Satan's Arsenal Exposed: Secret Weapons the Devil Uses to Defeat and Capture Souls

By Christian Media LLC

Satan has an arsenal of weapons at his disposal that he employs daily to defeat and capture souls. He will test, tempt, put you on trial, and convict you without reservation. Included in the devil’s arsenal are three main components, discussed in this book. Using these weapons, he intends to defeat and steal your soul away from the creator God.

Firstly, he has a well-thought-out plan, specifically molded to defeat each individual God created. Satan has a very effective way of getting to every person alive. He knows his targets, oftentimes better than they know themselves. Secondly, his well-trained army of humans and demons hide everywhere to ambush their prey in places you would least expect to find them. They bring their wit and abilities with them to the battlefield and lurk around every corner of life.

Finally, there are weapons that are abundant and finely honed to capture the unwitting soul. The weapons include semantics, deception, compromise, peer pressure, and social media. Cognitive threats and abuse, social threats and abuse, and an abundance of other weapons are exposed in this manuscript. Today’s cults, occult, and all false religions intentionally steal innocent hearts. Their lies will sound good, but the intent is only evil. Here are the weapons Satan uses.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798385009657

Christian Media LLC

At Christian Media, LLC, our mission is to biblically answer the questions people ask about perplexing elements of life. We offer no opinions, no added philosophy, and no altering of what God has to say. Our primary contributing author, Jerry Jesonek, holds a bachelor’s in biblical studies, master of divinity, and doctor of ministry from Luther Rice College and Seminary. A doctorate of philosophy in biblical studies concluded his formal academic journey.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0964-0 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0966-4 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0965-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023919198

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/14/2023

CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1: Pathway to Destruction

Step 1: Contamination through Deception

Step 2: Contamination of Moral and Spiritual Values

Step 3: Compromise

Step 4: Deterioration and Eventual Destruction

Persuasion and Deception

Don’t Let Them Steal Your Heart

Chapter 2: A Good Starting Point

Semantic Deceptions

Syncretism

Syncretism in the Scriptures

Normative and Deviant Religions

Cults and Occults

Cults

The Occult

Transcendent Forces

Chapter 3: The Formation of a False Religion

Let the Deceptions Begin

Charismatic Leadership and Authority

The Charismatic Authority

Recruiting New Members

The Preconditioning Manipulations

Validity of Sources

Peer Influence: One of Satan’s Most Used Weapons

Social Media and Other Electronic Platforms

Fantasy and Role-Play Games

Music Is a Mental Weapon in Satan’s Arsenal

The Effects of Media Deceptiveness

Elements of Attraction

Chapter 4: What You Don’t Know Will Hurt You

The Signs and Symbols

The Power of the Mind

Levels of Involvement

Dabblers

Moderates

Practitioners

Rites of Passage

Book of Shadows

Chapter 5: Maintenance Mechanisms

Boundary-Maintenance Mechanisms

Faith-Maintenance Mechanisms

Enforcing Boundaries and Faithfulness

Physical Threats or Abuse

Emotional Threats or Abuse

Sexual Threats and Abuse

Social Threats and Abuse

Cognitive Threats and Abuse

Psychic Threats and Abuse

Spiritual Threats and Abuse

Chapter 6: Magic and Ritualistic Movements

Types of Magic

Sympathetic Magic

Contact Magic

Intentions of Magic

Malevolent Magic

Cone of Power

Magic in Satanism

Magic in the Bible

Magic in the Old Testament

A Practice of Spiritism

Magic in the New Testament

Chapter 7: A Few Words about a Few False Religions

Paganism

Witchcraft and Wiccans

Santeria

Palo Mayombe

Chapter 8: Satanism

Medieval or Multigenerational Satanism

Adolescent or Countercultural Satanism

The Church of Satan

The Countercultural Satanist

LaVey’s The Nine Satanic Statements

Rituals in Satanism

Chapter 9: Interviewing and Counseling a Survivor

Establish the Safety of the Client

Things That Trigger Flashbacks

Learning about the Ritual Group

Behaviors Particular to Occult Survivors

The Presence of Faith-Maintenance Mechanisms

Chapter 10: Avoid Becoming a Victim

Grow Up in the Word of God

A Word to Counselors and Friends of Cult Survivors

Things to Look For and Run From

Jesus Is the Only Begotten Son of God

Special Revelation

Infallible Words

Exclusivism

The Spirit of God Churning Within

When in Doubt …

Be Strong and Courageous

Satan’s Greatest Weapon Revealed

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

—Matthew 7:20

Now I urge you, brethren, to keep your eye on those

who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the

teaching you learned and turn away from them. For

such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but their

own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering

speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

—Romans 16:17–18 (NASB95)

PREFACE

There is no logical explanation for the illogical. You hold, before your eyes, years of research. This study will enlighten and enhance your understanding of the arsenal of weapons used by every cult and occult organization throughout history and today. Satan uses his arsenal of weapons to take the souls of men and women to his eternity. In this book, you will learn how deceptive minds establish new ritualistic movements, untangle the web of mental manipulations employed in recruiting and imprisoning members, observe the intense mind control games used to hold their practitioners captive, and enhance your knowledge about what God’s Holy Word reveals about false ritualistic movements and their motives, methods, and gods.

