Part Four of Four

Whew. Part Four. Last one of this study.

If you haven’t done so already, you can read Parts One, Two, and Three before proceeding.

With the Spirit’s help, we are going to look at the spiritual warfare we open ourselves, and our lives, up to by participating in yoga and other pagan practices.

But, praise God, that’s not it! We also look at someOne who makes himself known and walks with us every moment of every day, that can save us from spiritual attacks; equipping us with tools and power that gives us victory over every battle of warfare.

The Devil Always Creates a Counterfeit

Incorporating pagan rituals or practices in our lives opens doors for the enemy to wreck havoc, whether you realize it or not.

The enemy is cunning, and is always seeking a way to devour God’s people through a weak point of entry.

If we don’t study God’s word for its Truth, and test it against what other people are saying, the enemy has a door of opportunity to deceive and twist our understanding.

If we don’t belong to Christ, our lives are a playground for the enemy to manipulate.

If we deny or ignore the reality of spiritual warfare, our lives become a playground for spiritual warfare on our minds, body, homes, and families.

If our ancestors of one, two or three generations past dabbled in sinful behaviors, we may very well be demonized by chains of demonic activity today.

The devil sets himself up as a counterfeit to the Almighty God, and he creates counterfeit religions and practices, like yoga, that mimic the Truth of God’s Word. He likes to deceive with cunning and attractive experiences, promising freedom but only ensnares you and your family. He likes to counterfeit the filling of the Holy Spirit with emotional, self-created spiritual experiences, like the Kundalini Awakening, making you think you’ve met the holy one.

The devil also tries to make you doubt your real, genuine, born-again experience with Jesus Christ was a fake one after you have chosen to leave the ways of darkness and walk in the light.

The Apostle Paul told us in Ephesians 4:27 that we are to “leave no room or foothold for the devil…giving him zero opportunity to operate in your life.”

Now, I must clarify here- when it says “operate” in your life, it doesn’t just mean possession.

A person can be possessed by an evil spirit, but that means they have zero control of their will. But more often than possession, there is oppression of evil spirit(s). The difference here is when a person is oppressed by an evil spirit, it causes calamity or troubles in a particular area in an individual’s life, but the person still has control over their will.

I don’t believe a true, born-again follower of Christ can be possessed, but I do believe they can be oppressed. And I do believe there can be demons who afflicted ancestors in the past who continue to afflict generations of family members until that yoke of bondage is renounced and broken, in Jesus’ name.

As Christ-followers, when you step out from under the umbrella of ignorance and see yoga for what it truly is, and choose to continue to participate in it, you are opening doors for the enemy to operate. More specifically, I believe you are opening doors for a spirit of infirmity, familiar spirit, seducing spirit, or anti-Christ spirit to enter an area of your life, stunting your growth in the Lord your God.

How Do Doors Open?

This is a great topic to discuss with fellow mature brothers and sisters in Christ, but for the sake of this conversation about yoga specifically, I want to remain focused.

Believe it or not, ignorance can leave parts of your life open for afflictions from the enemy. The Apostle Paul warns believers six times in his writings to “not be ignorant” concerning the Word of God.

If you have read this far, you can no longer claim ignorance about the truth of yoga and its practices. But don’t be disheartened if you were once a participant or teacher of yoga!

Praise be to God, when we walk out from under the counterfeits of darkness and in to the light of God’s Truth, He meets us there with open arms. He leads us into righteousness with the repentance of our sins and a commitment to walk in holiness.

There is Forgiveness at the Cross

Praise God! He is a forgiving and merciful Father.

Perhaps you’ve participated in yoga for years, or maybe you even taught it, but want to turn away from your ignorance and repent. God is near.

