As a teenager growing up, I had an unhealthy curiosity about the spiritual realm.
I remember playing with a Ouija board at late night parties and during my senior year being called into the principal’s office for writing pentagrams and other things associated with heavy metal music in a classmate’s yearbook. Curiosity about such things is common for teenagers, but for a Christian parent it is something to be guarded against.
The word occult means “hidden” and refers to everything connected with the unseen, supernatural, and the spirit realm. There has been a renewed interest in the subject recently, and almost all people have questions about it – which is why a talk with your teen is important.
The first point I want to convey is don’t disbelieve in evil spirits.
The Bible declares that they exist and are quite present and active, even though the teaching has not been well incorporated into the modern church in America. We tend to ignore or downplay verses that are clearly visible in Scripture, but this doesn’t mean that the danger isn’t real. Revelation 18 warns us about the coming influx of the occult in the future, “And the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.”
So, one great piece of advice is don’t have an unhealthy interest in them like I did as a teen.
For Christians, this means that you must keep a Biblical balance. Kids should avoid attempts to read their future in such things as astrology. Likewise, attempts to contact spirits through such things as Ouija boards and séances are forbidden. We see in Deuteronomy 18:10 strong warnings about fortune telling, divination, and witchcraft. I believe that all real contact with the dead is impossible (Luke 16 and Hebrews 9), and all supposed contact with the dead is deceit. Satanism is a real thing (Exodus 20:3 and Matt. 4:8-10), as is demon possession (Matt. 9:32 and 1 Sam. 16:14). Warn your teens about these possibilities.
I wish I had known about the danger of such things as a teen and I sometimes wonder if I would have discovered the beauty of Christ at an earlier age (saved at 43 years), if I had stayed away from it. As an adult, I have since repented in my involvement in the occult and I am securely resting in the salvation of our Savior.
Here are some things you can do if you are afraid that your teen has an unhealthy attitude towards the occult:
- Forbid them from having anything to do with the occult such as dabbling in it, listening to music that glorifies sin, or abusing substances such as drugs or alcohol. Remember that a life of persistent sin is as good as a contract with Satan – see Saul in the Old Testament.
- Have nothing to do with false religions. According to the latest Pew research, 36% of teens in the United States identify as non-Christian. The battle is real, with many of the next generation leaning heavily and exclusively on science, pluralism, and relativism. See: Deuteronomy 32:17, Psalm 106: 37, and 1 Corinthians 10:20.
- Do battle with evil in all its forms. Know and teach the Bible to your teen. Don’t rely on a youth group to do this. The truth is most groups meet for one hour every week and this going to have much less impact on them when compared to parents using the Word of God as a defensive and offensive weapon on a daily basis. See: Matthew 4:1-11, Ephesians 6:10-20.
- This means, do not be content to drive out evil without replacing it with what is good and Godly. See: Matthew 12:44-45. The alternatives are the Holy Spirit or an evil spirit. See: 1 Corinthians 12:1-3.
We need to rejoice that the doom of Satan, and of all evil spirits, is certain. They carry their chains with them wherever they go. See: 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6, Revelation 20:2, 10. The teaching of Christianity is clear, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” God deserves your teen’s full attention.
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