Deceptive and often dangerous brain games are employed from the start to form sects, cults, and occult organizations. These complex games are some of the best weapons Satan employs. Following the inception of a false religion, several different weapons are used as the primary attack tools to recruit new members, enforce obedience to the rules, and perpetuate the membership. Crafty deceptions keep the members under control—obedient and faithful to the cult or occult from generation to generation.

The devil’s cult and occult movements use the same schemes and deceptions. Lies are skillfully used to contaminate the targets’ beliefs. False teachers take aim at the inherent feebleness of humankind. There are weaknesses in humanity that were kindled in the Garden of Eden when sin ended the freedom of humanity to live a God-centered, sanctified life. The secret idol-worshipping groups also target these three fundamental human weaknesses. These are named for us in God’s Holy Word:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–16 ESV, italics added)

This work endeavors to explain and answer many important questions: How do deceptive false religions begin? Is there a fundamental structure in occult religions? Do all deviant religions worship Satan directly? Once membership is achieved, what binds the recruits to be faithful to the organization? These and other answers will be discovered and shared.

There are many applications, but there is only one interpretation of the Bible. In other words, the Bible interprets itself. Therefore, we will not add any variations, philosophies, or contaminants to God’s Holy Word. Let the Bible speak for itself.

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CHAPTER 1

PATHWAY TO DESTRUCTION

But each one is tempted when he is carried

away and enticed by his own lust.

And when sin is accomplished, it brings forth

death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

—James 1:14–15

T HE PATHWAY TO DESTRUCTION IS a superhighway. Many have taken this passageway throughout history, and the highway is becoming more congested daily. Some people go to the destruction roadway fully aware of their actions and knowing where they are being led. Other prospects have no idea what is happening until it is too late. These hoodwinked recruits will awaken someday and find themselves hopelessly entrapped with no way out. Others will only get partway down the path before they realize their guide has bamboozled them into something that has no good ending. These are the lucky or blessed ones.

The truth is that the entrance to this pathway is a beautiful one. One old proverbial saying on the subject reminds us that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. It is an enticement that has been purposely made to persuade, beguile, and draw in the unaware victims. People will be tempted to consider this road if they stop and listen to the deceptive words of the recruiter. Satan’s men and women are hard at work and have an agenda to fulfill. His warriors will say and do whatever it takes to keep you from becoming a strong Christian believer. Followers of Christ, people of faith, and those who have denounced God’s family are all preconditioned and prone to be persuaded by the charlatan.

You are already en route to destruction. The truth is that everyone’s pathway to destruction is the same, and someone else completed it for us. However, there are some who want to make the road much more complicated and injurious while on this earth. The wise are not participating in the devil’s schemes now or in eternity. The word translated as schemes in the Bible is only used twice in the New Testament: once in Ephesians 4:14 and once in Ephesians 6:11. The original wording means crafty scheming with the intent to deceive; this is deceit, scheming.¹ Satan is crafty—and so are his workers. The devil’s army is made up of men and women just like you. Cult leaders and followers, especially recruiters, are trained deceivers.

Sin still plagues everyone today and has since the Garden of Eden. Humankind is evil by nature (Ephesians 2:3; Romans 3:23). Our mortal bodies are depraved and reprobate. Humans are prone to sinful ways. This is the condition wherein we live, and Satan has a plan to cause everyone to fall into eternal hell. The devil has a plot or custom-designed formula to destroy souls. As found in every book of the Bible, when people allow themselves to be exposed to any sort of deception, they are flirting with contamination (sin) and compromising their belief and faith in God. Once contaminated, sinners, trying to justify their actions, finds themselves compromising the Word of God. (God’s Word edited by man becomes man’s word.) Sin in action (iniquity) is rooted, faith is diminished, and the once-professing Christian is destroyed (given over to the life of disobedience, Romans 1:28).

When it comes to sects, cults, the Occult, and other false religions, the pathway is the same as the one that will take you away from heaven’s gates with or without these influences. Sin is the main culprit, and iniquity is the most certain way to destroy your chances with God’s redeeming grace. The path’s progression goes like this: The first thing that happens is that the core life lessons that were likely taught by those who reared you get contaminated. Some deception shakes your basic good. Second, once convinced that there is some benefit or false good in what has been heard or experienced, you yield to the temptation. That is when a compromise of fundamental roots becomes jeopardized. You have just compromised your eternity. Finally, once compromise has been effected—and the temptation has secured a hold on our lives—destruction will follow.

