We do a number of house cleansings each year in our area. A house cleansing is needed when demonic spirits inhabit the house (or the office). They are not attached to the people but the location. They harass any people who come into their territory. When they are present they affect the atmosphere and often enforce curses over the residents. These spirits can be present as a result of past activities in the home such as sexual immorality, violence, or occult activities. But they may also be present as a result of objects in the house. That’s what I want to discuss briefly in this blog because I think his source of demonic activity is often overlooked.

Can objects in the home open doors to demons?

As people brought up in western culture, which tends to either reject the spiritual realm altogether or highly separate it from the spiritual realm, the concept of demonic spirits being attached or attracted to inanimate objects may be a bit of a stretch. But I believe this is a biblical principle and my experiences agree with that principle.

There is a great deal of emphasis on spiritual objects in the scriptures especially when God was speaking to Israel. The warnings were frequent because the tiny nation was always surrounded by cultures that were heavily immersed in occult activities. For example, God told Israel, “When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations…you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy…Do not intermarry with them…for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods…Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God…the images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them and do not take it for yourselves or you will be ensnared by it for it is detestable to the Lord your God. Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction” (Dt.7:1-6, 25-26).

Let me add two other verses. “They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons which are not God” (Dt. 32:16-17). “Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold. You will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, ‘Away with you’” (Isa.30:2).

Now, let me connect some dots. Idols, graven images (handmade objects), embroidered representations, paintings, etc. that were in any way connected to the worship or the honoring of false gods were to be totally destroyed. In most cases these objects were to be burned or ground up. Scripture is clear that idol worship is worship to demons. In the Isaiah 30:2 passage, God’s people were instructed to throw those kinds of things away and say, “Away with you!” The Hebrew is literally, “Come out!” or “Be gone.” Those are the very words most often used in the New Testament when people were being delivered from demons.

The principal here is that anything that is an object of worship or that honors something detestable to God can invite the presence of demons. If an object has been dedicated to a demon that object may have a demon attached or assigned to it. If not, these objects will still attract demons. Having something “detestable” (something God hates) in your house is a welcome sign to the enemy. For the Israelites to have something in their homes that honored a demonic spirit was to invite that spirit in. When a spirit is invited, he has a right to operate there and to enforce curses in that home.

Why were marriages forbidden to foreign wives and husbands and why were people groups eradicated in the Old Testament? I believe demonization is the core of the issue. The Deuteronomy 7:25-26 passage above says that those objects, if not destroyed, would ensnare or trap the Israelites. Those words are also used to warn believers of Satan’s activities in the New Testament. Those objects, if not destroyed, would give demonic spirits a continuing right to inhabit the land and afflict Israel.

As for the neighboring tribes, the entire bloodline of those tribes that had worshipped demons for generations was polluted and demonized. The influence of those demons would eventually draw God’s people away and subject them to judgment. Before Jesus began his public ministry which lead to the cross, there was no spiritual cure for demonization. Before the cross, God’s people were to insulate themselves from demonic sources rather than commanding and casting out demons.

Even under the New Covenant we’re are told, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? … ‘Therefore, come out from them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you’” (2 Cor. 6:14-17). Even after the cross, the Lord draws a line between things and people that are of Him and things and people that are of Satan. He instructs his people to touch no unclean thing and he connects unclean things to darkness, Satanic influence and idols.

God is not an egotist who simply is angry because we develop some affection for an inanimate object. That would still constitute unfaithfulness but the bigger issue is that our possession of such things invites the devil and activates curses. God told Balaam that he was not to curse what God had blessed. God wants to bless his people and keep us free. Opening our homes to “detestable things” not only dishonors God but also opens the door for demons and subsequent curses.

