New Age Practice: Asking the right question
Whenever we consider any issue, asking the right question is vitally important. If we ask the wrong question, no matter how finely crafted the answer, it will always be wrong. This is certainly the case when we consider the deception of new age teaching and its infiltration into everyday life. I have to give a warning here. My aim is not to bring anyone into condemnation but rather shed light on what’s really going on and be alert to the tactics of the enemy in using these practices to hold people in bondage. All I would ask is that you be before the Lord about all of this, ask for His light to shine.
It would be easy for this article to descend into a list of do’s and don’ts, or more likely, don’ts and don’ts! This would leave us no better off than modern day pharisees, knowing the letter of the law but completely missing the heart of it. This is where the question is important. The question often asked is, “What can/can’t I do?”. The better question is, “What honours/dishonours God?” When Potipher’s wife was trying to seduce Joseph, his response was not to say directly that it was wrong, nor that it would betray his master, both of which were true. Joseph said, “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”, Genesis 39:9. One of Satan’s tactics is to question God’s motives. This was a major factor in the temptation in the garden, “You will not surely die…God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”, Genesis 3:4-5. Effectively saying, “It’s not that bad, God wants you to miss out.” We all know the outcome! We have free will to choose, but not to determine the consequences of those choices. Paul states, ‘“All things are lawful for me”, but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me”, but I will not be enslaved by anything.’ 1 Corinthians 6:12 (ESV).
We are created spirit, soul and body, 1 Thessalonians 5:23. What happens to one part of our being, impacts the others. I’ve said before that the enemy does not come with a large arrow declaring that he is the enemy, rather, “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
2 Corinthians 11:14. So it is with new age practice, treatments and exercise regimes. They posit themselves as the answer to a plethora of ailments and maladies with little to no reference to their origins or spiritual roots, nor their spiritual impact. There is certainly no reference to sin and the need for our relationship with God to be restored.
It would be easy for this article to descend into a list of do’s and don’ts, or more likely, don’ts and don’ts! This would leave us no better off than modern day pharisees, knowing the letter of the law but completely missing the heart of it. This is where the question is important. The question often asked is, “What can/can’t I do?”. The better question is, “What honours/dishonours God?” When Potipher’s wife was trying to seduce Joseph, his response was not to say directly that it was wrong, nor that it would betray his master, both of which were true. Joseph said, “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”, Genesis 39:9. One of Satan’s tactics is to question God’s motives. This was a major factor in the temptation in the garden, “You will not surely die…God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”, Genesis 3:4-5. Effectively saying, “It’s not that bad, God wants you to miss out.” We all know the outcome! We have free will to choose, but not to determine the consequences of those choices. Paul states, ‘“All things are lawful for me”, but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me”, but I will not be enslaved by anything.’ 1 Corinthians 6:12 (ESV).
We are created spirit, soul and body, 1 Thessalonians 5:23. What happens to one part of our being, impacts the others. I’ve said before that the enemy does not come with a large arrow declaring that he is the enemy, rather, “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
2 Corinthians 11:14. So it is with new age practice, treatments and exercise regimes. They posit themselves as the answer to a plethora of ailments and maladies with little to no reference to their origins or spiritual roots, nor their spiritual impact. There is certainly no reference to sin and the need for our relationship with God to be restored.
Many new age treatments were birthed out of eastern religions, therefore, engaging in their practice puts people under submission to the spiritual authority connected to them, i.e. Satan. To be clear, not every engagement with these practices will result in demonic intrusion, but it certainly makes the person vulnerable to it. Remember the question, “does this honour or dishonour God?” God’s intent is not to deny us but rather save us from the spiritual realities behind these things.
The availability of these practices, and the acceptance of them by some mainstream health bodies (e.g. acupuncture available on NHS and Yoga through social prescribing) is not a validation of the practice. The effectiveness of these techniques in providing some relief from the symptoms is not a validation of the technique. In addition, adding the word “Christian” in the title does not legitimise the regime any more than you can have “Christian Buddhism.” The question is what is going on spiritually?
