Tag

demons

Browsing

by Jamie Seidel

Exorcism is going multi-denominational. Where once those competing for the souls of followers would burn each other as heretics and engage in bloody wars, the world’s mainstream Christian denominations are now rallying together to battle a resurrected threat.

And that’s no less than Satan himself.

The Roman Catholic Church has for the first time opened up its annual exorcism class in Rome to representatives of all major Christian faiths. The Pontifical University of Regina Apostolorum is a Vatican-affiliated university in Rome that has been conducting the increasingly popular annual exorcism conventions for Catholic priests for the past 14 years.

But now the doors of the 14th Exorcism and Prayer of Liberation Course have been thrown open to groups once considered heretical and demon-infested only a few short centuries ago.

Now some 250 Catholics, Lutherans, Greek Orthodox and Protestant priests have assembled to arm themselves with the sword of the holy word to battle Satan amid the souls of their parishoners.

It is itself a dark art, born of a dark age.

The Catholic Church, however, insists demonic possession is on the rise.

In 2014, it formally recognised the ancient ritual of exorcism under Canon Law and gave official approval to the formal creation of the International Association of Exorcists.

It blames the secularisation of society (separation of religion and state) along with the increasing popularity of competing religions, tarot readings, astrology, the internet and atheism for opening the demonic floodgates.

And the best way to fix this, it believes, is to tackle the ‘possessed’ head-on.

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

“We are called to fight against the Devil with all our might and determination,” keynote speaker and Catholic priest Jose Enrique Oyarzun addressed the assembled exorcists in Rome.

In this enlightened age, the practice sounds odd to many.

And that’s the problem, exorcists insist.

Speaking in lost tongues. Vomiting weird objects. Unexplained wounds. Writhing. Shaking. Shrieking abuse. Supernatural strength.

While there is rarely evidence beyond the anecdotal, exorcism practitioners insist their behind-closed doors experiences are very real.

And it’s a threat Pope Francis himself has been keen to highlight, making regular references to the power of the Devil in his sermons.

“He is evil, he’s not like mist. He’s not a diffuse thing, he is a person. I’m convinced that one must never converse with Satan — if you do that, you’ll be lost,” the Pope recently told a Catholic news service.

Now, the Pope has a spiritual army of his own at his command.

The International Association of Exorcists counts some 400 priests among its members worldwide. And the death of its most famous demon hunter, Father Gabriele Amorth, in 2016 served only to inspire a surge of fresh applications.

But they’re not enough.

So the Catholic Church is seeking a source of fresh recruits.

SHIELD OF FAITH

When it comes to skewering Satan, there are problems of doctrine.

Not all the Christian faiths believe the same things. And they’ve put each other to the torch and started wars over such serious matters in the past.

Why not now?

“This is the first time that different denominations have come together to compare their experiences on exorcisms,” Spanish priest and theologian Pedro Barrajon, one of the convention’s organisers, told media in Rome.

“The idea is to help each other, to establish best practices if you will. The Catholic Church is most associated with exorcisms because of films like The Exorcist and The Rite, but we are not the only church that performs them. Expelling the devil goes back to the earliest origins of the Christian Church.”

It’s a spiritual battle winning secular attention.

The Italian government also apparently takes the alleged possession crisis seriously.

Its education ministry this year offered its teachers the option of attending the intensive 40-hour “exorcism and prayers of liberation” crash-course in Rome. At the cost of 400 euros ($A640) each, every attending teacher was promised to be taught how the ancient rite should be “correctly practised”.

The move attracted ire from the Italian opposition parties who insisted the education system had more to worry about than training teachers in magic.

“With all the problems in Italian schools, the ministry is trying to bring back the Dark Ages,” opposition, centre-left MP said Laura Boldrini said.

“Schools need to prepare young people for the challenges of the future. And what does the education minister do? He promotes exorcism courses. (Meanwhile) schools are not safe, gyms are not fit to be used and teachers are not properly paid.”

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Father Barrajon, 61, told the conference in Rome that non-Catholic denominations were less structured in their exorcism rituals. “Some of the other churches are more creative, they don’t use a precise format,” he said.

And that could present a problem: perhaps any harpies inhabiting a human body won’t be entirely evicted.

Which is why they want priests to attend demonology school.

Participants attending the conservative Legionaries of Christ religious order run university study such subjects as “The Symbology of Occult and Satanic Rituals” and “Angels and Demons in the Sacred Scripture”.

The need to get it right, according to the exorcists, is pressing.

Last year, exorcist Benigno Palilla told Vatican Radio that there were some 500,000 cases of possession appearing in Italy each year.