Even when we treat these items as art or souvenirs and have no heart to worship them…they still invite demons. We may leave food out on the countertop or on the kitchen floor with no intent of inviting roaches or mice into the house, but the presence of the food that has been carelessly left around will draw them regardless of our intent. Once mice or roaches have found a way in they will multiply. In order to get rid of them, we must not only do away with the food sources that drew them there in the first place, but we must then take steps to get rid of the mice as well. In the same way, in a house cleansing, the objects that attracted demons must be destroyed or removed and the demons themselves must then be commanded to leave in the name of Jesus. Otherwise, the house cleansing will be only a temporary fix.

So what kinds of objects do we need to be concerned with? Obviously, anything that has an occult background or that is associated with false worship must go first. Many people go to Africa, Asia, South America or the South Pacific (or even Mardi Gras) and bring home tribal masks, carvings of fertility Gods, statues of Buda, devil dogs, etc. as souvenirs from their trip. To them they are historical or art pieces but these objects have most likely been dedicated to demonic spirits. They are an open invitation into the homes where these objects rest. Some people will have Ouija Boards, horoscopes, crystal balls, and Tarot cards in their house as curiosities. These are invitations to the enemy as well. There is currently a real fascination with eastern religions, philosophy, music, and yoga. For centuries, all of those things have been designed to put the practitioner in touch with demonic spirits posing as gods. American Indian artifacts that were used in worship or that were dedicated to a spirit (bows, arrows, knives, tomahawks, clothing, etc.) can have insignia’s on them that honor a spirit that Indian’s worshipped. New age signs and symbols, some jewelry, or Masonic signs and symbols have the same effect. There are a host of items like that in Christian homes that we don’t associate with the spiritual realm because we make such a separation between the spiritual and material realms.

Books, movies, music, etc. that celebrate violence, death, immorality, witchcraft, vampires, sinful life styles, etc. honor the things of Satan rather than God. These are detestable things and can be open doors to the demonic. I don’t want to be hyper-charismatic here and have you carry out every item in your house but there are obvious objects that need to be dealt with and the leading of the Holy Spirit may point you to others. I invite you to seriously consider the possibility that demons may take up residence in a home or office if certain objects attract them and give them a right to camp there. If you are serving God but still experience sickness more frequently than normal, always struggle financially, have children who seem to be more rebellious than the average child or teen, or if prayers of faith still seem to be hindered there may be a curse operating in your house because of some object.

If you have demonic manifestations in your house, pray and ask the Holy “Spirit to lead you to any object that has given unclean spirits access to you and your family. When you find it, destroy and then command the enemy to leave in the name of Jesus. If this sounds like superstitious nonsense to you, pray about it. Ask the Lord to speak to you about and see what he says or what he puts on your heart. We have literally seen lives and families changed almost overnight by house cleansings and many of those had objects in them that clearly needed to be removed. We simply need to be wise in the ways of the devil and practice godly principles that the Father has established for his people since the days of the patriarchs. Blessings in Him.

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev.3:4-6)

In some ways, Sardis came off as the least pleasing church in the list of churches in Asia. Jesus charged them with living on a reputation that pertained only to the past. He pronounced them spiritually dead and charged them with not completing the work he had given them. He called them to repentance and obedience and warned them that if they did not “wake up” he would come when they least expected it to discipline them.

And yet, he was very aware of the few in their midst who had been faithful and had continued to serve while the rest had abandoned their calling. He described them as those who had not “soiled” their clothes. The Greek word translated as soiled means “to defile by sexual immorality and/or involvement in pagan idolatry.” Those who had coasted to a halt in their passion for Jesus and their service to God had drifted back into a mixture of Christianity and pagan immorality. They kept an appearance of faithfulness and maintained ties with the church but partied with the pagans on weekends.

God knows our hearts, our lives, our works, our secrets, and our sins. We cannot hide our unfaithfulness from him in the midst of the congregation on Sunday nor will our faithfulness go unnoticed even in the midst of the unfaithful. The writer of Hebrews told the faithful Jews, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Notice that God notices.

