People will often make the claim that while they are not religious, they are very spiritual.  What does this really mean?  A common assumption that is made about the spiritual realm is that it is always friendly and benign.  Journeying through it so people think is going to be a ‘walk in the park’.  Anyone who has had any experience with true wilderness will understand immediately that you must be outfitted and prepared for any kind of excursion into the wilds of our ‘back country’.

If nature is red in tooththe nightmare and claw, how much more  potential danger do the inhabitants of the spiritual world present.   The Bible tells us that our world is beset by a powerful spiritual presence that is not friendly or benign; “But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” (Revelation 12:12)

The adolescent attitudes of invincibility inculcated into people ‘cocooned’ by affluence and ease create a mindset of incredulity towards any sort of notion that wild hungry animals are loose in the woods.  It doesn’t take much to get lost in terrain you are not prepared or trained for.   This caution is typical; “RCMP are stressing the importance of being properly prepared and equipped when traveling in remote regions.”  And sadly it is just as typically ignored.

Many people are just spiritually stupid.  Nobody likes to be called stupid in any way.  That being said, stupid is as stupid does (wisdom from Forest Gump’s mother)!  For example one article in wikiHow advises people that they can connect to the spiritual world by going alone into the woods and jumping into a cold lake.  People can get lost and hurt in the spiritual world as easily as they do in the wilderness.  Yet, few tread carefully when invited into a spiritual reality.  Just notice how many astrologists, psychics and spirit guides operate today and the ‘advice’ they give.

Those who dabble with the ouji board believe it to be harmless, yet these same people would balk at knowingly consorting with a sociopath. But they buy ouji boards as fun toys for their children to chat with demons!   Scripture tells us that there are many demons loose in the world and they don’t like us; “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9)

The Bible tells us to stay away from these areas in the spiritual realm. “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.  There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.” (Deuteronomy 18:9-11)  Witchcraft, sorcery and spiritualism has been around for a long time.  So has Satan and his demons.  It’s a terrible danger that witches and demons have become so popular in movies and television.  Our media is leading our children into terrible places while we look on.

Scripture tells us how to deal with the spiritual realm and the warfare encountered there; “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:10,11,12)   Sadly, few believe this and many look for any opportunity to blindly frolic in the dangerous spiritual war zone.  We are behind enemy lines.  Many are lost in a terrible dark place because they don’t believe or just don’t know any better!

We are spiritual beings, but please let’s be careful and wise as we walk our journey.  Not every every road leads homeward and we need good equipment to travel the one that brings us to safety.