Spiritual Warfare: It's Time To Clean House
God Is Calling...
God has really been on me to share this information with all of you. First off, I absolutely love this platform and community, and I am grateful that God has seen me fit to steward over it.
With that, as much as I love encouragement I also have to teach and lead as led by the Holy Spirit. That means that sometimes you will be uncomfortable. Remember that iron sharpens iron, but the sharpening may not FEEL good. We must be pruned to grow (pruning requires cutting off dead and detrimental things) even if its uncomfortable. God is calling many of us deeper and is elevating us. In order for us to move in that direction we must remove any demonic influences in our life. Remember that we are in a spiritual war...ALWAYS. Since getting saved there are so many things that "seem normal" that are really rooted in demonic influence.
I'm going to share some things and areas that God has revealed to me. Take this and EVERYTHING that we discuss here in prayer to God and ask the Holy Spirit for revelation. Also listen to the New Age Outlaws series we did on the show with Prophetess Tanya Lofty.
Y'all this stuff is no joke and the enemy will present himself as an angel of light (something good - 2 Corinthians 11:14) and it is really an open door for him and his demons to wreak havoc in your life.
To be clear anything that goes against the Word of God is demonic. There are only two sides here y'all we cannot be lukewarm.
Why Am I Sharing?
God told me to, so that's that.
We perish for lack of knowledge.
The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He will use your ignorance to keep you bound. He will steal your anointing, kill your passion for God, and destroy your purpose.
I ain't letting it happen on my watch so we discussing the truth no matter how uncomfortable and that's on who, Mary had a little Lamb!
The List: Below you will find a list of practices and items that are all associated with new age practices. The list is limited, but I encourage you to educate yourselves with the links provided.
1. Yoga - There is no such thing as "Christian" yoga. The yoga poses are worship to other gods. It don't matter if you playing worship music, sis. It's demonic.
Reference:
https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-yoga.html
2. Masons/Eastern Star/Fraternity and Sorority Organizations: Many of these have the appearance of godliness BUT you have to check the doctrine. The Bible tells us to test every spirit (1 John 4:1-6). This includes some of these "Christian" sororities. While this isn't directly addressed in the Bible, my PERSONAL conviction was trying to find an identity in something other than Christ and knowing more about their organization and rules than I do my Bible so that was that for me.
References:
3. Witches, Ghosts, Harry Potter, Magic 8 Balls, Ouija Boards, Psychics, Mediums, Fortune Tellers, Horoscopes, Astrology, etc.: Y'all the enemy is CRAFTY. Witches are forreal forreal! The issue is that we have been programmed to have cartoon references of all of these things so we don't see any harm in it. The enemy wants you to be comfortable.
Again, I am not exempt I definitely used to read my horoscope. I also loved the Long Island Medium. But my identity is in Christ and not in any stars and Teresa out here practicing witchcraft so that's that on those things too.
References
Honestly just read this whole section: https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-witchcraft.html
4. Sage & Smudging:
THIS ONE REALLLLLLLY GRINDS MY GEARS Y'ALL. SAGE BELONGS ONLY IN DRESSING ON THANKSGIVING. JESUS'S BLOOD DID IT ALL ON THE CROSS. HE WON THE VICTORY ALONE. HIS ARMS WERE NOT OUTSTRETCHED HOLDING SAGE. THE END.
To say that God/Jesus/Holy Spirit needs assistance in something they won the victory in over 2000 years ago really upsets me and my homegirls. Burning sage will only make your house stink. That's it. That's all it does.
Reference
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-smudging.html
5. Crystals
Again, witchcraft and idolatry. God does not need the assistance of an inanimate object or anything else for that matter.
Reference
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-crystals.html
6. Ancestor Worship
This has become increasingly popular with the BLM movement and highlighting black culture. I love us as black people. I love who I am. I thank God for those before me. BLACK LIVES INDEED DO MATTER. HOWEVER..... I AM NOT WORSHIPING MY ANCESTORS.
THEY DO NOT TALK TO ME BECAUSE DEAD THINGS DON'T TALK. IF THEY DO, ITS A FAMILIAR SPIRIT AND ITS THE DEVIL.
References
https://www.gotquestions.org/ancestor-worship.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/familiar-spirits.html
1 Samuel 28 - Saul seeks a medium for a familiar spirit.
7. Prayer Beads
The use of prayer beads (rosary) is not Biblical.
Reference
https://www.gotquestions.org/prayer-beads.html
What do I do if God shows me that I have been knowingly or unknowingly dealing in divination or demonic influence?
Confess: To acknowledge (sin) to God
Renounce: To give up, refuse, or resign usually by formal declaration
Repent: Though it includes sorrow and regret, it is more than that. In repenting, one makes a complete change of direction (180° turn) toward God.
I pray that this opened your eyes and will free many of you all. The enemy uses these spiritual warfare practices that will have you believing these things are for your good. There is freedom and deliverance in Christ.
Dr. Sharla