As difficult as it is to stay on track with the Father in the face of persecution, it is often more difficult to stay on track in a fellowship of lukewarm and dispassionate believers. In that environment, over time it is easy to begin to believe that “lukewarmness” is the standard and is somehow acceptable to the Lord. In his letter to Sardis, Jesus is clear that a casual attitude toward the cross and a double-minded man who tries to dance with the Lord on Sundays while dancing with the world the rest of the week is unacceptable. It’s like a man who sleeps with prostitutes six days and week but comes home declaring faithfulness to his wife on Sundays.

But Jesus declares that the faithful walk with him and they dress in white – the color of righteousness and priesthood. He promises all of us that when we live a life of overcoming the enemy and faithfully remain in the ranks of heaven, we also will be dressed in white. Not only that but those who continue in faithfulness will have their names eternally written in the book of life. Jesus declares that he will personally acknowledge the names of those who do not compromise, who do not become casual or careless, and who do not lose their passion for the kingdom before the Father and his angels.

Too many believers had a heavenly fire in their hearts for a season and served God with energy and passion for a time. But after a few years the kingdom of heaven lost its fascination for them. The riches and pleasures of the world began to glow brighter than the treasures of heaven. Little by little they began to mix the “not so bad” things of the world with the good things of heaven and eventually they simply slipped back in the world while maintaining their “membership” at the local church. Many believers know that their faith is not what is used to be but are banking on God remembering what they used to do when they stand before him. This letter indicates that these “believers” are in a very dangerous place.

We can easily look down on those who have slipped away but we can all be tempted to do the same thing when, after years of going to church, our faith can seem ordinary, humdrum, less rewarding than what the world is offering, and has even become unpopular and criticized in the culture. We must all guard against this “natural erosion” of faith and passion. How can we guard our hearts and keep the fire alive? Be sure you stay around people who still have a fire in their bones for the kingdom. The heat from their fires will keep your embers burning. If your group of believers has settled down and made peace with the world, find a new group. Intentionally risk. Develop a habit of doing “crazy things” for Jesus. Go on mission trips to 3^rd world countries. Pray for the sick at the local HEB. Share your faith with a stranger. Pursue the gift of tongues or prophecy. Consistently do things that are a “little scary.”

Risking things for the kingdom and being around others who risk makes your life in Christ an adventure. It does not get boring or irrelevant. It keeps stoking the fires and the excitement of seeing God do miracles through you makes the promises of the world seem lackluster. I believe that Jesus will not only acknowledge your name before the Father and his angels on the Day of Judgment, but even now as we passionately serve him. Those who serve faithfully now are already known in heaven and your name is already spoken there. Remember when God asked Satan if he had considered Job? Remember the angel who told Daniel that he was already highly esteemed in heaven. If you are living four Jesus, your name is already spoken in the courts of the King. Live in a way to insure that your name never fades in the halls of heaven but is mentioned there often until you arrive in person.  Be blessed.

To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.      Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you). (Rev. 2:18-24)

As we continue to consider our own personal alignment with the heart and the will of the Father we want to look at the words of Jesus to the church in Thyatira. Thyatira was a small city but because of it’s location was still a center of trade and commerce. In the city, trade unions controlled all skilled jobs. In order to work in that city you had to be a member of the union. That in itself was not a problem, but each of those unions was dedicated to a pagan god and when they met all the members were expected to participate in worship, eat food that had been dedicated to that god, and participate in any religious activities of the pagan temple. Nearly all those activities involved drunkenness and sexual immorality. As a result, it was difficult to work in Thyatira, provide for your family, and be faithful to Jesus.

The letter begins with a sobering description of Jesus as one having blazing eyes and feet of bronze. This is a picture of a righteous judge who can see through any pretense and who will deal out judgment and even harsh discipline if needed. Within the church was a woman who had all the qualities of Queen Jezebel from the Old Testament. She must have been domineering, manipulative, ruthless, and seductive. She presented herself as a prophetess and so she gave Satanic counsel in the name of the Lord.

Apparently, she encouraged the believers to practice situation ethics and to “go along to get along.” Her argument was that a man had to provide for his family. To provide he must work. To work he must be part of a guild. To be part of a guild he must participate in their idolatry and immorality.   To participate was acceptable, even for a believer, because it was the only way he could provide for his family.

