by Felix Arellano on March 17, 2025
“Demons are real.” I looked at the text on the screen that flashed as Pastor Donny Abbott revealed the first point of his weekend message, Big God, Real Church: A Clash of Cultures.
The stark statement, emphasized by the bold font on the screen, stood in sharp contrast to a question a ten-year-old had asked me just a few weeks before.
Our text in Timberkids Elementary a couple of weeks ago took us to Acts 16. The older 4th and 5th-grade students in the preteen room found the story of the slave girl with a spirit of divination peculiar. Our preteen class format gives students extra time to grapple with the lesson through discussion. One student in my small group felt inclined to share about a friend of their family who was delivered like the slave girl in the text. In dramatic response, another student, eyes wide with shock, turned to me and exclaimed, “Wait! Demons are real!?”
When Pastor Donny delivered the first point of his message, “Demons are real,” his statement raced down the hallways of my memory and stood side by side with the student’s question, “Demons are real?!” Both sentences stood parallel in my mind as I reflected on how a simple truth delivered in the main auditorium of our church was a shocking revelation to a student in the preteen room.
Passivity is not an option
While I don’t want to be preoccupied with the demonic, we must acknowledge the need for a basic awareness of the unseen realm and the enemy’s agenda to oppress those made in the image of God. Many would rather ignore this reality or dismiss it as unimportant, but as spiritual leaders, we don’t have the option of remaining uninformed.
Through pastoral counseling and walking alongside people in our church and community, we have seen a notable rise in individuals seeking prayer and deliverance from demonic struggles—a plea for help that cannot be ignored. As one parishioner commented after Pastor Donny’s message, “It’s good to bring this into the open because there’s such a stigma attached to it, which further serves to keep people bound.”
As shepherds, we cannot take a passive stance toward something afflicting those entrusted to our care or the souls in our community who seek our help. My goal is to approach this subject with care, avoiding sensationalism and instead pointing to the hope and healing found in the finished work of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The enemy doesn’t play fair
If this seems too mature a topic for kids, consider this: I have lost count of how many adults have shared with me that their first encounter with the occult occurred as a child.
In the God is Big video testimony collection, Diane shared that her first exposure happened in childhood. A colleague told our team she was first introduced to a Ouija board at age 8—at a friend’s house after school.
While exact statistics on Ouija board use among kids aren’t widely available, there’s no denying its popularity, especially among children and teens. Since its creation in the late 19th century, the Ouija board has become a fixture in pop culture, appearing in both classic and modern shows like Charmed and Stranger Things.
When it comes to protecting our children, we must remember: the enemy of our soul does not play fair. We are our children’s first line of defense, and we need a basic understanding that the spiritual world is real. We must be mindful not to open doors that lead to spiritual or emotional harm.
Parents are primary
If you’re reading this and feeling a little uneasy—wondering why a children’s pastor is addressing a topic like this—let me reassure you: this is not about bringing heavy conversations into children’s ministry. It’s about equipping you as parents.
One of the core values of our children’s ministry is that parents are the primary spiritual leaders of the home. While the church plays a vital role in guiding and supporting families, no voice carries more weight in a child’s life than yours. My goal is to equip you with awareness and confidence so that you can lead your family with wisdom and discernment.
You don’t need to have all the answers, but you can create an environment where kids feel safe to ask questions, process what they encounter in the world, and build a foundation of faith that helps them recognize truth, reject deception, and walk in the freedom that Christ offers.
There’s something in it
I can admit that the subject of evil spirits can feel heavy or even frightening. But Pastor Jeff Lucas, in his sermon Joy to the World, brought clarity to the tension with a straightforward admonition: stay away from the occult and anything associated with it—Ouija boards, fortune telling, horoscopes, and the like.
After sharing remarkable stories against the backdrop of Acts 8, he made a bold statement:
“We need to run from the stuff of darkness because there is something in it—and what’s in it, you don’t want.”
Jeff’s message was about exalting the authority of King Jesus over lives held captive by real darkness. The goal isn’t sensationalism—it’s declaring freedom in Jesus’ name to those seeking deliverance and wisdom to stay clear from vices that invite darkness.
With that bold warning came an essential reminder: our focus is not on darkness—it’s on Jesus. If we aren’t exalting Him when we’re talking about this subject, we’ve lost our way.
Intimidated by darkness
I’ve come to believe that one reason we shy away from discussions about the reality of evil spirits is that we’re intimidated by darkness. And when we feel intimidated, we have to ask ourselves, why? The hard truth is that many of us wrestle with fear and a lack of confidence in dealing with this reality.
But may I offer a powerful reframe? It’s better to feel intimidated than to be prideful enough to think we can handle this on our own. Intimidation is a common thread among those God calls to do great things. God can’t work with pride—but He can meet us in our intimidation, because His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Intimidation won’t disqualify you—pride will.
Moses was overcome with fear when called to deliver Israel, yet God still used him (Exodus 3–4). In contrast, King Saul let pride rule him, and he was ultimately rejected as Israel’s leader (1 Samuel 13–15). Pride is a deal-breaker, but intimidation is an opportunity to trust God. The confidence we need to tackle this subject doesn’t come from a greater awareness of ourselves, but a greater awareness of God, who wants to display His power through us.
Put that power in
Pastor Dick Foth tackled this idea head-on in his sermon Chosen, helping us understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. He illustrated his point with a remarkable, real-life story.
While serving as the president of a Bible college in Santa Cruz, CA, he once received a To Whom It May Concern letter, signed by a man named Steven Goldberg.
Goldberg recounted a life-altering encounter with one of the Bible college’s students. He had spent years pursuing the occult, but in a Safeway parking lot, he attempted to place hexes on cars—only to be met with a force greater than anything he had ever known. A Spirit-filled believer stood against him, and in that moment, he was supernaturally delivered from demonic oppression.
Goldberg ended his letter with a striking request:
"Please put this same power in the rest of your students."
Spiritual giants are not needed
At the heart of this account is not the sensational, but the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Stories like these should always lead us back to the glory of Christ and His authority over darkness.
We don’t need spiritual giants or celebrity saints. We need ordinary, praying people, yielded to the Holy Spirit, walking in a growing awareness of Christ and the authority we have in Him.
In the end…
Let’s stand firm in Christ, confident in His authority, and walk as Spirit-filled people who push back the enemy—not through our strength, but through His. Because in the end, it’s not about us being powerful. It’s about knowing the One who is.