A casual glance at what is being held in your locality will throw up a multitude of advertisements offering alternative ways to deal with whatever issues you may have, be it stress, pain or ways of improving your wellbeing. Here’s an example, “Dive into guided mindfulness exercises to quiet the mind and cultivate a sense of inner calm. Experience the gentle, healing energy of Reiki, promoting relaxation and balance within the body and mind. Explore guided hypnotic journeys designed to alleviate stress, enhance self-awareness, and foster a deep sense of relaxation.”
Notice that there is no mention of the deep eastern spiritual roots of all of this and the spiritual consequences of engaging with them. The roots of the practices and the beliefs of the practitioners is important to understand. Not all practitioners are fully aware of the roots of what they are engaged in, but nevertheless they still have a spiritual impact.
There is a focus on self-actualisation. You’ll hear terms like unblocking, balancing, harmonising; so what is happening here? The premise is that there is an energy in our bodies. This flows along energy pathways and if they get disrupted this leads to the physical problems that a person is suffering from. This energy has names like chakra, chi, ki, meridians. These practices advocate that by meditation, needles, pressure, massage, stones, crystals, magnets, postures, these pathways can be cleared and the person healed.
The availability of these practices, and the acceptance of them by some mainstream health bodies (e.g. acupuncture available on NHS and Yoga through social prescribing) is not a validation of the practice. The effectiveness of these techniques in providing some relief from the symptoms is not a validation of the technique. In addition, adding the word “Christian” in the title does not legitimise the regime any more than you can have “Christian Buddhism.” The question is what is going on spiritually?
A casual glance at what is being held in your locality will throw up a multitude of advertisements offering alternative ways to deal with whatever issues you may have, be it stress, pain or ways of improving your wellbeing. Here’s an example, “Dive into guided mindfulness exercises to quiet the mind and cultivate a sense of inner calm. Experience the gentle, healing energy of Reiki, promoting relaxation and balance within the body and mind. Explore guided hypnotic journeys designed to alleviate stress, enhance self-awareness, and foster a deep sense of relaxation.”
Notice that there is no mention of the deep eastern spiritual roots of all of this and the spiritual consequences of engaging with them. The roots of the practices and the beliefs of the practitioners is important to understand. Not all practitioners are fully aware of the roots of what they are engaged in, but nevertheless they still have a spiritual impact.
There is a focus on self-actualisation. You’ll hear terms like unblocking, balancing, harmonising; so what is happening here? The premise is that there is an energy in our bodies. This flows along energy pathways and if they get disrupted this leads to the physical problems that a person is suffering from. This energy has names like chakra, chi, ki, meridians. These practices advocate that by meditation, needles, pressure, massage, stones, crystals, magnets, postures, these pathways can be cleared and the person healed.
We are created in God’s image with a spirit, soul, and body, not with energy pathways. The only way to spiritual cleansing and restoration is through confession, repentance and forgiveness. 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
The alternate view of our created being comes from the enemy as he attempts to subvert God’s created order for his own purposes. Denying God’s created order and turning to other spiritual realities opens people up to the spiritual influences that rule over them. These things are not spiritually neutral. Practitioners of one of these alternative therapies/regimes are often involved in others. So, when someone puts themselves under submission to these practitioners, they open themselves up to these other influences as well. This alternative “energy” does have spiritual power, but its root is demonic. Submission to it leads to greater entanglement and bondage. One Facebook post in response to the advert quoted earlier said, “Seeing my late Dad appear from the mirror during the guided meditation and hand me a ball of light was extremely moving and powerful.” This is the insidious nature of these practices and why they are so dangerous.
Not everyone is impacted to the same extent, some are more susceptible than others, however, there is a spiritual cost, and it opens a door.
Let’s consider some specifics.
The alternate view of our created being comes from the enemy as he attempts to subvert God’s created order for his own purposes. Denying God’s created order and turning to other spiritual realities opens people up to the spiritual influences that rule over them. These things are not spiritually neutral. Practitioners of one of these alternative therapies/regimes are often involved in others. So, when someone puts themselves under submission to these practitioners, they open themselves up to these other influences as well. This alternative “energy” does have spiritual power, but its root is demonic. Submission to it leads to greater entanglement and bondage. One Facebook post in response to the advert quoted earlier said, “Seeing my late Dad appear from the mirror during the guided meditation and hand me a ball of light was extremely moving and powerful.” This is the insidious nature of these practices and why they are so dangerous.
