Satanism

A writer asks if acknowledging satan is the same as making satan one's god, thereby giving evil the right to torment that person.

Good Shepherd Institute believes acknowledging satan is both a necessary part of resisting evil and a necessary part of following God. Jesus recognized and resisted satan in the wilderness. Scripture warns Christians to watch out for satan and resist him. Jesus told satan to "get behind" him during an encounter with Simon Peter. Many Biblical references encourage the acknowledgement of satan's reality.

Worshiping satan is another, completely different matter. Worshiping satan includes activities such as praying to satan for favors or guidance, trusting satan to control one's life, following spiritual directives to do evil, renouncing and resisting Jesus Christ as an enemy of satan, sacrificing to satan, opening one's mind and heart to satanic communications, and dabbling in occultic activities as prelude
and part of seeking spiritual truth independent of God.

Worshiping satan - and/or any of its representative evil spirits - constitutes a grave sin and confronts the participant with serious danger. In this freewill choice, "ground" is given to evil, a form of spiritual permission for that evil to torment its host. Only through sincere repentance, the public renouncing of satan, the public acceptance and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord, and petition to God for mercy can remove thesse grounds. Directly confronting evil spirits in forms of spiritual warfare may be essential in completing one's escape from the deadly fruits of satan worship.