I cringe when I see Christian parents reading Harry Potter books to their kids. Or do nothing when teens are reading the black magic fiction. Or playing the games.
“They know the difference,” one parent told me.
“There is white magic in there too,” one teen told me.
It’s not that it isn’t real. Very much the opposite. It’s that the dark world and the dark things of the spirit world are very real. But just because it’s real doesn’t mean it’s good. Or that it should be entertainment.
“There shall not be found among you anyone… who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God” Deut 18:10-13
“I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” Rom 16:19
Yes, these books have awakened the spiritual side of young people. And that is good considering the generation before them. But it is awakening them to an unholy curiosity of things that are not of God. Things that are actually detestable to God. And those who practice these magic arts are the heroes and heroines of these books. What kid doesn’t want to be the next Harry Potter? Not convinced? Just watch the mediums that are now on America’s Got Talent or Britain’s Got Talent (they’re kids! and adults too), or the new TV shows on Mediums (e.g. Long Island Medium). Expect more of this.
Parents, teens and even adults–have nothing to do with these things.
Instead discover the power of the Holy Spirit over evil.
Today’s kids understand and know more of the power of darkness more than they do the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s a spiritual war and these kids have Harry Potter as their “awesome!” and “cool” role model. But are they taught the power of the Holy Spirit? Do they know the power of God to heal, deliver and save? Or is it just a nice idea that they don’t really experience.
Part of the reason they don’t know the power of God is that the generation before them idealized rationalism. But make no mistake, spiritual battles with spiritual forces in spiritual warfare have never been more real. The kids know this. But they don’t know the power of God. So they gravitate towards the power of darkness even though it seems “safe enough.”
When I was in my early 20’s I believed in spiritual warfare, I believed in the Holy Spirit to regenerate our lives and I was open but very skeptical of healing and seeing people delivered. And now 20 years later I have battled in spiritual warfare, I have come to experience the power of the Holy Spirit and his gifts, and when I was instantaneously healed myself, it rocked my theology. “Normal” Christianity became much more Biblical. And it’s a Biblical power we need to pass on to the next generation.
- Our kids need to know that there was a showdown of the gods in Egypt and the Lord God Almighty triumphed, delivering Israel out of Egypt.
- They need to know that the sons of Sceva tried to take on the demons without the power of the Holy Spirit and were almost killed doing so.
- They need to know the disciples prayed and God delivered and healed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God has commanded us to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons” (Mt 10:8). This was normal for Jesus. It was normal for the disciples. It is normal in much of the world. It just stopped being normal in North America and Europe. But the Bible doesn’t say this stopped. Or that His power is only geographical.
Power.
It’s something that the Scripture talks a lot about.
- Power given to the disciples at Pentecost that enabled the disciples to speak in tongues and preach the gospel (Luke 24:49)
- Stephen was full of God’s grace and power (Acts 8:10)
- Paul preached not with wise and persuasive words but with power from the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:4)
Young people are going to college where the spiritual forces of darkness wreak havoc on their lives. We are talking spiritual dark things. Even young kids are experiencing things that are crazy. More than ever they need to know God’s power to overcome. Tampering with spiritual darkness has become a game. A dangerous one.
It’s good that kids are aware of a spiritual reality. They are not only aware but God has given them very unique gifts and sensitivities which are to used for the purposes of God. We need to be cautious of what they are seeing and reading and doing. Parents are parents because they are the ones who know best and offer protection, guidance and covering. But most importantly, we must train our youth to know the power of God through the Holy Spirit. It is essential. And we must know the power of God ourselves.
He has triumphed. Let’s practice walking in that. And teach our kids.
