If you’ve been a Christian very long you are familiar with a gospel tract called “The Four Spiritual Laws”. The material quickly and simply explains why we need a savior and how to be saved. The literature notwithstanding, there are in fact spiritual laws just as there are laws of physics which govern the physical world. There is, for example, the Law of Faith (Romans 3.27) which states that a person is declared righteous by faith and not works. There is also the Law of Lineage (Romans 8.2, Ephesians 2.11-.19) that states anyone who is of Adam is sinful and will suffer eternal separation from God, while those who are of Jesus will not suffer condemnation.

There is another law that pertains directly to our study this week. The Law of Approbation (Job 1.9-.12, Luke 22.31-.32) which states that an unclean spirit cannot prey upon the children of God without the Father’s or the child’s consent. God’s consent is easy to see in the Scriptures, ours is a little less obvious.

Legally our “consent” can be granted through choices we make. As mentioned yesterday, dabbling in occult practices is of course wrong and an easily understood invitation for unclean spirits to interact with us. Putting ourselves in places the demonic frequent is another form of invitation, which is why God warns us to not associate with witches, seers, sorcerers, mediums and the like. By consulting with people of darkness to discover truth we violate the first of the Ten Commandments. Sometimes walking into the den of wickedness is in fact a calling; missionaries combat unclean spirits regularly in some of the darkest corners of our world. By taking the gospel to people who worship spirits rather than God they intentionally put themselves in harm’s way.

All the examples above are ways we give the devil a foothold in our life, but there are others as well. Ouija boards, transcendental meditation, the philosophies behind some martial arts forms, hypnotism, excessive drunkenness and drug use, some forms of pornography, research into “forbidden meditation” and attempts in astral projection or spirit translocation are all invitations for unclean spirits. If a believer has ever participated in any of these kinds of activities, even if it was before they came to faith in Jesus, they ought to prayerfully recant each and every incident or occurrence. By not denouncing these activities one leaves themselves open for demonic oppression.

Should any dark spirit find a foothold they have a claim to victimize the believer. Sometimes their attacks are subtle, like the familiar spirits we discussed two days ago. They may offer insight or tickle one’s ears with fortunes or hidden knowledge about a loved one. Others may take a more direct approach and try to terrorize through moving objects, nightmares, physical attacks from animals or inanimate objects or by a possessed person (Acts 19.11-.16). Some report that a demon itself has physically attacked them. Whatever form of attack is used the goal is to draw the believer away from God and into a hopeless state. What they cannot possess they wish to destroy.

The attack on the apostle Peter was one of fear, which lead him to deny Jesus three times in a single night. It was a tough lesson for the headstrong follower, but it prepared him to live, and eventually die, for his faith. With Jesus the devil took a different approach. He offered Jesus a way to accomplish his mission without having to endure the cross. If Jesus had succumbed, there would be no eternal salvation. One cannot be both a savior and an overlord. With Job the attack came in the form of death of family members and disease. That which we most love, which we most hope for is the most obvious attack point.

These are the things we need to be vigilant about in our own lives, but if you are involved in ministry the problem is compounded. To destroy a ministry often it is only necessary to bring down a single member of the staff. The attack points grow with each person involved in the ministry, the staff and those being ministered to. The larger the ministry, the more likely moral failure becomes. This may explain the complacency of, and lack of advancement made by, the modern church. The situation seems almost hopeless, but it doesn’t have to be.

Next week we will uncover counter tactics and offensive maneuvers.