But there are rising concerns about the validity of the priestly practice.

Some faith healers have been accused of sexually molesting their possessed patients.

One case in Palermo saw a priest and soldier arrested after using the pretext of “expelling demons’ to touch the genitalia of women.

In another Italian case, an underage girl was sexually abused by a 69-year-old practitioner, her boyfriend and her mother. “He convinced the girl she was the victim of strong ‘negative forces’ and consequently convinced her to undergo ‘purification rites’ consisting of sexual intercourse, sometimes in a group,” Italian police said at the time.

Pope Francis said shortly before the convention that priests entrusted with the “delicate and necessary ministry” of being an exorcist must be chosen with “great care and great prudence.”

BELT OF TRUTH?

The broader Catholic Church admits to being dubious about most claims of possession.

Its officers publicly state the majority of such claimants are, in fact, mentally ill. Instead of priests, they should be seeking medical attention to address physical health issues.

But Pope Francis has recently adopted a more urgent tone.

In March, he reportedly told a group of priests they “should not hesitate’ to refer confession-box allegations of posession to an exorcist.

“They could also have spiritual disturbances, whose nature should be submitted to careful discernment,” Pope Francis said, “taking into account all the existential, ecclesial, natural and supernatural circumstances.”

The exorcism convention, however, has made some concession to modern science – admitting there may be complicating medical issues at hand and included talks on psychology, criminology, pedophilia and pornography.

Read the Whole Article

Do you find these posts helpful and informative? Please CLICK HERE to help keep us going!

  1. Psalm 18:39
  2. Isaiah 40:31
  3. Isaiah 54:17
  4. Luke 10:19
  5. John 16:33
  6. 1 John 4:4
  7. Romans 8:31
  8. Romans 8:37
  9. Zechariah 4:6
  10. Joshua 1:9
  11. 1 Corinthians10:13
  12. 2 Corinthians 10:3–5
  13. 2 Chronicles 20:15
  14. Matthew 18:18–19
  15. 1 Pet. 5:8–9

by Cindi McMenamin

It’s true. You have an adversary who wants to attack your desires, your thoughts, even how you see and treat your body. So you and I need to be on guard against Satan’s schemes.

According to 1 Peter 5:8, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (NASB). But God’s Word also gives us a strategy against those attacks by telling us to “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…” (Ephesians 6:11-18). I find it interesting that every piece of “armor” described in that passage refers to the character of Christ. In other words, put on Christ-likeness – abide in Christ – and you will fend off the attacks of the enemy.

We abide in Christ through surrender and constant communion with Him. As you suit up with the armor of God, here are five prayers to pray against Satan’s attacks on your heart, mind, emotions, mouth, and body.

1. A Prayer to Guard Your Heart

Lord God, Captain of my heart, Satan knows if I follow Your Greatest Commandment – to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37) – he is powerless over me. Guard my heart, Lord Jesus, so that it beats for You alone. Don’t let me grow complacent toward You or be lured to love anyone or anything more than You. Remove the idols from my heart so that You alone command my allegiance and utmost affections Help me to love and forgive others as You have forgiven me so the enemy can get no foothold through hate or bitterness on my part. Cultivate in my heart Your love that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). Finally, Lord, set my heart on things above, not on earthly things. Help me to remember that You died for me and my life is now hidden which Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-2). Increase my longing for heaven so this world holds no power over me.

2. A Prayer to Defend Your Mind

Almighty God, cover my mind with the helmet of Your salvation, reminding me constantly that I am Your child and the enemy can’t mess with me. Fix my thoughts, Lord Jesus, on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Help me to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise so Your peace will guard my mind (Philippians 4:8-9). Don’t let me copy the behavior and customs of this world, but transform me into a new person by changing the way I think. Then I will learn to recognize Your will for me which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2).  Saturate my mind with Your truth so I am convinced that the answers are found in Your Word, not out in the world.

3. A Prayer to Calm Your Emotions

Lord, keep the enemy at bay by calming my emotions with the peace of Your presence. Help me to follow Your command and not worry about anything, but pray about everything, with a thankful heart offering up prayers and requests to you so that You can give me that peace that no one can completely understand – a peace that will control the way I think and feel (Phil. 4:6-7). Remind me, daily, that You are the Only One who can meet my emotional needs so I don’t look to any person for my identity, validation, or for my love tank to be filled. Thank You that You are the God of peace, the God of order, the God who heals my wounds and helps me sort through and make sense of life. You are not the God of chaos or confusion. Fill me with Your Spirit so I may express to others only love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

4. A Prayer to Cover Your Mouth

Read the Whole Article

Do you find these posts helpful and informative? Please CLICK HERE to help keep us going!

by TheBibleProject

In the second video in the Spiritual Beings Series, TheBibleProject explores the Biblical word, “Elohim”.

