“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9)

Paul, in his letter to the Galatians is delivering a resounding rebuke as they have begun to place themselves back under the Law. They were being corrupted by Judaizers who opposed Paul’s teachings. It’s interesting how these same heresies have flourished over the centuries and are now quite pervasive in today’s Christian culture. The gospel of Christ was being replaced with a false gospel; Paul was furious, with good reason.

Paul used the Greek word anathema as a condemnation against these heretics. The Apostle declares in the strongest language that the Gospel he preached was the one and only way of salvation, and that to preach another was to attempt to nullify the death of Christ. Paul was not happy with the new direction he saw the Galatians heading.

We need to back up a couple of verses to get the flavor of Paul’s apparent frustration:

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” (Galatians 1:6)

Paul used the Greek word thaumazō which means: to wonder at, to look at something as a spectacle; it was hard for Paul to believe what he was witnessing. He was dumbfounded at the change of direction the Galatians had made.

After he had taught them the truth of the Gospel they were so easily moved toward another gospel, a false gospel. Can we see any of this type of movement in our Christian Churches today? Absolutely. Now, before I go any further I’d like to point out something about Galatians chapter 1 verse 8 which many Bible students might not see as so obvious. Paul adds angels to all those he’s condemning for infiltrating the church with false gospels. Even angels.

Personally, I find it intriguing how false gospels involve even angels. As we look into the Mormon religion, right away we see that Joseph Smith was approached by an angel, the angel Maroni, who handed Smith “another gospel.” It’s exciting to see the Holy Spirit’s hand in every aspect of God’s holy writ. I couldn’t resist pointing out the obvious condemnation of this fallen angel as was handed down by God Himself, some 1,800 years prior to that particular angel’s deception.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians, written centuries prior to the angel Maroni offering Joseph Smith another gospel, was a scathing indictment against the hoard of fallen angels and demons whose purpose is to deceive the masses, to turn folks away from the true gospel. Millions now follow the teachings of Joseph Smith, thus the angel Maroni was quite successful.

“For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God…For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:27, 29-30)

Sure enough the wolves are on the march heading toward the sanctuary.

The liars have corrupted the congregation; the masses are being deceived while being led away from the gospel of Christ. Men who have no concept of the truth have risen in the church to fill leadership roles. Many have fallen for Satan’s lies thus they teach another gospel, one that leads the masses down the path of no return. Paul’s warning to the Galatians falls on deaf ears in many Christian Churches today.

Paul made it his life’s work to teach the whole counsel of God to all the churches he started, and even those he didn’t start (the Church in Rome). It was Paul’s mission to ensure that the true Gospel was preached and to drive out the erroneous teachings of the Judaizers, and not just the Judaizers but all false teaching.

Paul was distraught with the Galatians because they were so easily persuaded to return to Judaism and place themselves back under the Law. But Paul was also very aware of the false teachings that were creeping in through Gnosticism and it was his mission to shine the truth on these false teachers and expose them for what they were.

The gospel of Christ is ludicrous to many men in teaching roles in our Christian churches, which means they will only teach Christ’s gospel as a symptom of the early churches ignorance. The Gnostics did not believe Jesus actually died on that cross hence His resurrection was only an illusion. The apostle John explains who these Gnostics are.

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.” (1 John 2:18, 22-23a)

John paints a very clear picture here. Denying Christ, as the Gnostics do, makes them antichrists. These are harsh words but necessary in order for the church to fully grasp what’s happening in our midst today.

The Church needs more people like Paul today than ever before; as the Church has grown by leaps and bounds so have the heresies. We need men who will stand up for the truth of the Gospel. But where do such men come from? They are products of Christ centered teaching. They are drawn to the truth by the Holy Spirit of truth, and they are Bible believing saints with a mission. They are determined to provide accuracy in Bible teaching.

These men are like the apostle Paul of today; seek them out and you will find they won’t veer from the truth. Nothing can hinder the truth of God but many will try. Those who are led by the spirit of lies (Satan) will continue to do his bidding as they work toward dispelling correct doctrine. Only the discernment that is available from God can keep the truth seeker on the right path.

As born-again believers in Christ we have our work cut out for us. There is and has been a systematic and forceful malevolent supernatural entity behind all false teaching. These antichrists know what they are doing and they are good at it.

We have to be better at advancing the truth of God than those who follow Satan and his plan, which means we must be knowledgeable of God’s precepts to be able to defend His word correctly – and with all tenacity. This is possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit and a regime of diligent study of God’s Word.

The Bible gives us knowledge and answers our questions, but just when we think we have all the answers, pride jumps up and bites us where we sit. Seeking knowledge through God’s word is necessary as we strive to be more like Paul, but we must be careful of pride. Remember Lucifer’s downfall was pride. We’ve all seen Christian leaders fall from their lofty perches, many after acquiring a prideful attitude.

Biblical literacy is the key to discerning truth from fable, and it only comes through a system of constant prayer and study, while humbly seeking His truth. It’s always a good idea to pray for God’s discernment to be upon you before undertaking a particular biblical study; by praying first we enlist the Holy Spirit’s help in guiding us through God’s Word.

