Exposing the Darkness (Part 5)
The Supernatural Realm • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 57:19
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· 79 viewsGod's Word tells us to abstain from all appearance of evil. There is real evil in the world today and the devil is deceiving people into dabbling in the darkness. As Christians, we need to be aware of the devil's schemes and stand in the power of the blood and name of Jesus Christ against the forces of darkness.
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SCRIPTURE
SCRIPTURE
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
INTRO
INTRO
Today is October 31st; the day labeled on our calendar as Halloween. Halloween is named after the Catholic holiday of All Saint’s Day on November 1st and All Soul’s Day on November 2nd. All Saint’s Day is also known as All Hallow’s Day. October 31st was originally referred to as All Hallow’s Evening, but later got shortened to Halloween. On these days they honored the saints and prayed for the dead souls in purgatory.
Today is also celebrated by some Protestants as Reformation Day. It is the day set aside to remember when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the door of the church in Wittenberng, Germany on October 31, 1517, which began the Protestant Reformation and the split of Protestantism from the Catholic Church. Martin Luther’s 95 Thesis are probably best known for rediscovering justification by faith as the way of salvation instead of the works-based system of the Catholic church.
But modern-day Halloween in America really has nothing to do with either of these Christian traditions. I’m not going to take the time to go through all the history and origins of Halloween. There is plenty of information available out there if you are interested. But I will simply say that a lot of the Halloween traditions we have today originate from pagan practices. Halloween seems to be mainly focused on evil and darkness; things like witchcraft, demons, vampires, ghosts, death, horror, gore, fear, and even Satan himself.
This can all just seem like innocent fun. No one is really worshiping the devil or practicing satanism or witchcraft. But I think we can all agree that when we look at Halloween, most of what we see has the appearance of evil. And we’ve already read in the Bible where we are commanded to abstain from all appearance of evil. Paul also tells us in Ephesians that we are to expose darkness.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
There is real evil and real witchcraft that takes place during Halloween. But it also goes on all throughout the year, not just at Halloween. Halloween is just a time when it is more prevalent and more accepted. But Halloween is also a very important time of year for those in
So this morning, we are Exposing the Darkness. We are going to remove the veil and shine the light of the Word of God on the unfruitful works of darkness and expose some of the evil that God commands us to abstain from.
MESSAGE
Biblical Warnings of the Dangers of the Dark Side
First, let’s go back to 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 and unpack those verses.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
Prove all things
We need to be able to discern between what is good and what is evil.
Without spiritual discernment, we can easily be deceived.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Hold fast that which is good
We should not preoccupy our minds with things that are evil.
Good things and the things of God should occupy our minds.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Abstain from
The word abstain means to:
Deliberately withdraw from,
To stay away from, or
To put distance between oneself and something else.
This is a strong word that means to have nothing to do with.
all appearance of evil
The word appearance here means an outward form, visible appearance, likeness, or resemblance of something.
We are to put as much distance between evil and ourselves as possible.
The Bible says that Job “feared God and eschewed evil.” In other words, he strived to separate himself from anything evil.
Some Biblical Examples of Evil
9 “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.
Divination (Witchcraft)
Broad term that describes all occult activity and witchcraft in general.
Describes those who attempt to make contact with the spiritual realm.
Describes modern witchcraft as well (things like WitchTok).
Witchcraft is real and it is growing in popularity.
Observer of Times (Soothsayer)
Predicting the future by reading something in nature, like the stars.
Astrology.
Horoscopes.
Fortune tellers.
It glorifies the creation over the Creator.
Enchanter (One who interprets omens)
Gaining knowledge from the spiritual realm using an “aid” other than nature itself.
Tarot cards.
Crystal balls.
Palm reading.
Ouija boards.
Witch (Sorcerer)
Sorcery
Using drugs and potions to cast spells.
Charmer
Speaks in general of those who cast spells.
Consulter with Familiar Spirits
Mediums.
A medium stands between the physical realm and the supernatural realm as a mediator.
At least they profess to do so. Most of it is mere trickery. But some is real.
They are not communicating with your dead loved one, they are communicating with demonic powers.
The Witch at Endor is an example from the Bible.
Wizard
Means “knowing ones.”
They attempt to gain knowledge and change/alter reality through occultic powers.
This is a mockery of the Gifts of the Spirit.
Necromancer
Conjuring up the dead.
Attempting to speak with or communicate with the dead in some way.
Seances.
These Things are an Abomination to the Lord
Moses warned the Israelites that they were going to encounter these pagan practices as they entered the Promised Land.
But God, through Moses, also gives them a strict warning and commandment not to participate in these types of activities.
Moses tells them that these practices are an abomination to the Lord.
Those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
The Dangers of Dabbling in the Dark Side
Satan, or the devil, is behind all spiritual darkness and occult practices.
You can’t spell “devil” without “evil.”
Those who practice the occult get their power and knowledge from demons.
17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear.
20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.
We are to seek God, not other methods.
19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?
Dabbling in the dark side opens up the door to the occult.
Some of the things we’ve talked about:
Astrology
Horoscopes
Psychics
Tarot card readings
Palm readings
Seances
Playing with Ouija boards
Trying to communicate with the dead
Any attempt to gain power or knowledge by supernatural means other than the One True God.
But there are other ways as well:
Movies
Games
Music
These things can open up the door to the occult and invite demonic powers into your life and into your home.
When we participate in occult practices, we grant access to the devil.
It is like giving him the legal right to move in.
Once he moves in things will get progressively worse.
It starts out as innocent fun, but it can quickly become very serious and very dangerous.
It can originate from:
An activity you’ve participated in.
An object you’ve brought into your home.
Witchcraft that someone else has placed or tried to cast on you and your family.
It leads to different levels of being demonized including:
Demonic Suggestion
Demonic Oppression
Demonic Possession
Breaking Free from the Powers of Darkness
Remember, Satan and demons have some power, but Jesus has all power.
We have power over the powers of darkness by the Blood of Jesus and the authority of His name.
As a Christian, you can take authority over evil spirits and demonic powers and overcome them.
You can break free from the powers of darkness.
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Submit to God
Hold fast to what is good and abstain from every appearance of evil.
Acknowledge that anything to do with the occult is an abomination to the Lord.
If you’ve participated in the occult, repent of your sins.
Resist the devil
Sever any ties you have with the occult.
Break any legal right you’ve given to the devil.
If you have any objects, books, movies, games, etc. that are connected with the occult, get rid of them.
19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Pray and ask God for help in breaking the power of the enemy off your life.
Plead the blood of Jesus and command evil spirits to leave.
Anoint your home with oil, command any evil spirits to leave, and pray a prayer of protection over it.
He will flee from you
If you do these things, the devil has no choice but to leave.
He has no authority over a Christian unless you give it to him.
Once you’ve taken his authority over your life away and you’ve broken any legal right he has over you, he’s got to go in Jesus name!
After Jesus has set you free, don’t go back and pick it up again.
CLOSING
The Bible gives us very clear warnings about the dangers of the dark side and commands us to abstain from the very appearance of evil.
Playing around with the powers of darkness, even things that seem very innocent, can open up the door to the demonic.
We can overcome the powers of darkness and make the devil flee by submitting to God and resisting the devil.