Beware
The majority of the devil’s
strongholds are not tangible.
However, these strongholds are designed to have an indelible mental
effect on us. But his most
dangerous stronghold is pharmakeia. Pharmakeia is the Greek word for pharmacy which involves practicing and making medication, spell
giving potions, or elixirs believed to have transforming powers. It
is also translated as witchcraft or
sorcery. This stronghold is so dangerous
because even if a person has progressed to the place of submitting themselves to God, it can still create a breach between where God desires the person to be and the current position that the devil may
have him or her in.
Medication & Its Effects
Every medication
on the market has been genetically engineered to have negative effects on us. These effects are known as side effects. We have been
trained to expect and accept side effects to come with
medications. Some side effects include damage to internal organs. Some include illness. Others include hallucinations
and other mind altering symptoms.
Even strong-minded individuals
are susceptible to the effects of medication. Many times, the stronger
the person’s mind, the more adverse the effects can be. The body begins
to fight against the foreign substance and as a result, the assault against the
body takes its toll on the body. There is a misconception in our society that our health is tied into whatever
medication is on the market. Medications are available to aid sleeping, to stay
awake, to thin your blood, and to increase or decrease testosterone.
Medication in layman’s terms is drugs.
Drugs can be broken down into two categories: legal and illegal. The side effects of both legal and
illegal drugs are very similar. The difference between legal and illegal
drugs is that doctors prescribe legal drugs which have been regulated and
endorsed by the government while illegal drugs have been publicly condemned by the government.
It is not by accident that drugs have the type of negative
influence on us that they do. They are intended to impair our thought processes
and alter our judgment. The devil wants our minds clouded so that we will experience the opposite of what God wants
us to experience: a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 says, for God has not given us a spirit
of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. In the
presence of a sound mind, we can
comprehend the concept of being endowed with love and power. In the absence of a sound mind, we will
become double minded and waver between
what the Bible says and the opinion of the world. Then we will lack the
ability to accept the wisdom of God, the judgment of God, and the gospel of
Jesus Christ. Paul declared in 2
Corinthians 4:3-4 but even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those
who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not
believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image
of God, should shine on them. Some cannot receive the Word of God
because their mind has not been renewed.
Others cannot receive the Word of God because foreign substances taken
into the body either orally or intravenously have captivated their minds, preventing them from being able to receive
and hold on to the truth of the
Word.
The Devil’s Deception Tool
The devil is very familiar with our physical and mental design. He understands how our bodies
respond to certain stimuli and he understands how various substances and
actions affect our bodies and minds. Deception
is a tool that he uses frequently
and effectively. We reject
illegal drugs because they are illegal and they have such a negative effect on
us. However, we accept legal drugs because they are legal, even though
they have the same negative effects on us. People strive to avoid illegal
drugs while simultaneously being led into addiction of legal drugs. Some legal drugs are so deadly that they
require stepping down to a lower
dosage before completely discontinuing their use. Some fruit cannot even
be eaten while taking certain drugs. That is how deception works. It offers an apparent safe solution to
counter an adverse situation. However, the solution actually turns out to
be a deadly trap. In ancient
times, the use of drugs was
implemented by witches and sorcerers
to manipulate the thinking and actions of people. Today, the use of drugs is encouraged for
the sake of improving health issues. This does not mean, however, that if
taking drugs for a health related issue that one can simply discontinue the use
of these drugs without being responsible.
If taking medication to regulate blood pressure, one needs to first
maintain a healthy diet and implement exercise into daily activities
in order to bring health issues under control BEFORE deciding to
discontinue drug use. In addition, it is important to get the approval of a medical doctor.
Some of the drugs that we take can produce some unbelievable
effects. Take birth control pills for an example, studies have shown that
there have been cases of modified development of sexual organs in infants.
This occurs in about 3 out of 1000 cases of women who reported
taking oral contraceptives shortly before or after conception. Birth control pills have also been linked
to the masculinization of female infants.
It has now become common practice for children to be
medicated. They are now medicated for displaying the same attributes that children have displayed for millenniums. Four
common medications administered to children are Adderall, Dexedrine, Ritalin, and Strattera. These medications have
side effects that produce depression,
mood disorders, suicidal ideation, and hallucinations. One important
thing to understand about medications that have suicidal side effects is that the effects generally don’t make suicide appear to be suicide. The medication may be
hallucinogenic and encourage you to do things that may be detrimental to your safety. Some examples include:
jumping from a bridge or building because the ocean is inviting you to come on in. You
may be prodded to jump from a balcony because the grass below is plush and inviting. You may be
encouraged to swallow your entire bottle of pills so that no one will steal
them. Or you may experience
depression, not normal depression. It is a heightened form of
depression triggered by something that has been concocted to control and destroy you. In 2004,
suicide was the third largest killer of people ages 10-24. When the FDA
began requiring “black box” warnings on commonly prescribed antidepressants
known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs, amazingly, there was
a 22% decrease in pediatric prescription. These drugs are not designed for our benefit but for our destruction. Jesus said that the thief does not come except to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they
may have it more abundantly.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore gird up the loins of your
mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be
brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children,
not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;
but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in
all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am
holy.”
