Not in This House

Jesus was very clear when He contrasted His identity and purposes with those of the enemy, and invited us to follow Him as our good shepherd, who will empower us to navigate the spiritual battles
of this world. John chapter 10 relates His words:
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

See the contrast?  Satan has a purpose for our lives - He wants to ultimately destroy us, to render ineffective in our witness, and to drive a wedge between us and our Creator.  His purposes are evil, and we have to be aware of His subtle schemes and be equipped to take action.  But, God does not leave us without the tools that are necessary for us to walk in victory - but, we have to be aware of the enemy's tactics of evil, so we can experience the triumph of good.

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It is important to recognize the nature of the spiritual warfare in which we're all involved - it's not a matter of choice to be in the war; we are in it, and we have to follow Christ and use the resources He gives us to experience His victory.  2nd Corinthians 10 states:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...

Just because it's got the name Disney on it doesn't mean it's necessarily appropriate for families, including those who embrace a Christian worldview.

The warning has been sounded about a new Disney Channel series called, The Owl House. Over at CBN.com, author Deborah Bunting shared an overview of this series, that explores topics such as witchcraft and demons.  She writes:

This is so beyond Cinderella it's not even funny. Disney has come up with a new cartoon about a teenager who, in their words, "finds herself stuck in the Demon Realm and battles the forces of evil alongside a rebellious witch and a pint-sized warrior."

In this so-called fantasy world, the main character, Luz, "pursues her dream of becoming a witch by serving as Eda's (the rebellious witch's) apprentice."

She states, "The show tries to portray witchcraft as a positive tool to fight evil," which, as we know, flies in the face of Scriptural teaching.  Another CBN article featured comments from a former real-life witch, Jenny Weaver, who expressed her concern about this new Disney show.  It relates...

...one former witch and lesbian told CBN's "The Prayer Link" that parents need to be very careful about what their children watch.

"I actually watched a movie that was very popular when I was in high school and it was called The Craft," said Jenny Weaver. "And the movie was about four high school witches that had all of this power, that had all of this control."

Weaver was in a dysfunctional home and struggled with depression - she opened herself up to demonic forces, leading her into cutting and ultimately practicing witchcraft.  The article says:

"It was a demonic hold on my life that caused me to open doors to witchcraft and practicing spells and incantations and studying the religion of Wiccan," she said.

She added, "It's why I tell parents when I minister, it's not a joke when we say be careful what your children are watching."

She underscored the reality of that dark spiritual realm, a realm from which it took quite some time for her to exit.  Weaver shares:

"I was smoking methamphetamines in dope houses, sleeping in people's sheds, being tore up by bugs all day long. And so, I remember just crying out to God. I cried out to the top of my lungs, I said 'God Help Me!'"

That's when her life changed forever.

"God rescued me," said Weaver.

She is now involved in worship ministry.

Deborah Bunting issues this warning:

The Bible tells us clearly that there is a spiritual realm that is not of God. It warns us not to participate in witchcraft, to not consult with mediums and spiritists, but to call on God for answers in our lives.

She, too, talks about the reality of evil and the nature of the spiritual world:

This spiritual realm that opposes God is real. Demons are real. And they are out to deceive your children and draw them in to be pawns of the enemy of their souls, the Devil, otherwise known as Satan. His devices and plans are to destroy your kids and grandkids spiritually, physically and emotionally. You must protect them from being enticed into this demonic world.

The Bible is clear about the nature of a very real spiritual battle that is occurring all around us; there are forces for good and evil.  And, the Scriptures speak of the forces with which we are doing battle and tools we have for the fight.  Plus, we are told about the perpetrator of the battle against God and those who side with him.

The enemy will use our physical senses as a front in that battle, for they are the gateway to the mind, and our souls can be polluted by what we take in.  So, what we see or hear, the information we allow into our consciousness, can deceive and distract us from the purposes and presence of God.  So, as Philippians 4 suggests, we have to filter the incoming content traffic.  The standards are there:
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.