Supernatural Encounters
Dillon Burroughs Ephesians 6:12 2.5.06
Have you noticed America’s new focus on the supernatural? America’s entertainment choices include…
movies such as Underworld, The Sixth Sense, The Exorcism of Emily Rose,
television programs like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ghost Whisperer,
books like Harry Potter, Eldest, and Goosebumps, and
video games like Doom, Diablo, and The Darkness.
A study released this January from the Barna organization revealed that 73% of today’s youth have been involved in some form of psychic or witchcraft related activity. The most popular of these activities includes playing with Ouija boards and the reading of witchcraft and Wicca related books.
In fact, more than one fourth of all American teenagers have played board games or video games featuring witchcraft or sorcery.
More than one-fourth of teens have had their palm read (30%) or their fortune told (27%). Other psychic deeds included being physically present when someone else used psychic powers (14%), visiting a medium or spiritual guide (9%), and consulting a psychic (9%).
More than two million teens say they have communicated with a dead person (10%). Nearly two million youth claim they have psychic powers.
The research revealed that many churches fail to address the subject of the supernatural with sufficient frequency or relevance. One of the report’s most sobering findings is that only one-quarter of churched teenagers (28%) recall receiving any teaching at their church in the last year that helped to shape their views on the supernatural world!
While this research may have been based on a teenage audience, the same influences are impacting single adults and families. It is difficult to turn on the TV, check out movie listings, or browse the bestseller lists at your local bookstore without spotting several supernatural items featuring witchcraft, aliens, ghosts, or evil spirits.
As a church, it is vital that we learn what God’s Word says about this issue of the supernatural. The Christian faith is a supernatural faith, affirms the existence of evil and good spirits, heaven and hell, and angels and demons. Yet if I were to quiz you about even a few of the basics regarding these activities in the Bible, I wonder what results we would see.
So let’s take a little Bible quiz together this morning.
Supernatural Bible Quiz--True or false…
The Bible talks about people communicating with the dead. (1 Samuel 28:4ff)
The Bible talks about people being controlled by demons. (Jesus cast out many demons, Saul tormented by a demon)
The Bible talks about wizards and sorcerers. (Several OT references to mediums. In NT, see Acts 8:14-25).
The Bible talks about witches. (Duet. 18:10; 1 Sam 28:1; 2 Kings 9:22; 7 total references)
The Bible talks about ghosts. (5 Bible references; Disciples thought Jesus was a ghost when he walked on the water in Mk 6:49, when he rose from the dead in Luke 24:37).
If you answered true to all five of the above, you aced the quiz. How did you do?
Are you noticing that the Bible has a lot to say about the supernatural issues of our day? Since our time is limited, let’s just look at three of the foundational principles God’s Word provides on the supernatural this morning. We’ll discuss three essentials that can guide us in our daily choices and decision making. Here is the first…
1. The Supernatural Is Real…So Be Aware of It
Ephesians 6:12 tells us: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
This verse is clear that a battle does exist outside of the human realm. All around us, good and evil are at war. If you have ever felt there was an internal or spiritual war occurring in your midst, you were probably right.
Notice three crucial details regarding this battle.
First, it is a significant fight. It is not a leisurely walk. Spiritual warfare is war. If you’ve ever spoken with a person who has served in armed military battle, they do not take it lightly. Some veterans refuse to even speak of what happened during their battles. The graphic events that occurred overwhelm them when they bring the thoughts to memory. My grandpa served on the most badly damaged aircraft carrier that did NOT sink during WWII. He would not speak of that day no matter how much we asked when we were kids.
Our spiritual battles must also be taken very seriously. If our military can spend billions of dollars each year to provide the best training and preparation for battle, can we who battle with heavenly forces pretend no war exists? We must recognize this battle is significant.
Second, it is a spiritual fight. It is not against people. I don’t want anyone to walk out of here thinking that their spiritual battle is against their boss, their teacher, their parents, their roommate, or their kids! We are warring with the devil and his demons. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, it tells us.
Third, an overall observation is that it is a serious fight. It is a battle with rulers and authorities. The verse does not tell us we are at war with rookies. Our enemy sends his best to defeat us in our daily walk with Christ.
