"Thanks be to God who gives us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" 1 Corinthians 15:57
God's people have always tended to drift toward earth-based
religions (various blends of pantheism, polytheism and monism)
whenever apathy dimmed their desire for Biblical truth. But never
before have occult beliefs and practices been promoted as shrewdly
as today--nor have God's people been more ignorant of their dangers
or more vulnerable to their lures. As deception spreads, let
us heed God's Old Testament warnings as well as His New Testament
prophecies:
Recognize
the Signs of a Pagan Revival
Demonic deception:
"In later times, some will abandon the faith and follow
deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." (1 Tim.
4:1)
Myth replaces truth:
"The time will come when men will not put up with sound
doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather
around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching
ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth
and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Upside-down values:
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put
darkness for light and light for darkness... Woe to those who
are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight."
(Is. 5:20)
Every kind of evil:
"There will terrible times in the last days. People will
be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love,
unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers
of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God...." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Distortions of God:
"Hear , O my people...I will testify against you... I
am God, your God...'YOU THOUGHT I WAS ALTOGETHER LIKE YOU. But
I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.'" (Psalm
50:21)
Pride and Rebellion:
"For REBELLION is like the sin of DIVINATION, and ARROGANCE
like the evil of IDOLATRY." (1 Sam. 15:23)
Occultism:
"Do not... imitate the detestable ways of [your pagan
neighbors]. Let no one be found among you who... practices DIVINATION
or SORCERY, interprets OMENS, engages in WITCHCRAFT, or CASTS
SPELLS, or is a MEDIUM, SPIRITISTS or who CONSULTS THE DEAD.
Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord...."
(Deut. 18:9-12)
False miracles:
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance
with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit
miracles, signs and wonders and in every sort of evil that deceives
those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to
love the truth and so be saved." (2 Thess. 2:9-1)
Denying truth and facts:
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against
all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth
by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain
to them...." (Rom.1:18+)
Persecution:
"Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from
bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue
in what you have learned." (2 Tim. 3:12-14)
Focus on temporary pleasure rather than eternal life:
"Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny
is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is
their shame. THEIR MIND IS ON EARTHLY THINGS. BUT OUR CITIZENSHIP
IS IN HEAVEN, and we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."
(Phil. 3:20)
Stand on God's Promises
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I
who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live...
I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself
for me." (Gal. 2:20)
"Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord
which He will accomplish for you today... The Lord will fight
for you while you keep silent." (Ex. 14:13-14)
"The Lord your Lord, who goes before you, will Himself
fight on your behalf...." (Deut. 1:30)
"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble
at them, for the Lord our God is the One who goes with you. He
will not fail you or forsake you." (Deut. 31:6)
"When you go out to battle against our enemies and see
horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not
be afraid of them; for the Lord your God... is with you... [and]
goes before you to fight for you against your enemies to save
you." (Deut. 20:1, 4)
"Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard
you along the way, and to bring you to the place which I have
prepared. Be on your guard before him and obey his voice... then
I will be an enemy to our enemies...." (Ex. 23:20-22)
"Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Josh.
1:9)
"...when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry
the ark...shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters...
shall be cut off...." (Josh. 3:13)
"You are to cling to the Lord your God... for the Lord
your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you. So
take diligent heed to... love the Lord our God." (Josh.
23:5-11)
"We have no power to face this great army that is attacking
us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You."
(2 Chron. 20:12)
"Fear not and be not dismayed at this great multitude;
for the battle is not yours but the Lord's." (2 Chron. 20:15)
"You need not fight in this battle; take your positions,
stand still, and see the victory of the Lord on your behalf...
Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for
the Lord is with you...
...and when they began singing and praising, the Lord set
ambushes...." (2 Chron. 20:17, 22)
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever
you bind on earth [shall have been] bound in heaven, and whatever
you loose on earth [shall have been] loosed in heaven."
(Matt. 16:19)
"Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us. " (Rom. 8:37)
Share in
His Victory
"So let us know, let us press on to
know the Lord...."
(Hosea 6:3)
"Let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which
so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus... who
for the joy set before Him, endured the cross...." (Heb.
12:1-3)
"If anyone would come after Me,
he must deny himself
and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me
will find it." (Matt. 16:23-25)
"...pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances...."
(1 Thess. 5:17-18)
"...be likeminded, having the same love, being one in
spirit and purpose. [This unity does not include those who distort
the gospel] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves... Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ... who
made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant....
humbled himself and became obedient to death. " (Phil. 2:1-8)
"I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who
loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and
I too will love him and show myself to him." (John 14:20-21)
"Whatever is true... noble...right... pure... lovely...
admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think
about such things." (Phil. 4:8)
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty
power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take
your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers
of this dark world and against the spiritual forces
of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the
full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you
may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done
everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist ." (Eph. 6:10-17)