The Doctrines Of Demons
THE creed of the demons has been compiled. It calls for careful
consideration, for it is the rock on which the church will be wrecked. Let us not be
deceived into thinking that the warning against giving heed to seducing spirits and their
doctrines is intended for the world. God warns His own. We are to beware of these
doctrines. The church holds most of these doctrines already. Not the nominal church
merely, but those who are aggressively evangelical and uphold vital truths. Many who
are loud in their warning against the doctrines of demons hold them, contend for them, and
denounce others who refuse to receive them! As an example, a recent review of the
seven items of this creed in an ultra-evangelical magazine claimed that five of the seven
doctrines of demons are clearly taught in the Scriptures! Ought not the very statement of
these teachings be sufficient guarantee that they are not taught in the Scriptures?
The
great danger of Spiritism is not apprehended even by those who warn us against it. Indeed,
when a teacher upholds five out of the seven cardinal doctrines of this cult, is he not
already among those who give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons? We may deny
communication with the dead, we may abhor familiar spirits, and yet, at the same time, we
may believe and support the baneful teachings which emanate from them, under the mistaken
supposition that they are in accord with divine revelation.
It
ought to be axiomatic that the doctrines of demons are not in accord with God’s word.
We make the most valuable use of them when we doubt every point of our own theology which
appears to lend them support. There is danger of some of the saints actually being
deceived by the pretentions of Spiritism as to communication with the dead, but there is
the far more insidious danger of almost all of us becoming tainted by their teachings.
The
creed of Spiritism is sevenfold. All the multitudinous mutterings of the spirits may be
reduced to these seven statements:
1.
The Fatherhood of God.
2.
The Brotherhood of Man.
3.
Continuous Conscious Existence.
4.
The Communion of Spirits.
5.
Personal Responsibility.
6.
Compensation and Retribution in the Hereafter.
7.
Endless Progression.
Perhaps
some of us have been expecting some mysterious, lurid, immoral propaganda to emanate from
these so-called “devils.” But would we need any warning against such plain
departures? The demons are far more subtle than that. They do not wish to appear opposed
to Scripture. And is it not most significant that they have already succeeded in so
perverting so-called evangelical doctrine that the Bible itself is appealed to to show
that most of their doctrines are not new but were known long ago? It was the cause of
deepest thankfulness on our part when we found that we could agree with none of the seven
statements of their faith. If one of them had appealed to us, our confidence in it would
have been severely shaken, and nothing but a more thorough search of the Scriptures would
have satisfied us of its truthfulness.
One
of the most distressing features of the present apostasy is the outcry on all sides
against the various defections from the truth, each partly fondly imagining that they
are the only ones not infected with the prevailing virus! In almost every case the
strength of error lies in its semblance to the truth. Let us all acknowledge that, in some
degree we, also, are involved in the great apostasy, and then it will be possible for us
to purge ourselves from the poison which is sapping the very life of the church.
The
hold of seducing spirits on the saints does not lie in their unorthodox teachings, but in
the teachings of the church which agree with their doctrines. Orthodoxy is the bridge by
which the saints cross the chasm from truth to error. It will be of great profit for us to
consider the contrastive creeds of Spiritism and the Scriptures and the tenets of the
church which hold them in unholy union. We shall give the demons’ lie, the
church’s confession, and the truth of God, and hope that it will help some who still
cling to the doctrines of demons imagining they are the teachings of Holy Writ.
THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD
This is the cardinal conception which underlies the whole system of
demonism. Like every other error, it is simply misplaced truth. In the coming
consummation, when the Son hands over the Kingdom to the Father, that God may be All in
all, God will indeed be the Father of all. Now the real point in this doctrine is
not found in its statement, but in the inference that He is the Father of all at
the present time. The effect of this is to obliterate all the distinction wrought by
the advent of Christ and the operation of God’s spirit, so that saved and unsaved,
believers and unbelievers, reconciled and enemies—all can claim God as their Father,
and as a consequence, all the special blessings of God’s children are discarded, and
His just judgment of His enemies is repudiated. This spurious “Fatherhood of
God” robs us of all the essential truth of revelation. The God it presents is an
amiable weakling who regards mankind with sufficient indifference to insure them immunity
from discipline, and who has no object or purpose in their creation.
THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN
Like the second precept of the decalogue this is but a corollary of
the first article of faith in Spiritism. Those who have the same father must be brothers.
And, furthermore, they all will receive the same treatment: the same destiny awaits them.
