Modern spiritualism is a revival of the witchcraft and demon worship that God condemned long ago. The Scriptures predicted this, declaring that “in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1). In the last days there will be false teachers. (2 Peter 2:1, 2). Spiritualist teachers refuse to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God. Concerning such teachers the beloved John declares: “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either.” (1 John 2:22, 23). Spiritualism, by denying Christ, denies both the Father and the Son, and the Bible calls it the sign of the antichrist.
Spiritualism’s lure to attract multitudes of people is its pretended power to reveal the future. In His Word God has opened before us the great events of the future—all that is essential for us to know. But Satan wants to destroy our confidence in God, lead us to seek a knowledge of what God has wisely veiled from us, and to reject what He has revealed in His Holy Word.
Many become restless when they cannot know how things will turn out. They cannot stand uncertainty, and refuse to wait to see the salvation of God. They give in to rebellious feelings and run here and there in desperate grief, trying to get information that God has not revealed. If they would only trust in God and persist in prayer, they would receive divine comfort.
This impatience to unveil the future reveals a lack of faith in God, and Satan inspires confidence in his power to tell in advance the things to come. By experience gained through long ages, he can often forecast, with a degree of accuracy, some future events to deceive misguided souls and bring them under his power.
God Himself is the light of His people. He invites them to fix their eyes by faith on the glories that are hidden from human sight. They have light from the throne of heaven and have no desire to turn to the messengers of Satan.
The demon’s message to Saul was not meant to reform him, but to push him to despair and ruin. More often, however, the tempter uses flattery to lure people to destruction. Truth is hardly respected, and impurity permitted. Spiritualism declares that there is no death, no sin, no judgment, no punishment; desire is the highest law, and human beings are accountable only to themselves. Such thinking breaks down the barriers that God has set up to guard truth, purity, and reverence, and in this way many people are strengthened in sin.
God is leading His people out from the evils of the world, that they may keep His law. Because of this, the anger of “the accuser of our brethren” knows no limits. “The devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Revelation 12:10, 12). Satan is determined to destroy the people of God and cut them off from their inheritance. The warning to, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Mark 14:38), was never more needed than now.
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