The story was dark and scary and spoke of the occult. Chills ran up my spine.
No, I wasn’t watching a horror movie. I was in church.
“Wait! In church?” you ask.
It was a mission story telling of satan’s* hold on a person in a third-world country. It was like many of the mission stories I have heard during my lifetime dealing with demonic possession. Some of them really scared me when I was young.
* No capital letter for this guy’s name—he doesn’t deserve it.
If you attended church in year’s past, and heard mission reports, or read the many magazines put out by mission organizations, you know the stories I’m talking about. Stories so incredible, they don’t seem possible to a comfortable, sophisticated Christian.
And sadly, many Christians don’t think the stories are credible, or they just don’t want to hear them because it makes them feel uncomfortable. After all, you seldom see or hear about demonic possession in “civilized” countries, and then only in sensational movies. And our church seems to have distanced itself from the subject through the recent years.
Why is that? Doesn’t demon possession exist in the Western world?
Jesus said in Mark 16:17, that His followers will cast out demons. That settles it for me. How about you? Jesus told us these supernatural events would happen.
So, why don’t we see more demonic possession in Western Countries?
When I recently heard a missionary say, “Here in West Africa evil spirits operate much more openly than they do in the developed countries,” it really set me to thinking.
As my thoughts developed, I wondered, “Could it be the devil doesn’t need to use overt demon possession on the affluent people of the world? Why would that be?”
“Thou sayest, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;’ and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev 3:17).
Could it be that the devil doesn’t have to bother assigning demons to work on those who are smug and self-satisfied with their lives?
In North America where I live, even those living in poverty usually have enough to eat, and almost always have at least one TV hooked up to cable or satellite service.
And what about that TV? Could it be that it has become a mechanized demon in the service of satan? Has TV possessed the families of the Western world for him? I believe it’s possible, but TV isn’t the only demon. Listen, I can almost hear the devil in a planning meeting.
Evil Planning Meeting
“Gather your forces, legions, for an all-out assault on Africa.”
A demon calls out, “But, sir, we’ve focused on Africa, Asia, and all of these countries for centuries. Isn’t it time we get back to America and Western Europe?”
“Where have you been, imp!” roars satan. “I influenced the development of entertainment technology years ago, so we could eventually be free from expending personal effort influencing the fools who become entrapped in it.
“Let’s celebrate! They’ve become slaves to their TVs, movies, internet, smart phones, stereos, computer games, books, magazines and endless entertainment events. And how about a cheer—I control nearly all of what goes out through these technologies! What they see and hear is influenced straight from glorious hell! And the saturation and intensity increase daily.
“These slaves can’t live without what I give them! They have MY music plugged into their ears everywhere they go. They can’t put their phones down. They have MY TV, music, games, movies and texting everywhere they go. Their homes have sophisticated entertainment centers that are truly the center of their homes—their altars to ME, for it is at MY altar—not God’s—that they worship and spend most of their time.
“I won’t even detail the wonderful content I have flooded onto the internet. And if all that isn’t enough, I’ll numb them further with intoxication from drugs and drink. Anything to compromise any possibility of a connection to that ghastly sanctuary in Heaven.
“I’ve got everyone from toddlers to adults in MY grasp. Isn’t it truly amazing? Aren’t I truly incredible to have come up with this genius creation. Just as I told you before we were so rudely expelled from Heaven, I AM equal in status with God! I am a creator!”
The miasmic air vibrates with shouts and applause.
“Hold it, I’m far from through,” says satan, raising a hand. “Since Western Christians are the biggest users of MY seductive distractions, the funniest part is—now get this—I’ve got them to rationalize that they can use all MY exciting styles of entertainment in their churches! They demand MY contemporary style of worship in church because they’re so saturated with MY entertainment in their daily lives, nothing else will stimulate their sated, pleasure-receptors. They want to be relevant with their Christianity—relevant to society. Once they’ve had MY “high,” nothing else will do as they demand increasingly more. The pathetic souls are even hopelessly addicted to getting thumbs-up on social media.
“I’ve influenced many Christians to claim that their young people are bored with traditional church and music. It’s wonderfully true for the children of parents that have allowed them to grow up bathing their minds and souls in MY potent sorcery. And now there are only a few sorry legalists who object! But, oh do those legalists catch hell from MY ‘Christians.’
“How boring fundamental sermons, Bible study and classical Christian music seem after a week filled with MY high octane music, glittery stars, adrenaline pumping sports, addictive TV shows, graphic computer games, mesmerizing movies and prurient magazines. I even control what they see and read in the news so they will not realize what I am doing with my beast friend behind the political scene.”
Demonic cheers are deafening and as they wane, a demon calls out, “Hear this. I listened in as one of my Christian targets in America talked to a friend about a movie that he watched. He said it was acceptable for Christians because it had only a few dirty words in it.” Shrieks of laughter reverberated.
“We’ve got him because he thinks a little sin is okay. He’s as good as converted. I used to have to worry and work over him, but now I can mark him on my low-priority list. Pretty soon he’ll be watching our really good stuff! Don’t you just love Americans?”
The echoes of laughter cease as satan again raises a hand.
“Now, off you go to the targets I’ve designated. These unfortunate folk haven’t been inundated yet with MY special style of entertainment, so we have to bear down and resort to our old ways of personalized oppression, and even possession when necessary.
“The peoples of Africa, Asia and other countries are being assaulted with the foul Word of God, and are crowding like herds of bleating sheep into baptismal pools by the millions. We must stop them with every means possible!
“Perhaps we can get some of the more enlightened Western Christians to go over and teach them to integrate MY worship styles into their churches. Yes, that’s it! Eroding from within always works the best. Mark that strategy as top priority.
“One more thing,” intoned satan as his brow furled and his demeanor sagged. “I’ve got to find a way to stop that one, last, small group of legalistic idiots going around exposing ME with the third angel’s message. They seem intent on warning all of MY sleeping automatons. A couple of their TV networks really give me nightmares!
“We have years of infiltration into their churches with beast agents and members that have MY mindset, and we have captured a majority as that church is fading. Yet there is still that cursed little group of legalists we can’t pry away from God.
Let’s make sure there are plenty of voices in their churches and articles in their papers ridiculing their traditional message as conspiracy. Let’s see if we can inspire their largest TV network to compromise their music and join in the ridicule of conspiracy theorists. I love to use that word, CONSPIRACY. I’ve had the media endow it with the insinuation of anything crazy, so now my people see it that way.
“This will be your added assignment, as I finally wipe out every last believer in that wretched God of Heaven.”
Could it be that entertainment is a technological demon of satan that possesses the soul of the majority of Christians? Could it be that drugs and alcohol are organic demons that possess the souls of those who don’t follow Christ—and, unfortunately, many who claim to?
How much effort does hell have to expend when a person is in the grasp of satan’s addictive demons that keep him deaf to the call of God’s Spirit?
Could it be that we have made it far too easy for satan? Will we in the Western World ever realize that we are the ones the Bible warns, “think we are rich and in need of nothing?”
Let us put on the yoke of Christ and pull together, uplifting each other, and especially those who are sticking to the Word, giving their all and warning the world with the third angel’s message.
****
Skip Joers lives in rural Arkansas with his wife Holly and son Elijah.
