Have you ever gone to another city or another country and seen that it has an unusually high rate of a certain crime? Or you noticed it has an unusually high practice of a certain sin. In Haiti, there is a big b widespread practice of voodoo. In Scotland, there is a history intertwined with witchcraft dating back to the 16th and 17th century.
In certain regions in India, there is a stronghold of idolatry. In places like Amsterdam, there is a pervasive spirit of sexual immorality. And in certain regions of Mexico and Colombia, there is strong violence.
Now, what l am about to show you proves that territorial spirits are real. But first, take a look at this incident in the Bible. And this is especially important for anyone who challenges this notion of territorial spirits. You only have to remind them that in Daniel 10, we're introduced to a principality, an evil prince angel. Daniel had prayed and prayed for days and weeks with no answer. And finally, when an angel appeared to him, the angel told him in Daniel 10:13 that the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days. But Michael, an arch angel, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia. The evil prince of Persia fought an angel from God for 21 days until Michael, a chief angel, a prince angel from heaven, had to come and defeat the prince of Persia.
This tells you that the prince of Persia had a hold on this region. This principal spirit had such a strong and evil influence over that location that it could block and delay the answer to Daniel's prayer.
Atlanta, a city of sexual immorality. Atlanta is a city full of influence. It's a center for music, business, politics, and culture in the American South. It's become a hub for hiphop and rap music, genres that regularly glorify violence and sexual sin and rebellion against authority. And many of these artists grew up in church. They know the language of faith, but many have drifted. The thing about Atlanta is that sexual sin is not hidden. It's paraded. It's celebrated. It's profitable. And it's destroying lives. 1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us, "Flee from sexual immorality." Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. But while the pervading sin in this city might be sexual sin, God has not forgotten his believers in Atlanta. There are still preachers who are spreading the true unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now, let's go over to Salem, a city on the north coast of Massachusetts above Boston. You will find that they host an annual event every October. And here's the description of the event. The witches of Salem honor this time with festival of the dead, an annual event series that explores death's macabra customs, heretical histories, and strange rituals. Presented by Salem Warlocks Christian Day and Brian Kaine, hosted by the foremost authorities on the spirit world, Festival of the Dead beckons guests to step through the veil into a realm where spirits await. End quote. The festival is said to be attracting nearly 1 million visitors every Halloween season. Streets are packed with tourists from all over the country hoping to take part in these celebrations of Halloween. What type of spirit do you think is driving all of those people to attend such a festival? Would this be a place where you would expect to see a believer in Christ?
The second city to be aware of is Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles, a spiritual stronghold. Los Angeles is not just a major city. It's a spiritual battleground.
At the heart of it is Hollywood, a global engine that shapes the world's thinking, values, and desires. Hollywood is not neutral. It has become one of the most effective tools the enemy uses to blind the minds of unbelievers and to tempt and dull the conscience of believers. The entertainment industry in Los Angeles constantly promotes a worldview that is completely opposed to God. Over and over, we see movies and shows that openly mock Christ, twist scripture, and ridicule the church. Sin is celebrated, and righteousness is ridiculed. Sexual immorality isn't just present in Hollywood, it's glorified. What God calls sin, Hollywood calls freedom. And they package it in high definition, dress it up with celebrities, and sell it as normal and good. This is not just a cultural issue. This is a spiritual issue. The enemy uses the glamour of Hollywood to lure people into loving the world. But 1 John 2:15 is clear. "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." People chase fame, beauty, money, and influence because that's what Hollywood exalts. And perhaps the most dangerous part is this. Even Christians can be lulled to sleep by the bright lights of Hollywood. When we consume hours of godless entertainment and call it harmless, we're slowly desensitized. Our convictions grow weaker, and we're in danger of looking more like the world than like Christ.
New Orleans, a city of spiritual darkness. New Orleans is a city known for its music, its food, and its festivals. But beneath all the colour and culture lies something much deeper and much darker. Spiritually speaking, New Orleans is a place with strong ties to the occult, sensuality, and open rebellion against God. Voodoo is not just history here. It's alive and active. Rooted in witchcraft and spiritism. Voodoo invites people to interact with demons all under the disguise of tradition and spirituality. It's not harmless. It's demonic. It leads people away from the truth of God's word and deeper into spiritual bondage.
Then there's Martyra. Every year, millions flood the streets to indulge the flesh. Drunkenness, nudity, and all manner of things. This is not just about one festival. It's a culture of indulgence. The city markets itself on pleasure, on letting go, on living without conviction. But the Bible is clear. Where there is no fear of God, destruction is never far behind. The spiritual darkness in New Orleans runs deep. It's not just in voodoo shops or in the French Quarter at night, but it's frightening because all of these things are celebrated. But always remember that God is not absent. He has his people in New Orleans and believers who will stand as the light of the world.