God’s purpose and predestination, our faith and sufferings—all these are
ignored. The Spiritist claims all men as his spiritual brethren. Mark the word spiritual.
All are not brethren by physical ties, for only those of the same family, having the same
father are brothers in the physical sphere.
Now
how does orthodoxy meet these twin doctrines of demons? The sermon from which the
following quotations are made has been reprinted by a representative journal of advanced
evangelicalism, which stands true to many of the great facts of our faith. Yet these
doctrines of demons are made to emanate from the holy spirit of God! It reads, “The
Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man were revealed in the Scriptures long before
Spiritualism arose in modern times to give us a New Revelation. Jesus came to reveal the
Father, and the Apostle Paul declared that God ‘hath made of one blood all nations of
men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.’”
To
whom did Jesus reveal the Father? To the world or to His own disciples? To whom did He say
“You are of your father the Slanderer?” True logic would have reasoned that,
since our Lord would not allow even the religious Jews the privilege of claiming God as
their Father, the Fatherhood of God was a doctrine strenuously denied by Him. And Paul
never taught the spiritual unity of mankind, but emphasized its division. The fact
that we all sprang from one blood does not make us physical brethren. Far less does it
make men spiritual brethren. God created all. He made all. But this is
infinitely beneath the filial relationship involved in the Fatherhood of God.
CONTINUOUS EXISTENCE
The third article is “Continuous Existence.” We are
assured that this is far from a “new revelation,” that was taught in the
Scriptures long ago. We are told “Paul said, ‘Whether absent or present, I do
always those things that are pleasing in His sight.’” And again, “The words
in Revelation, ‘Let him that is holy be holy still, and let him that is filthy be
filthy still,’ are words that tell us when the end comes here, whether by death or
the coming of the Lord, the life we have settled to is the life in which we shall
continue.” In plain words, there is no resurrection. What need is there for
it? If the Lord comes we will not die, hence cannot be raised. If we die, we will need
neither the resurrection nor the Lord’s coming, for we have “continuous
existence!” And not only is this taught in the Bible but it is confirmed by the
demons! Of course the phrase “continuous existence” really is intended to
convey the idea of uninterrupted consciousness. Now, while a few ambiguous passages
may be wrenched from their context to support such a thought, the Scriptures certainly do
not come out clearly on “continuous existence” like the demons. The demons deny
the resurrection, and they have so deluded Christendom, that it is most unorthodox to
cling to this fundamental of the faith. You cannot hold “continuous existence”
and believe in the resurrection unless you degrade it to an unnecessary excrescence on the
body of divine truth. Those who are alive cannot be raised from the dead. And how
can there be a resurrection of the living?
We
are much indebted to the demons for endorsing this doctrine of the church, for their
declaration ought to be more than ample to brand it as unscriptural, and to warn us of its
seductive nature. We must not expect it to seem unsound. It must appear
right. Let us remember that we have to do with seducing spirits, not flagrant
offenders against religion or morals or decency.
THE COMMUNION OF SPIRITS
We are assured that “the first three articles of Spiritualism
contain nothing new,” but the fourth, “The Communion of Spirits” is
“contrary to the word of God.” Yet there is “one case in the Bible of the
return of a spirit to this world.” “The only case of the return of a disembodied
spirit is that of Samuel.”
Now,
if we examine this closely, we will find that the difference between the orthodox view and
Spiritism is merely a matter of quantity, not of truth. The demons do not affirm that all
do communicate with the dead, but that they can. Now since we are told there is one
example in the Bible where this was actually done, the Bible also teaches that “The
Communion of Spirits” is possible.
As
we hope to have a special article on the Witch of Endor, we will not discuss it at length
here, except to point out that if Samuel was dead, and, while dead, was in communication
with Saul, then this doctrine of the demons is true! In that case, however, it seems a
pity that they have only a single instance to appeal to in all the range of Holy Writ.
Moreover, all those passages which speak of the dead as asleep, and even perished, should
there be no resurrection, must be revised to conform to this declaration of the demons.
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
The fifth Article of the Spiritist’s faith ought to lead no
one astray who has ever known Christ as his Saviour. Notwithstanding this, the strong
insistence on repentance, and works and character, and the prevalence of the probationary
idea, has gradually shifted the burden of salvation from the Sin Bearer to the shoulders
of the sinner. “Responsibility” is a favorite word in theology and religion but
finds no place in the Scriptures. It is interesting to trace back all things to the only
One Who is really responsible — God. But the demons, and men whom they have duped,
relieve Him of all responsibility in His universe and place it on His creatures.
