Eating With Demons: A Call to Discernment

I was recently convicted by the Holy Spirit, and it has strengthened my resolve to speak (write?) the truth instead of keeping my mouth shut.

Let me explain.

While sitting in a crowded restaurant with two women from my Bible study I was suddenly struck with an uncomfortable feeling. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I felt a creepy feeling pulsing through my spine. At first I couldn’t figure out why. That feeling is usually only something that I experience with false teachers, people lying to me, and books that misquote or misinterpret the Bible.

Yet here I was, sitting at the dinner table in a downtown San Diego restaurant with two very good friends and feeling uneasy. These weren’t just any friends, these women are solid in their faith, I know because despite attending different churches we all attend the same women’s Bible study.

I just couldn’t shake the feeling the entire time that we were in the restaurant.

We had a great time talking, eating, and laughing.

But still, that feeling lingered.  

As we stood up to leave I looked around the restaurant and I realized what the problem was.

This restaurant was filled with demonic imagery. I don’t mean I saw demons running around.

What I mean is there was an image of a demon on the menu, the artwork, and the wine bottles.

The decor and design of the restaurant was dark, foggy, and with red tapestries, stones, and fire.

As we were walking out I realized that this was supposed to resemble (or be?)... hell.  

Three Christian women who are dedicated in our faith just sat and ate an entire meal in a restaurant with demonic images and set to look like hell itself.

The Bible is pretty clear on why this is a bad thing. Check out 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 which says,

No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.

Now, am I saying we were suddenly possessed?No.

What I am saying is that three fairly mature Christian women walked into this place and it didn’t click with us that this was wrong. We have been inundated with demonic imagery, artwork, and music for so long that our radars weren’t tuned to it.

I know now that I should have said something to my friends when we sat down and I felt uneasy, but I didn’t. I chose not to because I did not want to seem weird or overly sensitive. I am already kind of odd in a lot of (even Christian) circles because I don’t celebrate Halloween. I didn’t want to be like, “Hey y'all, I know we just got here, but could we leave? I feel weird here”.

So instead of standing up, I gave in.

I think that we as Christians are being taken out en masse by the enemy with hardly any effort on his part because we are so incredibly used to blending in to the world rather than standing out in what Christ has called us to.

What have we come to as believers that we are eating in a restaurant filled with demonic imagery and we don't even bat an eye?

We need to be more discerning of where we go, what we do, and what we allow ourselves to be influenced by. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to be uncomfortable, so we ate a dinner surrounded by demonic imagery in a a restaurant designed to resemble artistic depictions of hell.

I wasn't keeping us from being uncomfortable.

I was standing on the sideline.

Standing on the sideline doesn’t make you innocent, it makes you complacent.

God didn't call me to sit on the sidelines.

I refuse to be complacent.