Question 99 – What should I do if I am involved in the occult?

Allow me to summarize all the dangers and consequences of contact with occultism that we have discussed in previous questions:

1. Disruption of Relationship and Communication with God – For Christians, or those who wish to become Christians, involvement in occult practices causes difficulty with the name of Jesus, attending services, praying, reading the Bible, etc. A general decline in spiritual strength and joy in a relationship with God follows.
2. Moral and Psychological Disorders and Even Personality Devastation – People engaged in occult practices, or their clients, often experience negative psychological changes, sometimes leading to total mental collapse. Typical symptoms include depression, aggression, fear, sexual perversions, or a propensity for suicide. A specific characteristic is that if you observe these people over time, their personality often changes; they begin to behave unnaturally, insensitively, and hold strange opinions.
3. Physical Consequences (Diseases) – These often affect the organs of sight and hearing and the areas of the autonomic nervous system. The nature of the illness is sometimes very bizarre, and an exact diagnosis cannot be established. At other times, it may be common illnesses in their broad spectrum, from diabetes to cancer. However, I must emphasize that not all illnesses in these individuals are necessarily of demonic origin.
4. Occult Oppression – People who visit healers or other occult practitioners sometimes acquire occult abilities themselves, or unexplained phenomena begin to occur in their homes, such as knocking, footsteps, various apparitions, ghostly appearances in dreams, inexplicable coincidences, etc.

It is impossible to generalize the consequences of demonic oppression. Some former occultists testify that they were doing well for many years. They felt happy, fulfilled, successful, and recognized – without apparent negative consequences. Significant changes and negative consequences only occurred when they attempted to leave occultism or expressed an open interest in Christianity. At this point, demons emerged from hiding and attempted to block their access to God. Others, however, testify that deterioration and breakdown of their personality began almost immediately after the first contact with these practices. A great danger is that these consequences are often hidden and sometimes gradual. Even when they arise quickly, few people associate them with occult behavior. One liberated occultist recounted:

"The consequences of occultism are probably unnoticed by anyone who is in its grip. I only realized them after my conversion to God. While I was involved in psychotronics, there was a significant decrease in my mental abilities and, what's even worse – a loss of emotion. Psychology calls this state a 'stone heart.' For instance, I was completely indifferent to what would happen even to my closest ones. Nothing could touch me. It was as if I truly had a stone heart." [16]

I must emphasize here that we should be careful not to see or seek demonic origins behind every unknown phenomenon, problem, or illness. Demons take pleasure when people (including Christians) deny their existence, but they also revel when they receive too much attention. In this instance, the biblical advice applies: 

"But test everything; hold fast what is good."

(1 Thessalonians 5:21), just as sound common sense advises: "Do not experiment with anything whose origin you do not know…"

I Think I Am Being Disturbed by Demons, or Under Their Influence. How Can I Help Myself?

If you sense that something is not right in your life, and it is even accompanied by inexplicable phenomena or psychological states, the question is – what can be done about it? I have good news for you – no matter how dire your situation may be or how long you have been enslaved by Satan, the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross have incomparably greater power and significance. God has a solution for you, and your deliverance is possible. Jesus Christ has defeated Satan and the entire realm of darkness. He is God, who holds every atom of this universe together. All spiritual beings, including Satan himself, are subject to Him.

How to Proceed?

First and foremost, I want to emphasize that in many cases, you cannot help yourself on your own. You need to seek out a living Christian community where people are engaged in what's known as the deliverance ministry or at least fervent Christians who may not fully understand this ministry but can help you accept the Lord Jesus and support you with their prayers – even that is significant help. This ministry is generally known as deliverance (sometimes called exorcism). However, there is a distorted and often untruthful perception rooted in people's minds about how deliverance must proceed. Many believe they must seek a specially gifted Catholic priest, of whom there are only a few in the country, and that it must involve a predetermined ritual. However, this is largely a misconception, unfortunately richly supported by the media.

In a general sense, the Lord Jesus has given authority over demons to every born-again Christian. However, it is true that not everyone is gifted with this very specific ministry. Additionally, it is important that such a Christian has a firm relationship with the Lord Jesus, is aware of what they are doing, and is knowledgeable about this matter. This service is an open battle against the unseen powers of darkness and should not be treated lightly. It is, however, a sad reality that one of the basic problems of many Christian churches today is a lack of information about occultism, its methods, its consequences for humans, and how to help individuals affected in this way. Therefore, finding such a community may be more challenging. Nevertheless, you should generally find these Christians in larger cities. If you earnestly desire God and His freedom, ask Him, and He will sooner or later lead you to such a person or may even set you free without the help of others.

For completeness, I will mention several general phases you may go through on the path to freedom (not necessarily in the given order).

1) Identification of the Problem

This can take place in the form of an interview. The aim is to determine whether the problems are truly the result of demonic oppression or even possession. Ideally, the presence of a Christian with gifts of the Holy Spirit, who may have the gift of distinguishing spirits or has direct revelation of hidden truths about the cause of the problem, is invaluable.

It is very important for the afflicted person to want to do something about their condition and to accept God's freedom.

