!SATANISM AND THE OCCULT
INTRODUCTION
Before starting this study of the satanic dark world, there are three important facts that should be understood:
1. Worshipers of Satan are not always violent in their practices nor are they always law breakers. Although their practices may not be openly known, many Satan worshipers are recognized as outstanding citizens in their communities. This makes their commitment to Satan no less detestable. In fact, it makes it that much more dangerous to the unsuspecting.
2. The word “occult” is defined by Webster as “1, beyond ordinary understanding. 2, secret; known only to the initiated. 3, dealing with the supernatural or magical...” Readers need to understand that Satan worship is part of the occult, but not all occultic practices are part of Satan worship. The word occult is a broad title including many different views and faiths.
3. Today’s popular “New Age Movement”, which is a melting pot of many occultic practices, draws unsuspecting patrons into its web of humanism by professing numerous Christian principles. The title, “New Age Movement”, itself is actually a blatant misnomer, because its philosophy is anything but new. Three of the most basic foundation blocks of the occult have been with us since the time of Adam and Eve. In one way or another, the world of the occult promises the very same things Satan offered in the Garden. Notice the following comparison:
The wise man Solomon said it best when he wrote, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
HOW DID SATAN WORSHIP ORIGINATE?
As was pointed out earlier, Satan and his gimmick temptations have been around since nearly the beginning of time and so have his followers. Some scholars believe that in Genesis 6, when the Bible refers to “sons of God” marrying the “daughters of men”, it is referring to fallen angels seducing humanity and thus the beginning of the occult.
Although outright organized worship of Satan did not evolve until the Middle Ages, the cycle of sin, which is seduced by Satan, has certainly been around since the Garden of Eden. It happens something like this: Mankind becomes bored or disenchanted with God’s law. They rebel by pursuing power and honor offered by Satan. This short-lived, superficial fulfillment eventually leads them into depression, misery and emptiness. Then, after growing weary of Satan’s exploitation, they make a temporary return to their senses and cry out for God’s salvation. The word “temporary” is used here because the only thing mankind seems to learn from history is that mankind does not learn from history. The cycle will be repeated.
Outright Satan worship seems to have originated during one of those cycles of sin in the Middle Ages. Organized religion was no longer driven by a burning, heart-felt mission to show the love of God. It had become a legalistic organization of human creeds, doctrines and hypocritical exploitations of the common man. The church discouraged commoners from reading the Bible for themselves, claiming they could not understand it without an official explanation from the church’s elite. Perverted doctrines, such as buying a loved ones soul out of torment, were handed down creating confusion and animosity over the high prices. The perversion and self-righteousness of many church leaders, joined with the unrealistic teachings of human payment for sin, drove many into a search for something better.
Thousands joined the Reformation Movement in an attempt to repair the church and return to the true doctrines of Christianity. Others, however, were so disenchanted with the things the church was doing in the name of God that they completely rebelled against God by worshiping His opposite, Satan. They concluded that if the church and its aristocratic membership approved of such hypocrisy and oppression, then the God whom they served was one to be opposed. Satan, the only other option, began to be viewed as a savior and source of freedom through rebellion.
It was during this dark time of history that the “Black Mass” originated. In it, the Catholic mass was read backwards out of rebellion for the established church. It is reported that thousands of people flocked to these blashpemous services to vent their disgust for the hypocrisy of organized religion. Communion bread and wine, which was viewed as the literal body and blood of Christ, was frequently stolen from churches to be desecrated in their satanic rituals. Anything representing God or the Christian movement was reversed or turned upside-down out of mockery and resistance. Because the church, through its oppression, materialism, ritualism, and man-made laws, failed to accurately represent God’s will, Satan stole the souls of millions.
WARNING! The same atmosphere that spawned the establishment of Satan worship in the Middle Ages exists today. Many have given up on organized religion, feeling it has been discredited by numerous church leaders who teach one thing yet practice another. Many established denominations are losing members because of their restrictive, loveless approach to Christian living. Cold, dry, stale worship services are being deserted by masses of people who do not want to be dead before they are dead. Perverted doctrines such as specific dates for the return of Christ, radical false teachings about the Holy Spirit, and “Give me! Give me! Give me!” sermons have caused many to be disgusted and pull away from God all together. Legalism and the creation of laws where God has not given them has pushed many into desertion. Compromising God’s Holy Word to appease the radical women’s movements, homosexual organizations and other extreme groups has further discredited religion.
