1. Spiritual Warfare
Robert D. Patton
Missionary to Suriname
Baptist World Mission

2. What are some of the doors
we open to evil spirits
 Witchcraft
 Family spirits
 False teaching
 Bitterness
 Pride
 Rebellion
 Sexual issues
 Anger, resentment, etc.

3. This list may be representative
rather than comprehensive
 I found this list used by Neil Anderson dealing
with persons in the USA
 I translated and modified the areas to make
them appropriate for the Bush Negro culture
in Suriname
 But each culture has its own specific areas of
focus. Furthermore, there is a difference
between formal religion and folk religion

4. Eliminating ground given to
evil spirits
 As mentioned above, 40% of the world
has a basic animistic worldview.
Furthermore, virtually all of the major
religions of the world have had
influence from and belief in evil spirits.
 Though there are differences in details,
many of the generalities of the folk
religion are the same

5. Witchcraft – a common open
door
 Any sort of witchcraft, in which we open
ourselves to worship the creature more
than the creator, can open the door to
evil spirits and give them ground in our
lives
 Direct satanic worship, offerings, etc.
 Worship of idols – think of Buddha,
Hindu temples, etc.

6. Open door #1 Witchcraft
 Remember that lust for things is as the
sin of witchcraft (covetousness)
 Contact with evil spirits – seances, etc.
 Amulets to protect ourselves – think of
medals that have been blessed, etc.
 Bowing before any object – think of the
wafer of the Catholic church, for
example

7. Door #1 - Witchcraft
 Usually we are seeking secret “occult”
information or power, but satan does
not know the future, and his power is
derived power permitted by God
 Now all power is ultimately in the hands
of Jesus, who lives in the believer.
Furthermore, God knows the future. So
give yourself to God, not spirits

8. The Bush-Negro culture has
much witchcraft
 Often the woman when pregnant will
make contact directly with the
witchdoctor. If she has trouble getting
pregnant, she will go sooner
 She may make further contact and do
certain things during the pregnancy

9. Bush-Negro culture
 After delivery: “poeroe da pikin na doro”
– the child is introduced to the spirits,
including dead ancestors, etc
 Marks to protect against the evil eye
 Amulets to protect early in childhood
 Witchcraft for any sickness

10. Bush-Negro culture
 Using
 Amulets around the body
 Wearing jewelry which has been “blessed”
 Burying witchcraft items in the ground near
the house
 Putting things over the door, or on the path
to the garden

11. Bush-Negro culture
 “Washing” to come clean with witchcraft
items, especially New Year
 Using white clay “Pimba doti” over the
body
 Burial ceremonies which have much
witchcraft in them

12. Open doors #2 – Family
 Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before
me. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any
graven image, or any likeness of any thing that
is in heaven above, or that is in the water under
the earth, 5. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to
them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the sinners
upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate Mi; 6. And showing
mercy unto thousands that love Me, and keep My
commandments.

13. Open doors #2 – Family
 See Numbers 14:18[18] The LORD is longsuffering, and
of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and
by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation.
 Deut. 5:[8] Thou shalt not make thee any graven image,
or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or
that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters
beneath the earth:[9] Thou shalt not bow down thyself
unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children unto the third and fourth generation of them that
hate me

14. Generational sins
 When I participate in witchcraft, I can
adversely influence my family to the
fourth generation.
 My family to the fourth generation can
influence me as well.
 This statement is mentioned repeatedly
in the Old Testament.

15. Generational sins - Nehemiah
confesses sins of his fathers
 Nehemiah 9:[16] But they and our fathers
dealt proudly, and hardened their necks,
and hearkened not to thy commandments,
…[34] Neither have our kings, our princes,
our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law,
nor hearkened unto thy commandments
and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst
testify against them.

16. Generational sins – Daniel’s
confession
 Daniel 9:[6] Neither have we hearkened unto thy
servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to
our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the
people of the land.[7] O Lord, righteousness
belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces,
as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are
near, and that are far off, through all the countries
whither thou hast driven them, because of their
trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

17. Generational sins - Daniel
 Daniel 9:[8] O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of
face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers,
because we have sinned against thee.[9] To the Lord
our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though
we have rebelled against him

18. Generational sins
 This is apparently the basis foe the hold
of the evil spirits on many of our people
in Suriname….
 But this can be broken
 Any oaths
 Any witchcraft
 To the 4th
generation – ourselves, parents,
grandparents, and parents of grandparents

19. What we see in our Bush
Negroes in Suriname
 Again – these things effect the children too…
 They go to a “medicine person” while
pregnant
 They “introduce” the child to the spirits of the
ancestors a week after birth
 They put a blue mark on the child to protect
against an “evil eye”
 They tie amulets around the child from birth

20. What we see in Suriname
 They go to a witch doctor with sicknesses
 They wear amulets for protection
 They have family rituals “washing with certain
plants” to help cleanse them from sins
 They rub white clay over their skins
 They have all sorts of ceremonies for the
dead spirits at death, and expect all the family
to participate.

