Deceived

I mentioned yesterday about the arsenal that the devil uses in order to enslave people to follow his ways and reject God. Fascination with and participation in occult practices is a way in which the enemy enables people to encounter spirits that are not of God and to inflict mental, emotional, and spiritual harm. The Bible warns against these practices, and in Deuteronomy 18, we can read the words of the Lord spoken through Moses:
9 "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.
13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.

A recent Movieguide article begins in this way:

Ex-psychic turned born-again Christian Jenn Nizza warned about allowing the occult to worm its way into your life and placing faith in a counterfeit version of Christ that leads to death and destruction.

“I was participating in sorcery, in witchcraft, except that it presents itself as light. And that’s the deception. Like that’s the whole agenda of the evil one: to deceive us” Nizza told California Living. “Love and light, this is the new age movement. You can have new enlightenment, you can raise your frequency, you can raise your vibration, as if you have any divinity, as if you have any special spiritual status that you can attain. And that’s what it always goes back to.”

The Movieguide piece goes on to say:

Witchcraft, sorcery and demons may seem like things of the past that are incompatible with our current day. But in reality, they are real and pose a deadly threat to the spiritual life of those who practice them.

“The satanic culture is real, witchcraft is real, and I think we live in a culture where we like to act as if that’s just something that is make-believe, cute and entertaining to see in movies,” said “Trending with Timmerie” host Timerie. “Satan wants us to believe that.”

While culture makes light of the occult, allowing it to become mainstream, the Bible is extremely clear that the demon world is not something to mess with.

Nizza's involvement with elements of the occult began in her early teen years, according to an article published at Faithwire, including quotes from the Playing with Fire podcast.  The article relates:

“In my home, it was very acceptable to talk about paranormal activity, what people commonly call ghosts, which, of course, were demons,” she said. “I had my very first tarot card reading [at the age of 13].”

Around the same time, Nizza said she had already begun experiencing what she now believes was demonic oppression. She started having dreams about events that would essentially come true.

Rather than flee from these practices and experiences, Nizza became enamored and dove in even deeper after her first tarot reading.

“That’s when I really walked through the door, because I was so intrigued by it, and I started seeking it out. … I went full-in,” she said. “It was a rabbit hole of destruction. … I had my own tarot cards. I kept going for readings; I became addicted to it.”

She began to do so-called "readings," thinking she was being helpful to people - but she was deceived herself and deceiving others.  But, Jenn needed help, true spiritual help, herself.  Faithwire states:

“When I was 36, I first cried out to Jesus,” she said. “I was at the lowest of the low, the lowest moments of my life — one of the darkest moments. … My soul, my spirit, knew to cry out to Jesus. I needed Him.”

By the time she turned 37, her Christian journey had finally begun.

Reflecting on all that unfolded, Nizza — who believes she was oppressed throughout her life but not possessed — found it fascinating she turned to Christ rather than the spirits she spent years adoring.

“I didn’t cry out to a deceased person, a spirit guide, an angel, anybody who I thought I was communicating with all those years,” she said. “I cried out to Jesus Christ and He really did show up.”

Nizza continued, “The Gospel is what saves.” 

There is a multitude of spirits that are operating in the world today. And, the Scriptures instruct us to "test the spirits."  While New Age and occult practices might seem to be spiritual enlightenment, we have to remember that the Bible tells us that Satan appears as an angel of light and declares that we are not "ignorant" of his schemes.  

Faithwire quotes Jenn Nizza as saying, regarding her time spent as a practitioner of the occult, "Satan masquerades as an angel of light,” adding “You think that you’re a servant of righteousness.”

We have to insulate ourselves by being devoted to the Scriptures.  We overcome the power of the enemy, as the Bible says, through the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony.  If we are full of the Word of God, we build a shield against the errant spirituality that is being perpetuated by the devil.  This is nothing to play with - we must exercise discernment between good and evil.