American culture has experienced a significant shift in recent years. As traditional religious affiliations decline, many alternative spiritualities fill the void. The world isn’t becoming less spiritual; it is becoming profoundly spiritual. We are made in the image and likeness of our Creator God as spiritual beings with an innate longing for our spiritual source. Denying the existence of the Creator does not stifle that longing. Instead, the enemy exploits it by offering counterfeit spirituality, his “Trojan horse” for demonization.
New Age spirituality, the twin sister of occult practices, has taken center stage. Its customization and nondogmatic approach make it highly attractive to a generation that seeks a spiritual reality that is outside of Scripture and shaped to individual preferences. Rather than calling people to submit to the Creator God whose image they bear, the New Age offers a god made in the customizable image of each human being.
In rejecting a “religion of rules,” many seekers desire all-inclusive, self-empowering spiritualities that validate and legitimize every spiritual endeavor, regardless of what Scripture teaches. Unfortunately, the New Age emphasis on healing, miracles, curse-breaking, and positive thinking that seems so appealing is polluted, contaminated, and impure. This counterfeit is seducing a generation thirsty for an encounter with the divine but giving seekers a demonic deception that poisons rather than satisfies the soul.
Americans are increasingly pursuing the occult and witchcraft as their presence becomes more pervasive in pop culture, social media, and entertainment platforms. Popular franchises have glamorized magic, witchcraft, and supernatural powers, presenting them as fun, empowering, and accessible rather than dangerous or taboo. TV shows and movies normalize witches and occult practices, even portraying practitioners in heroic roles. Disney has increasingly normalized witchcraft and occult themes in its kids’ shows and movies, featuring magical characters, spellcasting, and mystical storylines.
Mainstream artists incorporate occult imagery and symbolism into music videos, lyrics, and performances. Pentagrams, tarot cards, and allusions to spells or rituals often appear in visual presentations, making occult practices seem edgy and artistic. Some artists openly embrace New Age philosophies (including manifestation, energy healing, and spirit communication) and encourage their fans to explore them. TikTok has become a hub for “WitchTok” and “SpiritualTok” communities, where creators share content involving spells, tarot readings, astrology, and crystal healing.
Taboos once forbidden and associated with shamans have become trendy, comedic, and widely regarded as harmless. But poison is still poison, no matter how attractive the label seems. Witchcraft and demons are evil even when the culture celebrates them.
The rise in occult and witchcraft practices is not limited to the American youth culture. A significant resurgence is happening across age groups and across the globe, drawing a response.
I’ve sat up front in crowded stadiums as demons are cast out. I’ve seen massive tents packed to overflowing where deliverance breaks out even before services begin. In movie theaters, popcorn buckets have been used as vomit trays as deliverance sweeps through screenings. Thousands have shared testimonies of watching YouTube videos and experiencing demons departing as they watched.
Some people ride the deliverance wave because it’s trendy or makes good clickbait. Others see it as an opportunity to attack the ministry of deliverance. I often say that some are focused on delivering the demonized, while others are busy demonizing those who deliver. Nevertheless, some real generals and soldiers are courageously fighting to set the captives free.
Two Dominant Worldviews
Before diving into the topic of deliverance, it’s crucial to address the worldview issue. I believe this is the root cause of why so many people struggle with the concept of deliverance.
Everyone has a worldview—a lens through which they perceive and interpret reality. Every worldview seeks to understand the world and answer the following major questions:
- Where did we come from?
- Why are we here?
- What is wrong with the world?
- What is the solution to the world’s problems?
The Christian worldview answers these questions while providing moral absolutes, affirming human dignity, and offering hope
for humanity’s most significant problem: sin. Yet many Christians struggle with multiple-worldview disorders. Because their beliefs are unclear, they allow conflicting ideas to coexist in their minds. This approach is dangerous because the enemy thrives where understanding is lacking.
Jesus affirms this danger in the parable of the sower, saying, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside” (Matt. 13:19). Despite our free access to Bibles and sermons, the enemy has sown seeds of confusion among believers. Barna’s research confirms this alarming trend among practicing Christians:
- 61 percent “agree with ideas rooted in New Age spirituality.”
- 54 percent “resonate with postmodernist views.”
- 36 percent accept Marxist ideas.
- 29 percent align with secularist principles.
This confusion confirms the urgent need for a clear, biblical worldview that equips believers to resist the enemy’s lies. Without it, Christians are vulnerable to deception, and the devil exploits their confusion.