Elohim

Did you know that the biblical word for God is actually a title and not a name? And did you know that this title can refer to other spiritual beings as well as to the creator God? In this video, we explore the biblical terminology for spiritual beings and how this helps us understand what the Bible means when it says that “God is one.”

Do you find these posts helpful and informative? Please CLICK HERE to help keep us going!

In a recent article, Arjun Walia documents how modern and historical “elites” use black magic rituals to conjure up entities for more power.

Good Research, ‘Secret’ Conclusions

Walia states the problem well.

Looking into various subjects, from MK ultra and other forms of mind control, to the information coming from whistleblowers/insiders, the use of ceremonial magic for perverse reasons by the elite is really not that far-fetched. Although scary to contemplate, it does happen. Those who we consider our leaders, those in positions of great power, those behind the global corporatocracy we see today and the propaganda we’re all subject to, could all be guided by ‘spirits’ from places we have yet to learn about. And as a result, the massive manipulation of humanity could be guided by these ‘demonic’ entities.

Then comes to ‘Secret’ conclusions.

The main takeaway from this article should be that our connection to spirit is strong, and there are those that dwell in other worlds that can assist us, but not for our own material desires that stem from human greed, ego, and ignorance. If your heart is pure and intentions are good, if you would like to use manifestation for the goodwill of the whole, then you need not fear talking to and acknowledging this realm.

This is consistent with “The Secret” where the law of attraction puts a universal energy source at the disposal of the magician. The results of magic rituals, we’re told, are determined solely by the thoughts and intentions of the magician.

An Unexplained Leap

Walia’s conclusions also make an unexplained leap from the rituals upon which they’re derived.

Hall, and most of the historical figures he cites as having been influenced (Socrates, Napoleon, Faust), were interacting with individual spirit entities each with unique characteristics. And yet, in Walia’s conclusions about them, the personal demons of the magicians somehow become a collective “it” rather than a personalized “they.” In contrast, the invocations in “The Complete Book of Magic Science” always call upon “the invisible inhabitants of the elements” using a specific name.

For Walia, the unseen realm does have duality: it has both good and evil demons. But that’s where his distinctions end. Unlike the rituals performed by the elites of his subject, he makes no distinctions about what or who is being contacted.

Protected by their purity, we’re told, the white magician is safe to draw upon the collective energy of an amorphous host of demons functioning like the “Force” in star wars. If one has the pure intentions of Yoda, only the good demons respond, and vice versa for Darth Vader.

Cosmic Powers Over This Present Darkness

Though Walia makes no biblical references, his “elite … those in positions of great power, those behind the global corporatocracy” are called cosmocrats in Ephesians 6:12.1

“Cosmocrat” is anglicized from the greek κοσμοκράτορας or kosmokratoras. They are the “world influence of any influential, governing authority over the inhabited world understood in terms of physical control; including both human and preternatural authorities.”2

The entities (“those that dwell in other worlds”) being called on for guidance and power are the preternatural counterparts of the cosmocrats: “the rulers … the authorities … the cosmic powers over this present darkness.1 These terms have one thing in common: they are all terms of geographic dominion.3

Their Beliefs, Not Yours

If all of this seems far-fetched, esoteric, or inapplicable to real life, take it up with the elites in Walia’s article. It’s their actions and beliefs that are of concern. One need not prove the existence of the unseen realm to discuss the behaviors of those declaring that they seek power from it.

If the invisible entities the elites are calling on for power don’t exist then what’s all the fuss about? Again, the “fuss” is about the actions and beliefs of those in earthly positions of power. If a psychopath threatens, “I’ve been commanded by Satan to kill you” the immediate problem is his belief in Satan, not yours.

Ceremonial Magic

What is ceremonial magic? The works of multiple scholars, from Plato to Manly P. Hall and further down the line, suggest it is essentially the use of rituals and techniques to invoke and control “spirits” or lifeforms that could be existing within other dimensions or worlds. For example, according to Hall, “a magician, enveloped in sanctified vestments and carrying a wand inscribed with hieroglyphic figures, could by the power vested in certain words and symbols control the invisible inhabitants of the elements and of the astral world. While the elaborate ceremonial magic of antiquity was not necessarily evil, there arose from its perversion several false schools of sorcery, or black magic.”

