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Month: October 2023

Are Demons Stronger at Halloween?

Are demons stronger at Halloween? It certainly seems so. If you’ve looked around the past couple of months you’ve seen death, darkness, murder, and mayhem depicted everywhere—in store displays, your neighbor’s front yard, and even hospitals and doctor’s offices, locations which are supposed to be places of hope and healing. Why is it that people go nuts over witches and ghosts to the tune of billions of dollars? Is it because demons are stronger this time of year? Emphatically NO, even if it appears otherwise. Here are three important spiritual facts which are clear from Holy Scripture:
1) When Satan and those angels who rebelled with him were cast from heaven, their eternal state was fixed. No demon can repent of sin. No demon can ever be saved and escape the judgment of hellfire and eternal damnation. These are the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:41: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

2) The eternal number of demons has not grown larger since the divine expulsion from heaven occurred. We are told that one-third of heaven’s angels went along with the devil’s rebellion. Revelation 12:4 speaks of this by describing the devil as an evil dragon who “with his tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.” (ESV) However many millions or billions of angels there were in heaven, that number was fixed at some point in eternity past. Consequently, however many demons fell with Lucifer, the number hasn’t increased. So, at Halloween or any time of year dedicated to the devil, the amount of demons can’t be multiplied.

3) The devil has a finite, limited amount of power. But what makes Halloween seems so bad is the concentration of that power and its focus on creating a culture of fascination with all things demonic. It isn’t Satan who has more ability to do evil at certain times and places, but it is the human condition that allows such shenanigans and even encourages a fascination with darkness instead of light. John 3:19 puts it this way: “Light [the light of Christ] has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.” Satan seems more prominent at Halloween because the hearts of humans are more receptive to things which represent Satan’s domain.

There is your answer. Demons aren’t stronger on Halloween. What increases is the power of darkness in the hearts of those who reject Christ and are drawn to demonic depictions at Halloween. That’s why at this time of the year we need to heed the words of 2 Corinthians 6:17: “Come out from among them and be separate says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”

Happy Halloween-Christmas!

“Happy Halloween-Christmas!” That greeting may sound odd to some, even blasphemous. But mixing the two days is a sign of cultural and spiritual decadence. If you haven’t noticed, the two most-celebrated days of the year, Halloween and Christmas, are gradually morphing into one long autumnal observance. Culturally, this may be acceptable, but I want to warn you that this merger is spiritually dangerous. Will many soon welcome the holiday season with the greeting, “Happy Halloween-Christmas?” Here’s what triggered my thinking on this possibility.

A month ago, about six weeks before Halloween and more than three months before Christmas, I went to a big box, home-improvement store. Inside were plumbing fixtures, all sorts of nails and assorted fasteners, various kinds of lighting, cans of paint, yard and gardening supplies, and even appliances. But half of the front of the store was given over to a huge display of Halloween paraphernalia, the biggest assortment of demonic decorations I’d seen anywhere. But what disturbed me even more was the massive display next to it – a huge section of Christmas home and yard decorations. Seeing the two merchandise selections side by side was startling. Granted, the Christmas stuff was totally secular—Santa Claus, trees, candles lights, and such. Totally devoid of anything sacred. Still, the two didn’t fit. One display was about death and darkness, the other about brightness and happiness. This truly was an incorporation born in hell!

Then to top it off, just a few feet away was another section on Christmas featuring, side by side, the Grinch, Mickey Mouse dressed as Santa, and Yoda with his light saber. I remember when Yoda as a “Star Wars” character first came out. George Lucas, the creator of the movie franchise, declared that he was a practicing Buddhist, and that Yoda was intended to be his alter-ego as a fountain of Buddhist wisdom, with backwards speech and erudite manners. Now this demonic little slogan-spotting minion was in the middle of a Christmas display, the ultimate affront to the real meaning of Christmas. It’s not a stretch to say that what I witnessed in this store was a visual representation of a pop culture signaling the existential decline of American culture which was founded on Christian ideals.

In my opinion, there’s no way to redeem Halloween. Everything associated with this holiday is evil and demonic. But Christmas, to the Christian, can still mean the babe in the manger, the angels heralding the birth of Christ, and joy to the world that Christ has come. Whenever Christ was really born, most likely in the spring, as believers we can keep Christ in Christmas by having Him in our hearts and using the day to remind ourselves that Christmas day celebrates the fact that a Savior was born who is Jesus our Lord. But beware of the subtle ways that decadent pop culture and greedy merchandising want to mix the sacred with the profane, Christmas and Halloween.

Can We Just Ignore Halloween?