Is this the only place in the Bible to mention this? No, the Word is full of stories of this supernatural battle we encounter as we follow Christ.
In the OT, what began with the serpent in the garden continued in Job 1. Beginning in verse 6, we read:
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"
Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."
Notice God allows Satan power over all of Job’s physical possessions. Even worse, we later read that Satan came a second time and was given authority to allow death to many of his family members and the ability to inflict Job with painful sores over his entire body. Still, God proved victorious as Job did not give into sin and experienced God’s blessing once again after enduring great suffering.
Another example is found in Daniel 10:
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. (Skip to verse 12 where an angel speaks)
12 Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come."
So here we experience an evil spirit slowing down a response to Daniel’s prayer, seeking to stop the work of God.
The best example of spiritual battle is found in the life of Christ Jesus himself. During his temptation in Matthew 4, we read:
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: ’Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’"
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
"’He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’"
7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: ’Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’"
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ’Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’"
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Here we encounter the devil offering temptation, including the power to rule and have influence in this world. When Jesus stumps him through his usage of Scripture, we are told the devil left and angels attended him.
We are not told what these angels did, but the truth illustrated here is that supernatural spiritual battle occurred even in the life of our Lord Jesus.
To summarize what these verses tell us about the supernatural, we find it is real, that it is targeted both toward groups and individuals, even Christ himself, and that it is frequent. Then, in addition to being aware of the supernatural, the Bible teaches that…
2. The Supernatural Is Powerful…So Prepare for It
Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground –Ephesians 6:13-14a (NLT)
Paul’s language here resembles Braveheart more than the language used in most of our Bible studies. Look back at Ephesians 6:14-18. You’ve studied through this book recently as a church, so let me just review a little of what this preparation should include according to these Scriptures:
Belt of Truth 14
Breastplate of Righteousness 14
Feet covered with the Gospel of Peace or good news of peace 15
Shield of Faith 16
Helmet of Salvation 17
Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God 17
Seventh Part Summarizes the rest: “and praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (NKJV, v. 18)
I was reminded of this armor again last night as I reviewed this message at Terry and Dorothy’s kitchen table. On the wall directly in front of me are some of Dorothy’s memory verses written out in large handwriting, INCLUDING these verses on the armor of God.
Seven Key Factors in preparing for spiritual battle are revealed here. If you put them in the form of questions, it may challenge you like this:
Is your life wrapped in truth?
Is your life marked by godly living?
Are you known as a person of peace?
Are you known as a man or woman of faith?
Are you clear about the salvation you have in Christ Jesus and able to share your story with others?
Are you strong in the Word?
Are you known as a person of prayer?
If these marks are true of you, then you will be prepared for the spiritual battles coming your way.
If you consider again the life of Job, these were the marks of his life. BEFORE his time of perseverance, chapter one tells us he was: blameless, upright, feared God, and shunned evil. This is the lifestyle we must develop to stand firm during times of testing in our faith.
Examples in the NT of the POWER of the supernatural include: a demon possessed man cutting himself with stones, demons causing sickness in some people, Satan entered Judas when he betrayed Christ. These examples show there is certainly a high level of power involved with dark spiritual forces.
There’s a little known story in the OT that I want us to look at. It’s 1 Samuel 28, beginning in verse 4. (repeat ref) We’re told:
4 The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her."
"There is one in Endor," they said.
Note here what God’s law had previously said about mediums, or what we would call fortune-tellers. You can find spiritual guides right here in Terre Haute, find a witch who will teach you how to cast spells. You don’t have to leave the country to encounter voodoo. It is prevalent in New Orleans and parts of Florida, with growth throughout the country. Hispanic influence has brought with it the culture of tarot card reading that I could find in my time in Dallas or now in Indianapolis. But the Bible speaks frequently against such practices in the Law.
Some are VERY strong:
Leviticus 20:6-7 say
" ’I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people. A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’ "
This was the law in the time of Moses.
Four times in the Law of Moses these types of warnings are provided, yet Saul wanted a quick answer. He needed some power for his problem. When he didn’t find it from God, he sought it elsewhere. Look what he discovered. Back to verse 8:
8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name."
