Who Is Really Behind the Occult?

Shield Yourself!

Even though wicked spirits have superhuman powers, we can, with God's help, 'take our stand against them' and come off victorious. (1 Peter 5:9) In order to get that help, however, we need to learn God's requirements and act on them. Concerning the Christians in his day, the apostle Paul wrote: "We . . . have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the accurate knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension, in order to walk worthily of Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing him." -Colossians 1:9, 10.

Those who gained that "accurate knowledge" included a number of people in the city of Ephesus who practiced occult arts. Note how a knowledge of the truth affected them. The Bible states: "Quite a number of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them up before everybody." The books, incidentally, were worth "fifty thousand pieces of silver," which was no small amount! (Acts 19:17-19) This courageous example was recorded for our benefit. -2 Timothy 3:16.

Next time: Principles That Protect

Awake! 2011

Who Is Really Behind the Occult?

Who Are the Demons?

Long before Jehovah formed humans, he created an untold number of intelligent spirit "sons of God" in heaven. (Job 38:4, 7) Like humans, they are free moral agents, and for a long time, they all remained loyal to God. But that happy situation came to an abrupt end. How so?

After God created humankind, one spirit creature began to covet something to which he was not entitled-worship. Using a serpent the way a ventriloquist might use a puppet, this wicked angel seduced the first woman, Eve, into disobeying her Creator. (Genesis 3:1-6) The Bible calls that rebellious angel "the original serpent,the one called Devil and Satan." (Revelation 12:9) Jesus described him as "a manslayer" Who "did not stand fast in the truth," adding: "When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition because he is a liar and the father of the lie." -John 8:44.

In time other spirit "sons of the true God" joined Satan in his rebellion. ( Genesis 6:1, 2) They are later referred to as "the angels that sinned" and "the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place," or their assigned place in heaven. ( 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) They came to be called demons. (James 2:19) Moreover, they are determined to turn as many humans as possible away from true worship, as they did many Israelites in Bible times. (Deuteronomy 32:16, 17) Similarly today, as in the past, Satan and the demons cleverly employ religious lies. - 2 Corinthians 11:414, 15.

Next time: Shield Yourself!

Watchtower, 2011

Who Is Really Behind the Occult?

CONCERNING our Creator, the Bible says: "God is light and there is no darkness at all in union with him." (1 John 1:5) That is especially true in a spiritual sense. So could the true God be the power behind the occult? Or is there a sinister force involved?

Foremost among occult practices are divination and spiritism, which include astrology, numerology, psalmisty and sorcery, as well as communicating with the "dead" and casting spells. These practices have a very long history, most dating back to ancient Babylon, the ruins of which lie in Iraq. (Isaiah 47:1, 12, 13) From Babylon, occult practices spread around the ancient world and became deeply entrenched in many cultures and civilizations.

Consider an event that occurred in the city of Philippi in ancient Macedonia. There, a small group of Christian ministers, which included the apostle Paul and the physician Luke, encountered a girl who had occult powers. Note how the Bible writer Luke revealed the secret source of her powers. He wrote: "A certain servant girl with a spirit, a demon of divination, met us. She used to furnish her masters with much gain by practicing the art of prediction." -Acts 16:16-18.

Yes, this girl's powers did not come from the true God, Jehovah, but from a demon, an evil spirit. Hence, Paul and his companions refused to listen to her. Perhaps you are now wondering: 'Who are demons? And where did they come from?' Again, note the Bible's answers.

Next time: Who Are the Demons?

Awake! 2011

Conclusion of What Draws People to the Occult?

Desire for Protection and good luck - In some regions of Africa, villagers hire a "prophet" from a charismatic church to exorcise bad spirits from the community. Rituals involve drinking potions and "holy water." Elsewhere, people consult spirit mediums in order to invoke good luck on a new house or a grave.

Threats to children - In Papua New Guinea, a mother may refuse to go outside with her newborn at night. Why? She fears that evil spirits might harm the infant. In Uganda, mothers routinely tie strings, sometimes with beads and shells, to the wrists and ankles of their babies to shield them from harm.

Loss of a loved one - British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lost his son, brother-in-law, and a nephew in World War I. Distraught and desperate, Doyle and his wife attended seances, hoping to speak with their dead son. Today, too, many consult spirit mediums in an effort to speak with dead love ones. In some lands traditional religions and so-called Christian churches teach that death is the result of a malevolent act by angry spirits. Several compulsory, expensive rituals may be performed in order to ward off a chain of deaths in a community.

Fear of the dead - Beliefs regarding death and the dead have profoundly influenced humankind. Hence, in many lands people perform all kinds of rituals, including self-injury, to appease the dead or to "prove" their love for them. Among some peoples of the Pacific islands, widows or widowers are forced to wear black clothing and go into mourning for months, locked up in a house where they must refrain from eating the deceased person's favorite foods. Individuals who practice this custom can become depressed or sick from hunger or even die.

Clearly there are many enticements luring people into the occult. How important, then, that we understand the true source of occult teachings! To that end, let us examine the Bible, the only book that gives us the full picture.

Next time; Who Is Really Behind the Occult?

Awake! 2011

What Draws People to the Occult?

THE answer to that question may depend to a large extent on where a person lives, as well as his or her religious beliefs and cultural background. In your area, what attracts people to the occult! Perhaps they are enticed by one of the following.''

Curiosity - Humans are innately curious and he occult smacks of mystery. So some wonder if a hidden power is behind the occult. Others might experiment with Ouija board or read a horoscope to see if what it says come true. Still others might attend a seance or consult a physic.

Entertainment- Recent years have seen a surge in entertainment - books, movies and computer games -based on occult themes and ancient pagan religious superstitions. Some of this entertainment also contains graphic violence and sex.

Anxiety about tomorrow -The Bible foretold: "In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here." (2Timothy 3:1) Difficult times are indeed upon us, and many people are consulting occult practitioners -such as astrologers, clairvoyants, palm readers and psychics-for guidance. "Its one of the few businesses that is recession -proof," said one psychic. 'People don't usually come to see you when they're happy." A clairvoyant in Canada stated: All of a sudden I'm on their private office lines or on their cell-phones in the hall whispering." She added: "These people are skeptical and not really comfortable consulting a psychic."

Physical sickness -In some lands people who are seriously ill often give up on medical doctors and revert to traditional healers who use occult methods. Their sicknesses may be blamed on a curse or a spell. In order to lift the spell, friends or relatives of the ailing one may seek help from a fetishist, or an occult practitioner, who may demand a large payment.

Next time: Conclusion of What Draws People to the Occult?

Awake! - 2011