C. Peter Wagner continues: A central biblical passage for understanding
the relationship of demons to idols is
1 Corinthians 8-10, Where Paul deals
with the issue of eating meat offered to
idols.
He begins that extensive teaching by asserting that
"we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that
there is no other God but one" (1 Cor. 8:4).
He later asks the rhetorical question:
"What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what
is offered to idols is anything?" (1 cor. 10:19).
The answer is, of course not. Paul would agree with Isaiah who ridicules idol makers by saying
"Who would form a god or cast a graven image that profits
him nothing?" (Is. 44:10),
and tells of a fool who uses half a log to roast meat and the other half to make into a carved image, then
"he falls down before it and worships it, prays to it and
says, 'Deliver me, for you are my god" (Is. 44:17).
Paul also explains to the Corinthians that before we even begin to talk about demons and idols we must remind ourselves that God is supreme over all created beings including demons and evil spirits.
Twice he cites Psalm 24:1: "The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness'" (1 Cor. 10:26, 28).
He is not about to fall into a dualism in which forces of good
and forces of evil are seen to be on equal footing. No, Satan and
all the demons exercise only the power that God permits and no more, as the book of Job clearly illustrates.
Having said this, we nevertheless put ourselves in dangerous and vulnerable positions if we do not see that objects such as physical idols have the potential harbor incredibly malignant power.
This is, I believe, what is behind the first two of the Ten Commandments:
"You shall have no other gods before me" and "you shall not
make for yourself any carved image" (Exod. 20:3,4).
Idols are not fun, games and playthings. Dungeons and Dragons
is a qualitatively different game from Scrabble or checkers. Frequently there is a pernicious relationship between demonic beings and physical objects, even though the objects in themselves are only wood or metal or stone or plastic or whatever.
This is what Paul is attempting to explain to the Corinthians, some of whom were actually accepting invitations to enter idol temples and eating the meat that had been sacrificed there.
Not that there was something intrinsically wrong with eating the meat itself. Knowing ahead of time that much of the meat sold in the public market had previously been sacrificed to idols, Paul nevertheless tells them to go ahead and eat it without asking any questions (see 1 Cor. 10:25).
But the meat is one thing; the idol to whom it is sacrificed is something else.
Paul says the pagans are not simply sacrificing to a piece of wood or stone, but in the idol temple-
"the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to
demons and not to God" (1 Cor. 10:20).
New Testament scholar George Ladd, in commenting on this key passage, says there is-
"a power connected with idols that resides in demons. To
worship idols therefore means to sacrifice to demons."
Real demons do attach themselves to animals, idols, brass
rings, trees, mountains, and buildings as well as to any number
and variety of manufactured and natural objects.
#42 Demons and Idols
By C. Peter Wagner
(pgs. 78-79) Regal Books
Mark I. Bubeck shares with us from his book The Satanic Revival (p 152) "Even if he (Satan) gets the nation's majority totally coming his way, Satan is still terribly threatened by believers. He knows the awesome potential of even a remnant of Bible-believing Christians. If we unite behind God's will and plan for world revival, mighty advancement for Christ will result. Even a desire for revival awakening terrifies the kingdom of darkness. It's the one remedy that can intervene in our national downward plunge toward total destruction."
Pray with me:
Father, I am grateful that You have given instructions to us in Your holy book, the Bible, as to how to know what it is we should do or not do where our worship is concerned.
May we consider what it is we worship with our time, efforts, and money, as to where we place You in our lives.
I ask for discernment in what I put my mind, heart, and energy to, and to be sure that You're first in my life.
I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
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