The darkness is no longer hiding in the shadows.
Former Satanist Riaan Swiegelaar is sounding the alarm about an intensifying spiritual battle. He says Christians cannot afford to face it asleep, afraid or unaware of their authority in Jesus Christ.
“The devil has never changed his modus operandi: kill, steal, destroy,” Swiegelaar told Charisma in a recent interview. “The pace at that that is happening, though, is increasing. There is a demonic pandemic.”
Those are striking words coming from someone who once lived on the other side of the spiritual battle.
Swiegelaar, who spent years involved in the occult and Satanism before turning to Christ, says his encounter with Jesus shattered his understanding of spiritual power. During his years in the occult, he believed the supernatural practices he witnessed represented the height of spiritual power. Then he encountered Christ.
“Nothing actually compares to Jesus,” Swiegelaar said, noting that this is a common testimony among former witches and others who have left the occult.
Yet Swiegelaar believes one of Satan’s greatest strategies is keeping Christians ignorant of precisely what they possess in Christ.
“The enemy does not want us to know what our identity and authority really is in Christ,” he said. He added that the enemy also does not want believers deeply rooted in the Word of God.
That makes compromise far more dangerous than many Christians may realize.
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Swiegelaar delivered perhaps one of his strongest warnings when discussing believers who profess Christ while continuing to seek answers or fulfillment outside their covenant relationship with God.
“If you are bought with that blood, why would you act like you are still for sale?” he asked.
Swiegelaar also warned that spiritual warfare is not merely about recognizing obvious occult practices. He pointed to unforgiveness, long-held resentment and anger as areas he has seen become destructive footholds in people’s lives. At the same time, he specifically cautioned against assuming every struggle is demonic, acknowledging that depression and other psychological conditions are legitimate medical issues that should be evaluated by qualified professionals.
So how should Christians respond to a culture that appears increasingly fascinated with darkness?
Know the Word.
Swiegelaar challenged believers to stop treating the armor of God like a spiritual incantation and instead actually live it. Prayer, Scripture, salvation, truth and sharing the gospel must become realities in the believer’s life.
“Every verse that you know is a bullet in your gun when it comes to spiritual warfare,” he said.
But Swiegelaar’s ultimate message is not one of fear.
It is victory.
“We are not fighting towards victory,” he said. “We are fighting from victory,” because Christ conquered the enemy through the cross.
The darkness may be getting louder. The battle may be becoming more visible. But for believers, the answer is not fascination with Satan or terror over what he may be doing.
It is knowing who Jesus is, knowing what His Word says and refusing to surrender ground Christ has already won.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
