The new age spirit that reigns in today’s world has affected and defiled many churches. But how could this happen? How could the Church that is seated in Jesus Christ; the Word and is appointed to represent and bring the Kingdom of God on this earth, has allowed this new age spirit in the Church? What has caused the church to become an occult church? Who is responsible for allowing this to happen? How did the holy church of Jesus Christ become an occult church of the devil that walks after his will?
How did the church become an occult church?
The church has become an occult church through a lack of knowledge of God’s Word and rebellion against God’s Word. Because of these things, many believers have gone their own way and have compromised with the world and its pagan religions and philosophies.
The church has compromised with the world and throughout the ages, the church has adopted pagan rituals and belief systems and applied them into the church, so that, according to the church, they could win the Gentiles for Jesus Christ. But this is a lie of the devil, which the church has believed and still believes.
Because in today’s world many churches still compromise with the world and adopt and apply the carnal methods, principles, and strategies of the world in the church, to attract unbelievers, especially young people and win them for Jesus Christ.
If you are unspiritual, you will believe this lie and will consider it a good method.
But a born again believer, who walks after the Spirit, knows that these carnal methods will have no effect. Because, how can you win people for the Kingdom of God with the methods and strategies of the devil, who is the ruler of this world? You can’t!
A person can’t be won for the Kingdom of God, by applying carnal methods and use the strategies of man. A person can only be won through Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit, who dwells in the new creation, is the only One, who convicts a person of sin. And through the conviction of sin, a person is able to repent. Because how else can a person repent if the person doesn’t see his/her sinful state and his/her sins?
That’s why it’s necessary that believers become born again, die to the flesh and live after the Spirit and do the words of God. Because we can’t live without the Word and the Holy Spirit.
God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge
One of the causes, why a church has become influenced and affected by this new age spirit and has become an occult church, is through a lack of knowledge of God’s Word and rebellion against His Word.
God says in His Word, that His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because of the fact that God’s people don’t know God’s will and have rejected His Word, His people are destroyed.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (Hos 4:6)
This is exactly what has happened in the church. People have rejected the Word of God and have entered self-chosen paths. The people think, they know it all better than God and have created their own faith and belief system in the church and have made their own rules, based on their feelings, emotions, findings, experiences, revelations, etc. (Read also: The church built on the opinion of people).
They remain carnal and walk after the flesh in darkness and are spiritually asleep. Because of the fact, that they are asleep they have not guarded the spiritual gates of the church and have allowed the spirit of this world, including the new age spirit, to enter.
Many believers know the Bible by heart, but that doesn’t prove anything. There are many believers, who go to church and know the whole Bible by heart and can quote every scripture of the Bible, without coming to the experiential knowledge of the Truth.
They know the Bible by the top of their head, but they actually don’t believe in the Bible, and therefore they don’t obey the words of God and don’t apply the words of the Bible into their lives.
Although they know the written Bible, they don’t know the living Word.
That’s because, they are still carnal, unspiritual, and walk after the flesh in the visible realm. They are led by their feelings and emotions and what their senses perceive. They fill themselves with the wisdom and knowledge of the world and believe in it and walk after the wisdom and knowledge of the world.
Although they visit a church and maybe even have a task in the church, they are not born again in the spirit and still have an unrepented heart. Their spirit is dead and their flesh reigns as king in their lives. There is no total surrender and devotion to Jesus Christ in every area of their lives, and therefore they live like the world.
Due to the fact, that they are unspiritual and live like the world, they are also being controlled by the spirit of this world, including the new age spirit, and participate in the works of darkness.
They look and search for alternative medicine, have a huge interest in nutrition and supplements, just like the world. They go along with the trends of this world and look for pleasures, enjoyments, and relaxation in fellowshipping, social activities, entertainment, wellness centers, yoga, martial arts, and other eastern sports, which derive from eastern religions and philosophies.
They lead the same life as those, who live without God. There is hardly any difference anymore between believers and unbelievers.
Due to the fact, that many believers have become involved with the (occult) world and the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom of darkness has entered the church (Read also: ‘The world church is being prepared for the antichrist‘ and ‘The throne of satan‘).
Former occultists converted to Christianity
Another reason, why the church has become occult and walk in the ways of the occult, are the doctrines of former occultists (former witches, satanists, magicians, sorcerers, Sikhs, brahmans, medicine men, etc.), who converted to Christianity. Instead of that the church has discipled them and they put away all their occult knowledge, wisdom, methods, strategies, and formulas, the church has listened to all their occult experiences and revelation and has allowed them to bring their knowledge and wisdom of the (occult) spiritual world into the church and teach the believers in the unseen.
The church has allowed it, because many believers have a huge interest in new things and in the supernatural realm. They love to listen to supernatural stories, experiences, and revelations from former occultists, who have moved in the occult supernatural realm.
