, he said he was hearing strange fluttering noises and owl hoots coming from his front and back lawns. He left the phone to investigate. He was astonished to discover that dozens of owls had descended on their property. They were dolefully “who-whoing” as they fluttered from tree to tree. (Owls are an ancient symbol of hidden wisdom.)
As we talked further he told me that their daughter, while in college, had pled
ged to a sorority whose mascot and symbol was an owl. The pledge invoked the wisdom of owls for success in life. This young lady had been married for years to her college sweetheart and co-worker with Campus Crusade for Christ. After marriage, she had left her collection of owls to decorate nearly every nook and cranny of her parents’ home.
I led my friend in a renunciation of any curses instigated by his financing of his daughter’s ill-advised pledge and her fetish with owl collecting. He did so and began to destroy the figurines. During the process, his wife slipped into peaceful slumber.
The next sign of progress was that the owls flew off during our conversation, and he has not seen any owls in the vicinity of his property since that night. Later, his wife received full deliverance from her animosities toward her son-in-law.
Months later, my friend told me that his daughter began to instigate uncharacteristic arguments with her husband. During that time, she attended a deliverance conference and went forward for ministry. The meetings took place while Derek Prince’s first wife, Lydia, was still alive, and Lydia ministered to her.
