Horror Film Theology
Theology should not come from horror movies (including the “Christian” horror movie, The Conjuring and its offsprings) and bad spiritual warfare teachings.
Paganism and animism believe that spirits inhabit matter. But matter does not have a mind or soul/spirit and there is no biblical basis for this belief. In fact, the Bible teaches the opposite.
In Romans 14, we learn that meat offered to idols is just meat (and eating it or not is a matter of conscience).
In several passages, God explicitly states that the carved wooden gods and stone gods cannot hear, speak, or move.
“Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it.” Habakkuk 2:19
Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands.
They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
They have eyes, but they cannot see;
They have ears, but they cannot hear;
They have noses, but they cannot smell;
They have hands, but they cannot feel;
They have feet, but they cannot walk;
They cannot make a sound with their throat. Psalm 115:4-7
Yet God also tells us in several places that worshiping idols is the worship of demons. Is this a contradiction? No, because the idol itself is just an object. But the act of worshiping it is an act of honoring a false god represented by the idol.
Worshiping the idol does not make it come alive or bring about an evil spirit in it or attached to it (as in Hinduism, where it is believed that worshiping a statue of a god brings the presence of that god into the statue).
It is simply that the worship of false gods honors the demons that promote these beliefs and entice/tempt people to believe in them. In fact, in one verse, both ideas of demons and mute/dumb idols are presented:
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. Revelation 9:20
Current Examples
A Ouija Board is just an object. But using it to try to contact the dead, angels, spirits, or any disembodied entity is an occult activity that is condemned (Deutoronomy 18:10-11). The Board can do nothing; it is using this Board that creates contact with evil spirits (fallen angels, demons).
It is the same with Tarot Cards or other such objects. Having them around can be tempting to anyone who has used them, but they are mere objects.
From an article I wrote for GotQuestions when I volunteered for them:
The Bible records accounts of demons afflicting or possessing unbelieving people. But there are no account of demons being in or attached to objects, and the Bible does not warn us about demons attaching themselves to objects. Occult practices may attract evil spirits, and, since certain objects are used in those practices, it might seem that the demons are attracted to the objects; however, this does not mean the demons are in the objects.
It is the occult activity itself that attracts them. When people who have been involved in the occult come to Christ, they are often advised to get rid of their occult books and objects, not because the objects have demons in them, but because the books and objects would be a source for future temptation. From Got Questions
Avoid Pagan Worldviews
The teachings in the church about portals, entry points, attachments, etc. are not based on the Bible. It is wise to believe the Bible over 10,000 anecdotes. Having been in the occult and New Age myself, and having even had spirit guides (fallen angels), I am quite aware of how evil those areas are. But as a Christian, I know I am no longer under those influences and I know that a mere object should not be feared.
One should not want to give him/herself over to pagan worldviews and act like animists who are afraid of objects or do rituals to “cleanse” them or cleanse the house. The power of Christ is over all principalities and angelic majesties (1 Peter 3:22; these terms refer to fallen angels/demons), and being fearful is contrary to Christian belief.
Believers in Christ are not to fear demons, although we are to be vigilant and alert for their temptations (1 Peter 5:8). The key is submission to God and walking in the truth of Christ daily:
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” James 4:7
Those who have put their faith in Christ have nothing to fear, as the apostle John explained,
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome [Satan and his false prophets], because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4; this is in a Got Questions article, “Can Demons Attach Themselves to Nonliving/Inanimate Objects?”)
Some have pointed out that God commanded the Israelites to smash the idols. But this was not because the idols had demons in or attached to them. Nothing in the text indicates that. God commanded this because he had forbidden making idols and worshiping the gods they represented. Such idols were odious to God.
“Their molten images are wind and emptiness.” Isaiah 41:29b
More Information
This article is closely related to the CANA article on Curses.
Recommended Book:
What the Bible Teaches About Spiritual Warfare
Short link for this aritcle: http://tinyurl.com/yc5x42x6