Some things in our culture may be neutral for the believer, but others are the devil’s weaponry.
It was not enough, said the Lord, to destroy the Canaanite idols, nor to remove the groves and high places where the false gods were worshipped. In Deuteronomy 14, He also warned that customs and rituals associated with what was in fact demon worship must also be eradicated. “You are the children of the Lord your God,” the chapter begins, and such a remarkable link with the Supreme One should show itself in behavior becoming of those in heaven’s royal family. It seems the Canaanites ritually cut themselves and shaved the front of their heads for the dead (v 1). This was not to be practiced by God’s people because it provided a return route to the paganism from which they had been delivered. This is a warning to us today as well. We must be careful that the world’s practices are not thoughtlessly introduced into our homes, making a descent into idolatry easier for our children. Mothers are called “keepers at home” (Titus 2:5, KJV), and the Greek word oikouros means “a guard at home.” The keep, an old English term, was the strongest portion of a fortified castle, a secure tower within the walls, the place of last resort in time of attack. Certainly the Christian home is under siege today, and parents must be aware of the enemy’s tactics, even through children’s books and cartoons. And as far as adults are concerned, we shouldn’t be naive. Although native death masks were to facilitate communication with the dead, many moderns find them interesting wall art. So it is the case with Egyptian scarab jewelry, West Coast totems, and dream catchers. We should hardly have to speak against horoscopes, fortune tellers, tarot cards, Ouija boards, and the like. It’s a dangerous world out there! Beware!