Saturday Song: Iron Butterfly, "Filled With Fear"

This song points out the danger of messing around with occultic invocations. The person in the song called up a power too big for him to handle. That's why he asked in the song why did he invite it here.

Listen to this psychedelic rock band's song here:

One trick Satan uses to enslave people is to make the occult seem harmless. My sister's friend had a game called Kabala which let children communicate with the dead. When one of us asked a poorly-phrased question, the spirit using the board asked, "Who?" That convinced all of us that this was no mere game but something potentially dangerous.

We didn't know then but it's a sin to use occult arts. In Deuteronomy 19:31 (BBE), God warned the descendents of Israel, "Do not go after those who make use of spirits, or wonder-workers; do not go in their ways or become unclean through them: I am the Lord your God."

Neither should we, who trust in Christ, attempt to communicate with the dead. Isaiah 8:19 (BBE) warns, "And when they say to you, Make request for us to those who have control of spirits, and to those wise in secret arts, who make hollow bird-like sounds; is it not right for a people to make request to their gods, to make request for the living to the dead?"

Like the person in the song, people who play with demons are in for a rude shock. Acts 19:14-16 (BBE) tells the consequence of not being protected by Christ. "And there were seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jew and a chief priest, who did this. And the evil spirit, answering, said to them, 'I have knowledge of Jesus, and of Paul, but who are you?' And the man in whom the evil spirit was, jumping on them, was stronger than the two of them, and overcame them, so that they went running from that house, wounded and without their clothing."

Jesus and his disciples were able to cast out demons from people because of God's power. As Matthew 12:27 (BBE) shows, "And if I by Beelzebub send evil spirits out of men, by whom do your sons send them out? So let them be your judges."

On Monday, I'll post about faith and if it can exist apart from works.