Satan's Lies

Witchcraft is a global phenomenon that varies by the cultural norms of different geographic regions. However, the underlying motivations remain consistent: evil, motivated by money, fame, power, and jealousy. In developed countries, witchcraft revolves around deceit and manipulation, as individuals employ dark arts to acquire wealth and status. In contrast, the accusation of witchcraft is intensified by misfortune and poverty in impoverished nations. Society must acknowledge the true nature of witchcraft and the influence of Satan. By doing so, people can guard themselves against his schemes and protect themselves from the harm he can cause. Pastors must empower themselves to face the enemy to play a more active role in addressing this issue, emphasizing the danger posed by the enemy and spreading awareness among their congregations. Additionally, society must be vigilant in recognizing the subtle ways Satan and witchcraft infiltrate popular culture and take steps to counteract their influence.

The devil has limited power to be acknowledged and more power to ignore, and he can only attack you if we allow him to by opening the door to him. However, if we live a life that pleases God, our hearts are aligned with Jesus, and guided by the Holy Spirit, Satan requires permission before harming us (Job 1:6–22). The enemy relentlessly injects evil thoughts into our minds like a flood, but the Spirit of the Lord raises a standard against him. Ask God for a discerning spirit and be attentive to distinguish the voice of the Holy Spirit and the deceptive influence of the devil. This will enable you to make sound choices and make wise decisions. The devil seeks to undermine your thought process, aiming to divert your faith towards his power rather than that of God.

The enemy relentlessly injects evil thoughts into our minds like a flood, but the Spirit of the Lord raises a standard against him. Ask God for a discerning spirit and be attentive to distinguish the voice of the Holy Spirit and the deceptive influence of the devil. This will enable you to make sound choices and make wise decisions. The devil seeks to undermine your thought process, aiming to divert your faith towards his power rather than that of God. Decision-making is an integral aspect of life, and our minds have immense power to shape our thoughts and, ultimately, our identity. The devil employs the tactic of belief manipulation to deceive Christians, convincing them of his superiority and strength. This leads to a diminished sense of self-worth and reduced power within you resulting in fear. Consequently, you begin to rely on yourself or the devil, instead of God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5).

Unfortunately, the church has strayed from its path by becoming entangled in the pursuit of money orchestrated by the devil and we must acknowledge that we give place to the devil when we fail to trust in God. Forget about Jesus entering the Temple and casting out all those who bought and sold there (John 2:14–16). Marketing is now essential to the ministry, selling books, videos, and other materials. Others gather more funds by asking members to pay indemnity for ancestral sins and curses leading some believers to lose the passionate desire to serve God. Some are scaring their congregation to pay to avoid hell.

The insidious nature of the devil’s wealth cannot be taken for granted, he does not give anything without a cost, he gives and takes something back. When the devil gives you his wealth, he takes your love, compassion, and focus for the ministry away from you. It is fair to say the church has become a scam, using fearmongering to collect never-enough money, and twisting scriptures to enhance the money-making machine at the expense of innocent believers so they can afford private jets and lay their heads in giant mansions. “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). It is no surprise that the congregation does not criticize these pastors’ plea for money to support their lavish lifestyle; instead, they applaud it. A pastor berates his members in a sermon for not honoring him with an expensive watch he had wanted for a year and the congregation responded with applause.

The doctrine of the prosperity gospel, which they propagate, is that you were made in the image of God and possess the divine power within you to make wealth, faith and giving will result in benefits like wealth, success, and a lavish lifestyle. However, the warning in Second Timothy 3:1–9 references the emergence of evil individuals and impostors who will get worse, deceive, and be deceived. It is not a surprise that megachurches tend to attract larger crowds than even the concerts of famous well-known singers. While occasionally young and inexperienced, the pastors of these congregations frequently have good communication skills and a sense of humor, or motivational speakers using God as a proxy. Healing and miracles that are not probable are witnessed at sold-out at the gospel crusades. When believers assemble in unity and expectation to connect with God, they believe that anything delivered from the pulpit cannot be wrong as exemplified by their compliance with instructions such as “all eyes closed and raise your hands” during prayer. This complete surrender is sometimes exploited by some fallible clergymen.