A priest with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is speaking out about angels, demons and the dangers he believes are inherent in playing with things like the Ouija board.
WATCH: The Entire ‘Story of the Bible’ Amazingly Told in Under Six Minutes
The faith leader, identified only as “Father Robert” due do sensitivities surrounding his exorcism work, recently talked to Faithwire about the Aug. 11, release of Hollywood horror flick, “Annabelle: Creation,” offering up some fascinating warnings and theological proclamations.
“The Ouija board is something to be avoided at all cost. This is a direct invitation for a demon to move the object on the board,” he said. “God and angels have nothing to do with parlor games. These methods of conjuring spirits go against the first commandment. This is the reason why King Saul initially had all sorcery banned from Judah.”
Of course, Father Robert’s warning isn’t a new one in the Christian world, yet many people continue to play with the board game, believing it to be nothing more than fun and folly. With that in mind, Faithwire asked why the priest believes so many people are either apathetic or at least hesitant when it comes to discussing issues pertaining to demonic presence in our world, to which he cited a “lack of knowledge” on the subject.
“Our religious leaders rarely if ever talk about it because for the most part it was never discussed in the seminary,” Father Robert said. “However, Jesus talks about it. Therefore, they exist.”
The priest went on to explain what demons actually are, saying that they have the “nature of angels” because that’s how God created them, though, their positioning changed profoundly after Satan and his fellow minions’ rebellion against God and subsequent expulsion from heaven.
“All [angels] have infused knowledge of creation and therefore know that there is a beginning and an end to creation. However, they also knew that God made angels who are superior beings for the purpose of serving beings below them and that God would become one of those beings,” he said. “At that point, the highest ranking of all the angels, Lucifer, declared ‘non-servum’ I will not serve. He and all the other angels who were with him lost their place in heaven.”
While this is a story many people inside and outside of the church of heard, Father Robert said that there are some other specific elements that many people tend to get wrong about demons.
Among the misconceptions is that people can make these spirits do whatever they wish. He said this simply isn’t the case, as demons are liars and cannot be trusted. That said, he also emphasized that there are limitations to what demons can do, as they are constrained by “what God allows them to do” — something some people might not realize.
“They will get us to believe that they will do things for us but they said from the beginning they will not serve God,” he said, before rhetorically asking, “Do you think that they will serve us?”
Watch a trailer for “Annabelle: Creation” below:
Father Robert also differentiated between an “infestation” and a “possession,” explaining the finer points of both:
“An infestation of demons in a location means that something invited them in. An infestation can be one or many demons depending on the type of spell, or prayer that drew them in. Possession takes place over a period of time and there are usually many demons involved at that point. Possession means that the person no longer has control over his or her physical operation. Often times, the person will lose a certain amount if not all of their consciousness when the demon or demons take over. To drive a demon from a residence is much easier than to drive a demon from a human being. Human beings are living and a threat to the demons. They were made for heaven and this is what the demons despise humans. There is a jealousy.”
As for exorcisms — the process through which demons are removed from locations and people — Father Robert said that “only those with the authority of Christ can drive them out.” The priest concluded the interview with a warning about not allowing evil in and explained the message that some will find in the film “Annabelle: Creation.”
“If anything, the message is, no matter what a persons desperation may be, you can not make a bargain with any spirit,” he said of the film. “We do the will of God and that is all. Inviting spirits that are not of God will always end in suffering.”