Demons are real! The devil is real. And our kids our going to interact with demonic things. I say this not to scare anyone. Nor do I wish to encourage anyone to start mixing up a homemade ghost repellent. But we do need to be aware that our kids will encounter demonic things. Our kids will meet up with other kids who own Ouija Boards, who play with tarot cards, and who know people that talk with spirits. As Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Satan and his demons will come after us and our kids.
What do we do? How do we prepare our kids to handle the question, “Do you want to come over and play on my Ouija board?” We look to Jesus. And as we study Jesus’ encounter with the demonic man mention in Mark 5:1-20, we 3 see great principles for interacting with the Satan and demonic activity.
1. Do Not Under Estimate Satan.
Jesus came to seek and to safe the lost. Satan comes to destroy. Even though things like Ouija Boards may seem innocent, we must help our kids understand where these things lead. Look at the man running around the hillside. He was screaming and cutting himself. He had forsaken the town and was living in the tombs. He was cut off from civilization.
If we pursue Satanic things, we will find death. Though tarot cards may seem innocent, we need to help our kids realize that that playing with Satanic things is never good. Though they appear as messengers of light and offer power, demons never lead us to life. They lead only to death and destruction. We must help our kids realize Satan is dangerous and deadly.
2. Trust in Jesus.
Though Satan and his demons are real and possess great power, we serve one greater, Jesus. When he arrives on the scene the man who could not be bound by chains, throws himself at Jesus’s feet begging for mercy. What the town’s people could not do with chains, Jesus does by simply coming. The demons have to submit to the authority of Christ.
When our kids encounter demonic things, we should encourage them to appeal to Jesus. While our kids should not underestimate Satan, they also should not fear him because Jesus is Lord. And all those who follow Christ cannot fall exclusively under Satan’s power. They cannot become demon possessed. God is for us. Satan cannot win.
But our kids do not simply have to run away when others mention the demonic realm. Rather, we should encourage our kids to do what Jesus did. We should encourage our kids to share the gospel. The best way to defeat Satan is not to chant some words while wearing a crucifix. The best way to defeat Satan is to present the Word of God. Jesus saves. And it’s quite possible that your kids may get the opportunity to share Christ because a classmate brings up the subject of a Ouija Board. We should encourage our kids to be quick to avoid Satanic activity and to be quick to proclaim Jesus.
3. Don’t Expect To Be Popular
After Jesus cast out the demons, the towns people come out to see what happened and to see all the dead pigs floating around. And the text records something strange. The people ask Jesus to leave. They people could tolerate a crazed lunatic, but found Jesus scary. If our kids refuse to talk to the dead at a sleep over, they will take some flak. They will be deemed lame. And we must prepare our kids for this reality. We must help them understand that obeying Jesus will not always be popular. But it will always be good. And after all, how can we not obey Jesus? He has far more power than any demon. Instead of playing with allusions of power, we should seek out the one who rules over all principalities and powers. We should trust ourselves to Jesus.
Witkowski Blog 
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