In this world, it’s just unthinkable to live without the internet. Although the Internet has many advantages, the Internet has also a lot of disadvantages. When you responsibly use the internet and prevent the internet from becoming an idol in your life, the internet is a good tool to use. Heoi ano, the internet can be dangerous, when you become addicted or when you visit websites or do other things on the internet that are not morally right for you as a Christian and not in line with the Bible. Before you know it, you will be trapped in a web of demonic powers. What is the spiritual danger of the internet that many people, tae atu ki ngā Karaitiana, are not aware of?
In just one click, the whole wide world opens up
How many hours do you spend on the Internet? I’m not talking about using the internet for your school or job, but I talk about your spare time when you surf the internet and can’t get enough of it.
In just one click, the whole wide world opens up before your eyes. You can do everything you want to do, there are no restrictions.
How tempted is it, to take a quick look at ‘forbidden’ sites? How tempting is it, to give in to your curiosity and visit gambling, sex, or pornographic sites? Or maybe you enjoy chatting in secret with other males and females, while you are married.
Behind your computer (laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc) you can do whatever you want to do. There are no restrictions and the best thing about it is, that nobody sees what you are watching on the internet or what you are doing on the internet. At least, that’s what you think.
Shopping on the internet
Let’s begin with shopping on the Internet. How convenient is it, to make online purchases? It’s very convenient for people, who are too busy or who are not able to go to stores. There is nothing wrong with making an online purchase, but it can become a danger if it becomes addictive. When you spend a lot of time on the internet visiting web shops out of boredom and keep buying stuff while you don’t need these things.
Many people make online purchases to satisfy the lusts and desires of their flesh. They are driven by these feelings of greed, lust, and desire.
The problem is, that many people spend much more money than they make. Because of that they will create huge debts and get into financial trouble. The higher the debts become, the more they will spend. All because they are controlled by evil powers of greed, lust, and desire, and become addicted to shopping. They become a slave of their feelings of greed, lust, and desires.
Online dating sites
When you are single and want a partner, then all you have to do is sign up at one of the many online dating sites to find your future spouse. Based on the many profiles and photos, you decide, who you think is suitable for you. When a person tries to find a partner via the internet, the person is taking matters into his/her own hands, instead of trusting God and laying his/her future, including finding a partner, in His hands, and waiting for the right partner.
But no, people can not wait anymore. When they approach their 30’s, they become impatient.
When they are in their 30’s they can’t wait anymore. They become desperate and become online hunters, trying to find their match.
There are many singles, who have found their partner on the internet and gotten married. But is this person, they are married to, really the spouse, who God has created for him or her? Or isn’t it?
I know a few people, who met their spouses via the Internet and that is wonderful. But did they marry the person, whom God created for them?
What if they didn’t go online and instead trusted God completely and waited for God’s appointed time?
What if… after a few years of marriage, they’ll meet someone, whom they have a (wairua) connection with, and feel right at home? But then it will be too late because they’ve already made a choice: their own choice.
But not only single people go online to find someone. There are plenty of married people, who have a secret online relationship, which often leads to fornication (puremu). There are many online dating sites, which are specially designed for married people and encourage adultery.
The danger of online gambling
You don’t need to go to a casino or other gambling establishment anymore. You won’t have to go outdoors, to play on a slot machine or to play roulette, bingo, baccarat, craps, blackjack, poker, etc., because on the Internet you can also gamble. The only thing you need is a credit card or use some other kind of online payment system and you are all good to go.
Gamblers often have a wrong mindset, because they always think, that they are gonna win and become rich. They never think about losing money and becoming poor. Their eyes are set on the money. They want to become rich and therefore they gamble.
But the danger of gambling is, that as soon as you participate, you become ‘enchanted’ and addicted. You’ll become addicted and this spirit of witchcraft will bound you. This spirit of witchcraft will take control over your life and will make sure that your mind and your life will be destroyed.
Maybe, in the beginning, you will make a small profit, but that’s the way the powers of darkness operate. First, they want to attract you, and then they take you and bind you to gamble so that you will become addicted. When that happens, you shall not gain money anymore, but you shall lose money.
As soon as you start losing money, you shall do everything you can to gain your money back. You won’t stop gambling, but you will continue gambling, for just as long until you gain your money back. But the truth and reality are that many people lose more money than they gain.
Gambling is so addictive, that there are many people, who are bound by this spirit of witchcraft and lose all of their income, savings, etc. and get into huge debts. They become ‘zombies’, who are controlled by these evil forces.