Let’s go to His Word for what to do…

1. Put on your armor [Ephesians 6:10-13]
   • No need to pity yourself or be down on yourself (that’s what the enemy would want). Recognize your enemy and confess how he has deceived you or manipulated your ignorance to believe a counterfeit of God’s Word. Repent and dissociate with yoga.
   • “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil (and his cunning blinders), and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
2. By faith, allow the Lord to open your spiritual eyes and soul to receive the Truth of His Word as you seek Him daily and grow in the things of the Lord as a follower of Jesus Christ.
3. Choose His will, not yours.
   • What I mean by this is, while God is all-powerful and can do what he chooses, he still gives us a choice; just like in ancient days when he gave the Israelites a choice. God can only do what we submit to him to move through. He is a gentleman, waiting for an invitation from you to move in your life. He isn’t going to impose or force you to believe in Him. He desires to have you as a child in the Kingdom of Heaven, but he lets you send an invitation first.
   • Read Romans 13:12-14. God doesn’t do everything to change our life. There is an active participation on our behalf to choose each day whom we will serve. Will we “cast off the works of darkness” and “put on the armor of light?” Will we walk honestly, seeking righteousness according to God’s provision?
4. Surround yourself with Christ-followers
   • Time and again, God’s Holy Scriptures tell us to surround ourselves with Godly, Christ-following people:
     • “Bad company ruins good morals” [1 Corinthians 15:33]
     • “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” [Proverbs 13:20]
     • “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” [Proverbs 27:17]
     • “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers…” [Psalm 1:1]
     • “Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” [Hebrews 10:25]
     • “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” [Proverbs 11:14]
     • “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today’, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” [Hebrews 3:13]
     • “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” [Isaiah 41:10]
     • “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” [2 Corinthians 6:14]
     • “It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For as the cackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.” [Ecclesiastes 7:5-6]
     • “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” [Proverbs 12:26]

Remember, brothers and sisters in Christ, “though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: [For weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;] casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” [2 Corinthians 10:3-5]

Spiritual Awakening Counterfeit vs. the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Unlike yoga, which teaches one to reach within themselves and crucify their troubles in order to achieve peace; our Heavenly Father has already provided a way to lay all our troubles down at His son’s feet so that we may receive and bask in the peace of our Creator.

Unlike yoga, which teaches one to reach within themselves and crucify their troubles in order to achieve peace; our Heavenly Father has already provided a way to lay all our troubles down at His son’s feet so that we may receive and bask in the peace of our Creator.

Yoga wants you to clear your mind, God says through His Word that He wants you to fill your mind with the Truth of His Word.

Yoga teaches a man-centered religion that mistakenly believes it can solve the problems of man, independent of God. Whereas Jesus, God incarnate, says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light. No one comes to the Father except through me.” [John 14:6]

Again, I seek not to condemn anyone reading this. Being a teacher of His Word, I cannot look past the reality that God’s Word is in contradiction to my fellow brothers and sisters who say yoga is permissible for followers of Christ to participate in.

I humbly realize Titus 3:3 is also speaking to me/about me when I read, “we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another…”

While I may not have had bondages in my life from participating in yoga, I have been foolish in promiscuity, drunkenness, idolatry, and envy, and have had to repent of those, receiving a new spirit within me; the Spirit of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

BUT…big but here…

“when the kindness and the love of God our [my] Savior toward man [and me] appeared, not by works of righteousness which we [I] have done, but according to His mercy He saved us [me], through the working of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us [me] abundantly through Jesus Christ our [my] Savior, that having been justified by His grace we [I] should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life…”

We must be prepared to speak the Truth to each other and not just gather around us those that tell us what we want to hear, when we want to hear it.

As Titus 3:8 says, “those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.” But also remember, faith supersedes works. Faith alone, without works, is dead. [James 2:17]

Salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us…

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to “preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching…” [2 Timothy 4:2]

“In all things, show yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned.”

Salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” [Titus 2:11-14]

We have all been given the choice to choose who, what, and how we believe. God knows the heart of every man and in the appropriate time, will awaken your mind to the Truth of His Word. It may be now, it could be in twenty years.

Regardless, as a follower of Christ, I am encouraged to speak Truth, exhort, and rebuke with all authority, and to let no one despise me for it. [Titus 2:15] He does the rest in due time. 

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After following me through this study, what revelations or convictions did you receive? Do you believe Yoga is still permissible and beneficial for Christ followers?