In 1966, Szandor LaVey, also known as “the Black Pope”, founded the Church of Satan. It is said that LaVey’s interest in satanic practices was inspired by the hypocrisy he saw in actions of many Christians. As a boy, he played the organ for tent-show evangelists. His disgust for Christianity grew as he watched people repent of their sins one night, only to return to their perverted practices the next.
Today, the Church of Satan which Szandor LaVey established, is recognized by the American government as a legal, tax-exempt religion. Close to one million copies of the satanic bible have been sold worldwide and there are believed to be at least 450 identifiable satanic groups in the United States alone.
Since the beginning of time, mankind has been driven to worship a being greater than himself. As religion fails to satisfy this burning desire, he begins to look elsewhere. Often, out of disgust for what is being done in the name of God, he turns to the only other option - Satan. In no way does this justify his decision, but it certainly does create a sad testimony against those who claim to be religious.
To save our families from the onslaught of humanism and the blasphemous perversion of Satan worship, Christians simply must stop perverting the pure Gospel of God. Church leaders must stop putting words in God's mouth by making laws where He did not give them and church members must stop playing church. Satan can have no foothold unless we give it to him. It's time to rise up, storm the gates of Hell and set the captives free!
HOW DOES A PERSON GET INVOLVED IN SATAN WORSHIP?
This material is built around the documented fact that most peope are pulled into satanism through seemingly innocent curiosity. Very few people wake up one morning and decide to worship Satan. Experts confirm that most are drawn into the dark world through dabbling in occultic practices. Through seemingly innocent games (Ouija Board, tarot cards, Dungeons and Dragons, horoscopes, etc.), heavy metal music, literature, and Hollywood’s enticing portrayal of Dracula, sorcery and witchcraft, they become fascinated with the potential power it could bring. Their subconscious begins asking, “What if there really is power available from the dark world?” and slowly Satan tightens the noose of curiosity around their neck.
Many, because of their disenchantment with Christianity, are quick to give in to this tempting offer of power from a source other than the Christian God. Others never intend to desert the God of love, yet because of their level of curiosity, they are pulled further into satanic practices by friends, group leaders or their own overwhelming craving for the potential power. Many horror stories could be told of those who, after realizing where their curiosity had led them, wanted to get out of the movement, but upon threats of death or worse they were blackmailed into staying.
Satan is no fool. He knows that the most effective way to pull us into his web of death is not by sudden force. He slowly, subtly, ever so patiently lays more and more bait in front of our path. Our own curiosity does the rest.
Like dangling a prize in front of us, Satan tempts us with the desire to know more. We begin renting more satanic movies and reading more occultic literature. Games that once were played for fun now take on a serious quest for more information. Our circle of friends begins to change as we are drawn to those of the same interest. These friends introduce us to practices, people and other levels of discovery. Slowly, gradually, ever so patiently the satanic spider inches closer. That which started out as innocent curiosity is now becoming a life and death struggle for the control of our soul.
HOW DOES GOD FEEL ABOUT SATAN WORSHIP?
In I Thessalonians 5:22, God records a very direct, yet easily understood principle about any practices which are even remotely connected with Satan. “Avoid every kind of evil.” He also says in Ephesians 5:11, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Clearly, God does not want His children dabbling in the occult, no matter how innocent the intentions may be.
God takes the practices of Satan worship very personally. After all, they are exactly opposite of what He deserves. He created us, Satan did not. He loves us, Satan does not. Dabbling in satanic practices is like having your child hate you and demand to live with other parents.
In Deuteronomy 18:10-12a, God warns His people about specific activities connected with the worship of false gods. Today, many of these very same practices are fundamental to the worship of Satan. Notice this revealing passage.
“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12a)
Let’s examine each of these descriptions separately.
1. “sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire” - Child abuse has always been at the top of God’s hate list. Today, law enforcement officials are not only investigating many alleged baby sacrifices, but also an entire underground breeding system. Presumably, many women involved in this dark world of perversion actually bare children for the purpose of sacrifice. Can you even begin to imagine the horror stories that could be told of the unthinkable torture children are suffering every day in the name of Satan?
