Concept:

It makes people stubborn and unreasonable, refuse to accept rational advice, escape from reality, and live in a small world of their own construction.

The paranoid spirit controls people to do things that are willful or unexpected, and even develops paranoia, general distrust and suspicion of others, interpreting their motives as malicious. Without sufficient basis, they suspect that others are exploiting, hurting, or deceiving them; they always bear a grudge against the insults or harms of others and are unwilling to forgive them.

It manifests as:

Pervasive distrust and suspicion of others, interpreting their motives as malicious and reacting quickly with anger or retaliating; having no close or intimate friends, displaying emotional apathy or flat emotions; social and interpersonal deficits, feeling very uncomfortable with friends and family, having little affection, and also having distortions of cognition or perception and erratic behavior; consistent disregard for or violation of the rights of others and failure to abide by social norms regarding legal conduct, etc.

Causes of paranoia, escape from the dark forces:

1. Fear of possible harm, suspicious of everyone and everything

• Being defensive toward others is not necessarily a bad thing, as the Bible says:

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps. (Proverbs 14:15)

• Forgotten that God is in control and everything is in His hands

There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21)

• Not knowing how to rely on God

So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)

He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. (Psalm 112:7)

• He only sees others' tendency to hurt him, but forgets that he also hurts others.

 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3)

• No power to love

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

• To attack someone first, to attack them proactively;

Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. (Proverbs 3:30)

Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, For would you deceive with your lips? (Proverbs 24:28)

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:22)

2. The lonely type, due to inner shame and inferiority

• Preferring to be alone is not necessarily a problem. Some people have a wider social circle, while others have a narrower one. We cannot set a rigid standard, and God can use people with different personalities.

The two boys grew up, and Esau was a skilled hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a quiet man, a man who lived in tents. (Genesis 25:27)

• Those who are isolated from the crowd are angry at others or at the truth;

A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment. (Proverbs 18:1)

• He only cares about his own feelings and forgets that others also need his care.

According to biblical principles, we should do things that are inconvenient and uncomfortable in order to love others:

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4)

 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; (1 Corinthians 13:5)

• However, the Bible instructs believers to love one another, so it is inevitable that they should interact with one another:

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:8-9)

If therefore there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

3. Schizoid, because the mind and thoughts have not been enlightened by the truth

There are distortions in cognition or perception and erratic behavior.

What are cognitive errors and erratic behavior?

If the so-called "weird behavior" is because this person is an artist, a person with advanced thinking, or as the saying goes: there is a fine line between genius and idiocy, then there is nothing wrong with it. As long as his "misconception" does not violate the truth of the Bible and his "weird behavior" does not violate the moral laws of the Bible, it should be acceptable.

Such "weirdness" includes "unusual hallucination experiences, body illusions, magical thinking", so we must distinguish whether it is: a supernatural experience or harassment by evil spirits?

As for "magical thinking", Christians cannot help but think of what is strictly prohibited in Deuteronomy 18:9-11.

 “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the  abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. (Deuteronomy 18:9-11)

New Age people often describe themselves as "spiritual, not religious." Recent psychological research has shown that "New Age practices are associated with schizotypal personality disorder traits, such as magical ideals, loose associations, and overly sensitive emotions."

Source: Pastoral Ministry Department of End-Time Ministry (Please notify us promptly if any copyright infringement is involved.)