If you don’t study God’s Word you’ll never know when a false gospel has crossed your path. You may be following one of these Gnostic teachers right now. Only diligent Bible study coupled with much prayer will keep you from being led astray. God’s Word is truth, but it’s the way men interpret, or misinterpret what God says that allows error.

Some men find it necessary to embellish God’s Word with their own thoughts to give the Scriptures more excitement. Adding to or taking away from God’s Word will only bring condemnation.

The enemy has many followers willing to step in and teach when there are no dedicated Christians present or willing to fill that position, and the enemy has convinced many to follow his false doctrines. I can promise you this, the churches that are replete with false doctrines are Paul-less. When good men fail to stand up and be counted, bad men will always fill the void.

Paul’s admonition to the Galatians is proof positive that there were no good men willing to stand up for the truth of the Gospel, thus they allowed the enemy to come in and present a false gospel which was readily accepted. There is no difference today when it comes to the myriad of lies infiltrating the church. Most congregations lack even a few dedicated Christians who know the truth well enough to be able to stand up for Christ as they show the followers of Satan the door.

If you attend a church where dedicated believers are numerous, count yourself blessed to be a part of such a congregation. On the other hand, if you can’t find a Paul among the men in your congregation then perhaps God has it in mind for you to step up and be the Paul or Pauline He wants you to be. At any rate, without due diligence, the wolves will be circling the sanctuary soon. Perchance there’s one standing behind the pulpit right now.

God bless you all,
Ron Graham

“A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.” Proverbs 14:6

Most people today simply shrug off any idea that demons might actually be a real phenomenon. The desensitizing of the populous has been very successful, in fact the very thought of demons and fallen angels conjures up, in the minds of average folks, nothing more than ghouls and goblins making ready to do their thing at Halloween. The fact is demons, and their leader Satan, do exist and are very active in the world today. Only the foolish say “There is no such a thing as demons.”

The kind of thinking that dominates many of our western cultures today is that there is no such thing as a devil, therefore demons and the whole idea of fallen angels is ridiculous. This is of course exactly where Satan wants our thinking to remain. He has been working in the media for many years trying to change his image from the malevolent supernatural enemy of God and man to one of a cartoon character that no one need fear. He’s seen as a strange character with a red skintight suit, horns, a long pointed tail, and his weapon of choice is a pitch fork. Laughable yes, especially when you consider what the Bible says about his appearance.

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14.

A process of disinformation is at hand dismissing any idea that demons are real and thus relegating them to nothing more than myth and fairytales. Even many Christians these days have fallen for the same desensitizing efforts of the enemy and simply dismiss the fact that demons are present with us today; they too will do anything to disassociate themselves from any notion that demons are real.

Demons, fallen angels, and the master of them all (Satan) are only present in books and if they were ever roaming the earth it was during some long past bygone era. Sure, demons may have been present during the time Jesus Christ walked the hills of Judea and the country of the Gadarenes, but after all, we know the Bible tells us that Jesus ushered them all into a herd of swine. All demons?

Demons are disembodied spirits. In other words, they had bodies at one time but are now bodiless, thus what do you suppose is their most sought after and treasured possessions? You guessed it, living bodies. The bodies that they prefer are those where they find no obstructions, bodies that voice no objections to these entities moving right into their new habitat. It’s not difficult to attract demons; people do it all the time. The difficult part is ousting them once they’ve taken up residence in a human body.

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2.

Just as Paul the apostle mentions, some folks have entertained angels unawares, so too have many folks entertained demons and gone a step further, they’ve invited demons to dwell within their own bodies, most of the time unawares. Demons are present everywhere and poised to pounce like a lion hidden and waiting on its prey. Give them the opportunity and they will take advantage of the situation while fully exploiting the human being as they take control of that person’s self-will.

God’s Word is specific about what not to do in regards to attracting demons. God’s prohibitions are for the good of all humanity. He doesn’t want anyone to attract and invite demons to embed themselves in a human body, mind, and heart. They are spirit and all they need is a portal in which to enter and set up residence in a human’s body. Portals are easy to open, but they must be opened by a human being.

The demon, or demons, can’t just come in, they must first be invited, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the invitation must be given. These bottom dwellers are not really very picky but they are tenacious, they will wait, and wait until a human invites them into their new habitat. There are many opportunities for a human to open a portal and allow a demon to enter.

Side note: Now, before I go any further let me explain that those of us who are born again believers in Christ cannot be indwelt by a demon or demons. We are already indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God and He doesn’t share space with malevolent misfits. But, and here’s the rub, Christians can allow a demon to erect a stronghold over their lives whenever they get into something they shouldn’t and that something becomes an addiction. Very tough to break away from addictions.

So how do folks go about inviting the enemy to come in and take up residence within their bodies? I hesitate to even pursue this any further as there may be some reading this commentary who will actually try it just to see if it works. Let me first put this warning in place: Believer or non-believer, don’t attempt any of the following exercises since in either case the result will be horrendous, and in many cases irreversible.

