Listening to a biography of an American rock band formed in 1965 with vocalist, Jim Morrison, I was intrigued by how they settled on the name for their group, “The Doors”. At the outbreak of the cultural revolution in the ‘60’s, drugs were flooding our country. There was a wind in the air to transcend mundane humanity into another world; to transcend, if you will, to “the other side”. Drugs were the catalyst to release all inhibitions to engage one’s self in the spirit of nihilism, the belief that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded. Along with this came a spirit of hedonism, the lust of pleasure and sensual self-indulgence. Added to this was the dismantling of the Judea Christian values to multiculturalism and a humanistic ideology that negates any reference to God.
According to Scripture we can know what is on the other side. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12
Although many believers have been taught there is a devil, they do not understand that the malicious “wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11) can be a part of their suffering, pain and torment. “They brought to Him…people who were afflicted…with torments…” Matthew 4:24
Those having gone into seasons of sin have entered various doors of drugs, alcohol, pleasure, sexual immorality, tattoos (Lev. 19:28), etc. All have entered these doors “to get to the other side”; out of the mundane to satisfy the lusts of their hearts. This is a war that we all fight as believers, “…abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” I Peter 2:11
But anyone, be it believer or non-believer, can enter into bondage by living outside of the will of God in the unabashed, unbridled, filthiness of sin. The believer sadly gets there by willful disobedience. The non-believer is totally defenseless; “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” I John 5:19 But, then again, the believer is totally defenseless if he knows nothing about spiritual warfare. He knows nothing about giving place to the devil by his appetite to “live according to the flesh”. Romans 8:13 “…nor give place to the devil.” Eph. 4:27
Getting back to how “The Doors” got their name…The band took its’ name from the title of Aldous Huxley’s book, “The Doors of Perception”. First published in 1954, it told of his experience when taking mescaline. The mescaline trip took play over the course of an afternoon where he recalls the insights he experienced which ranged from “the purely aesthetic” to “sacramental vision” (from Wikipedia). Mescaline was “the door” used to get the “spiritual” perception. He got to the other side by use of the drug. Unknown to Huxley, the devil himself used “the door” to give him his feigned heavenly experience. But, it’s all a lie. There are multitudes of other drugs that are “doors” that will get one to the other side.
Having not “escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:4), I hitch-hiked from California to attend a rock fest north of Madison, Wisconsin at a place called Steven’s Point, in 1970. During the festival, an announcement was made from the stage offering the sale of chocolate mescaline at the acid stands. Having indulged a little in drugs, I decided to try it. It was not a pleasant experience. I vowed to never use drugs again because of the paranoia it caused and went back to “the door” of alcohol as my substance of choice until God saved me from my sin 5 years later. Shortly after saving me, the Lord, by His mercy and grace, delivered me from demons so that I could live the Christian life successfully. God may deliver a person at the moment of salvation, but others who have come to know the Lord cannot seem to stop their addictive behavior. The obvious answer, in many cases, is deliverance. At Bethel we see so many who are tormented. After being delivered they experience relief and hope. The only door that is valid for believers to go through is the Great Shepherd’s door. “Most assuredly, I say to you, ‘I am the door of the sheep…’” John 10:1-7
All of Bethel’s pastor/counselors are equipped or are being equipped for the ministry of deliverance. “Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 If you have an opportunity to share this article with someone who is in addiction, God can use it to show them that their bondage is a spiritual condition. There is hope through the deliverance message of Jesus Christ!
Where the grace blows,
Pastor Don Loss
Associate Director / Director of Counseling