Instead, that born again believers are taught and led by the Word and the Holy Spirit, they are taught by these former occultists.
They ask these former occultists for council and advice about the spiritual realm and get all psyched up.
And so the majority of believers, who are unspiritual and spiritually blind, get their insights in the spiritual realm, by what these former occultists say and are led by their words, which are based upon their supernatural experiences and revelations.
They go to seminars and conferences and are fed with all this information, that derives from the kingdom of darkness.
Instead of the Word, these former occultists will inform the believers about the supernatural things of the spiritual realm. They will build their faith, wisdom, knowledge, theories, methods, and strategies upon their supernatural experiences and revelations.
But these former workers of darkness were sons of the devil and walked in darkness. They walked in the lies of the devil.
They applied knowledge, wisdom, methods, strategies and used formulas, that derived from revelations and the words of evil spirits. They were inspired by the realm of darkness and were workers for the kingdom of darkness.
They were not born again in Christ, but their spirit was dead. They were controlled by the power of death and entered the spiritual realm out of their flesh (soul power) by using all kinds of natural means, methods, technics, and natural resources.
The carnal church has no spiritual discernment
Due to the fact, that the carnal church is unspiritual and has no insight in the spiritual realm and therefore doesn’t discern the spirits, the church has listened to — and has been led by former occultists and their supernatural knowledge and experiences.
These former occultists have made the invisible realm visible to the church. And so the church has opened the spiritual gates of the church for occult information, that derives from the kingdom of darkness and is based upon occult revelation and experiences.
The church has listened to this occult information and now moves on the basis of this occult knowledge in the spiritual realm.
The church doesn’t see it herself but has developed and built her faith on the basis of the information, insights, experiences, and revelations of former occultists. And so the church has become affected and defiled by the occult.
The result of an occult church
The result of an occult church is that the believers of an occult church remain carnal and keep living after their feelings, emotions, senses, etc.. They are indifferent towards sin, and accept and tolerate sin and persevere in sin. They have no relationship with Jesus; the Word or they are lukewarm in their relationship with Jesus. Therefore, they don’t study the Bible and don’t pray, and don’t speak in tongues in their daily lives.
The believers of an occult church exalt and worship (famous)leaders, and build their faith upon feelings, and the words, supernatural experiences, revelations, and the faith of others.
These believers have a huge interest in books about demonic powers, the kingdom of darkness, carnal methods, techniques, and strategies for (demonic) deliverance, healing, prophesying, supernatural manifestations, revelations, etc.. and always look for the next new thing and the next great feeling.
Their interest in the things of the supernatural realm and personal supernatural manifestations and revelations is greater than their interest in the Word of God and walking after God’s will.
They are not interested in dying to self and develop a Godly character and live a sanctified life.
They want to remain the old carnal man, who wants to hear supernatural new things all the time, and gain new head knowledge, enter new levels, learn new methods, techniques, strategies, formulas to experience supernatural manifestations and revelation.
But again, this is not something new. Because when Jesus walked upon this earth and the people of God were still carnal and unspiritual, they constantly tempted and asked Jesus for signs and wonders. While the signs, miracles, and wonders followed Jesus all the time (Read also: Following Jesus for the signs and wonders).
The fruit in the lives of believers,
who enter the spiritual realm out of the flesh
Due to the fact, that most believers are not born again or keep living after the flesh, but want to see, enter and experience the spiritual realm, many believers have opened themselves for the occult and have allowed evil spirits to enter their lives.
They don’t experience the fruit of the spirit, they don’t experience joy, peace, and life, but they are worried, dejected, unhappy, unsatisfied, overstrained, depressed, and experience insomnia, anxiety, fear, panic attacks, stress, etc.. That’s because they entered the spiritual realm out of their flesh on the basis of occult information, methods, technics, and strategies
In Acts 19:19, we read about those, who practiced magical arts and repented. Their actions followed their repentance, because they immediately destroyed all their valuable books with occult wisdom, knowledge, methods, and strategies.
By their actions, they said farewell to their former life, including all of their knowledge, wisdom, methods, and strategies.
They wholeheartedly repented and gave their lives to Jesus Christ and followed Him.
When you repent of your sin and your sinful nature, it means that you have chosen to follow Jesus and that you do not walk according to your former life anymore.
You have given up everything for Jesus. Your former life is over and has no value, because your flesh (old life) has been crucified with Jesus Christ and buried through the water baptism. Your spirit, who was dead, has become alive.
In the spirit, you are seated in Jesus Christ in the Heavenly Places and that’s why you should not apply carnal methods and strategies and use natural means anymore.
Now, that you have a new position in Jesus Christ, you ought to walk in this new dominion as a son of God.
What the difference is between entering the spiritual realm as an unbeliever (new ager, occultist, witch, etc.) and as a believer, will be discussed in the next blogpost ‘The two ways to enter the spiritual realm’.
‘Be the salt of the earth’