The seasons are changing again. Here we are at the end of October already, and there’s no doubt that summer is over. In fact, as the beautiful leaves continue to drop from the trees, leaving behind only skeleton branches, clearly, Old Man Winter is on his way, at least here in Wisconsin. I enjoy the fall, even the fall yard cleanup, as we close up our outdoor activities, gather and stack firewood, mow the lawn one last time, and then put away the rakes and bring out the shovels.
This year, however, I couldn’t help but notice that Halloween seems to be a bigger holiday than ever. Many of the stores have had their Halloween stuff out since the end of August. I also know of one home that seems to honor Halloween all year long — with a giant 20-foot skeleton on their front lawn that they never take down. Most people who celebrate this day do so with no evil intentions, and see it as just a time for the neighborhood kids to dress up and go door to door for sugary treats. Grown-ups enjoy seeing all the kids out and greeting their neighbors, and most kids are just in it for the candy.
Still, the imagery we see surrounding Halloween today is darker than ever… and it’s everywhere. And these images of death and gore are not just for Halloween anymore. Take a walk through your local Walmart, and just have a look — any time of year. You’ll see T-shirts, hats, jackets, and other clothing adorned with skulls and other death imagery, all year long. You’ll see “Monster” energy drinks, posters and artwork featuring vampires, knives with dripping blood, frightful animals or creatures with fangs and claws, and again, dripping blood. This is conditioning. Brainwashing.
Television, books, and movies have been growing increasingly dark for decades. Once upon a time, vampires and werewolves were feared. Today, young girls are in love with them as these “creatures of the night” and the “undead” are romanticized. Some of the most popular programs on television glorify death. You may recall the “Twilight” books and movies, which helped to make the vampire craze so popular. Video gamers hone their skills as they become “virtual” killers; but in too many cases, “virtual” is no longer enough for them. Like porn addicts, they soon need the real thing to satisfy their blood lust.
So popular is all this death imagery that people are no longer satisfied just reading about or watching terror, death, and gore… now they’re tattooing, cutting, and piercing their bodies with skulls, gothic crosses, and satanic symbols, so they can keep the death symbolism with them always. In some of the larger cities, there are actually “Vampire Clubs,” — night clubs where people dress up and go to party, many actually participating in blood-shedding and drinking rituals. Of course, we’ve all seen the “Goth” style of dress — all black clothing, usually adorned with chains, faces covered in pale, white makeup, with eyes, nose, and mouth outlined and accentuated heavily in black.
In October of 2014, the movie “Ouija” came out. The motion picture website IMDb.com describes the movie this way: “A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.” This movie brought in more than $50 million in profits in its first two months in theaters… to say nothing of the huge new profits the toy company “Hasbro” enjoyed with a renewed interest in Ouija Boards. Business is also booming for mediums, clairvoyants, and psychics, as people want to communicate with loved ones on the “other side” of death. And now we have AI to “channel” the dead (artificially) too.
As Christ-followers, we know that death is bittersweet. We leave our loved ones behind as we go to be with our Savior. Now, some will point fingers and say, “Look, even you Christians can’t wait to die — death is your great hope!”
No, my friends, LIFE is our great hope. Eternal life with Jesus, who Himself rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God Almighty, and who waits for us now. He’s promised to prepare a place for us there, with Him, and we look forward to LIFE. There’s nothing glamorous or appealing about death and decay. It’s life, light, and communion with GOD that awaits us! Because Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave.
On the other hand, Satan is all about blood — because blood is “currency” in the spiritual realm — and the blood he embraces is not the shed blood of our Savior, which purchased our freedom from the punishment of sin. He, like his followers, has an insatiable thirst for the blood of the innocents. Murder, gore, violence, torture, rape, dripping blood. Death. Decay. And thus, we have the imagery so popular in the world today: the skulls, the knives with dripping blood, even the gothic crosses people wear — these are all enticements of the enemy, luring us away from the cross of Christ and HIS precious, innocent blood, shed to redeem us. Jesus’ death on the cross was the ultimate act of love. Satan’s fake substitute never has anything to do with love.
Have you seen the X-rated music and movie stars who speak with such vulgarity, and embrace all the liberal, God-hating things in the culture, and dress and act like prostitutes? What’s with the crosses they wear? The cross necklaces, earrings, even tattoos? Are they devout Christians? No, following the father of lies, they’re perverting and mocking the cross. Now, they delight in using the symbol of our salvation as a perversion. Ultimately, the cross IS, in fact, an instrument of death. And so, these folks embrace that part of it — because it fits right in with their worldview. Sadly, they know not what they are doing.