21. False teachings
 Accepting false doctrine can open doors through the
“doctrine of demons”
 I Tim. 4:Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed
to seducing spirits, and doctrine of devils, 2. Speaking lies
in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron; 3. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to
abstain from meats, which God hath created to be
received with thanksgiving of them which believe and
know the truth.
 False teachings need to be renounced and confessed

22. Open door #3 False
teachings in such religions
as…
 Roman Catholicism
 Worship of Maria
 Worship of the saints
 Use of idols, rosary
 Belief in sacramental salvation
 Hinduism
 Worship of many many gods
 Offerings to idols, etc.

23. Open door #3 False
teachings in such religions
as…
 Buddhism
 Worship of idols
 Demonic involvement - as in lamaism, etc
 Islam
 Folk religion
 The kaaba, enz.

24. Open door #3 False
teachings in such religions
as…
 “Christian cults” such as
 Mormonism

Baptism for the dead

Denial of deity of Christ, etc.
 Jehovah’s Witnesses

Denial of the deity of Christ

Denial of the trinity

Denial of hel

Placing the writings of the Watchtower organization
too high, etc

25. Dealing with false teaching
 Removal of objects associated with the
religion – idols, amulets, etc.
 Renunciation of false teachings
 Separation from false teachers

26. Sexual immorality
 I believe that this works through the one
flesh relationship.Any evil spirits
affecting one of the partners can
apparently spread to the other
 Sexual immorality plays an important
role in satanic worship. Found in Baal-
Peor where the Israelite men committed
fornication with Moabite women

27. Sexual immorality
 Numbers 25:[1] And Israel abode in Shittim,
and the people began to commit whoredom
with the daughters of Moab.[2] And they
called the people unto the sacrifices of their
gods: and the people did eat, and bowed
down to their gods.[3] And Israel joined
himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the
LORD was kindled against Israel.

28. Sexual immorality
 It is condemned in Revelation 2-3 in the
message to the churches:
 Pergamon: Rev. 2:[14] But I have a few
things against thee, because thou hast there
them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who
taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before
the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed
unto idols, and to commit fornication.

29. Churches with immorality
 Thyatira: Rev. 2:[20] Notwithstanding I
have a few things against thee,
because thou sufferest that woman
Jezebel, which calleth herself a
prophetess, to teach and to seduce my
servants to commit fornication, and to
eat things sacrificed unto idols.[21] And
I gave her space to repent of her
fornication; and she repented not.

30. Rebellion against God-given
authority
 I Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath
the Lord as great delight in burnt-
offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying
the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey
is better than sacrifice, and to hearken
than the fat of rams. 23. For rebellion
is as the sin of witchcraft, and
stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry.

31. Rebellion
 Saul ended up
 Oppressed by an evil spirit
 Trying to kill the anointed of God
 Consulting a medium
 He and his sons were killed by the
Philistines

32. Pride
 I Tim. 3:7 Moreover, he must have a good
report of them which are without; lest he fall
into reproach and the snare of the devil.
 James 4:6 But he giveth more grace.
Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the
proud, and giveth grace unto the humble
 I Peter 5:5b Yea, all of you be subject to one
another, and be clothed with humility, for
God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace
to the humble.

33. Peter opened the door
 Peter joined in boasting about who
would be the greatest of the disciples
 Satan wanted to sift him as wheat
 Jesus prayed for him
 Peter slept during Christ’s prayer
 Peter ended up denying that he even
knew Christ

34. Bitterness
 Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any
man fail of the grace of God; lest any root
of bitterness springing up trouble you, and
thereby many be defiled.
 Bitterness ties us to the person who we
resent
 We need to forgive – not primarily for them,
but for us to become free

35. Bitterness – often the number
one door in Christians
 My father-in-law, a Christian psychiatrist,
found 50% of Christians in churches admitted
to long-standing bitterness & resentment
 Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit
of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day
of redemption. 31. Let all bitterness, and
wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil
speaking be put away from you, with all
malice, 31. And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

36. Anger, wrath
 Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin
not; let not the sun go down upon your
wrath; 27. Neither give place to the
devil.
 Normally, we sin when we feel that our
personal rights have been violated, and
we can give place to the devil…

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Spiritual Warfare
Robert D. Patton
Missionary to Suriname
Baptist World Mission

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