Not everyone is impacted to the same extent, some are more susceptible than others, however, there is a spiritual cost, and it opens a door.
Let’s consider some specifics.
Yoga.
The aim of Yoga is to make the body more spiritually receptive. Yoga means “yoking” “to unite”. Yoga is a spiritual act of submission looking to connect to a deity, the universal consciousness. It looks to release the kundalini spirit, which is depicted as a snake, at the base of the spine. Each yoga pose is an act of veneration to the universal consciousness and therefore worship of a false god. Exodus 20:4-5 states, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.” This warns us against elevating the created above the creator and that what we do with our bodies is consequential. That includes the postures that we adopt. That to which we bow, we submit to.
Acupuncture.
A little research reveals that “in Buddhism, the ‘Acupuncture needle’ symbolizes the Buddha’s touch, specifically his revitalization of Ananda’s crown (crown chakra). This metaphor represents the infusion of energy and wisdom, illustrating the transformative power of the Buddha’s teachings.” This demonstrates that the heart of acupuncture is to connect with a spiritual reality outside of God. This is the root foundation of all therapies/treatments that seek to unblock/realign/cleanse the energy flow in the body, such as reflexology, kinesiology and the like. One delegate at the Forge recalled that he had been directed to have kinesiology by his GP. During a ministry time he testified, “I was set free from kinesiology and released from a spirit during the teaching.”
Reki.
Spiritual healing using the palms of the practitioner as a channel of the supposed universal healing energy. Practitioners seek to make practitioners of those they practice on. Again, this has the same demonic root as acupuncture, seeking to rebalance energy pathways. Where it differs is that there is a more overt impartation of spiritual influence from the practitioner into the person being treated. This creates a strong ungodly link between the two, and whatever is influencing the practitioner can take hold of the other.
Pilates.
Joseph Pilates, after which the exercise regime derives its name, studied yoga, martial arts and zen Buddhism. The postures in Pilates are grounded in those in yoga and therefore have the same aim. A question that is often asked is, “what happens if I adopt the pose but I’m just doing it for exercise?” If I were to prostrate myself in church before God that would be an act of worship. If I were to adopt the same position in a mosque, who would I be submitting to? Again, asking the right question here is vitally important. The enemy’s deception is to say, “this is only exercise, it’s only a pose”, the spiritual reality says differently. The question is, “does this honour or dishonour God?” If I want my life to surrender to God’s Lordship it means that I want to do that which honours Him. It’s not that He wants us to miss out, it’s that He knows full well the damage that is done to our spirits, souls and bodies and therefore we should steer well clear. There are plenty of exercises we can do with no connection to anything founded on eastern religion.
Homeopathy.
This is where a substance that causes a particular symptom is heavily diluted, in a process called potentization. It is supposed to release healing of those symptoms in those who take the medication. In many cases there is not a molecule of the original substance in the remedy, but there is said to be the essence of the substance.
It is important to state that this is not an attack on tried and tested medication that have some element of natural ingredients in them. However, this is not what is going on here, rather it is attributing a power to something created that goes beyond its natural properties. The same is true of aromatherapy and crystals. In the case of aromatherapy, it goes beyond being a pleasant smell to being relaxing, de-stressing, calming. These are all inner, spiritual influences. In the case of crystals, it is the resonance that impacts on the inner person. When we engage in these things we are serving that which has been created rather than the Creator and this puts us into bondage.
This is not an exhaustive exposition but rather to highlight how easy it is to be drawn in to the enemy’s deception in saying these things are harmless. A recommended book for a more detailed study is, The dangers of alternative ways of healing by David Cross and John Berry.
We need to be discerning about what we are involved in. Questions we should ask are: What are the underlying principals in the treatment? Who founded the therapy, what were their beliefs? What words or phrases are being used? What is the belief of the practitioner? What else are they involved in?
So, what can we do if we have been involved in any of these practices? I said at the start this was not to bring anyone into condemnation. This is not the unforgivable sin. Jesus stated, from the outset of His ministry, His desire to see people set free and healed, Luke 4:18-19. This was bought at great cost, “By his stripes we are healed”, Isaiah 53:5. “The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin”, 1 John 1:7. The posture of our hearts is the heart of the matter. To confess, repent and forgive. There also may be the need for deliverance.