This kind of reasoning was another form of compromise and a lack of faith in the God who will provide for those who serve him faithfully. Even today, some believers compromise their faith in order to maintain or move ahead in their career but somehow excuse it as “needful” because they “must provide for their family.” Sometimes it takes the form of entertaining clients with liquor and women or going to clubs. Sometimes it is participating in unethical business practices. At other times it is working so many hours a week that there is no time for God or spiritual family. And at other times it is just trying to fit in by participating in the gossip, the sexual humor, and the “one too many drinks” at happy hour every Friday so that their witness is compromised. Some of us are very different when we are with non-Christians on the golf course, the basketball court, or in the deer blind than we are at church in an effort to “fit in” and be one of the guys. The problem is that we were not called into the kingdom to fit in with the world. We are to be different – not self-righteous or judgmental – but distinctive. If non-believers don’t experience a distinct difference with us, then there is no witness.

We all live with the temptation to compartmentalize our lives by being Christian when we are with Christians and being worldly when we are with the world. But Jesus makes it very clear that he must be Lord over every part of our life all the time and not just when it is convenient. The Righteous Judge who did not compromise his mission finds no valid reasons to compromise the faith. The sad thing is that although there was evidence of love, faith, service, and perseverance in the church the people still allowed this “prophetess” to lead them into idolatry and immorality because it seemed pragmatic and kept them from having to face the potential for suffering and sacrifice.

In the letters to the churches of Asia we have read so far, each church had been doing praiseworthy things for the kingdom of God but had certain practices in their lives that were unacceptable to the righteous judge. Sometimes we think that doing good on the one hand buys us a wink from God about the unrepented sin in our life on the other hand. But that intentional, unrepented misalignment will cost us eventually. For the power of God to flow through us we must reserve nothing for ourselves and trust God in every part of our lives – even with our livelihood. The promise of great reward stands for those who entrust everything to him. That is alignment.

They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless (2 Kings 17:15).

This passage from 2 Kings is taken from a chapter explaining the deportation of Israel. Although God had pleaded with his people to abandon their idols and had sent his prophets to warn them of the impending consequences, they persisted. Because they refused to hear
God, he lifted his hand of protection. They were conquered by brutal Assyria and the majority of the Israelites were taken back to Assyria to serve as slaves.

The instructive verse is that they “followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless”. We become like the one we worship. We recognize that truth in the natural when we watch our children choose role models – maybe athletes, musicians, actors or other powerful and wealthy individuals. After a while those who “worship” the celebrity begin to dress like their idol, take on his/her mannerisms, speak like the one they long to be, and act like them in every way they can. In essence they want to become the person on whom they have set their affections. That can be a plus if the role model has great character, a humble spirit, and is a person of faith. On the other hand, if the role model is arrogant, boastful, overtly sexual, pro-drugs and alcohol, or violent then parents have cause to worry.

What about religious people? They too become like the God they worship or at least like God as they perceive him. If their God is gracious, long-suffering, forgiving, faithful, and just they will take on those characteristics over time. If he is a harsh, vindictive, score-keeping deity then they will begin to take on those qualities. If he is bent on the destruction of unbelievers then the faithful will develop that same bent. How we view and understand God is important. What we teach our children about God is of the utmost importance and how we model our God for others has profound implications. Since they assume that we are like our God then they will assume our God is like us.

To me one of the greatest theological statements in scripture is Christ’s declaration to Philip. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn.14:9). No matter how I understand scripture the actions and attitudes of Jesus are unmistakable. When we watch his compassion for the poor, the destitute, the lame, the blind, the leper, the adulterous woman and the demon-possessed man we see the Father. When we see Jesus lay down his life for every sinner we see the Father. When we hear him intercede on the cross for those who have just abused and murdered him, we see the Father. When we see Jesus frustrated and angry in the face of hypocrisy and injustice, we see the Father. There is no other God like him.

