Polaroid vision

 Mark looked into the eyes of Christine who was sitting across from him on a swing in the park. The sun was hot so the two teenagers moved under the shade of a large elm tree to escape the fierce summer heat. Mark looked around before he filled his pipe with some hybrid marijuana he had purchased from a local cannabis dispensary which had been laced  with something.

Soon after the drugs began to take effect both of the teenager’s hearts began to race as they began to see and feel things that had been veiled from their perception just minutes before. They had opened a gateway into a spiritual realm between this material world and a higher spiritual dimension in which their normal physical eyes couldn’t see. As the drugs took effect, Mark felt the stress and tension of school and living with parents begin to fade, his vision  blurred and he began to see into a new world between the shadows.

Mark tried to remember what it was his mom had told him earlier this morning but his mind was wandering and becoming more and more out-of focus. It was like an image from a Polaroid camera but only in reverse where the once clear picture began dissolving as it lost its visual acuity and became blurry. Mark had inadvertently opened a gateway into the spirit world and now his mind was the target to a whole host of negative input from the spirit world.

From this higher plane of existence Malus watched the teens as they felt the effect of the drugs intensify. He began to put lustful thoughts into Mark’s mind and pushed him to act upon them. Malus had been assigned to attack and devastate Mark’s family life. He was a mighty demon from the sixth ream of Lucent, who had already been successful at driving a wedge between Mark and his parents. Mark’s parents had been worried about him ever since they noticed him beginning to withdraw from a once productive life.

Malus was able to exist in Marks’s life and influence him because of the gateway that Mark had opened up into his world. The demon was a detestable, hideous creature that rather enjoyed causing pain to God’s creations and loved to visit the physical world as often as naïve humans would let it in. Once in, he had only to influence the teen’s thoughts by merely speaking into his mind. As the drug continued to be absorbed into his system, Mark began to become aware of the demon’s presence.

A few days earlier, while under the influence, Christine had stolen several video games from a local electronics store. After leaving the store she stopped for coffee as another demon coaxed her to take out a pack of Tarot cards she had ordered from an on line bookstore. Christine was fascinated by colorful pictures on the cards and was strangely drawn to them. It was almost as if they called to her and she began to listen each time she turned one over. 

Unfortunately, Christine couldn’t sense the demon as it intentionally pushed several cards out of the deck where they fell face side up in front of her. Intrigued she began to assign random meanings to their order. Strange thoughts began tumbling into her consciousness but little did she know that the demon was choreographing the whole event by whispering several words into her ear.

The sun was setting below a hill behind the park as almost six hours had vanished from Mark and Christine’s’ day. Now, the teens were having a hard time just standing up and when they tried to speak only gibberish came out. This lack of coherent speech frightened Christine who bolted out into the street. Her shortsightedness led her into the path of an oncoming distracted driver who looking up at the last second didn’t have time to hit his brakes.

So, while this story is totally fictional, it illustrates what can happen when we do things that open gateways into the spiritual world. God warns us not to speak, conjure or have anything to do with the spirit realm. The reason is a simple; we are not yet equipped to navigate there. God is protecting us by warning us to tune into Him in this physical realm and walk with Him here.

We must first believe that there is a spiritual realm out there and that both good and evil inhabits it. God inspired Paul to write “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.” Take heed to stay clear of things which might open a gateway into the spiritual world.

Put on your armor! Ephesians 5