Do a Bible study, reading and discussing the Scripture passages in this newsletter and others that are chain-linked in your Bible (or use a concordance).

As an exercise, identify and list any occultic influences in your home.  They may come mainly through books, gaming, movies, and music.

 •  Fantasy in Books and Movies.  Writers such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, while accepted by many Christians (read online article), can provide an initiation into the genre of fantasy.  As the line between acceptable and unacceptable fantasy keeps being pushed further and further, this can lead to many works of dubious value and potential danger, still being rationalized by "good conquering evil."

On their website, Spotlight Ministries points out "A big area where the occult realm is making headway these days is the whole realm of fiction and fantasy.  Young people, especially, are being drawn to witchcraft and other areas of the occult initially by becoming interested in fictional aspects of it.  From this, the jump into the real world of the occult is an easy, more familiar one to make."

 •  Gaming.  Many video games, including Internet games, involve the occult, even though the "good" occult is fighting to conquer the "bad."  A good rule for games is that a child should not pretend to do something that would be wrong to do in real life.

You may determine that some things are not really occultic, but need to be explained and controlled.

 •  Fairy Tales.  Provide parental guidance to your children when they encounter impossible or supernatural things in fairy tales.

 •  "Magic."  Explain the difference between "magic" tricks (illusions) and the supernatural power of either God or Satan.

 •  Limit Involvement.  It is important to limit the amount of time that a child is immersed in such questionable reading, watching, or playing. He should not read only fantasy or spend hours playing a fantasy game.

You may need to do a purge of over-the-line or too-close-to-the line items from your home.

 •  Discuss.  Talk about these items with your children, explain why you believe it would be better for them and please the Lord if they were removed from your home.

 •  Pray.  Pray together to ask for the Lord's wisdom and power to do His will.  If your children are unwilling to give up a questionable activity, that might be a sign that it needs more attention.

 •  Completely Remove.  The world derides "book burning," but the Lord records in His Word for our edification that after an evil spirit was sent out of a man in Ephesus.

"Fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.  Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.

And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing." (Acts 19:17-20)

 •  Overtly Satanic Items.  Of course, overtly satanic games such as the ouija board and tarot cards must be strictly forbidden.

When we remove undesirable activities from our family's lives, we must fill the vacuum with Godly influences (see Christ's parable of the unclean spirit who was banished, then replaced with seven more wicked spirits in Matthew 12:43-45).  Fill your home and children's lives with:

 •  God's Word – reading, discussing, studying, memorizing

 •  Good Christian music, such as the old hymns of the faith. Check out music sold by Sound Forth or listen to Christian music online at Abiding Radio or Old Christian Music Radio where you can also buy the music you hear.

 •  Wholesome reading materials and images. Everything in our lives should meet God's standards:

Teach your children to resist Satan, his temptations, and his power as Christ did with Scriptures that they have memorized.

"Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil . . . having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

"And take the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God with all prayer and . . . be on the alert with all perseverance." (Ephesians 6:10-18)

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Read many articles about the occult at Christian Answers and Spotlight Ministries.

Informative DVD traces the pagan origins, history and rituals of Halloween, one of the highest holy days of the Pagan/Occult calendar of Druids, Witches, and Satanists. The rituals seen in this documentary are real (too graphic for young children).  Order online.

Order good character-building books for your family to read alone or aloud together from the following publishers:

You might not agree 100% with these reviews, but they are a place to start and to alert you to undesirable elements.

 •  Plugged-in Online. Reviews of movies, video/DVD, music, and television.

 •  Christian Spotlight on Entertainment. Reviews of movies, Christian films, television, and games.