The Danger of Playing with Evil

Nobody argues that playing with fire isn’t dangerous. We all know many house fires are caused by children playing with matches or adults being careless with lit cigarettes. This is why millions of dollars are spent each year teaching fire prevention…and yet still we need fire fighters. I suppose it is because sometimes we let our guard down and forget the lessons we learned about proper fire safety and fire prevention. In fact it is when “we least expect it” that fire can destroy our homes and cause disaster in our lives.

The same is true for evil although we don’t always admit it. When we play with evil or are careless with evil, just as in the case of fire, we can be destroyed. “There met Him a certain man who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.” (Luke 8.27,29) This is the affect of evil when we allow it into our lives. We are led into the wilderness and suffer.

We should understand that evil can only take control of our lives if we or God allows it. “So they [demons] begged Him that He would permit them to enter them [swine]. And He permitted them.” (Luke 8.32) The demons could not even enter a herd of pigs without God’s permission and they cannot enter our lives without His or OUR permission. But too often we not only allow them…we invite them every time with encourage, participate in, or tolerate works of the devil and his demons. Once we have allowed demons into our lives, we have given them the power to control us. The following list are just a few examples of dangerous activities that invite evil into our lives: Reading horoscopes; Reading coffee grounds (even if “for fun”); Having or allowing our fortune to be read by a fortune teller; Using mind-altering drugs which alter our judgment; Wearing or encouraging scary monster or demon costume for Halloween.

When we participate in these activities or even “approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1.32) then we are playing with fire and we will get burned. Playing with matches isn’t safe and neither is playing with evil. Just look what happened to Adam and Eve when they played with the Devil…