Like many of you, I just want Halloween to go away. This year, I started seeing Halloween stuff on store shelves the first week of August. THREE MONTHS EARLY! Now, merchandising is overwhelming. A couple of days ago I needed to go to my local pharmacy to pick up a few things. Just to get a tube of toothpaste I had to wade through four aisles of witchcraft themed candy. Then I encountered shelf upon shelf of simulated human skeletons, Jack-o-lanterns, witch costumes, and ghostly apparitions to hang from the limbs of trees in one’s front yard. They used to call this place a “drugstore,” but now it’s a dispensary, not of life-saving medications, but images of fear and death. I just want it to go away, and eventually it will. But at what cultural and spiritual price?

Here’s why it won’t go away. The National Retail Federation’s analytics reveal that an expected record of $12.2 billion will be spent on demonic junk this year. That’s about 25% more than last year’s record expenditure. But here’s what’s scary—65% of American household indulge this demonic day by purchasing Mammon’s merchandise. But there’s one more thing you need to know. Polls show that roughly half of Americans identify as evangelical Christians, with some measure of personal faith in Jesus. So, if 65% of people buy Halloween, satanic themed, anti-Jesus’ junk, a sizeable portion of that percentage is born-again believers! They are the ones pushing Halloween sales higher by filling their homes and their children’s lives with imagery that comes from the realm of witchcraft and the occult. As the old Pogo cartoon character used to say, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Halloween isn’t going away. Economics will drive up the value of its recognition higher and higher. But you can do a few things.

  1. Make your home off limits to all Halloween merchandise and no trick-or-treating of your kids. As parents of three daughters, we did that. And our children grew up to be college educated and socially well-adjusted. One is a physician and the other two are business professionals. They are socially well-adjusted, personally successful, dedicated Christians. Expunging Halloween from their lives did not make them socially maladjusted. It made them spiritually aware of the cultural line that has to be drawn in our age which is obsessed with all things demonic.
  2. Be bold and speak out about the evils of accommodating the visual imagery of witchcraft and the occult that saturates Halloween. Don’t be obnoxious about it but make certain that people know you are a family that doesn’t cater to anything that even in jest makes light of death, darkness, ghosts, curses, spells, conjurations, and witches on brooms. Romans 12:2 still applies today as it did 2,000 years ago: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
  3. Start learning more about deliverance and spiritual warfare. Instead of buying witchcraft costumes for your kids to go door-to-door collecting candy, enroll in Bob Larson University and learn how the kingdom of evil really operates with deception and destruction. Or have a virtual encounter with me so I can cast out your demons that want you to make cultural compromises.
  4. When Christians want to have a substitute “harvest festival,” say “no thanks.” Why should Christians feel the pressure to sacralize the season by trying to put our Jesus-spin on the accoutrements of evil which can’t be sanctified? You can put a gold ring through the snout of a pig, but he’s still a pig. Halloween is a day of the spiritually dead, and let the dead bury their dead.

Lord Samhain, the historical druidic demon for whom this day is dedicated is a very real evil spirit. I’ve dealt with him many times. He is vile. Don’t invite him into your home with images of evil. Better to put a plaque on your front door Halloween night with the words of Joshua 24:15: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Can You Get Demons From Baptism?

Can you get demons from baptism? That may be one of the strangest questions I’ve ever posed in a blog. Before you think I’ve raised an irreverent issue, hear me out. First, let’s consider the meaning and purpose for baptism across a broad theological spectrum. Its significance ranges from a symbol to a sacrament, the latter a practice associated with Catholicism. Sacraments are considered an impartation of Divine grace in some religious groups. Certain denominations hold that baptism is part of the salvation process, a spiritually regenerating act, not just an emblem of being cognitively aware of following Christ.

On one hand are the Baptist traditions that baptism is a public declaration of faith, one’s conscious decision to follow Christ. That requires what is known as “believer’s baptism,” full immersion after some outward confession of Christ as Savior. Catholics, and some more liturgical traditions, practice what’s called infant baptism. This is generally considered to be an initiation into faith. Usually, parents and godparents, spiritual sponsors, all make promises to look after and nurture the faith of the child, who later is expected to proclaim faith personally in what is called confirmation. The Catholic church believes that baptism is also what’s known as a “minor” exorcism. The official Catechism of the Church of Rome declares that baptism signifies “liberation from sin and from its instigator the devil.” I teach on this topic in Bob Larson University where I also point out that after the Reformation, Martine Luther continued this tradition with Lutheran baptisms.