Consider a few physically unhealthy habits like smoking, alcohol consumption, illegal drugs, or even sexual sins. Our morals become contaminated by deceivers. Smoke anything long enough, and your lungs, heart, and other organs will suffer. Drink too much alcohol, and the body and brain cells will respond negatively. Inject or ingest drugs laced with who knows what, and the body will suffer chemical toxicity and die. Once the temptation has been presented in such a way that the will cannot not reject it contamination has occurred. That first experience triggers the desire for more and more until destruction results.

False religions are cults. Cults under the guise of religion introduce to the would-be member any number of lies about their idols. They are professional deceivers. The newcomer is searching for something, and it is the resolve of the sect to identify this need. The next move by the recruiter is to meet that need—even if it means deceiving you with lies and misinformation. Their ritualistic group will don any costume necessary to lure the naive victim into their community.

The lies that you are told and choose to believe are intentional trickery. So believable are their untruthful promises that many are taken unawares into clutches from which there may be no escape. Remember that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), and his army of false religious leaders lie. They lie a lot. Practitioners are well trained to both do and say the devil’s will.

The most important thing for the Christian to remember through all of the following pages is that cults, occults, false prophets, and practitioners and other representatives of the devil do not possess any power over you that you do not give them. In fact, when confronted by the Logos (the Word of God), Satan will flee every time.

When temptation is practiced or experimented with, we find ourselves wanting more and more. The purity of life has now been compromised. The spirit in you is no different from the physical when it comes to introducing poison that kills. When the practitioners of false religions first poison the mind through deception in order to contaminate the healthy inhibitions of right behavior versus taking the pathway of wrong, pride will compel us to side with sin and evil. That is why Paul wrote in his letter to the Roman Christians that people must fight to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). The apostle could relate very well with our struggles because, as he confessed, when he wanted to do good, evil prevailed (Romans 7:19–21).

The human brain is physical, but the mind is not. There is a physical heart and a spiritual heart. It is the innermost heart that the surgeon will never be able to locate. It is the mental manipulation of the mind that is subject to the term we know as brainwashing. Ancient idol worshippers often would extract human hearts for sacrifice to their gods. Today’s cults, occult, and false religions intentionally reach in to steal your innermost heart through deception. Their lies will sound good, but the intent is only evil (Colossians 2:16–23). The heart to do good is the one that cannot be physically removed.

There are several elements that are consistent with all counterfeit religions and false teachings. All fraudulent religious organizations—even those that call themselves churches—have common leadership traits, rule books, and methodologies to recruit and maintain members under their control. They have certain identifiable characteristics that are obvious to the trained and informed examiner. It is hoped by the author that more people will become attentive and aware of the techniques and secret workings of cults, occults, and other false religions. These organizations have selfish motives and intend only to elevate themselves and their consortium.

There is a definite progression that is followed the same way every time. The superhighway that leads to destruction of life itself has four steps: deception, contamination, compromise, and destruction. Let’s examine each a little closer.

Step 1: Contamination through Deception

As mentioned earlier, all of humankind was contaminated through Satan’s deception of Eve. There is more than one meaning for the term deception used in scripture. One is to be deceived, another is to be the deceiver, and still another is to abandon or betray. But the most prominent meaning applied to the term deceive is to lie. Cults, occults, false teachers, and false preachers lie; they lie a lot. The questions are these: Are you easy to mislead? Just how well grounded in the faith and Bible knowledge are you? One old phrase still heard today is that it takes two to tango. Never is it truer than in the world of deceivers. There are predators (the cultists) and prey (the recruits or members). The easy victims are predisposed, vulnerable, and naive. Those who fall as prey to false religions are in one or more of these positions.

In the last chapter, we will discuss how to avoid being entangled in the snare of false religions. False teachers, prophets, cultists, and occultists are everywhere, including in our local churches. If they are particularly charismatic, they can deceive even the most well-intended church member. The second component of this recruiting scheme is that the targets lack solid Bible knowledge. There is a process that ministries undergo when a church body or any person of faith goes rogue. The process of decay can be quick—like fast-growing malignant cells in the body. Others are so slow in development that no one but the leaders knows what is happening. Some cult and occult ritualistic religions begin like a small wound that slowly becomes infected but proliferates to removal or amputation when it is beyond treatment. What starts as good tissue can become a deadly enemy.

Genesis, the book of beginnings, records the first time the pathway to destruction appears in the Bible, and the book of Revelation reveals the last example. In between the two records are dozens and dozens of examples of people caught in that