We can’t witness to people if we don’t understand where they’re coming from.  We also can’t protect ourselves from being indoctrinated with false teachings if we are not aware of what’s going on.  With the New Age Movement imagine a smorgasbord where you can pick and choose what you want to believe.  The New Age Movement or NAM is a blend of eastern religions (Hinduism and Buddhism) with occult practices.

When talking about NAM I’ve come across two types of people: 1) they fully recognize that they are NA believers and 2) they follow NA philosophies and practices but don’t call themselves New Agers.

The following are some tenets of the New Age Movement:

1. Monism – “all things are one”. Everything and everyone is interrelated and interdependent and that there is no real difference between humans, animals, inanimate objects etc.

2. Pantheism – “all is god”. All of creation has a divine essence; that everything has divinity within.

3. Man is God. Each person is divine and the goal or purpose in life is to discover our own divinity.

4. Evil doesn’t exist. Because New Agers don’t believe in evil they don’t accept man’s separation from God by sin.  Again they believe that people are just ignorant of their own divinity so their solution is to seek a “higher consciousness” through meditation, yoga, crystals, channeling, spirit guides and other occultic practices.

5. Reincarnation – After we die we will be reborn as a baby to live another life. In the traditional form (Hinduism) reincarnations are necessary to work off our bad karma to reach perfection.  Karma states that one’s present condition is determined by one’s actions in a past life.  The Westernized version of karma that New Agers follow is less emphasis on bad karma and believe that reincarnation is an upward climb towards perfection.

6. Moral Relativism – Since New Agers believe in monism or all is one there is no difference between right and wrong or good and evil. New Agers think in terms of gray and not black and white.  It is because of this belief that they teach that all religions are true and that there are multiple paths to God.  A great example of this is when Oprah Winfrey gave her speech and said that “your truth is the most powerful tool we all have”.  Are you kidding me – your truth?  Nope the truth doesn’t change, sorry Oprah.

7. Spirit Contacts – New Agers believe that there are spirit guides, extraterrestrials and entities who are seeking to communicate to humans through mediums or channelers.

8. Utopia or Evolutionary Optimism – The major goal of the New Age Movement is to bring peace to the world upon entering the Age of Aquarius. They believe this will happen through a new world order (sound familiar?).

Astrologers believe that evolution goes through cycles that correspond with the zodiac signs, each lasting from 2,000 to 2,400 years.  The New Age Movement supports that we are moving from the Pisces cycle into the Aquarius cycle.  The Aquarian Age supposedly will be characterized by a heightened degree of spiritual or cosmic consciousness.

Spoiler Alert!!  Since the New Age Movement as a whole believes that extraterrestrials exist how do you think they’ll explain The Rapture (Matthew 24:37-44) when it happens?

Common Practices of the New Age Movement

The New Age Movement is steeped in the occult.  Here are some of the common practices

1) Astrology – a system of divination using the stars, planets, the moon and zodiac signs (horoscope).

2) Mediumship – basically someone trying to contact the dead through:
a) Ouija board
b) Necromancy (talking to the dead)
c) Channeling – possession in you of a spirit

3) Divination – is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.  This is always demonic but sold as inspired by God.  This is accomplished through:
a) Omens  - signs that diviners interpret
b) Sortilege – casting of lots usually using rocks, bones, sticks etc.
c) Augury – looking at shapes and patterns
d) Tarot Cards – these come in many forms one, in particular, that I’ve noticed that is popular is the angel oracle/tarot cards.
e) Scrying – looking at something for a message.  Drugs are often used.  The most famous example of this is using the crystal ball.
f) Psychic – ESP (extrasensory perception)
g) Clairvoyance - is the alleged ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through ESP.
h) Astral Projection – through meditation, hypnosis, drugs or dreams.

4) Medicine – like integrative medicine.  Some examples include acupuncture, reiki, healing with crystals, stones, biofeedback, energy balances, polarity therapy, emotional freedom technique (tapping), reading auras and law of attraction.

Here are some words and phrases that are common to New Agers:

Please watch this powerful testimony about the New Age Movement:

Why Is the New Age Movement Growing So Fast?

It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise why the New Age Movement (NAM) is continuing to grow at an alarming rate…

2 Timothy 3:1-5
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.  For people will love only themselves and their money.  They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful.  They will consider nothing sacred.  They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good.  They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.  They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.  You must stay away from people like that.

The New Age Movement says everything is permissible because there is no right or wrong.  New Agers believe that we’re on a journey to becoming a better person by reaching a higher level of consciousness/awareness, in essence, to reach your own godhood.   It is all centered on one’s own pleasure and seeking happiness regardless of how you get there.  They act spiritual while rejecting the power that could make them godly.

I have to admit when someone tells me their “spiritual” I cringe inside.  But I understand why non-Christians strive to be spiritual:

Romans 1:18-20
But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves.  For the truth about God is known to them instinctively.  God has put this knowledge in their hearts.  From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made.  They can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature.  So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.

We also know that:

2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Even satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.  So it is no wonder his servants can also do it by pretending to be godly ministers.

So, we have people that instinctively know that God exists but they’re unwilling to give up their sins so they’re easily deceived into NAM that gives them permission to continue living the way they are and on the surface are having these great spiritual experiences.  Satan doesn’t mind giving someone a great experience if that’s what’s going to keep them away from Jesus. These occultic practices they use to have spiritual experiences also opens doors for satan to enter their lives and put them in strongholds.

NAM is the perfect solution for people looking for permission to do what gives them pleasure without negative consequences and they promote it as “love and light”.

So Why Did I Write This Post?

I wanted to write about NAM for 2 reasons:

1) Because it’s starting to find its way into our Churches.  The Bible tells us:

1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying (seducing) spirits and teachings that come from demons.

We need to be on guard because satan is the ultimate deceiver and with a little tweaking of words, you can be deceived into false doctrine.  Remember just because someone puts “Christian” in front of something, it doesn’t automatically make it okay!

We also need to be aware of what we’re being exposed to when it comes to media and entertainment.  Until now I guess, I loved Star Trek and Star Wars but after doing a deep dive into NAM I cannot believe how NAM is so intertwined in those shows and movies.  And that’s just two examples, I’m seeing it everywhere.  Once God opens your eyes to it there’s no going back.  And God tells us in…

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

It’s time we get knowledgeable about what’s going on around us and what’s going to influence our children if we’re not careful!

2) We can’t witness to people if we don’t understand where they’re coming from.  So here are some pointers to help you out:

a) We need to approach people not from a place of trying to hammer them over the head but out of love:

1 Peter 3:15-16
And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.  But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way.

b) Do not argue. Plant seeds if you can but if the Holy Spirit hasn’t prepared them to receive the truth do not argue with them.

c) Don’t speak Christianese since they won’t understand.

d) Do not spend your time going down rabbit holes. Stick with important points like our source of authority, the nature of God, who Jesus is and his works, the nature of man and sin and the means of salvation.

I hope you found this helpful!

Your Sister in Christ,

Angela

If you’re looking to get a deeper understanding of who the real enemy is, how he operates and the tools and resources God has given us to truly be overcomers in this world then sign up to receive updates and a special launch offer on my upcoming book It’s Time to Fight: Equipping the Body of Christ to Effectively and Successfully Wage War With The Enemy.