There’s a very simple litmus test if you ever want to know if something is Godly or if something is evil. The simple test is Life versus Death. The evil, the Satanic, will always gravitate toward death and destruction. On the way, there will be deception, the substitution of the fake for the real, and shortcuts: rather than having the courage to make the hard decisions, or delay gratification for a greater good, or wait on God’s timing, or give up our own interests in order to bless others, there will be presented to us what seems to be an easier way, a better way, a faster way. Proverbs tells us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death.” Satan always equals death.
I’m increasingly concerned about our young people, struggling to fit in in this world, eager to be “grown up,” and the deepest desire of their hearts is to be loved. They buy the devil’s lie that sex equals love. They believe the idea that “all you need is love.” And there too — that may actually be a true, albeit simplistic statement! If they were talking about real love. But, deceived by the enemy, they can’t tell the false from the real, and so they fall to temptation. Some are even so deceived they believe the more sex they have, the more love they receive. It all appeared “good.” But look what it is in reality. Even worse, look what it could have been, had the people involved known a better way, God’s way.
Satan always dangles the carrot of temptation in front of us. For some, the temptation is love. He — with his willing accomplices in the press, in the government, in the entertainment industry, pretty much in every area of our culture, including so-called “Christian” churches — presents the fake and tells us it’s real. “A woman’s right to choose.” “Marriage equality.” “Love wins.” And the evil one always perverts God’s Word as well: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Or stated in Satan’s perverted way, “Don’t use any good judgment.” Where do all these things lead? To death. We might cover it up; we might make sure it’s done behind closed doors and paid for quietly so no one needs to know. Or we might be “out” and “loud” and “proud” about our sin — but ultimately, the end of such things is always death… and our actions will haunt us until we meet our own deaths.
For others, the temptation is peace — without the perceived “restrictions” of being a true servant of the Most High. “Surely,” they reason, “there must be an alternative.” And so, once again, the media, the government, the entertainment industry, even the so-called “Christian” church will tell you, “Islam is a religion of peace. It’s only a few radicals who’ve hijacked Islam, and we cannot judge an entire religion by the actions of a few. We must show them love.” And, “we all pray to the same god.”
But I ask you, what is the fruit of Islam? If Islam is a religion of peace, then why is it that wherever there is Islam, there is no peace? Only war, only torture, only mayhem, fraud, destruction, violence, poverty, and death? How Satan must laugh his head off when charismatic, influential people proclaim that we’re all God’s children and we all pray to the same god. These pop culture things may sound good… to those without any sound judgment…but you know, Satan wouldn’t want it any other way.
Friends, we live in a time when deception is everywhere. Unless you know the real, you’re open to believing the false. In Satan’s world, the false always looks more appealing than the real. It looks easier, it looks more desirable, much more tempting. “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
The Bible tells us the truth about our enemy, and by knowing his nature and his ways, we can avoid his snares. A murderer from the beginning. No truth in him. The father of lies.
And so, in this life, we remain in the midst of a great heavenly struggle between good and evil, between true and false, between God and Satan. Many people seek out the supernatural, the demonic; some even fancy themselves “ghost hunters.” Or “Satanists.” They seek supernatural power sources in occult and satanic practices because they want that power for themselves. It’s an age-old temptation, just as the serpent tempted Eve in the garden, promising her the ability to be “like God.”
To these folks, I would simply say, STOP. THINK for a minute. You know this power you seek comes from the “dark side.” You instinctively know it’s demonic; it’s evil. Yet you wish to play around with it, and you want to tap into it and access it for your own gain. Some get a thrill in knowing that the source of this power is Satan. But consider this: Do you not know that Satan is a created being? He was created by the same God who created us. Why would you seek to serve an inferior, created power when you can know, when you can actually be literally adopted into the family of the Creator, of God Himself? Why would you want the false, when you can have the real? Especially when the false always leads to death and hell, while the real leads to life and the mansion the Lord has prepared for you?
Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
It’s a choice of Good vs. Evil, of Light vs. Darkness. Of Life vs. Death, of Truth vs. Lies. Still, there is a yoke. There is a cross to pick up and carry daily. But that narrow road you carry it on leads to life. The other road leads only to death and damnation. Which will you choose today?