The essence of magic is bypassing God or Godly means to do something. The worst of all forms is to involve the lower-g gods forbidden in the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me.”4 Ancient Israelites would have understood such a god to be “a supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force.”2

Plato Was Right

Yet if we examine the works of Plato, we see he specifically condemns, both in the Laws and in the Republic, the idea that “gods” can be influenced by the performance of certain rituals — called “necromancy” or “magical attack.” He believed those who try to control the spirit world should be penalized.

The Bible is clear that lower-g gods exist5, and that they are not to be tangled with.6 Plato’s belief was consistent with these prohibitions.

For the Jew, and later the Christian, it has always been “black” to communicate with elohim other than Yahweh. All magic, in this sense, is black.

Socrates was Almost Good Enough?

Socrates, about whom Plato wrote much, also spoke of an entity that guided him. It was never given a name, but references to it ranged from daemon to daimon. Socrates believed this entity was a gift, and manifested itself in the form of the voice within, something we all possess. His communication with this entity was actually used as one of the charges against him when he was put to death. Socrates believed it to be a link between mortal man and God.

Socrates seems to be an exception when it comes to using these concepts for perverse reasons, and, as Hall points out, he provided evidence that “the intellectual and moral status of the magician has much to do with the type of elemental he is capable of invoking. But even the daemon of Socrates deserted the philosopher when the sentence of death was passed.”

If Socrates’ intellectual and moral status were not enough what made Hall believe the average man would be safe in practicing “white” magic?

Good men are capable of invoking evil spirits. The question is not whether they are able, but whether they are willing.

The ‘Guided’ First Whistleblower

He (Socrates) was put to death for “corrupting the youth” and spreading “false” information amongst the people, but looking back, he seems to be a figure more like our modern day revolutionaries than a malevolent influence, put to death for exposing the aristocracy’s secrets and encouraging people to question the true nature of reality, to question the doctrine that had been provided to the masses by those in power.

In Socrates lifetime the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Pentateuch) were assembled, and the term “Torah” first used to refer to them. What better time to start “exposing the aristocracy’s secrets and encouraging people to question the true nature of reality” then in parallel with the 66 books of the Bible that would soon encourage the entire world to do exactly that?!

Who’s in Control?

In the Faustian bargain, the recipient becomes at the disposal of the devil after fame and fortune are delivered. Indeed, people seem more likely to become at the mercy of these things than harness them for the good of humanity.

For Hall, the “invisible inhabitants of the elements” are put under the control of the magician who’s used just the right combination of symbols, cloths, words, and ceremony to conjure them. Why would Hall presume that such inhabitants are controllable?

Once conjured, rather than “control the invisible inhabitants” the magician more likely must cede control to them; presumably a problem worse than being only guided.

Who’s More Powerful?

Those seeking more power from “invisible inhabitants of the elements” already have earthly power. Wouldn’t those who could provide more be more powerful than the seeker; the grantor superior to the grantee?

Phenomena like these appear in various cultures during different time periods all throughout human history, so what makes us think these practices have stopped today?”

Indeed, these occult practices have been occurring since at least the time of Moses (1500-1300 B.C.). They were proscribed in the Old Testament, and yet, have continued throughout human history. Their prevalence, today, is such that one can hardly process the news without an understanding of their implications.

Before finishing this commentary on Walia’s article, I discovered it was published in 2016 under a different title: “Ceremonial Magic & Sorcery: How an Ancient Art Became Perverted by the ‘Global Elite’”.
I don’t think the elite have perverted an ancient art; they’ve merely resumed the practice of one corrupted from its inception.

Though I disagree with Walia’s conclusions, I recommend his article for the awareness it brings to these practices. The cosmocrats are real, and so are the entities they’re calling upon for guidance and power.


  1. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 6:12). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. 
  2. Sean Boisen, Mark Keaton, Jeremy Thompson, and David Witthoff. Bible Sense Lexicon: Dataset Documentation. Lexham Press: Faithlife Corp. 2017 (DB version 2017-08-15T17:40:39Z) 
  3. “rulers” (archonton or archon), “principalities” (arche), “powers”/“authorities” (exousia), “powers” (dynamis), “dominions”/“lords” (kyrios), “thrones” (thronos), “world rulers” (kosmokrator). These lemmas have something in common—they were used both in the New Testament and other Greek literature to denote geographical domain authority. Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, loc. 6093. Kindle Edition 
  4. The first commandment. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ex 20:3). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. 
  5. “God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah”, The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 82:1–2). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. 
  6. “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. (Dt 18:10–12, see also Leviticus 19:26, Lev 19:31; Lev 20:6, Lev 20:27) The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. 