Many of us have strange or uncertain perceptions of God. We may have picked up those perceptions from angry or absent Fathers, permissive parents, and abusive religious leaders or from the hack theology of those who have never encountered God. If we struggle with our view of the Father then we would do well to take Jesus at his word and look long and hard at him to know the Father’s heart.    It is important because we will become like the one we worship. If you realize that your life is a mess or that you have become a hurtful personthen you may want to consider two possibilities: either you have given God no thought at all or you have seen him through distorted lenses. Either way, Jesus is the answer. As the saying goes, “Wise men still seek him.”

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt: 7:21-23)

Christ’s words at the end of his “Sermon on the Mount” are one of those texts that always arrests our attention.  How can men walk in the power of the Spirit so that they can perform miracles and not be known by Jesus?  Even more, how can they drive our demons and be considered evildoers?

With Good Friday upon us I am reminded of Judas. He walked with Jesus for three years. He kept company with the apostles.  When he was sent out with the twelve to heal and cast out demons there is no indication that he was unable to perform miracles. And yet, we are told that even as he traveled with Jesus and his disciples he stole money from time to time from the group’s traveling fund and eventually betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.  Apparently, we can spend time in the presence of Jesus, fellowship with believers, and even see and do amazing things without truly turning out hearts to the Savior.

Judas was a double-minded man who had not fully made a decision to follow Jesus.  All indications are that he loved money and with that “idol” usually come the idols of power and status.  Perhaps he joined the mission believing that Jesus would establish himself as King of Israel and with his ties to the crown would come the financial perks, power, and standing he desired.  Each year he followed Jesus that vision seemed to slip away as he watched Jesus reject the power that circumstances offered him from time to time.  There were moments when the crowds wanted to declare him King and yet Jesus would slip away.  It’s possible that Judas began to resent Jesus or even feel betrayed as if Jesus were not making good on the bargain for political power that Judas had imagined.  In the end, whether to force Jesus to take power or simply wanting to make something out of this “failing enterprise,” Judas betrayed the King of Glory.

He had certainly called Jesus “Lord” and had apparently cast out demons and healed the sick in the name of Jesus but his heart was far from the one who would die for him.  In the end, he did not love Jesus and could not be counted as one of His.  Of course, there is a warning for all of us in this final stanza of the Sermon and in the story of Judas.

We can do amazing things in our own strength and with our own God-given talents.  We can even use the powerful name of Jesus to drive out demons and, perhaps, even to heal the sick.  We can stand on stages before thousands and call them all to faith and repentance.  We can ask others to give their hearts to Jesus when we have not yet given ours.

It’s possible to follow Jesus simply for personal gain without loving the one who died for us.  Any leader has followers who love him, will sacrifice for him, and have the same vision burning in their hearts that the leader possesses. At the same time others serve simply for the perks of power or fame.  In the end, they have no loyalty and will give themselves to the next highest bidder.  I believe those are the ones to whom Jesus will say, “ I never knew you.”

Sometimes, like the church at Ephesus in the book of Revelation, I need to be reminded to return to my first love and to stir my heart for Jesus once again.  This seems to be the perfect time of year for that. Without becoming too introspective or self-focused it is still worthwhile to scan our own hearts from time to time to check our motives for following Jesus and to see if any idols have been silently erected in our hearts without us even noticing.

At Passover, Jewish mothers have the task of clearing every suggestion of leaven out of their homes and the father of the house is to double check to make sure that not even one crumb remains.  Leaven symbolizes sin and so perhaps at this time of year we might do our own house cleaning checking for leaven in our own hearts – divided loyalties, serving simply out of self-interest, maintaining the appearance of respectability, or simply out of habit after years church going.

Is anything crowding out Jesus or muddying the waters of our love and loyalty to Him?  If so clean it out.  Rekindle the fires of love and appreciation for the one who hung on a cross fore each of us and get back to serving the King of Kings.  It’s not enough that we do amazing things.  We must do those things out of love for the one who first loved us.  Be blessed this Easter!