One lesson I want to get across to you today is that there is really only one thing that opens your life up to demonic attacks, and that is sin. There are multiple sins and activities that encompass that but it is all sin. If you have a demon and are under attack, it is because there is sin. It could be you, someone in the family with spiritual authority over you, an extended family member or an ancestor committed sin. If you are tormented by the devil, it is because of sin. It is not any more complicated than that. Sin is the reason people suffer. Sin is the reason people fall into demonic bondage.

So what are the sins that cause this to happen? At this point, you might expect me to say sorcery or magic, witchcraft, New Age, Buddhism and that is all true but those are very general categories. I want to be specific with you about the sin that opens the door to demons.

Seven Deadly Sins

“If you don’t understand history, then you will be forced to repeat its evils.” – George Santayana

So what has been traditionally and historically classed as soul-damning? There are what have been classified as the seven deadly sins. These are the historic vices that the teachings of classic Christianity has recognized.

• Pride
• Greed
• Wrath
• Envy
• Lust
• Gluttony
• Sloth (Laziness)

Modern-day Christianity doesn’t seem to think in terms of these as being the definition of evil because we have more contemporary ways of explaining sin.

Vagrius Ponticus, 4th Century Monk was the originator of the list, which was later codified by Pope Gregory as the main way the Church should identify sin. Through the work of other notable thinkers like Thomas Aquinas, the idea of seven deadly sins thereafter became the framework of Christian thinking. It is good to have a measureable mark to know things that we should not do, as Christians.

Six Things God Hates

If you look in the Bible, the book of Proverbs identifies six simple things that God hates.

” These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” – Proverbs 6:16

In our walk with the Lord, while we should do all we can to walk circumspect, knowing that the times are evil, we should not forget the fundamental scripturally outlined things that are just as dangerous in opening one’s life up to the devil. Let us look at the list in the book of Proverbs in detail. I want you to be able to guage where you stand in your walk with the Lord in terms of scriptural integrity that allows God to use you.

A Proud Look

This describes someone who is haughty or looks down on others. They think of themselves more highly; we may call them narcissists. You might think that is not you but have you ever thought of yourself as better than another Christian? Pride is such a detestable sin to God that in 2 Corinthians, Apostle Paul was even given a thorn in the flesh to keep him from becoming proud.

A Lying Tongue

This means you speak a falsehood with the deliberate intent to deceive. This clearly denotes intentionality and purpose to the lie; you are out to deceive. A lying tongue deliberately impunes the character of another person and flatters disingenuously. There is nothing more like the devil than a lying tongue(John 8:44).

Hands That Shed Innocent Blood

We call it cold-blooded murder. But this does not only include wielding a weapon and taking a life. Jesus said in Matthew 5 that anyone who was unreasonably angry with someone and offers no room for forgiveness, commits a sin equivalent to murder (1 John 3:15).

A Heart That Devises Wicked Plans

What might instantly come to mind here is a terrorist or a hitman. But having a wicked plan is simply thinking about how you can bring hurt or harm to someone else. It is very sinister. King David did this to get rid of Uriah the Hittite, so he could have Bathsheeba, Uriah’s wife.

Feet That Are Swift In Running To Evil

This describes someone who acts on impulse all the time. Like Eve in the Garden of Eden, they don’t think their actions through and show very little resistance to temptation. The moment the sin showed itself, the responded. That is running quickly to evil. Contrast that with Jesus. He was hungry after 40 days and 40 nights fasting in the wilderness but when the temptation came to turn stones into bread, He didn’t yield to it. Be careful about responding or acting quickly because sins aren’t usually things that you mentally process. People who are driven by desire without thinking about the consequences are overcome by the spirit behind this sin.

A False Witness Who Speaks Lies

This has similarities but is different from a lying tongue. In this case, the lie is against an innocent person.

One Who Sows Discord Among The Brethren

Psalm 133:1 is one of many scriptures that tell us Christians are to live in unity with one another. Despite our differences, we have one Father. This becomes sin when it purposely disrupts the body of Christ. We are called to be peacemakers and thus be sons of God, according to Matthew 5 but it is the very spirit of lucifer whose objective it is to divide and conquer. It’s number one aim is to destroy and disrupt the church of Christ. Beware of discord among the brethren.

Cravings Of The Flesh

We have considered these blatant sins that make a person susceptible to demonic invasion. However, there is a more general way in which sin operates.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.” – 1 John 2:15-16

The three elements described here all make you a vulnerable target to the devil: The cravings of the body, wanting whatever you see, and the pride of life.

The Devil’s Two Basic Strategies

Though our wily foe has many methods at his disposal, his whole strategy to attack people boils down to two things: intention and opportunity. Demonic occupation by intention is when satan has a specific plan to attack and the door to evil in your life is open by willing cooperation on your behalf. In other words, we intentionally make ourselves vulnarable to the enemy. The fact that there is a curse against your family isn’t sin but when you fixate on it, and feed it, you open the door for attacks.

The other way demons attack is very clever, and it is by opportunity. That means they detect the weakness in your life and seemingly randomly exploit it. Not everything is intricately planned by the devil to present temptation. He simply observes the things that happen, and when he sees a potential opportunity, he seizes it.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to be in the world and not of the world. The Bible encourages us therefore to be watchful and prayerful. If this excerpt has touched you and you want to receive prayer over an area in this sermon, click the link below.

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