Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 08110 Martial arts encompass a vast range of disciplines with very different histories, philosophies, and purposes. The question of whether they are spiritually dangerous cannot be answered with a blanket statement, because the category includes everything from Olympic judo and boxing to practices deeply embedded in Eastern religious philosophy. A biblically informed answer requires…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 08106 Fear of the demonic is something many Christians experience, and it ranges from a mild unease about the unseen spiritual world to a paralysing anxiety that Satan or his agents might harm them, their families, or their spiritual lives. The question of whether believers should be afraid of Satan and demons is one…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 08107 Few things stir parental concern more deeply than the thought that their children might be vulnerable to spiritual attack. The instinct to protect is God-given, and Scripture does not dismiss the reality of spiritual opposition. But the question of how to protect children from spiritual attack requires careful biblical thinking, because the answers…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08104 This question arises frequently in Christian circles, particularly where the influence of charismatic and deliverance ministry culture is strong. It is a question that requires careful biblical thinking, because the answer has significant pastoral consequences. If genuine Christians can have demons that need to be cast out, then the church needs a deliverance…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08105 Deliverance ministry occupies a prominent place in certain charismatic and Pentecostal circles, often presented with the expectation that dramatic results should follow dramatic prayers. When nothing visible seems to happen, the person seeking help can be left confused, discouraged, or burdened with the suggestion that their own faith was insufficient. The question of…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 08101 This question comes up frequently in pastoral conversations, and it deserves a careful answer that avoids both the extremes of dismissive indifference and superstitious overreaction. The Bible does not address horror films directly, because the modern entertainment industry did not exist in the biblical world. What Scripture does address are the principles that…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 08102 The question of whether Christians should read books about demons and the occult requires a distinction that is often overlooked: there is a significant difference between reading about the occult in order to understand and resist it, and reading occult material out of curiosity, fascination, or a desire for forbidden knowledge. Scripture addresses…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08100 If marriage and family are high-value targets for the enemy, the local church is the highest-value target of all. The church is the body of Christ on earth (1 Corinthians 12:27), the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16), and the pillar and buttress of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). A healthy,…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08098 Marriage is one of the most significant institutions God has established, and it should come as no surprise that it is also one of the enemy’s primary targets. The union of husband and wife reflects the relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32), which means that every healthy Christian marriage is, in…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08099 The family, like marriage, is a creation ordinance established before the Fall and central to God’s purposes in the world. God chose to structure human life around families, and the patterns of faith transmission, moral formation, and relational security that healthy families provide are irreplaceable. It follows that the family is a high-value…