Isaiah 5:20: Choose Light Over Dark, Part 1

Isaiah 5:20 & 8:19-20: Choose Light Over Dark, Part 1

We need to let the light of Jesus permeate the darkness of our hearts and souls, to completely remove the dark places and replace them with His Light.  We need to quit stubbornly refusing to give up the dark things we know God hates. We need to quit walking with the world and let go of what we know God hates.  Love the light, hate the dark!

(Isaiah 5:20) Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

(Isaiah 8:19-20) And when they shall say unto you, "Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter:" should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

We know that Jesus calls himself the "Light of the World."

(John 8:12) Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  

We also know that, just from observing with our own eyes, that even the smallest flicker of light eliminates the darkness.  In other words, light and dark cannot coexist.  They cannot coexist in the other's space because one will destroy the other's exclusivity.  

(John 11:9-10) Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”  

If Christians claim to walk with Christ, that means that are attempting to live a life in the Light.  There are many areas that could be considered "dark," but today, I am going to focus on just one.  Christians should not compromise in the area of witchcraft. 

Yes, we all know that people who practice witchcraft will not inherit the kingdom of heaven...

(Revelation 21:6-8) He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”  

But I am not just referring to the art of practicing witchcraft.  I am also referring to the compromise of watching movies and reading books filled with magic.  Before anyone thinks I am being self-righteous, I want to make it very clear that I once compromised in this area in a big way.  That is why I am so compelled to warn against it now.  I will admit that I was a huge "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" & "Angel" fan as well as "The Lord of the Rings" being my favorite movie/book trilogy.  I loved fantasy fiction.  I owned the above-mentioned TV shows/movies and watched them all the time.  Whenever I would watch episode after episode, I found myself in a bad mood all the time.  I knew it was because I was allowing demonic influences into my home, but I did not care because those shows were an addiction to me. 

The Bible makes it very clear that we are not to call the dark things of this world light:

(Isaiah 5:20 ) Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 

When we watch movies like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Wicked, The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe, and even so-called innocent children's movies such as Snow White, Moana, Cinderella, Frozen, etc. we open up our hearts and minds for all sorts of evil to walk through our door.

Don't take my word for it:

(Ephesians 6:12) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  

This verse lets us know that angels and demons are very real, and the dark forces of this world will try to influence us.  We must keep up our guard by not allowing the dark into our homes.  These "cute" Disney movies may seem innocent, but anything involving a witch, wizard, incantations, magic wands, potions, telekinesis, telepathy, fortune telling, levitating, demon possession, communing with the dead, false gods, and even certain hand motions should not be allowed in a Christian home.

It was difficult, at first, to throw away all my movies and books that contained any form of witchcraft because I like to be entertained as much as you do, but I knew it was a necessity if I wanted to have peace in my home.  I did not want nightmares or any other negative influences harassing me and especially not my husband.  But I loved God more and wanted to choose His Light! I indeed noticed the peace as soon as they were all gone, and I was able to hear God's voice much more clearly.

Reading tarot cards, playing with Ouija boards, having your palm read, & séances are all things are also extremely dangerous and should be avoided.

(Deuteronomy 18:9-14) “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.  There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.  You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you. 

There is only ONE Light we should follow.
   
(Joshua 24:15) And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, the gods... in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

You cannot serve both light and dark, one cannot love both light and dark.  Choose today whom you will serve.

Here are a few more scriptures on this subject:

(Philippians 4:8-9) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.  

(Philippians 4:8-9) Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  Do all things without complaining and disputing,  that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a  crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. 

(John 1:13) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  

(Galatians 4:16-25) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law [of Moses]. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. 

 (Ezekiel 13:18-23) ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live. “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’”