Las Vegas, sin city. Las Vegas wears its reputation proudly. This is a city where sin is marketed as entertainment. This is a place built on gambling, sexual immorality, alcohol, and lust. LasVegas isn't just a city of temptation. It's a city of spiritual numbness. People don't just sin there. They stop caring that sin matters. They stop feeling the weight of guilt. The lights are bright, the music is loud, the drinks are flowing, but the conviction is gone. In such a place, sin is a cultural stronghold. When sin becomes a product, when it becomes tourism and business, you are looking at a city under spiritual deception.
So from all of these places. we have to know that the devil has strongholds. Remember that the Bible even refers to him with a small G as the god of this world. Satan is not passive. He is active. He is strategic and he works through systems and even cultures to oppose everything God has established. But many Christians are asleep. They walk through these places unaware, undiscerning, unaffected. We need to be alert as believers and sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit when he warns us.
Did you know that the fastest rising film genre in the world is horror films?Horror films now contribute about $1 billion annually at the North American box office, significantly more than in previous decades. But why are people so interested in supernatural things? Why is there such a strong interest in the occult? This article recently caught my eye. Occultism is widespread in our society, ready to deceive those who lack biblical discernment. Allow me to read a few lines of interest. And I quote, "In its widest sense, magic is the attempt to influence persons and events by utilizing the powers of the unseen realm through the use of the occult. It is at this dark intersection that the supernatural becomes a tool whereby the user can transform his or her psychological will into material fact. Although some people are prone to romanticize the occult, it is fundamentally a counterfeit religion that offers self-guided dominion in place of god-guided service. The reason that people are drawn to these practices is due to the fact that occultic or evil spiritual power serves the user's own selfish interests through the manipulation of dangerous, dark, destructive, and demonic forces. Did you know that the same evil powers that the Old Testament magicians of Egypt had, that same power will show up again in these last days? We are warned that in the last days, a false religion will influence many people. This false religion will have a supernatural power behind it and it will turn many people away from the truth of God. Don't be fooled into thinking that those involved in the occult will always look dark or openly evil. While some are openly hostile to Christianity, many today hide their beliefs behind words like tolerance, spirituality, or enlightenment. They make it sound kind and open-minded. But it's still deception. If Christians aren't careful, we'll take in worldly ideas without realizing we're also taking in dangerous occult influences. This kind of mixture, blending truth with error, is called syncretism, and it's spiritually deadly. By definition, syncretism means the amalgamation or attempted joining together of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought. So you can have for example a little bit of the Bible, a little bit of Buddhism, a little bit of new age and it becomes a spiritual potion that serves up a false religion. Today the occult is everywhere and it often comes in subtle attractive forms. That's why every believer must think biblically. Scripture warns us that in the last days, there will be a powerful false religion that will lead many people astray. It will look spiritual, from God's truth. We must be alert, grounded in the word, and not compromise.
Now, I want to talk to you on a more personal level about the supernatural. Normally, when you're under spiritual attack, strange things don't just start happening out of nowhere. Glasses don't mysteriously shatter in front of you. You don't go outside and see a hooded figure levitating up in the sky, or a mysterious fog doesn't just surround you while you're out in the middle of a walk. No, this is not how the devil operates. l'll even tell you that a spiritual attack doesn't look like how Hollywood represented. You know, a villainousl looking man with an intimidating appearance sitting in a tub in what becomes a very dramatic scene. No, spiritual attacks do not look like this. Most of the time, spiritual attacks can come in the following ways.
¹ First, a crisis of faith. This is the devil attacks you with wave after wave of doubt and disbelief. He wants you to question God. A crisis of faith involves experiencing intense doubt, worry confusion, and fear. All of the things that God's word tells us are from the devil. The enemy's goal here is to undermine trust and dependence on God. Secondly, it's isolation. Isolation from other godly people who can strengthen you. The devil wants you alone and vulnerable. Isolation as a spiritual attack is the strategy of separating a believer from meaningful relationships within the Christian community. The enemy's aim here is to leave a person spiritually exposed and without support. When isolated, you're far more vulnerable. This tactic aims to cut off sources of spiritual encouragement, accountability, and strength, leaving individuals vulnerable and easier to influence negatively. And finally, intense temptation.
Here, the devil wants you to cave into all manner of sin,