9 But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?"
10 Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this."
11 Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?"
"Bring up Samuel," he said.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
At this point, notice that this lady is freaked out. She was apparently not used to this type of response. This was God overtaking the scene. If you read the rest of this passage, you’ll discover God actually chose to send Saul a message of judgment this way for his disobedience.
If you’ll recall, we’ve already read from Daniel and noticed how God’s angel had been delayed in responding to prayer due to a conflict with evil spiritual forces.
But perhaps the most explicit example of evil spiritual power is seen in the life of Judas. John 13:27 tells us that at the Last Supper, “Satan entered him,” speaking of Judas. If you look back at 13:2 you’ll see, “The devil having already put it in his heart.”
There is clearly a superhuman power found in Satan and in his evil forces...Not all of our battles will appear this dramatic, however.
Many times it appears as a series of circumstances stacked against us far beyond the ordinary. Can you think of a time you’ve sensed this? I can.
I clearly remember the end of our first semester of college outreach at Austin College. God had blessed us with a tremendous core of dedicated students whose lives were changing. They invited friends, they were hearing about Christ. It was a strong season of ministry. To cap off the first semester, we had reserved the college’s student center and arranged for a local worship band to play in this public setting as an outreach. Because of the types of restrictions usually placed on Christian activities there, we considered this a big answer to prayer.
What we didn’t know was that it would pour down rain that day. I’m talking flash flood level Texas rain. It made for some fun unloading of sound equipment. Second, a film group had somehow double booked the room to show an independent film and hold a discussion. Since they were the student group, that could have easily kicked us out altogether…and almost did. After some intense discussion and quick prayers, we negotiated to end 15 minutes earlier than scheduled and they would post signs saying they would start later that night.
Third, the power wasn’t working correctly, so most of the stage lights had to be worked on until about twenty minutes before the concert. We also had to compete with some loud tv’s blaring sports to the side that we were able to eventually get turned down.
At about thirty minutes before our actual time to begin, I stepped into the hallway of the student center with my mind reeling. “Did I do something wrong? Are we supposed to do this? God, what is going on?” Then I rounded the corner and saw several students hanging out on couches, doing homework, making plans for the next party, but clearly unconcerned about the things of eternity.
All these doubts, all of these conflicts, they were not something God sent to punish me or help me stop talking about Jesus. They were attempts by the enemy to stop the gospel from being proclaimed in the public arena. I prayed for renewed strength and thought, it is not going down like this, and stepped back into that room with the power of the Spirit surging through me.
Want to know what happened? We started ten minutes late, had a larger than usual crowd, but still fairly small, and the rain never stopped. But guess what God did. Two students had the opportunity to share about Jesus with one of the school’s vice presidents who happened to be around for a late meeting. I shared about Christ with a Muslim international student working behind the food counter. Students worshiped in the midst of non-believers, despite the tv’s and people playing pool next to us.
I could talk for hours about the long term impact that resulted from that night. A night that almost didn’t happen because of the power and intensity of the spiritual battle. The supernatural is powerful. We must be prepared for it.
Many of you have seen the recent film End of the Spear. My wife and I watched it last night, reminded once again of the power of evil when untouched with the love of Christ. Despite intense battle, both physically and spiritually, men gave their lives to tell those they did not know about Jesus. Their families continued this love by actually living among the tribe who had killed their husbands.
Great spiritual battles took place, yet God used these situations to change lives and bring glory to his name. Supernatural powers of evil are strong, but no match for the power of Christ.
This leads us into our third essential,
3. The Supernatural Is Limited…So Don’t Be Scared of It
Satan and evil spirits are strong, but no power compares to Christ. Note what Paul says in Romans 8:31:
We have the greatest POWER (Romans 8:31)
If God is for us, who can be against us?
Nothing else compares. Not voodoo, magic, spells, curses, taxes…God is more powerful.
In addition to the power of God, we can also talk directly to him as followers of Christ.
