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Pagan Influence and Demonic Doors

By Eugene Prewitt 10 min read 15,089 views
The moral value of slaying a lamb while considering a Savior to come compares well to the moral value of eating communion while considering a Savior that came. How does God view the ritual of communion, however, when the participant is not thinking about the death of Jesus?

Two Views on Pagan Practices

The first camp argues that if it can be proven to be part of pagan worship that it ought to be taboo. The second camp argues that the earth is the Lord’s and Satan is incompetent to consecrate any part of it to himself. Rituals only have meaning, this camp says, when the performer is considering the meaning of the ritual.

In favor of the second camp is the history of the sanctuary service. In Isaiah 1:12-14 God indicates how little He cared for the fat of fed beast and the pilgrimages of the Jews. Being unmixed with faith in a coming Redeemer these rituals lost their value and became bloody ends in themselves. Performed by unregenerate hearts they were nauseating to a Holy God.

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 1 Corinthians 11:29

The Meat Offered to Idols

So what about the meat offered to idols? What if I can eat it without even knowing it was offered to idols? Would my ignorance make the meat more sinister or render it harmless? Knowing the answer could settle our question regarding pagan influence.

As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one… To us there is but one… Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge [that idols are nothing] sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend…

What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? [No,] but I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.

Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.

If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof: Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other. 1 Corinthians 8:4-13; 10:19-29
The passage is clear that idols are nothing. Food offered to them is lawful to eat if it can be eaten without any regard to the idol. But heathen persons have regard to their idols. By their regard to the idol they transgress God’s law and demons highly regard this sacrifice to themselves.

Thoughtful consideration of the whole will show that the church voted to abstain altogether from such food for the benefit of the infant gentile Christians. A life of abstaining from meats in the market would be preferable to causing such a one to stumble back into idolatry.

Then should I be concerned with pagan rituals and symbols abounding today? Just to the extent that persons around me associate those items with pagan worship, to just that extent I should refrain for the benefit of my weak brethren.

* * *

Understanding the Enemy

This brings to the last portion of this short article. The final thought is a simple piece of logic.

Do we think the devil is a child? Haunting empty homes and meaningless rituals because of sentimental memories of some favorite wicked person? Is he afraid of crucifixes and of the syllables “I-aye-ous” or “yah-shu-ah” or “Je-sus” or “Hay-suse” (Greek, Hebrew, English and Spanish names for the Son of God)?

No, no. The devil is an artful foe. He plays games with teenagers and their Ouija boards if he can lead them, this way, to seek supernatural powers outside of Christ. But the board itself is nothing more to him than a screwdriver is to me.

And the devil is comfortable in churches – even in churches where Jesus is. The devil moved the church where Jesus read Isaiah 61 to grab the Savior and lead him to execution (and the Father allowed him to escape. Luke 4:14-30.) Satan is willing to go one-on-one with Jesus, though he always loses. That is what he did in the wilderness. (Luke 4:1-13). He is willing to hang out with a holy apostle if he can in this way confuse the minds of men. That is what he did Acts 16.

The devil may not like sacred music, yet it was David, not Saul, who chose to flee when the evil spirit of the latter threatened the holy heart of the consecrated musician (1 Samuel 18:10-11; 19:9-10).

How to Make the Devil Flee

Then how can we make the devil leave if he is so hardy? It is easy, but it has nothing to do with ritual. We scare the devil when we resist his temptations in the power of God.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

This is still true. We can banish the forces of evil each hour. The hangings on our wall or around our neck won’t do it. But choosing to obey God’s words, depending on God’s power, trusting in Christ’s forgiveness – these simple things bring God’s super-power into our life and make the devil tremble.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James 2:19
* * *

Employment, yes, Satan finds
For idle hands and idle minds.

Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ. Not even by a thought could our Saviour be brought to yield to the power of temptation. Satan finds in human hearts some point where he can gain a foot-hold; some sinful desire is cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their power. But Christ declared of himself, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” [John 14:30.] Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that would enable him to gain the victory. He had kept his Father’s commandments, and there was no sin in him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble. – The Great Controversy, p. 623
It is true that Christ at one time said of himself, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” John 14:30. Satan finds in human hearts some point where he can gain a foothold; some sinful desire is cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their power.
These books contained rules and forms of communication with evil spirits. They were the regulations for the worship of Satan, directions for soliciting his help and obtaining information from him. The system of magic, or sorcery, then extant, was the same as that which in this Christian age and nation is known as Spiritualism. In Paul’s day many were deceived by this Satanic delusion, and many are deceived today by the same power. Satan finds access to thousands of minds by presenting himself under the guise of departed friends. The Scriptures of truth declare that “the dead know not anything.” Their thoughts, their love, their hatred, have perished. The dead do not hold communion with the living. But Satan—true to his early cunning, when in the form of a serpent he deceived the mother of our race—employs this device to gain control of the minds of men. – Signs of the Times, February 18, 1886
And “magical books” have not been confined to the apostolic age, or to nations that are called heathen. The freedom of the press has been taken advantage of to spread abroad the influence of this baleful literature. Could all the modern productions of this class—all the publications of Spiritualism—be treated as were these magical books of the Ephesians, one of Satan’s most successful avenues by which to gain access to the souls of men would be cut off. – Signs of the Times, February 18, 1886
After hearing what I did my heart sank within me. I had never pictured before my mind what dependence we might place in those who claim to be friends, when the spirit of Satan finds entrance to their hearts. I thought of the future crisis, and feelings that I can never put into words for a little time overcame me. – Manuscript Releases, Vol. 11, p. 233
But although Solomon had had great light, he became lifted up in himself, and imagined that he was wise enough to keep himself, so he separated from God. Then he made alliances with the heathen nations around him, and married idolatrous women, and bowed at pagan shrines, and worshiped after the manner of the heathen. – Review and Herald, March 29, 1892

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