It’s clear from church history that some Christian groups have at least officially believed that baptism can rid a person of demons. But is it possible to get a demon from a baptism? That is a trickier subject. Let me begin by saying that if a soul is unprotected and open to evil, because of bloodline curses or personal sin, demons can claim almost any excuse to oppress or invade an individual’s soul. Yes, I have known of cases whereby a demon used baptism as legal right of entry. How is that so? If the one baptizing is living in unconfessed sin, the submission of the one seeking baptism can, on rare occasions, form a soul bond that allows the evil in the one performing the baptism to pass on spiritual oppression to the one receiving baptism. I have done exorcisms on people who, in ignorance, submitted themselves to a pastor or pastoral representative, who by the act of baptism and the laying on of hands, transmitted a measure of evil to the unsuspecting supplicant.

My advice is don’t be paranoid but do be careful. Before engaging the rite or procedure of baptism, know who is baptizing you! A little due diligence will provide a measure of protection. Demons don’t play fair, and if a person has generational susceptibilities to evil, demons may take advantage to infect the spiritual seeker. If someone is going to baptize you, ask a few questions about that person. What is their claim to such spiritual authority? Are they a seasoned, respected representative of some church or denomination? Is the baptism sanctioned by oversight, such as an established church?

Baptism is personally identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It symbolizes being buried with Christ in baptism and rising from the waters to a new life in Jesus. It is one of the most sacred moments in life. Know who lays hands on you in baptism. If you are sprinkling a child as a parent or sponsor do a little investigation on the spiritual qualifications regarding the officiant. Whatever you believe about when or how a baptism is performed, beware that the recipient may form a soul-tie with the one baptizing. It may be extremely rare, but I can attest that it is possible. If the conditions for baptism are a “perfect storm” of evil, you can get a demon from baptism!

2 Things I Wish I Had Known About Demons

Students of Bob Larson University know the teaching is extremely thorough — 60 courses, nearly 50 hours of video training, and more than 200,000 words. Nothing like it in the realm of spiritual warfare study has ever been attempted. It wasn’t possible to cover everything to be known about demons and the devil, but by God’s grace we did our best to emphasize the most important facts. As I look back on my many years of ministry, I reflect on what I wish I had known about demons. When I first embarked on deliverances, there were few books and very few teachers. And there was no internet. The knowledge base was extremely small. I did my best with the information I had. But there are two things I wish I had known to be more effective. 

First, I wish I had known how much power the devil has. Most preachers say that we should be careful about giving the devil too much credit. Certainly, some folks do that to their detriment. But by my observation, the church understands too little about what the devil can do. So, they tell people not to worry about Satan’s wiles. I’ve heard preachers declare that the devil was defanged at the cross, completely defeated in every way, and poses no serious threat to Christians. I was influenced by that perspective in my early ministry. As I dealt with more and more demons, I had to backtrack. Many times I witnessed things I thought Satan couldn’t do. 

Some things I witnessed during deliverance were inexplicable. Others were downright supernatural. I have spoken about some of these occurrences in Bob Larson University such as: objects disappearing in one place and appearing again in another; things moving before my very eyes; voices from people’s bodies that spoke in human languages unknown to them; superhuman strength that defied logic; an earthquake under my feet at the exact moment I was casting out a demon; bodily deformations which were physically impossible; a possessed and blind person reading effortlessly from a book while the demons manifested. I understand what Aaron must have felt when Pharoah’s magicians threw down their rods which also turned into snakes. 

Ironically, the second thing I wish I’d known, is how little real power the devil has. Despite what I’ve just described, in the greater scheme of things, the devil has paltry puissance, actual power. Satan can’t make a flower grow. He can’t give peace to a spiritually weary soul. He can’t comfort the brokenhearted. He can’t create something out of nothing, ex-nihilo, as God did by creating the heavens and the earth. Satan can’t give a bird a song or hope to a troubled soul. He can’t raise the dead to eternal life, and he can’t create the innocence of a newborn baby. He can only kill, steal, and destroy, as the Bible says. Pharoah’s magicians did mimic Arron’s feat of transmuting matter by creating snakes out of their own rods. But it was Aaron’s snake who swallowed the serpents of the Egyptians—the devil’s evil was consumed by the goodness of God’s power. 

Think of your own life and the clever attempts of Satan to destroy your faith. You’re likely reading this because the devil failed in his mission to thwart your salvation. That is why Romans 12:21 tells us to overcome evil with good. The battle for souls is not a competition of God or the devil prevailing in some pugilistic showdown. Satan was defeated in the wilderness, at the cross, and with the empty tomb. I wish I’d know more about what the devil can and can’t do. I would have avoided much frustration in my early ministry. But the years have taught me to trust and obey, knowing that the forces of good and evil are not in an eternal contest to prove which is stronger. Spiritually confident Christian have read the end of the book. We win, and all the power and might of evil losses — eternally!

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