Personal
Responsibility robs us of all the results of Christ’s redemption, repudiates
righteousness and reconciliation, and eclipses grace. Like the self-righteousness of the
maimcision, it is hardly fit to be cast to the dogs. We stand in Christ, having nothing of
our own to mar the effulgence of His favor.
COMPENSATION AND RETRIBUTION HEREAFTER
Concerning this and the succeeding Article of Faith we are told,
“These are not new. Both things are taught in the Scriptures.” Is it not
staggering to read a sermon against Spiritism calmly commending five out of seven
Articles which compose its creed? Where the Scriptural support for “Compensation and
Retribution” is found in the Scriptures is difficult to surmise, unless, as usual, we
are pointed to the speech of Abraham to the rich man. There, indeed, we have some such
doctrine as is here proposed by the demons. In the sixteenth of Luke we have the
Spiritist’s doctrine of Compensation and Retribution succinctly stated. Lazarus had
received his evil things on earth, and in hades he got good things to compensate. The rich
man had received his good things on earth and suffered in flames to level his account.
According to that the poor, the miserable, the diseased, the filthy, are the only ones who
dare to look for ease in the future, and that, not by grace, through Christ, but merely as
a matter of Compensation. The rich, on the other hand, have no hope, even in Christ,
except at the pitiless hand of Retribution. Does it not look as if the Pharisees, (whose
teaching the Lord is presenting in this parable) had imbibed this Article of the doctrine
of the demons in their day? But how anyone who has known God’s grace in Christ can
insist that such a doctrine is taught in the Scriptures passes all comprehension. Suppose
we, who believe, receive only what is our due, what would we get? Nothing! And what
will we get? All things!
Retribution
is a word which is never used in a general way in the Word. The closer we scan God’s
judgments the more we are impressed with their salutary nature. They are always the
precursor of blessing. The dull and dreadful idea of retribution without any fruit but
bitter memories and remorse is foreign to all God’s ways.
So
that we are sure that, for the saints, there is infinitely more than Compensation and for
the sinner He aims at a result far beyond the meaning of mere Retribution.
PATH OF ENDLESS PROGRESSION
This is the final Article in the creed, and we are assured that it
is in perfect harmony with the Bible. No passages are given to support this view. Endless
progression sounds much better than ceaseless imperfection, yet the latter is involved in
the former, for there can be no progress in perfection. When a man is mature, he ceases to
grow. If this is a parable of the growth of the race we can understand something of the
goal put before us in the Scriptures. Man peers into the past and dreams of ceaseless
progress until the present. He tries to pierce the future and sees nothing but a treadmill
where there is “progress” but, as it is endless, it never reaches its goal. He
has no commencement and no completion.
God
has a definite beginning and predestined consummation. He has an object. He
works according to a purpose. There is progress, indeed, but it is not endless. He does
not shoot into the air. His arrow reaches its mark. He does not run aimlessly. He reaches
His goal. And mark, that, in human history, there is a twofold movement, an ebb and a
flow. When man is active there is regress, not progress. The “Path of Endless
Progression” of the demons is trod only by human strength. Their faces are all set to
the rear. Their feet falter and stumble and fall. They should name it the “Road of
Endless Retrogression.”
It
is only when God actively intervenes that there is true progress. He not only recovers man
from his backsliding but draws him on toward the goal which He has in view.
The
progress of man and the goal of God are as diverse as two things can be. Man aims at being
a little god on his own account, irrespective of others. He wants to get. His object is to
be self-sufficient. God wants to give. He is concerned about His creatures. His goal is to
be their All.
In
conclusion, let us press this most important fact: The doctrine taught by the demons is
“orthodox” to an alarming extent. In other words, the seducing spirits are not
confined to so-called “spiritualism.” They have invaded the church and have
succeeded in eclipsing the Scriptures. They substitute their own doctrines for the truth.
Most of the manifestations parading as gifts of the spirit of God are really due to the
obsession of demons. Many of the doctrines set forth in prophetic conferences, as the
unadulterated truth are permeated with the teaching of demons. The people of God of all
denominations are exhorted to stand by these “great truths” “so rejected in
our days,” and “to contend earnestly,” for “fundamental truths,”
some of which are the very doctrines of demons against which they desire to shield the
saints!
A. E. Knoch
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