2) Renunciation of Satan's Rights

It is crucial for the afflicted person to realize that engaging in occultism is a grave sin hateful to God. By such actions, a person opens themselves to the spiritual world, giving demons rights to influence their lives, often even unknowingly. It's akin to a contract – the demons serve us (with healing, glory, relief, abilities, power...), but they also claim many things. It is therefore necessary to nullify this "contract" and make a new covenant – with the living God, the Lord Jesus (in cases where the person is not a Christian).

Even though many Christians deny it, practice shows that they can also fall under demonic bonds through participation in occult practices or a godless life. The approach here is similar. These deeds need to be confessed to God as transgressions, and His forgiveness sought. At the same time, openly reject everything associated with occult activities. It is vital to break free from these ties and revoke all of Satan's claims over your life. Of course, all occult activity must cease. You must not partake in any spiritualist séances, consecrations, healing practices, read horoscopes, or use supernatural abilities, etc. It is also necessary to dispose of everything (preferably destroy it, if it is possible and it belongs to you) associated with occultism that you have in your home (occult books, dream dictionaries, idols, home altars, etc.).

Note – This point also applies to extreme cases like Satanists who consciously make an "irrevocable" contract with Satan, confirmed by blood, and later believe it cannot be nullified. However, the blood of the Lord Jesus and His offer have absolute legal precedence.

3) Covenant with the Living God

It is absolutely essential that the person desiring freedom accepts the Lord Jesus as their God and Savior. A new covenant must be established, formed by faith and acceptance of the Lord Jesus into one's life (see question no. 51). This results in spiritual rebirth, and the person becomes God's child and property. You have now almost won.

However, in practice, many problems occur here, especially with individuals with stronger demonic oppression. Experiences of Christian counselors show that when such people want to give their lives to the Lord Jesus, demons sometimes prevent them in every possible way. Sometimes they fall into a trance, other times they cannot speak or are otherwise hindered in accepting God's salvation. It is precisely here that it is necessary to bind the demons in Jesus' name and forbid them from acting at that moment (though this requires other Christians). Then continue praying for the acceptance of the Lord Jesus and His forgiveness.

4) Deliverance Ministry

Many Christians believe that upon accepting the Lord Jesus, Satan loses all claims and the person is free from any demonic influence. In some cases, this is indeed true; however, reality often shows that problems related to occult oppression persist and are only resolved after openly expelling demonic forces in the name of the Lord Jesus. I believe that a sincere desire for God and His freedom is foundational. Out of His grace, God may free the person even without this step. Here the biblical promise certainly stands: 

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

Nonetheless, I believe (and many practical experiences attest to this) that at this point, it is suitable for a sound and sensible Christian to declare God's freedom over the individual, which Jesus secured by His sacrifice. In the name of the Lord Jesus, then command all demons to leave and forbid them any further influence on the person's life.

5) Sorting Out Life 

Naturally, the person thus freed will try to resolve their life and relationships, renew broken ties, apologize for wrongs, etc. In short, to put their past in order as much as possible.

Even after a person is freed, they remain exposed to various temptations and challenges for the rest of their life. It is necessary to stand on the freedom that the Lord Jesus gained for us on the cross. In some cases (with strongly occult-bound individuals), demons return and try to "regain lost ground." They are no longer "inside" the person because they lost their rights, but they can attack us "from outside" – just as they can attack anyone else. Here Christians have spiritual weapons and can withstand such attacks with firm stances based on God's word. Not all kinds of illnesses or bondages disappear immediately; hence it might be necessary to battle them for some time and cling to the victory of the Lord Jesus. However, this surpasses the scope of this book.

The entire deliverance process is actually very simple. No special rituals, no special church officials, or religious formulas or objects are required. The entire deliverance stands and falls on the sincere confession of one's guilt, renouncing Satan's rights, accepting the Lord Jesus as Savior, and possibly expelling the demons in Jesus' authority. Sometimes the whole process takes a few minutes, other times much longer. It always depends on the situation and the specific spiritual condition of the person in bondage.

In practice, you may also encounter ministers or counselors who do not consider the importance of consciously confessing sins, renouncing Satan's rights, and accepting God's forgiveness. These sometimes openly and directly confront demons and command them to leave without the afflicted person making the aforementioned (very important) steps. Such services may or may not be successful, but they are often accompanied by various unpleasant demonic manifestations and resistance. However, if the person consciously confesses their faults, consciously renounces them, and consciously accepts God's forgiveness and freedom, these manifestations often do not occur at all. The whole process proceeds calmly, and people feel relief and God's peace upon its completion. For more information, I recommend, for example, Brother Alexander Barkoci's sermons on this topic, which are available freely online.

The Bible commands us: 

"You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this. "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen." (Deuteronomy 18:13–15)

That "prophet" is Jesus. He is the truth, the way, and the life. He is the light for our life's paths and is a refuge where we can hide. He is God, who loves us and desires to bring us life in abundance.

Summation

If you long for God's freedom and want to rid yourself of demonic influence in your life, you must submit your life to God, surrender it into the hands of the Lord Jesus, and believe His words and promises. In more severe cases of spiritual bondage or even possession, it is almost essential for the deliverance to be carried out by mature and sincere Christians with experience in this type of help.