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From the sexual revolution to Indigenous spirituality, today’s ‘enlightened’ movements may carry the same seductive spirits that once plagued Israel. Discover how modern culture is echoing ancient deception in surprising ways.

Angel of light, I see you glow in the night
But you only bring darkness to my soul
Angel of light, You’re telling me wrong is right
I won’t let your evil take control

They follow in your footsteps not knowing that you fell
Bumper to bumper on the freeway to hell
You lead them into wrong and you make it look so right
You lead them into darkness and make them think you lead them into light
But I know where you’re going, too bad you’re not alone
If it wasn’t for the real light I might have never known

You got the clergy working overtime to widen the narrow way
You’ve got politicians everywhere listening to what you say
You’ve got false apostles teaching lies perverting the only way
You’ve got principalities and powers waiting to obey
You’ve got philosophies and vain deceits lying to deceive
You’ve got hate, and greed, ungodly lusts in the deadly web you weave
Somehow you’ve got so many thinking you’re not even there
One look is all it takes to get them blinded by your glare

The power of these incisive lyrics from Petra’s 1981 hit “Angel of Light” is sadly rare in modern Christian music.

As in ancient Israel, the forces of darkness in today’s world and Church do not always present themselves as grotesque or overtly evil. Instead, they often masquerade as enlightened causes or movements, Trojan horses filled with ancient spirits disguised in progressive language.

As ancient idols such as Baal, Ashtoreth, Molech, and Tammuz seduced Israel with promises of prosperity, fertility, safety, and religious pluralism, their spiritual successors continue to manifest through modern-day movements that initially appear compassionate, inclusive, or socially necessary. Yet, they may carry within them subtle yet powerful forces that erode biblical truth.

1. Ashtoreth and the Sexual Revolution: The Spirit Behind the LGBT Movement

The goddess Ashtoreth (also Astarte or Ishtar) was associated with fertility, gender fluidity, and temple prostitution. Her ancient cults blurred sexual boundaries and exalted sensual experience over covenantal truth. When unmasked, it is this ancient spirit operating behind today’s radical redefinitions of sex and identity.

In the LGBT movement, particularly in its more militant or ideological branches, we see echoes of Ashtoreth’s ancient spirit:

• Gender confusion and inversion of natural order (Romans 1:26–27).
• Celebration of pride as a virtue, a direct affront to biblical humility (James 4:6).
• Dismantling of traditional marriage, which is God’s prophetic image of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31–32).

While followers of Christ must always affirm the dignity of every human being and the call to love all people, there is a distinction between love and affirmation of sin. When churches bless same-sex unions or install leaders living in open rebellion to biblical sexual ethics, they are unwittingly submitting to the spirit of Ashtoreth, a seductive force calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).

2. Molech and Modern Sacrifices: The Cost of Convenience

Molech, the Ammonite god, required child sacrifice. His modern manifestation is the normalisation of abortion, often justified by economic or social pressures. Often framed as a matter of “rights” or “healthcare” since Roe v Wade in 1972, a conservative estimate of global abortions in 3.5 billion, a staggering 40% of the earth’s current population.

Even in some churches, the silence on this issue or the redefinition of life and moral agency reflects a chilling accommodation with Molech’s ancient demands. The shedding of innocent blood, whether in Canaan or in a modern clinic, still cries out to God (Genesis 4:10).

3. Baal and the Idolatry of Progress

Baal represented power, prosperity, and weather, the forces that governed agriculture and wealth. In modern form, Baal’s spirit whispers through consumerism, the prosperity gospel, and the idolisation of human achievement.

Movements or ideologies that prioritise material success or economic redistribution over spiritual regeneration may be, at their root, driven by the spirit of Baal.

The spirit of Baal demands loyalty through compromise. In churches, this may manifest as self-help sermons, stripped of Scripture, that preach success without sanctification.

4. Tammuz and the Spirituality of Victimhood: Reinterpreting Indigenous Reconciliation

Tammuz was mourned with ritual weeping (Ezekiel 8:14), a symbol of spiritual lament that was ultimately fruitless because it substituted ritual emotion for real repentance and return to Yahweh. Today, some elements of Indigenous spirituality and reconciliation movements may unintentionally serve as spiritual Trojan horses.

While Christians rightly affirm the call to justice, healing, and reconciliation for Indigenous peoples, especially in nations like Canada, Australia, and the United States, concerns arise when:

• Churches incorporate non-Christian spiritual practices (e.g., acknowledgement of country rituals) into Christian worship.
• Reconciliation becomes a new gospel of collective guilt rather than personal salvation in Christ.
• Victimhood is elevated above victory in Christ.

True reconciliation comes only through the cross (2 Corinthians 5:18–19), not through the sacralisation of tribal spirits or cultural deities. Mixing Christian worship with Indigenous rituals is actually giving way to ancient spirits like Dagon or Chemosh under the guise of cultural respect.

The Church’s Complicity: The Jezebel Spirit Within

Jesus rebuked the church in Thyatira for tolerating the woman “Jezebel”, who called herself a prophetess and led God’s servants into sexual immorality and idolatry (Revelation 2:20). Today, the Jezebel spirit thrives not only in secular culture but within the Church:

• Progressive theologians redefine sin and salvation.
• False prophetic voices bless unbiblical relationships and syncretism.
• Ungodly leaders fear public backlash more than divine judgment.

This demonic entity thrives where truth is compromised in the name of ‘inclusion’, ‘tolerance’, or political expedience. Her end is always the same: apostasy, judgment, and death (Revelation 2:21–23).

Discernment in the Age of the Angel of Light

Satan still masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), offering causes that seem just, paths that appear compassionate and identities that feel authentic. But ultimately, these false causes lead away from God’s truth. The spirits of Baal, Ashtoreth, Molech, Jezebel and others are not dead; they are repackaged.

Believers must test every spirit (1 John 4:1), hold fast to sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3–4), and remember that cultural relevance must never come at the cost of biblical faithfulness.

In this spiritual war, silence is not neutrality, it is surrender. The Church must rise in discernment, love, and uncompromising truth, exposing the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11) and standing firm for the light of Christ.

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Image via Adobe.