One of the things I have seen among Christians who have been influenced by the Divine Council framework is the tendency to assume that every non-Christian religion springs fully formed from the minds of our Spiritual enemies. There is also an inclination to only glance at the surface of a particular mythology or religion, and as long as it contains enough of the tropes and motifs one expects, one doesn’t examine it any more deeply.

My goal in this article is to make people aware of some of the assumptions we can make when approaching other mythologies and religions.

So how does a deeper examination of mythology and religion help the Christian living today? I plan to use the very unique mythology of the ancient Norse to further explore this question and hopefully provide us window into the propaganda machine of the fallen Principalities and Powers.

Thor, Norse Mythology, and the Usual Suspects

Quite a lot of you have probably seen the new Thor movies by Marvel, and some of you may already know some of the basic story of Norse mythology. On the surface, it is a story with a lot of the familiar motifs. There is a single supreme god who, with his family, make up a council of gods.

Norse mythology has a classic demonic enemy. Their gods may not live at the top of a mountain, but they live at the top of the World Tree. It has a flood myth complete with evil giants. It even contains the classic Thunder-god, and his battle against the evil sea dragon of chaos. It seems like a straightforward story, not all that different from the mythologies we have seen before.

Why should anyone read any further? After all, we possess the Bible “the Myth that is true”, the story from which all the other myths originate. Well, if one does decide to take a closer look at the story, things start to get weird.

Death of the gods?

We find out that this is not the usual story of gods triumphing against all enemies but instead a tragedy in which all the gods die in a final battle against evil.

Unlike the triumphant stories we are used to reading, where the thunder-god defeats the dragon of chaos and brings new order, the thunder-god instead dies of his wounds almost immediately after slaying the dragon. We don’t get the traditional time-line of world creation, creation of humanity and then a flood. What one will observe instead is a combination of the flood and creation story, and the evil giants who are mostly wiped out by the flood. The surviving giants then become the demonic enemies of the gods long before humanity is created.

Troubling Questions

If this story was fabricated out of whole cloth by the Infernal Powers, then one is left with some troubling questions:

  • Why would the Powers of darkness create a mythology where they themselves die at the end?
  • Many of you are probably familiar with the Genesis 6 account, the Book of 1st Enoch, and the struggle against the Giant Nephilim clans throughout the Bible. If these are those same Giants, why would they write a story where their fictional representations are destroyed by the Giants?
  • Why the odd combination of flood and creation myth?

What if we take a different approach?

Historical Human Figures as ‘gods’

What if one assumes that these gods are partially based off of historical human figures?

If Odin and the Aesir were an actual tribe of humans living in a post-flood world instead of gods, then the whole story almost tells itself. We see the Aesir tribe’s brief struggle with the neighboring Vanir tribe and their long conflict with a tribe of Giants. We see the chief and patriarch Odin adopt the orphaned child of one of the giants that he has just killed. Loki is raised as Odin’s son, and he returns the favor by murdering his adoptive brother, Baldur, for his own twisted amusement. Loki then returns to his giant kin and leads them to exterminate the Aesir in a final battle nearly wiping out the Aesir leaving only enough survivors to pass the story down to their children.

History becomes Legend, then Myth

The ancient dead heroes are honored by their descendants, and as oral history is passed down through the generations, all the older pre-flood myths are blended into the story. To quote the Lord of the Rings movie, “History became legend. Legend became myth. And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost.” …as the corrupt gods whisper and guide from the shadows.

The tragic struggle of the Aesir against overwhelming evil that captures our imaginations to this very day is partially obscured under the false mantle of godhood. Their nobility and humanity are perverted as men are strangled and hung from yew trees as sacrifices to the Hanged god. This is one possible explanation for this particular story that better explains the oddities present in its narrative.

So how would a closer examination of non-Christian religion and mythology aid the believer living today?

A Culture Starving for Supernatural Content

One can use what one learns about how our enemies have influenced the cultures of the distant past to see how they might be manipulating our modern culture through Hollywood, literature, and religion. And such an examination can also provide one with powerful apologetics and polemics against the examined religions, still here, or those resurfacing in a modern culture starved of supernatural content.

Demonic Subversion of the Truth

For example, one walks up to a modern neo-pagan, who worships the Norse pantheon, and if all one tells him is that the story and people he has based his faith on are only a demonic parody of the true faith, how will he respond?

Or instead, one could show him how his religion ties into the Christian narrative, and how the story and heroes of his people have been subverted and used as a mask by the fallen Powers of the Bible …

Assumptions only take us so far. When we actually start to think and examine more deeply, we are able to move forward.