This Month's Newsletter

Secret Place Part 10: Hindrances to the flow of Grace...resisting the spirit of "Pharmakia"

Pastor Don Nicely's Newsletter for November 2008

Today in America the widespread use of drugs and narcotics has become the cancer that is devastating our nation. Drugs are related to almost every evil or criminal activity in our society. Listed in Revelation 21:8 among all those people that will have their part in the lake of fire are those who practice sorcery.

Revelation 21:8 (NKJV)⁸But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

In the New Testament the Greek word for sorcery is the work “Pharmakia.” It means one who uses drugs, potions, or spells and enchantments. Our English word for drugs is the word; pharmacy.

Drugs and potions have traditionally been used in witchcraft and satanic rituals to induce deeper subconscious states and enable persons to have fellowship and communication with the demonic realm. When we understand the satanic relationship with drugs, we can understand why drug abusers experience such bondage and depravity. Now here in the bible are drugs used to bring people closer to God. In fact; just the opposite. Satan is always seen as the inspiration behind the destructive nature of drugs. They are the tools that he uses to gain influence into people’s lives and enslave them to some narcotic dependency- whether they be illegal or legal.

Christians should find it easy to understand why drug use doesn’t mix with the Christian lifestyle.

1 Corinthians 10:21 (NKJV)²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s Table and of the table of demons.

According to the word of God believers are accountable to avoid anything which would lead our brothers and sisters to go astray or to cause them to stumble in their relationship with God.

Romans 14:21 (NKJV)²¹It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

As Christians instead are in order to protect us from unnecessary temptation we should abstain from anything that appears evil.

Thessalonians 5:22 (NKJV)²²Abstain from every form of evil.

Mature Christians instead are supposed to use their lifestyles as examples for others to follow. That being the case we should deny our own personal desires and personal pleasures in order to minister to those who are less mature.

Romans 15:1-3 (NKJV)¹We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ²Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. ³For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”

The bible also instructs us to not be intoxicated by alcohol or other mind-bending stimulants. These things all distort the way we think and alter our ability to control our behavior. We need to always be under the influence of the Holy Spirit and not get some buzz from a stimulant.

Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)¹⁸And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.

In our own country Pharmakia began to take power and spread throughout the world in the 1960’s with the “free love” and “hippy movement.” This was just the vehicle that the spirit needed to propagate quickly with all their mind altering drugs that they were experimenting with to get away from the real problems that the world was facing.

Now the reason the King James translators used the word Pharmakia for the word sorcery was because for over 400 years the only people that used rugs were witches and sorcerers. Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve when the ground was cursed by God, it no longer sustained the former state of good as was intended by God. So some plants are medicinally good and some are not.

Taking a medicine for a legitimate medical purpose and abusing the same drug for a spiritual high or recreation is where it becomes Pharmakia. An example of legitimate uses would be the use of marijuana to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy treatments and the pain that often cancer patients suffer from afterwards. This should not promote the use of drugs, but show that drugs that may be considered bad do have some medicinal uses. Almost all drugs have a plant or herb origin so that should show us that natural isn’t always better.

Pharmakia seeks to possess the flesh and any “break away” from its dependency will probably cause some physical and mental hardship. The longer the drug is used the greater the dependency is. Sometimes immunity is built up to a certain level with a drug that it takes a stronger buzz as before. Now before I close this teaching on Pharmakia I must address another aspect of it.

Many people think that when the New Testament speaks of drug use it is only talking about the illegal use of it. But I also believe that it is also speaking of Christians who rely on legal prescription drugs to function normally in life. Now before you get all bent out of shape, hear me out. Not everyone that takes a prescription drug is influenced by Pharmakia. But A growing number of Christians have become dependant on the medical world. Some even use mind-altering drugs on a regular basis like prescription painkillers, anti-depressants, nerve pills and even stronger drugs that seem to alleviate their own self-control. Like the diabetic that take san extra shot of insulin so they can eat chocolate cake. Friend this is how Pharmakia works its way into our lives. It takes advantage of our weaknesses of the flesh. I believe that any Christian that is addicted to prescription drugs should right away seek deliverance.

The church in American is becoming increasingly populated with people who remain dependant and bound to their additions of the flesh. This is the reason why God’s miraculous power is so foreign in our altars today. We have limited God by putting more faith in the medical world and less faith in him. Quite frankly it seems as though we don’t need him anymore. His people are more dependant on the spirit of Pharmakia than on the Holy Spirit.

In today’s advanced world the spirit of Pharmakia has had an open door with out great advancements in medical science that we’ve experienced in the last 50 years. But I still believe that one of the great pills that we can take is a good dose of the “Gospel.”

Please don’t misunderstand me, but hear my heart. The bible does confirm the use of medicine for healing purposes. Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and instructed him to get his house in order for the sickness that he was suffering from was going to take his life. Instead Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed a short, but heartfelt prayer and God heard it and changed his mind about Hezekiah’s death. Instead he instructed the prophet to go back in the king’s room and tell him that he was going to give him 15 more years to live.So what was the agent that God used to heal Hezekiah of his sickness? A lump of figs. He gave the prophet the knowledge he needed to construct a medicine that would completely heal Hezekiah of his sickness and it did. So God does use medicine to treat people of ailments. The spirit of Pharmakia is involved in the abuses of medicine. Abusing a drug or becoming dependant on it is the spirit of Pharmaikia at work in your life. Seek deliverance today and let the Holy Spirit guide your life. Instead of popping a pill for every thing in your life why not try faith first and call for the elders of the church to anoint you with oil and pray the prayer of faith over you and let God heal you of your sickness. I think I read that somewhere. God bless.

Continued Next Month