Exposing the Darkness 

          Overcoming the stronghold of the occult:  MAIN HEALING LESSON 20

This teaching on exposing the darkness of occult oppression is just one of the 24 lessons in our workbook for personal transformation, "Matters of the Heart."  All 24 lessons will be helpful to the person seeking restoration and freedom and have been posted on this web site. They are available as a complete set in our workbook which can be purchased as a download or ordered through the mail. The lessons are also available on CD and DVD as 24, 1/2 hour teachings. All scriptures are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.
 

Introduction 

A different kind of stronghold
At this point in the course we have come to a stronghold that is unlike all of the others in that it doesn’t grow out of the ordinary interactions of people and events, but is constructed by points of direct contact with spiritual darkness. For some people this will be a lesson of little consequence—they have been blessed to have walked a path free and clear of trespassing into the occult domain. For others their immersion into the “depths of Satan” (Re 2:24) has been so devastating (whether of their own volition or forced upon them by others), that this chapter may seem like a pop gun, when what they need is a canon.

But for many of us, contact with this realm has been by dribs and drabs, a little here, a little there, and the infiltration into our lives through the generations before us may hardly have been noticed in its effects upon us. Indeed, this is a domain that prefers to remain hidden in that half light where curious or hungry souls go to find “something more” in the way of spiritual life and experience—not necessarily wanting evil, but drawn towards things beyond the pale of orthodox Christian faith.

Deception is very deceiving!
By posing as legitimate spiritual experience the New Age has made huge inroads into Western culture. The spider knows how to make the web all but invisible to the unsuspecting fly it seeks to catch. The enemy is a deceiver! Someone once said that deception is like falling asleep: you don’t know you are asleep until someone tries to wake you. Just in case you've been caught napping, allow the Holy Spirit to begin exposing the darkness through these teachings, then wake up and seek the safety and freedom our Lord offers.
 

Teaching summary

The occult is a door point 
Like trauma the occult can open doors for the enemy’s kingdom to come, but unlike trauma we may not have been aware of anything very wrong in our times of contact with it. Nevertheless, scripture shows that the occult is serious, because in the Old Testament the penalty for it was death (not a lesser form of punishment) and no sacrifice could atone for it (Exodus 22:18-20; Leviticus 20:6-8; Leviticus 20:27). As New Testament believers we do not war against flesh and blood in this way, but the O.T. example clearly shows us that we are not to be compromised by any involvement with the occult—we must keep it out of our lives (for more scriptural references and a free download see The Occult Realm Identified and Condemned).

The occult, like unforgiveness, is a major block to healing
Until our contact or association with it is repented of and renounced it gives the enemy the legal right to bind and torment us with the curse of the law—like stepping out from under a covering on a rainy day.  The occult realm is a false god that seeks worship and service.  High places in ancient times were sites where idol worship took place. High places are now in our minds—prideful thoughts or thoughts that are contrary to God’s revealed truth (see Exodus 20:3-6).
 
A simple definition of the occult
The occult is anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (evil spirits) or obscures or occults (hides) the knowledge of God (forbidden practices). This definition could apply in general to all of the operations of Satan’s kingdom, but the occult, more narrowly and traditionally defined takes three main forms in scripture:

• Forbidden knowledge of the future.
• Forbidden contact with the dead.
• Forbidden ways of accessing spiritual power
 

The occult is a counterfeit

The occult counterfeits true spiritual power and light (truth). The occult is like a planet crossing in front of a star (see sketch). An occultation in astronomy is an obscuring of the desired object by something that comes in front of it. A planet gives off light, but has no fire of its own. The occult thrives on what is dark, hidden, secretive, or falsely revealed. It is something spiritual that looks good, appears to be full of light, but actually hides the One True God.  The occult and the cults it spawns always distort the Person and saving the work of Jesus Christ. Know what the Truth is!

The “occulting” of Satan is described in scripture
Do not expect this kingdom to exhibit its dark side very often. Spiritual darkness prefers to disguise itself as light—at least in terms of attracting unsuspecting “flies” into its web. We would hardly walk into such a trap if we could see the evil on the other side (Proverbs 7:23; 14:12). Not only that, but we should not be surprised when people who are themselves deceived, don't take kindly to us when we are exposing the darkness that has become their way of life. Consider what false religion has spread around the world that began with the visitation of “an angel of light” to an unwary soul.

...For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.  2 Corinthians 11:14

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8
 

Two temptations of the occult

These are the flesh hooks the tempter uses to snare the unwary.

1) Knowledge. The spirit behind it is divination. Divination is the act or practice of trying to foretell the future by occult means. The cults also seek knowledge, claiming a superior and secret wisdom or way of salvation—but it doesn’t come from God or the Bible.

2) Power. The spirit behind it is witchcraft and sorcery. Witchcraft and sorcery seek to make things happen by the power of the mind, special talents or natural elements. It is a form of control—a rebellion against God’s order or authority (1 Samuel 15:23). Sorcery uses spells to control others or events; witchcraft uses objects. Both rely upon demons to do the real work.

Potions and pills
Sorcery translates the Greek word pharmakia (Galatians 5:19), the root for our pharmaceuticals. This is NOT to say that modern pharmaceuticals are of the devil! But, there is a caution here that habitual use of medicines without going to God and/or without dealing with sin can become a dependency that is occultic in nature because it obscures God.  The devil has a proven track record of taking things that are good to begin with and then subverting their purpose by getting us to go too far with them (sweets for instance). Dependency on prescription drugs can be a way of trying knowingly or unknowingly to bypass the curse by not seeking to get right with God about what is wrong in our hearts. Please see the primary healing article, The Spiritual Roots to Disease (Main Healing Lesson 1).

Signs and symptoms of occult penetration
Thoughts become increasingly negative and are drawn to unhealthy interest in the “dark side” of life or of things in general. The mind becomes confused, “foggy,” blanks out easily, loses strength to think things through rationally and logically. Fear intensifies. A person is often bound to past occult contact in fear and/or pride. Other signs include hatred of God, rejection of God’s Word, inability to hear God, inability to stay awake in church or when reading scripture, etc. Loud objections are often made when anyone tries exposing the darkness of beliefs and practices they have not fully forsaken.
 

The power of occult experiences

Powerful deception comes from the way the occult spirits make the truth claims seem real. The connection is made by means of subjective experience exactly described. Once you do one New Age activity, no matter how slight it seems, you easily are drawn into many other practices.

A simple test for alternative medicines and methods
Who originated the practice and what did he/she really believe? How often do you have to go? Do you ever get healed? How much does it cost? Does the “energy” sound like the Holy Spirit? There are many names in New Age for the energy or spirit that is at work in the modality of healing being promoted, but the “energy” is an evil spirit and the practice is the occult means of conjuring it.  God desires that we choose life—by avoiding that which He calls evil (Deuteronomy 30:11-19).
 

Interested in going deeper?

Don't just give these truths a "head bob"!
For further study and for help working these truths into your heart and life, see Exposing the Darkness part 2 (Head to Heart Guide 20) and "work out" with exercises, discussion questions, review of main points, digging deeper, more scriptures, model prayers, renunciations/affirmations and practical steps of life application.

Or better yet, let us minister to you in person
     --at one of our Savannah Seminars...