Remember. if you’re not an in Christ, born again believer you can be demon possessed. It doesn’t matter who you are, demons want and need embodiment and anybody will do. Opening a portal or entry point for a demon isn’t difficult, but it does take placing one’s self in a posture that is contrary to God. An obvious way to invite a demon in is the use of drugs and alcohol, which leave a person vulnerable to a supernatural, malevolent invasion.

Another door opener is meditation coupled with speaking a word over and over (a mantra) which ultimately opens the portal to the supernatural world and allows the demons unabated entry. Many people these days are attracted to meditation and yoga exercises which are purposely designed for attracting spirit guides (demons). When folks adhere to a practice of meditation, along with the process of clearing a person’s mind, that’s all the invitation a demon needs to enter.

The process is quick and simple, and soon a demon will be attracted to that person as they recognize their opportunity has come to grasp hold and never let go of their new residence. Playing with a Ouija board is another way to open a portal for the demons, the ominous children’s game dungeons and dragon is another, a pursuit of mysticism, getting involved in witchcraft, these are all ways to open portals and invite spirit guides (demons) into your life.

Some people get involved in what’s known as “necromancy.”

Necromancy is defined as the conjuring of the spirits of the dead. Why would anyone want to do such a thing? Most of the time, the purpose is for very selfish reasons. They believe that summoning the dead to this present time and dimension can magically reveal the future or that they (the dead) can influence the course of events.

The Bible refers to necromancy as “divination, sorcery and spiritism” and all are practices that are forbidden by God. The word of God is quite specific concerning the prohibition of necromancy; God refers to it as an abomination. It is something that the Lord speaks very strongly against and it is to be avoided as much as any evil.

The idea that dead people’s spirits can be contacted for information is false. Those who attempt such contact inevitably contact demonic spirits, not the spirits of dead loved ones. Those who die go immediately to heaven or hell – heaven if they believed in Jesus as Savior, and Hell if they did not. “…neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.” (Leviticus 19:26b)

Also “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD:” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

Of course there are many prohibitions given to us from our Creator which people will ultimately ignore, but the practice of necromancy is far beyond dangerous, it’s a set course that results in demonic possession which in many cases is irreversible.

Necromancy is always going to involve demons. Anyone who practices it opens themselves up to a massive demonic attack. Satan and his demons seek to destroy human beings; their intention is not to communicate to humans truth or wisdom, but pure lies.

We are told to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8)

There is no contact between the dead and the living. The Lord’s own account of the rich man and Lazarus tells how communication and/or travel back and forth between the living and the dead is not possible. Part of the conversation between Abraham and the rich man gives the answer to the idea of contacting the dead. “between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” Luke 16:26.

Therefore, if those who have died can’t pass from the torment side of Hades to Abraham’s bosom or vice versa, they certainly aren’t able to come back to where the living reside. On the other hand contact with the supernatural, malevolent spirit world is quite possible, but God says don’t even attempt to do so. Our sole/soul contact in the here and now and any other dimension is God Almighty, no conversation with any other entity is to be pursued.

There’s a very good reason God gave us His word containing His many precepts which contain, among many exaltations, prohibitions – which are always meant for the good of mankind. Many have turned a deaf ear to any warnings concerning contact with the spirit world or to the fact that this world is replete with demons.

There seems to be a very intense draw to the unknown and humans have an innate desire to pursue after that which should be left alone. Therefore, no matter how much we might attempt to warn some folks concerning these malevolent spirit guides, our warnings seem only to provide the catalyst which acts to reinforce their resolve in their pursuit to initiate some form of communication between them and demons.

Still, many others today simply refuse to believe in the fact that supernatural beings exist whether benevolent or malevolent, but the worst part is the spirits that accept contact from humans are quite hostile to humans. When these hostile beings (demons) take control of people their departure is never a foregone conclusion.

As I’ve already stated, demons are quite tenacious and when they acquire a new home they aren’t going to be inclined to vacate the premises without quite the prolonged battle. Many human lives have been destroyed by demons not willing to turn control back over to the rightful owner.

Believing in demons and fallen angels is not difficult for the informed Bible student, but for those who are without any spiritual discernment, demons and the fallen angels – the spirit dimension – becomes not only hard to grasp, but in some cases an impossibility. Most folks today, rather than acknowledging the truth about demons, simply ignore the facts while attempting to live in a demon infested world.

Ignoring the fact that demons exist won’t make them go away. The problem with this kind of thinking is that the demons will have them whether they believe in them or not. They don’t need for humans to believe in them, only the openness of mind to allow them to have access.
Satan doesn’t want you to believe he exists. On the contrary, he functions quite well in the arena of unbelief. When he’s resisted he’s useless, powerless, and he must flee from those who resist him .

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7b)

He already owns those who reject Christ, and he’s doing everything in his power to disrupt the lives of those who no longer belong to him. When Christians refuse to believe in Satan and his minions of evil they’ve fallen for his lies. Sooner or later they too will find that the reality is demons are very prevalent and quite busy in these last days. No, these aren’t just costumed pranksters wearing masks; they are pure evil amassed to destroy humanity. They are relentless as they understand all too well their days are numbered.

God bless you all,

Ron Graham