We have PRAYER (Ephesians 6:18, the Message)
I enjoy the way the Message paraphrase handles this verse, Ephesians 6:18
In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
Prayer is essential, it says. Evil influences are limited against us as believers when we communicate with Christ. The strength Job had to endure certainly resulted from his life of prayer BEFORE his time of testing occurred. Third,
We have PROMISES (Joshua 21:45)
Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.
If God has promised something to you through His Word, it will come to pass. Dr. John Walvoord served as president at Dallas Seminary for 34 years and was known as an authority on the area of Bible prophecy. He calculated after an exhaustive study of the Scriptures that half of the prophecies of the Bible have already been literally fulfilled. He proposed that if this was the case, then we could count on God to remain true to those promises that remain, whether a promise for today or regarding the eternal plan of God.
Now is the time to declare not to be scared. Powerful forces of evil do exist, but there is no power greater than Christ. Look at just a few of the places Christ declares our power over sin and evil:
1 John 4:4: You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Exodus 18:11
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, (Moses says this frequently).
2 Cor 10:3-5: 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
I’m not promising that following Christ is not scary at times. The End of the Spear film I mentioned is a clear example of faith in the midst of fear. Our focus must be to follow Christ, to worship Him. Then we can be light in a dark place.
Now, to put this to action, let’s discuss…
Some Action Steps for Your Week Ahead:
1. Prepare for Supernatural Battle:
Start your day with preparation for the battle: prayer, Bible study, Scripture memory (Psalm 1), a morning worship time (even if singing to Christian music on the way to work), and occasional fasting are practices that strengthen the spirit in confronting the spiritual battles of the day (1 John 2:13).
2. Confront the Supernatural with Scripture:
As followers of Christ, we are overcomers (see 1 John or Rev 1). The powers of Satan and his forces cannot overpower what Christ has given us through his Spirit. Stand firm. When tempted, speak Scripture into the situation just as Jesus did during his temptation (Matthew 4). The Word is our sword, the one offensive weapon in the spiritual armor of God (Ephesians 6:12-18).
3. Use Discernment in Your Media Choices:
The Bible tells us that from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45). When you allow evil input that exceeds godly input, your life will reflect it in your words, attitudes, and actions.
A 1998 Barna study revealed that, “When it comes to viewing R-rated movies, Christians are only a little less likely than non-Christians to report that they have viewed one in the past 7 days. Of born-again Christians, 30% reported that they
watched an R-rated movie in the past week, compared to 40% of non-Christians.” (1998)
Personally, I believe our battle with the supernatural to be one of the most important issues facing our churches today, especially the next generation of children, teenagers, and young adults. In fact, I feel so compelled about this issue that I am in the process of writing and speaking out about it to anyone and everyone who will listen. I would like to encourage you that if you know of other churches, youth groups, special events, or anywhere else you believe this message needs to be heard, that you would let me know so I can share these truths with them as well.
Let me close with one final story. Of all my ministry experiences, the one group that has left me speechless consists of teenagers in juvenile detention centers. I’ve had the opportunity to talk with an eleven year old who has committed armed robbery, teenagers with multiple rape convictions, and a guy in for attempted murder who was not even old enough to drive a car. In almost every case of talking with these young men, I’ve heard them say something like, “I was just stupid. I wasn’t acting like my normal self.”
Don’t get me wrong. These young men are responsible for their actions, but where did their motivations come from? Certainly not from God. These were internal motivations influenced by the same spiritual forces of evil you and I confront on a daily basis.
Even in these situations, God’s grace is sufficient. During one of my visits to a juvenile center in Texas, this teenage guy says, “I want to do what’s right. I’m definitely ready to change.” We prayed together that day for him to accept Christ. Now he has the power available to change and stand against the evil influences of his past.
These forces exist whether you want to believe they do or not. They are powerful, but they are limited. I challenge you today to take the supernatural seriously. By that, I mean to stand firm in the faith, walk in the power of God’s Spirit, and realize there is no power greater than Christ. He is the One worth following, serving, and obeying.
If you do not know Christ today, start with meeting Him. For the rest of us, let’s choose today to walk closely with Christ and be prepared for the battles of the days ahead.