To order Vlad Savchuk’s book, Make the Devil Homeless, visit Amazon.com.
What you believe determines how you live. Christianity is not only about living differently—it’s about thinking differently, which transforms how we live. A biblical worldview simplifies life by grounding us in eternal truths. As A. W. Tozer said, “The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems, for he sees at once that these have to do with matters which at the most cannot concern him for very long.”
Militant Mindset
It’s a militant mindset that leads believers to pray prayers of resistance where evil and suffering are concerned. We don’t just pray; we also use every tool and modern advancement available to alleviate pain and suffering, knowing that when God creates a new heaven and a new earth, He will obliterate all suffering.
Take sickness, for example. Some people may accept cancer as a gift from God. God can use evil circumstances to bring about growth in us, but our own bodies tell a different story about God’s intent. Without any theological training, the immune system God gave us automatically fights sickness. Perhaps the human immune system understands God’s will better than some of our minds do!
Whether healing comes immediately through a miracle, gradually through doctors, or ultimately in heaven, one thing is clear: Sickness is neither God’s will nor a gift to be embraced. We are called to resist sickness, trusting that God is always working for our good.
Jesus’ own life and character reinforce this view. He fed the hungry, calmed storms, healed the sick, and cast out demons. He didn’t promote suffering or destruction. God’s nature, revealed in Jesus, shows that He is not the author of evil; He is at war with evil.
For the first four centuries after the Ascension, the early church fathers embraced this militant mindset. They viewed all sickness as demonic and all natural disasters as the devil’s work. Their response was simply to wage war against these forces in Jesus’ name.
Dragon Slayer
From its beginning, the Bible reveals a cosmic conflict. In Genesis 3:15, after humanity fell, God spoke a prophetic word to the serpent, promising a Savior who would crush its head. This Savior would not escape suffering. The prophecy explained that His heel would be bruised. This first hint of the gospel pointed straight to Jesus.
Before there were any “demon slayers,” there was the true “Dragon Slayer.” Jesus’ mission was to destroy the works of the devil. (See 1 John 3:8.) At every turn, Jesus confronted the sickness, sin, and suffering that sprang from the serpent’s influence. His miracles, healings, and deliverances revealed His authority over Satan. (See Acts 10:38.)
The greatest battle took place at the cross. What seemed like a defeat was the serpent’s undoing. Jesus’ heel was bruised, but Satan’s head was crushed. As Colossians 2:15 attests, Christ disarmed and shamed the powers of darkness, turning death into victory for all who believe. This spiritual warfare reminds us that sin, sickness, and suffering were never God’s plan. They arose from rebellion and the enemy’s dark work. But through Jesus—the Dragon Slayer—the serpent’s power is broken, and its final defeat is assured.
Life is a Battlefield, Not a Vacation
Treating your life like a vacation instead of a war is not only naive—it’s immoral. Vacation mode is about approaching life with ease in mind, expecting only good things to happen. When you’re on vacation, challenges are unwelcome interruptions. But a warfare mentality expects suffering and is pleasantly surprised when good things occur. This mindset cultivates gratitude for even the most minor victories.
As Christians, a warfare worldview helps us make sense of suffering and evil without blaming God or ourselves. Jesus said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt. 11:12). Jesus wasn’t advocating physical violence; He was urging spiritual awareness. We are in a war, so let’s wake up and realize that we’re on the battlefield.
Here’s how C. S. Lewis describes spiritual warfare and our role in it: “Enemy-occupied territory—that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed- you might say, landed in disguise- and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”
The Church is a Warship, Not a Cruise Ship
Jesus’ vision of the church was inherently militant, not in a physical sense but in its mission to oppose the forces of hell. His choice of location was strategic when He posed a famous question to His disciples during a field trip to Caesarea Philippi. There Jesus asked, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Matt. 16:13).
Caesarea Philippi was built on a massive rock at the base of Mount Hermon, a mountain with a dark spiritual history. The ancient city of Dan was located nearby. King Jeroboam established a place there to worship a golden calf, a horrible sin against the true God, YHWH. (See 1 Kings 12:28–30.)
In the Book of Enoch (a popular non-biblical book written 150 or more years before Jesus’ birth) this region was believed to be a stronghold of the Nephilim, the “giants” mentioned in Genesis 6. The late biblical scholar Michael Heiser notes Enoch 6:6, the story of two hundred angels who met on Mount Hermon to agree to disobey God and marry human women. Heiser points to this mountain as “ground zero” for that rebellion.
