Vile Things
As I mature in my walk with Christ, I’ve let go of a lot of things. I don’t listen to the music that I used to listen to. I don’t go out drinking. I have stopped watching certain TV shows. But, I never really considered the YouTube videos I was watching. I’ve always been interested in strange and scary things. I thought listening to the scary stories was pretty harmless because they are just stories of human nature. However, they were desensitizing me to the vile things going on in the spirit world.
I was listening to what I consider harmless stories, but some of the stories were becoming extremely unsettling. I started listening to stories on another channel I’d found thinking it was similar to my first. But this one was so is much more disturbing and dark. I found it hard to sleep and I had disturbing thoughts for most of the night. Prior to this, I was sleeping pretty well. It had taken years to get to the point where I could just go to bed and fell asleep. I wondered what brought this on. I prayed to God asking Him “Why am I going back to my old pattern of sleeping?” He let me know that it was the videos that I was carelessly listening to while I worked. I was feeding on demonic activity; vile things.
Do Not Look on Anything Vile
Those stories included things done by people who were clearly led by evil. I was feeding my mind with this instead of feeding my mind with the word of God. Don’t be fooled by what you think are harmless stories. On the surface, they just seem like fun spooky things happening to other people. But in reality, the things being said are clearly evil and sometimes demonic in nature.
I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.
Psalm 101:3 (NIV)
There is a saying about food that goes, “You are with you what you eat.” The same is true for the spirit realm. You are what you allow into your mind. If you fill your physical body with junk, you will become sick. If you fill your mind with junk, your mind and spirit will become sick.
After being shown what was causing my problems, I spent the morning listening to sermons and uplifting videos from Christians who spoke the Word. That night, I prayed to God that I would have no more issues sleeping, no more bad thoughts and I, again, repented of my sins. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. That was the best night’s sleep I’d had in a while, even better than before I started watching the videos.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Matthew 6:22-23 (ESV)
Keep Yourself Healthy
If you want to keep your body healthy, you fill it with healthy things. If you want to keep your spirit healthy, you need to fill it with healthy things. Fill it with the word of God. Hide it in your heart. Speak Life into your day every day. Do not allow the devil to got a foothold because he will quickly take hold of everything he can. He is the father of lies and knows how to make something look good or innocent on the surface.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11 (NIV)
Spend the beginning of your day with God. Listen to His word as you prepare for your day. Fill your body with good food and your mind and spirit with His power. Avoid vile things. They serve only to rob you of your peace and joy.