July 28th
“For the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.” Deuteronomy 23:14 NKJV
Keeping a “clean camp” is a sensible thing to do if we’re trying to live for God and avoid sin. Through the miracle of the cross, God walks with us via the Holy Spirit similar to how he walked with the Israelites. The Spirit empowers us to overcome our enemies (sin, evil spirits, etc.). If we allow “unclean things” to be in our homes, we risk quenching (putting out the fire) of the Holy Spirit. When this happens, our relationship with God will be hindered and we’re likely to feel spiritually powerless against our adversaries.
There are many things that could fall into the category of unclean things. Some of the obvious examples include pornography in all its forms and objects linked to the occult. Having such things in our homes dishonors God, provides an opportunity for sin and gives footholds to evil powers to oppress us.
If we’re trying to break free of an addiction, the devil looks especially hard for any foothold to exploit in order to keep us enslaved to sin. God wants us to be smart about what we bring into our homes. Consider what he told the Israelites: “Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction” (Deuteronomy 7: 26 NIV). We, as followers of God, want to ensure that we aren’t harboring detestable things in our homes.
Here are some questions to help us determine if something should be removed:
Does it have any connection with a religion other than Christianity?
Does it involve seeking (or using) knowledge or power from a source other than God?
Is it an object of devotion or worship; has it become an idol to us?
Does it cause us to sin in any way?
If the answer is “yes” to any of the above, then please consider getting rid of the object. Don’t allow the object’s monetary value or the temptation to give (or sell) it prevent you from destroying it. If you give or sell it to someone else, you could be helping them fall into sin. Your sacrificial destruction of the object will be a pleasing offering to God. An example of this is found in Acts 19:18-19, where the new believers sacrificed their occult (magic & sorcery) books, valuing approximately $9,300.
Some examples of occult objects found in Christian homes: Book of Mormon, the Koran, the Cabala, Jehovah’s Witness’s literature, good luck charms, New Age crystals, Indian dream catchers, Buddha statues, Tarot Cards, Ouija boards, videos & video games depicting magic & sorcery, porn videos, fantasy novels involving magic & sorcery, Harry Potter materials, tourist trinkets w/religious themes, Masonic rings, horoscopes, role-playing games (like Dungeon’s & Dragons). Each of these could be serving as a foothold for oppression of you and your family. As you look around your home for such objects, ask God to sharpen your spiritual vision to see anything that needs to go.
For more information concerning the occult, see our pages:
Questions for further thought:
How is living for Christ an ongoing battle in “spiritual warfare”?
How did Achan’s sin of keeping detestable objects affect the Israelites in battle? (Joshua 7:11-13)
How had Simon’s occult activity kept him bound in sin even after he placed faith in Christ? (Acts 8:9-24)
Prayer:
“Lord God, please reveal to me any “unclean” things that I have that need to be removed from my home. If I or my family has brought anything detestable into my home, please forgive me/us for this and show me the best course of action to take. Please give me wisdom and guidance in making my home a holy place where you are honored. Thank you for being my God and accompanying me into spiritual battle. Thank you for giving me power to put my sinful desires to death through the Holy Spirit. I praise you now and forever, Amen.”