Today's devotional reading for:

Friday, Oct 27, 2023

The Occult

“Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them …”

— Leviticus 19:31

Have you noticed the recent explosion of the occult, witchcraft, and Satanism in our society? If you pay attention, you can see it everywhere—in movies, in television programs, in many of the songs of our pop culture. 

Drive down Main Street, U.S.A., and you’ll most likely see the storefront office of a psychic or a palm reader. The work of the Devil and his demons takes many forms and has many names. It ranges from Satan worshipers to those who experiment with parapsychology and read horoscopes. And our country has embraced it all.

Why do people turn to the occult? Some people hunger for the supernatural. Ignorant of the Gospel and unacquainted with Christ, these people seek a supernatural connection in the occult world. 

Others seek power. They don’t care where they get it; they just want as much of it as they can grab. Yet others just play with the occult. It serves as an entertaining diversion for them, a game to play. And as the occult gains more and more popularity, many dabble in it out of curiosity.

God created us as spiritual beings for a realm beyond this world. For this reason, people hunger for spiritual things. But many don’t understand that their spiritual needs can only be met in Christ. So they turn to the dark side. The occult becomes an illegitimate way to fulfill a legitimate need.

This all sounds very dark and depressing, but as Christians we can have, and share with others, hope. Jesus came into this world to defeat Satan and destroy his works. By His death, Christ accomplished this once and for all, and He set the prisoners free. You and I need to share the Good News of Christ, who alone can truly satisfy the longings for the supernatural. Zig Ziglar suggests that rather than listening to the stars by following our horoscope, we should listen to the One who made the stars by reading the Holy Bible.

Have you allowed the occult to take hold of you? If so, you needn’t feel possessed by it. Confess your involvement to Jesus Christ, and repent of it. As you do, Christ will forgive and cleanse you from all sin. 

And whether or not you’ve experienced the occult, pray today that God will break the hold the occult has on our nation, setting people free from Satan and drawing them to Christ to experience the most potent supernatural power—the power of the Gospel.

D. James Kennedy Ministries 

“Satan works best where his existence is denied.”