Let’s seek to honour God in all we do.
The aim of Yoga is to make the body more spiritually receptive. Yoga means “yoking” “to unite”. Yoga is a spiritual act of submission looking to connect to a deity, the universal consciousness. It looks to release the kundalini spirit, which is depicted as a snake, at the base of the spine. Each yoga pose is an act of veneration to the universal consciousness and therefore worship of a false god. Exodus 20:4-5 states, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.” This warns us against elevating the created above the creator and that what we do with our bodies is consequential. That includes the postures that we adopt. That to which we bow, we submit to.
Acupuncture.
A little research reveals that “in Buddhism, the ‘Acupuncture needle’ symbolizes the Buddha’s touch, specifically his revitalization of Ananda’s crown (crown chakra). This metaphor represents the infusion of energy and wisdom, illustrating the transformative power of the Buddha’s teachings.” This demonstrates that the heart of acupuncture is to connect with a spiritual reality outside of God. This is the root foundation of all therapies/treatments that seek to unblock/realign/cleanse the energy flow in the body, such as reflexology, kinesiology and the like. One delegate at the Forge recalled that he had been directed to have kinesiology by his GP. During a ministry time he testified, “I was set free from kinesiology and released from a spirit during the teaching.”
Reki.
Spiritual healing using the palms of the practitioner as a channel of the supposed universal healing energy. Practitioners seek to make practitioners of those they practice on. Again, this has the same demonic root as acupuncture, seeking to rebalance energy pathways. Where it differs is that there is a more overt impartation of spiritual influence from the practitioner into the person being treated. This creates a strong ungodly link between the two, and whatever is influencing the practitioner can take hold of the other.
Pilates.
Joseph Pilates, after which the exercise regime derives its name, studied yoga, martial arts and zen Buddhism. The postures in Pilates are grounded in those in yoga and therefore have the same aim. A question that is often asked is, “what happens if I adopt the pose but I’m just doing it for exercise?” If I were to prostrate myself in church before God that would be an act of worship. If I were to adopt the same position in a mosque, who would I be submitting to? Again, asking the right question here is vitally important. The enemy’s deception is to say, “this is only exercise, it’s only a pose”, the spiritual reality says differently. The question is, “does this honour or dishonour God?” If I want my life to surrender to God’s Lordship it means that I want to do that which honours Him. It’s not that He wants us to miss out, it’s that He knows full well the damage that is done to our spirits, souls and bodies and therefore we should steer well clear. There are plenty of exercises we can do with no connection to anything founded on eastern religion.
Homeopathy.
This is where a substance that causes a particular symptom is heavily diluted, in a process called potentization. It is supposed to release healing of those symptoms in those who take the medication. In many cases there is not a molecule of the original substance in the remedy, but there is said to be the essence of the substance.
It is important to state that this is not an attack on tried and tested medication that have some element of natural ingredients in them. However, this is not what is going on here, rather it is attributing a power to something created that goes beyond its natural properties. The same is true of aromatherapy and crystals. In the case of aromatherapy, it goes beyond being a pleasant smell to being relaxing, de-stressing, calming. These are all inner, spiritual influences. In the case of crystals, it is the resonance that impacts on the inner person. When we engage in these things we are serving that which has been created rather than the Creator and this puts us into bondage.
This is not an exhaustive exposition but rather to highlight how easy it is to be drawn in to the enemy’s deception in saying these things are harmless. A recommended book for a more detailed study is, The dangers of alternative ways of healing by David Cross and John Berry.
We need to be discerning about what we are involved in. Questions we should ask are: What are the underlying principals in the treatment? Who founded the therapy, what were their beliefs? What words or phrases are being used? What is the belief of the practitioner? What else are they involved in?
So, what can we do if we have been involved in any of these practices? I said at the start this was not to bring anyone into condemnation. This is not the unforgivable sin. Jesus stated, from the outset of His ministry, His desire to see people set free and healed, Luke 4:18-19. This was bought at great cost, “By his stripes we are healed”, Isaiah 53:5. “The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin”, 1 John 1:7. The posture of our hearts is the heart of the matter. To confess, repent and forgive. There also may be the need for deliverance.
Let’s seek to honour God in all we do.
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