Articles
Superstition and False Anxiety - 3
We’ve denied in these articles that Satan wields miraculous powers over mankind through bad luck, spells, jinxes and that the spirits of the dead frequent this world. The power these ideas hold over man are the result of his fertile imagination coupled with ignorance of God’s word on earthly and spiritual realities. Let’s consider some specific questions:
1. Can the dead return to earth to influence events, guide and/or protect loved ones or correct an injustice? Answer: No.
When the rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers on earth to warn them against the fate that had befallen him, his request was denied (Lk 16:27-31). Abraham replied that his brothers had access to the words of Moses and the prophets; if they would not listen to God’s law, “neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” The implication is that there is no purpose in information or visitations from the departed dead; God’s word is all that is needed.
While it is true that Samuel and Moses and Elijah made appearances on earth after their deaths, it was only for a specific purpose of God and controlled wholly by Him. There is no general pattern or authority in these events to conjure people from the dead via séances or Ouija boards. The general rule of Heb 9:27: “It is appointed for men to die once, but after that the judgment …”. That is, the phase of man’s activity in the world is before death, while he is embodied. No meaningful activity thereafter is described in Scripture until the final judgment occurs. His spiritual condition is fixed; he cannot “transfer” from one spiritual realm or state to another (cf. the “great gulf” of Lk 16). Crime-solving is relegated to the civil authorities, not a murder victim who post-mortem directs the investigators to his killer.
2. Do Satanists have the ability to cast spells upon or curse others via ill health, fatal accidents or “bad karma”? Answer: No.
One thing is evident: Hollywood has greatly impacted our cultural beliefs. Countless occult movies have shaped the beliefs of untold millions. (As a kid I was afraid to go to bed with my neck exposed; vampires were prowling, you know.) Scripture talks about God causing disease; defeating armies through confusion and pandemonium; turning the superstitions of idolaters against them, etc. And Scripture speaks of the NT era where demons traumatized people via literal indwelling. But evil working havoc upon the earth through miraculous influence is unfounded in Scripture.
3. Why would God allow Satan to have miraculous ability since miracles were the credentials of His own messengers? Answer: He wouldn’t.
4. Does the alignment of stars at one’s birth have any bearing upon his or her characteristics or fate in life? Answer: No.
First, a star is “a self-luminous gaseous spheroidal celestial body with great mass which produces energy by means of nuclear fusion reactions” (Webster’s Online). That is, a star is a non-personal atomic reaction a vast distance from the earth, not a personal being. Second, the constellations are a fictional creation of man. For example, if you could travel through space toward Orion you would encounter those stars at different times. That is, the stars do not lie on the same plane with each other; they are located at different distances from the earth. It is only their luminescence, coupled with mythology, that give them significance. Why anyone would buy into the nonsense of astrology is confounding – especially considering the well-attested truths of Scripture. But an air of mystery and intrigue fires the imagination of the untethered. Horoscopes are ridiculously vague; the only meaning they have is supplied by the reader’s gullibility.
5. Should I be concerned every time Friday the 13th rolls around? Or if my office is on the 13th floor? Answer: No.
“According to folklore historian Donald Dossey, the unlucky nature of the number ‘13’ originated with a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party in Valhalla. The trickster god Loki, who was not invited, arrived as the 13th guest, and arranged for Hoor to shoot Balder with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Dossey: ‘Balder died, and the whole Earth got dark [and] mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day.’ This major event in Norse mythology caused the number 13 to be considered unlucky” (Wikipedia). So, if the number 13 freaks you out, consider that you are being influenced by pagan mythology. The antidote: Let the truth of God and rationality shape your thinking about life.
6. What about documentaries on haunted houses? What about honest, sincere people who tell of ghostly sounds, smells and images they encounter in their houses? Answer: How do you know they’re sincere?!
Some people are sooo gullible; they believe the testimony of others whose character they don’t know anything about. Some people will do anything for their fifteen minutes of fame. And where’s the evidence? Sasquatch is always a grainy picture taken from a mile away; UFOs are garbage can lids flung across someone’s yard; ghosts are some amorphous reflection that has no shape or purpose of movement. In our day there are multiplied millions of cameras, GoPros, cell phones, etc. capturing visual events all over this planet 24/7. You’d think we could get just one clear, unambiguous photo of Sasquatch – or Casper – by now. This is merely the power of suggestion on steroids. And why is it always a house that is haunted? Are spirits xenophobic? Why don’t we encounter them on 5th Avenue in NYC or in Walmart? Let’s think it through, folks.
7. Well, what does Satan do in this world? Answer: He tempts us through deception to disobey God.
Human superstitions merely distract from the real threat – our own lusts and desires inflamed by a world that Satan dominates through his lies (2 Cor 4:4; 11:14-15; 1 Cor 10:20; 1 Tim 4:1). It is not clear in Scripture exactly what role Satan plays in temptation (cf. Jas 1:12-16), but it is enough to know that in some way suggestions, enticements and often great pressure bears upon us to get us to violate God’s law. That is our battleground, not Halloween, haunted houses, cemeteries and the cinema. “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren” (Jas 1:16).