2. “divination” - This practice involves the use of magical devices to reveal future events. It is very common today to see TV ads with phone numbers that connect the caller to spiritualists who claim to have insight into the future. Fortune tellers and palm readers advertise in all the major papers and can be found in every large city.
3. “sorcery” - This practice calls on the powers of the planets and evil spirits to predict future events. As common as the daily newspaper, the horoscope can often be found on its back page. Thousands every day search out the alignment of the stars in hopes of planning a better day for themselves.
Although science has proven that planets do have an astrological effect on each other (example: the ocean tides), the power comes not from the stars but from the God who created them. The danger of horoscopes, and the occultic practice of astrology, is that the created is given credit for what the Creator has done. There is no indication from scripture that the planets should have any bearing or influence on a person’s life choices.
4. “interprets omens” - An omen is a sign or indication of some future event. Today, many spiritualists use cards, crystal balls, bones, creases in the hand, face, etc., in their attempt to reveal future events.
5. “engages in witchcraft or casts spells” - Witchcraft calls upon the powers of sorcery to create changes in the natural world through spells of white or black magic. Witchcraft is still very common among many African tribes and influences many satanic practices even in America today.
6. “or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead” - A spiritist is one who claims to communicate with the dead through a person called a medium. Today, these attempts to connect with the spirit world often occur at an event called a seance. During a seance, spirits of the dead supposedly communicate with the living by tapping sounds, moving objects in the room or the medium may even be possessed by the spirit in order for it to speak. These occurences are called “manifestations”.
Perhaps the most important part of this entire passage is the following phrase. “Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.” Clearly, one can see from this passage that dabbling in the dark world of the occult is both dangerous to one's sanity and, more importantly, to one’s relationship with God.
Satan represents everything that is evil and he stands for everything that is opposite of God. Just as the Spirit of God can come into you and bring peace, joy and life, the spirit of Satan can invade your soul and bring turmoil, depression and death. Avoid even the appearance of evil. Your eternal life is at risk.
CONCLUSION
Thus far in this brief study, we have learned several important facts about Satan worship:
1. The worship of Satan originates when people grow disenchanted with established religions. Organized American religions are on the same disastrous path as the church of the Middle Ages. To keep Satan from stealing away the souls of millions, religious leaders must stop making laws where God has not given them and return to the practical, undiluted will of the Father.
2. Involvement in Satanism comes gradually through seemingly innocent dabbling in the occult. Games, music, books and other forms of entertainment that promote occultic practices often provide just enough enticement to give Satan a stranglehold on a person’s soul.
3. God finds sorcery, magic, witchcraft and other activities of satanism to be “detestable”. He demands that His people not only refrain from occultic practices but also avoid all appearances of evil.
In Revelation 20, God reveals the fate of Satan and his followers. Ultimately, the devil will be cast into a permanent lake of fire where he will be “tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10) His followers, the ones who tortured babies, defaced the cross and denied the love of God, will be thrown into the same lake. After all, it is only appropriate for them to spend eternity with their master and Satan would not have it any other way.
For just a moment, I would like for you to consider the future of the devil and his associates. Below are my top five reasons for staying out of Hell. Like the famous talk show host, I provide them in ascending order. But make no mistake, this is not a funny one-liner from a late night monologue. The following conditions will occur. People you know will spend eternity in this place. Satan worshippers have already made their choice. For eternity’s sake, do not be among them.
Top 5 Reasons Not To Go to Hell
5. Darkness
“These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.” (2 Peter 2:17)
4. Alone
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” (Matthew 25:41)
3. Pain
“And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30)
2. Eternal
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” (Matthew 25:41)
1. Godless
“Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:23)
Like seeing the scoreboard at the end of the game or reading the final chapter of a book, we know how the story ends. God wins, Satan loses. Their followers spend eternity with each of them respectively. The only real question left to answer is: "Do you want to be a winner or do you want to be a loser?" Do you want to spend eternity with God or do you want to burn eternally with Satan?
The church may occasionally disappoint you, christians may let you down, religious leaders may not always practice what they preach, but one thing does not change - the final score. If you dance with the devil, you will live with the losers! Put your faith in a winner.
For more information on this important subject, see my latest book entitled, "If You Dance With the Devil..."
For more information or to order this book, please go to the publications page of this site.