Caesarea Philippi had a lot of history. The Phoenicians considered Mount Hermon sacred to Baal and named nearby towns such as Baal Gad ( Josh. 11:17) and Baal Hermon ( Judg. 3:3) after him. Later, Herod the Great built a temple to honor his patron, Caesar Augustus, and established both the cult and worship of Augustus. An inscription from another Roman province calls Augustus “savior” (Greek, soter) and “god,” and says that his birthday was “good news” (Greek, evangelion) for the world. Herod’s great temple included many priests and probably administrative buildings, so a city was formed. After Herod’s death, his son Philip expanded the city, naming it Caesarea Philippi to honor both Caesar and himself. The worship of the pagan Roman emperor was strong on Israel’s northern border.
It is no wonder that Jesus brought His disciples to this literal gateway to the demonic world to ask them who people claimed He was. When Peter responded that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God, Jesus declared: “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). This was more than a statement; it was a battle cry. Caesar was neither a “god” nor a “savior.”
Only Jesus is the Messiah/Savior and Son of the living God. He alone will liberate His people from their demonic oppressors and turn the tide of battle against the spiritual enemy!
Jesus notified His disciples that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt. 11:12). The church He continues building is no passive institution. It is strategically positioned to launch an assault on the gates of the underworld, tearing down strongholds and overcoming the darkness being unleashed on the world.
It’s essential to understand that Jesus’ call to action was not aimed at social work, though the church is called to help the poor and serve others. Jesus was pointing to the church’s ultimate mission: to storm the gates of hell. The church of Jesus Christ is not a cruise ship designed for pleasure but a warship piloted by the captain of our salvation, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
So at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus stood in enemy territory and declared that the gates of hell, the strongholds of darkness, could not prevail.
The church is not afraid of hell’s gates. The church is built to overcome them and win.
You might be wondering, “Didn’t Jesus already defeat the devil? Shouldn’t we simply live in that victory?”
The answer is yes! Jesus defeated the enemy through the cross, but the battle isn’t over. Acknowledging spiritual warfare does not give credit to the devil; it magnifies the power and victory of what Jesus accomplished. The church’s mission is to enforce that victory, pushing back the darkness and reclaiming what the enemy has stolen.
The War is Won, but the Battle Rages On
Hebrews 2:8 captures the seeming paradox of a war that continues after the battle is won, saying: “You have put all things in subjection under his feet. …But now we do not yet see all things put under him.” This concept, known in the theological world as “already, but not yet,” reflects our current reality.
Jesus has already defeated Satan, but His victory will fully manifest when He returns. Until then, we are soldiers in a spiritual war, spreading the gospel and resisting the enemy.
At the cross Jesus decisively defeated sin, death, and Satan, ensuring ultimate victory. The war is effectively won, but battles still rage because the enemy resists. We live in this “already, but not yet” reality—the kingdom of God has been inaugurated but not yet fully realized.
Like the Allies who fought the enemy with hope and determination after D-Day, we fight against sin and dark spiritual forces, knowing that Christ’s second coming will be our spiritual V-Day. Then He will fully eradicate evil, judge the wicked, and establish His eternal kingdom. The victory He secured on the cross will be fully manifested.
Until that day, every Christian is called to live as a soldier, remembering that for every Pharaoh, God raised a Moses. For every Goliath, God raised a David. And for every Jezebel, God raised an Elijah and a Jehu. I believe that amid the current chaos, God is raising an army of men and women who are breaking free from demonic bondage and are boldly entering the enemy’s camp to free others.
As Isaiah 59:19 declares, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” No matter how relentless the storm or how many spiritual enemies flood in, the Holy Spirit raises a banner of victory against them. Will you be a courageous soldier on this battlefield? Or will you be a casualty of war? The choice is yours. Welcome to the battlefield!
This article was excerpted from Vladimir Savchuk‘s book, Make the Devil Homeless. Savchuk leads the HungryGen movement and pastors a multicultural church with a clear-cut, focused vision to see the salvation of souls, healing, deliverance and the raising of young leaders. He leads the annual Raised to Deliver conference. Vlad was born in the Ukraine into a Christian home, immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 13 and became a youth pastor at the age of 16. To order your copy of Make the Devil Homeless, visit Amazon.com.
