Worshipping the angel of light

According to a recent report in the Daily Telegraph, membership of Satanist groups is on the increase, especially among young people.

Chaplain Leopold is a 32-year-old London-based undertaker, and he helps to run Global Order of Satan UK which has seen a 200 per cent increase in membership over the last five years. He is quoted as saying ‘there’s never any murder, sacrifice, there’s never any blood rites to Satan. We don’t worship the devil. We don’t cast magic spells…’ but they do have fun he says, ‘getting together and doing rituals in the forest by candlelight, encircled and enrobed.’ Leopold claims that ritual is used as a form of community bonding and meditation to give people the time to develop ‘your own personal vision of yourself as Satan’. 

As Christians, we know the dangers of worshipping the Devil as a higher power and seek to warn people away from it. The Devil is real and although his power is limited by God it is a dangerous and destructive thing to seek direct contact and engagement, whether you believe he exists or not. 

A sanitised version of Satanism

But perhaps the sanitised version of Satanism being presented in this report is more commonplace and more serious. It is the encouragement of self-worship and rebellion against all authority and against God. Something as old as the fall of Adam and Eve. 

It’s a relief that murder and blood sacrifice are not normally part of these contemporary Satanic rituals – although it’s rather disturbing that it is even a possibility that needs to be denied – but whether or not they literally sacrifice to Satan, their goals are well aligned with the Devil revealed in the Bible. According to their website, The Global Order of Satan is a progressive, independent, non-theistic Satanic ministry seeking to promote Satanic ideals, encourage the elevation of self and challenge the oppression of hegemonic religions. There is a great emphasis on self-determination, self-empowerment and liberation from all rules but with a veneer of love and good works. You can understand the appeal to young people, longing for someone or something to worship and offering a no cost no sacrifice option of self-realisation with worship ritual and a splash of intrigue and fun in the process.

This is the Devil as we more commonly experience him presenting as an angel of light, devouring souls. This is the Devil and while we might scoff at the Satanist cults, we sadly sometimes follow the same agenda.

Humans are created as worshippers and so we long for something higher to revere. As Christians, we should be calling people away from the Devil’s lies and selfish agenda and to the gentle Saviour who offers us eternal life and true fulfilment.