Many of these addictive gamblers drink or use drugs, to silence their thoughts and turn off their mind. By drinking or taking drugs, they temporarily escape reality and will not be confronted with their daily problems and worries. There are even people, who are so desperate and depressed that they become suicidal and end their lives.
What started with a spirit of greed, ends in bondage, taurekareka, and eventually destruction. That’s the way the evil powers of darkness work.
Watching porn on the internet
How many people are curious and take a look at a porn site and enjoy what they see? Many phantasies are awakened in their mind, by watching other people having sex. As soon as people watch porn, a spirit of witchcraft and lust enters.
A spirit of witchcraft, because people become addicted, and their flesh dictates them to watch porn regularly. A spirit of lust, because by watching porn, unclean feelings and emotions arise inside of them and may cause them to masturbate.
When you watch porn, these spirits of witchcraft and lust shall enter and control your life.
You shall not be able to live without porn. You will watch more often or even more extreme forms of porn, like hard porn, gay porn, teen porn, children’s porn, etc.
Maybe you will visit sex sites, where you can participate online via the webcam and have online sex. You’ll become addicted to sex and your physical sexual needs shall increase.
When you are married, you want to have more sex and more extreme forms of sex. Maybe after a while, your spouse will not be able to satisfy your needs anymore, and you will look somewhere else to satisfy your needs.
Maybe you will commit adultery, have one-night stands, visit prostitutes, go to sex parties or other group sex events, experiment with homosexual sex, or…
The more you sow in the flesh, in this case in sexual uncleanness; in sexual lust, the more extreme your sex life becomes, and eventually, you will reap destruction.
You will be led by powerful spirits of witchcraft and lust, that control your life. You will be led by feelings of sexual cravings, which you cannot control. The spirit of lust may cost you your marriage because you will not be satisfied with one partner anymore, but you need other partners, plural partners, or same-gender partners to satisfy your sexual cravings.
You shall be ruled by these evil forces of darkness, and you shall become a slave of sex, which will destroy your life. And it all started with curiosity, by taking a quick look at a porn site.
What is the danger of internet?
There are many more dangers of the internet, but I will leave it for now with these examples. You have to be careful that you won’t become a slave of darkness, by using the internet in the wrong way. It is important to use the internet in a responsible moral way and use the internet with integrity. Let the computer and internet remain a tool, instead of an idol.
As soon as you notice, that you will become too ‘attached’ to your computer (laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc), put it away. It may be hard in the beginning. But it’s necessary to prevent you from becoming a slave of evil forces of darkness, that will control your mind and your life and eventually destroy you.
You should rule over the powers of darkness
Jesus hasn’t freed you so that you could live in bondage again. Jesus has freed you from the power of darkness, so that you would be free, stay free, and live in freedom, controlled by the Holy Spirit. Instead of being bound and controlled by the spirits of darkness; the spirits of this world. He has given you a place in Him in the Heavenly places to rule over the enemy and his whole host, instead of letting the enemy and his host rule over you.
How can you make sure, that you’ll keep living in freedom and not be oppressed by these evil forces? By walking after the Spirit, instead of walking after the flesh, and to sow in your spirit, instead of sowing in your flesh.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Karatia 5:16)
You are allowed to do all things, no one is holding you back. But not all things are good and profitable for you. When you listen to the Word and the Holy Spirit, you will find out what is good and what is evil.
You should be careful with what you look at, to whom you listen to, and what do.
It all begins with curiosity. No reira, don’t be curious! Don’t let your curiosity tempt you so that you will fall into temptation and the trap of the devil. But as soon as a thought of curiosity enters your mind, tell it to go, in the Name of Jesus.
Be free and stay free
Maybe you have read this article, and you recognize yourself in one of the examples. Maybe you recognize these spirits of lust, desire, makutu, apo, etc. in your life and you are looking for a way out. You are looking for a way to be freed from these feelings that oppress you and control and ruin your life.
The only thing you have to do is to ripeneta and ask forgiveness from God, for what you’ve done. Command, in the Name of Jesus Christ, this spirit of lust, makutu, or whatever evil spirit there is, to leave your life!
They have to bow and leave you in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Remember that the Name of Jesus Christ is the highest Authority in the Heavens and on the earth. Everything that has a name, must bow for the Name of Jesus. Be therefore free in Jesus’ Name and stay free!
'Kia tote mo te whenua’
