Yes, many churches have become centres of occultism and strange gatherings of powers of men and spirits. One question may stand out: why has the occult decided to make a dwelling in the house of God – their very nemesis? They could have chosen the waters, other houses, bushes, places, mountains, valleys, but why the church?
Rev. Ajetemobi Samson recounted his visit to a well-known mega church in America that had become a tourist attraction. He narrated the story of the woman in charge who attempted to force him out, even though he had already paid for his tour. When the securities became involved, the white woman explained that for some reason Samson had a presence around him, and for that reason, he had to leave.
Can you now see why many mega churches collapsed ‘megaly’ in America? When the church slept in the pursuit of robust effectual spirituality, nocturnal civilisation was planted.
But this invasion is not just in church houses. I have been to the prayer camp, and guess what I saw? The occult was there in the prayer camp. For some reason, the Lord has caused me to see and know these things as a watchman.
Returning to our question: why the church house? Why Christian centres and worship chapels, and why our pulpits and sacred places? Why do they choose our prayer mountains and valleys?
- To remove the presence of God from the church and worship places
Have you ever visited a place and found it difficult to engage in spirituality? Sometimes, ministers observe that certain churches are challenging environments for preaching, teaching, ministry, prophetic engagement, and worship. A discerning individual might notice that other churches or locations possess a significant grace for these things.
A few years ago, when I began my journey in public evangelism, I encountered challenging areas. No matter how much I pray, the spiritual atmosphere in some places felt lifeless, making it difficult for me to preach with utterance and the influence of the Spirit.
In contrast, there were other areas where I felt completely energised and connected to the teaching grace. So it happened that whenever the Spirit inspired me with a new topic, I would visit those areas with a connection to learn to deliver the message. As I preached in the Spirit, I learned how to preach the new topic. This experience led me to understand the concept of environmental darkness.
Someone recounted a vision where she entered a church and saw pitch-perfect darkness. Another person confirmed this; he also walked into the same church in the dream and saw blackness.
The spiritual implications of visions depicting darkness in locations, societies, communities, houses, villages and churches indicate the absence of God, who is Light. A dark church is a place where God’s presence is lacking. In such worship settings, worship tends to be sensual and exotic, good preaching becomes superficial, academic and intelligible, but the conviction that waters the eyes, converts souls and changes men will be hard to get.
Let it be known that apart from prayerlessness and unrighteousness, the absence of God is reinforced by the forces that commit sacrilege in the churches. Those satanic gatherings, rituals, witchery, demonic processions, idolatry and occult activities force God away from the church and make it a dark house.
Furthermore, He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary.” Ezekiel 8:6, NKJV
In Ezekiel 8:6, the Lord God expressed His sorrow over the sacrilegious and abominable practices taking place in the temple of the Jews, which caused Him to withdraw from His sanctuary. And when He goes, Light departs, and darkness becomes the reality.
So why do they invade churches and establish their covens in Christian centres? They are trying to push God far from our church and religious activities.
2. To establish and strengthen their occult centre
As we have already established, dangerous churchmen want the church to become a civilisation of agents of darkness. From their coming into a church and getting the members to join them, they have prospered by establishing their strong place in the Church house and premises, where they gather mostly at night.
The idea is that it is much easier to locate their cult gathering in the Church where they get their members from. So that they can truly own that church, and their members can easily join their fellowship at night. The deed they do also removes God from our worship centres, and clogs our churches with darkness.
3. To mock and reproach God
Satan is a man of pride. Nothing will make him feel more accomplished than boasting before the Lord than a captured Christian and church, including our territory. He will stop at nothing until he spites the Lord using God’s own vehicle – the Christian church. The Anger of the Lord is also his pleasure.
4. To take back their territories
On this last point, I have much to say, but I will not address it fully in this article. Many years ago, before the advent of Christianity, Satan and demons were worshipped by people. Even America had its idols, and Europe had its deities.
I am from Africa and a member of the Assemblies of God in Nigeria. We heard stories about how churches were established in places that people feared to enter because of the spirits that resided there. Many churches were established in former shrines and altars of demons, built by men who carried an enduring Pentecostal fervour.
Even in the Bible, the king of Ammon(Judges 11) and Moab(2kings 3) tried to reclaim the land that had been taken in battle by the Jews long before they were born. Unlike humans, demons and spirits do not forget; they don’t let go, nor suffer amnesia.
Jesus, in his teachings (Matthew 12:43-45), reminded us that spirits do not forget their former dwellings. They tend to return to see if any structure or system has been put up where they used to occupy. However, empty and hollow spirituality, along with spiritual laziness, has led today’s church to the abandonment of the very structures that once expelled these forces. As a result, many of these spirits, forces, kingdoms, and dominions are making their return. And they have come to expel, dominate and conquer.
