Language is eminent among the god-like traits of human nature.
We take language so much for granted. Not merely the ability to speak, and to read and write, but the ability to comprehend meaning and then to communicate that, even to manipulate meaning by a variety of representative forms: most people give very little thought to the wonder and the power of that capacity in the human being. Much of what has been written regarding the power of language comes from those who are connected in some way with esoteric or occult ideas associated with 'dark arts', i.e., witchcraft, sorcery, magic, etc..
Here is one example of that. Alan Moore (click here for video) - a dark but insightful individual, said that magic is "in many respects a science of language". He further stated:
Art is, like magic, the science of manipulating symbols (words or images), to achieve changes in consciousness. The very language of magic seems to be talking as much about writing or art, as it is about supernatural events. A grimoire [pronounced grim-wah], for example - the 'book of spells', is simply a fancy way of saying 'grammar'. Indeed, to 'cast a spell' is, simply, to spell, to manipulate words, to change people's consciousness. And I believe that this is why an artist or writer is the closest thing, in the contemporary world, that you are likely to see, to a Shaman.... In all of magic, there is an incredibly large linguistic component.
Language, then, is both the instrument (the tool) as well as it is the medium (the channel of conveyance) of 'magic', according to Moore. Although you won't hear very many Christians talk like that about 'language'; nevertheless, there are numerous self-proclaimed 'Christian ministers' who consciously make use of that kind of knowledge just described - involving the power of language to "change people's consciousness", to their own corrupt advantage.
In the Church, that practice and its consequences are only generically understood as 'deception'. Christians know that there are malevolent powers belonging to a super-natural realm including Satan and his cohorts, which, evil powers, continually seek by all means to work deception upon the human race, individually and collectively. But the philosophy, psychology, and wide range of technology whereby deception is achieved, is practically unknown to the Christian Church. In other words, although many Christians understand the reality and purpose of deception; and, furthermore, they are even able at times to discern specific instances of that: yet, it seems that few understand the role and the power of language (the use and manipulation of words and other symbols), in processes involving deception. The 'tools' of Satan's 'trade', as it were, are hardly perceived by many persons who, by reason of their being in Christ, should not, and need not, be so blind.
Quite unlike it was with watchful Christians in the Apostle Paul's day, the vast majority of modern Christians are grossly ignorant of Satan's devices. Modern Christians little realize how pervasive and how powerful are the means whereby they are daily bombarded with Satanic 'magic' designed and purposed to "change people's consciousness". And not just in the world but also in the churches! It is commonly acknowledged among most Christians that the Church has somehow become greatly weakened. But few seem to possess any substantive understanding concerning the reasons why that is so. Thus if the causes of weakness in the Church are not well understood, then it is no wonder that solutions are not readily forthcoming.
Lack of Bible knowledge and lack of prayer, to be sure, are key factors contributing to spiritual weakness. Certainly, I believe that the Holy Ghost is perfectly able to protect from deception those who diligently seek unto God in his Word and in prayer. But I also believe, because the Scripture teaches, that God is not well pleased with those who are content to be 'simple-minded' and, so, they remain "ignorant of [Satan's] devices" (Proverbs 1:22; 2 Corinthians 2:11; et al). In other words, the teaching and the protection afforded to us by the Holy Ghost, through prayer and study of God's Word, leads us to inquire concerning the deeper workings of the spiritual realm - which, at the minimum, entails discipline involving one's 'thought-life'. The Bible explicitly describes the nature and the arena of spiritual warfare, as subsisting in the context of one's own thoughts and imaginations (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).
What, then, do thoughts and imaginations consist of, if not of words and images? Not only do words and images appear within the mind itself, but words and images incessantly pour into the mind by way of the eyes and the ears. What a simple truth that is. Yet, it seems obvious that most people do not control, nor do they carefully analyze, the words and images that they are exposed to. When, as it often happens, that words and images conveying false doctrine are represented as 'Christian truth' (in any of a great variety of settings), an additional 'layer', or factor, possessing exceptional psychological power by reason of association with Christianity, serves to seduce immature or otherwise careless persons to accept those (false) ideas as truth. The churches are practically overrun with just such phenomena, that is, with words and images that tempt and lead incautious souls further and further away from the truth of God.
The very nature of mind is such that living spirits are capable of comprehending the meaning of things - whether visible or invisible. Meaning, as such, is purely spiritual. But meaning can only be expressed and communicated (by men) by means of an infinite variety of symbols, albeit chiefly by words.
Still, let me try to be more clear. BEHAVIOR (acts, deeds, attitudes, speech, etc.) is the expression of CHARACTER. What one DOES is the product of one's CHARACTER. So says the Word of God, in many ways and places. But underlying and influencing CHARACTER is BELIEF. BEHAVIOR, then, which is the expression of CHARACTER, is essentially the product of BELIEF. In turn, what one BELIEVES has everything to do with what one does or does not PERCEIVE. The Scripture says, in Romans 10:14: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?..."
At last we come to see the importance of language. Language is a kind of bridge, as it were, connecting the thinking mind with 'meaning' expressed in symbolic form. Language facilitates the mind's ability to apprehend (see, hear, imagine), and then to interpret what is apprehended, in order to comprehend (understand) the 'meaning' of some thing, which, meaning, is conveyed by some form of symbolic representation. When thus understood, LANGUAGE appears to lie near unto the very root of our BEING. Here, then, is a visual model of the nature of spiritual reality, in view of the foregoing discussion:
LANGUAGE does not merely link PERCEPTION and BELIEF but, in very large measure, language harnesses the meaning of symbols to inform, influence, and even shape belief. Thus language, as Moore rightly observed, is useful to "achieve changes in consciousness". He calls that "magic". Moore does not mean that magic is mere trickery or word-play, but magic is the purposeful use of spiritual powers (language, symbols) to manipulate CONSCIOUSNESS:
Satan evidently understands something about how the human mind works. He is very adept, very skillful and subtle, in the craft of using symbolic language of every kind in his attempts: to "change people's consciousness"; to tempt people to believe things that are not true; to deceive people to conceive of some kind of 'reality', other than what truly is.
It should now be understood that words and other kinds of symbols are actually possessed of real power. How that power is used, either for good or for evil, shall be further discussed in part 2.
In the Church, that practice and its consequences are only generically understood as 'deception'. Christians know that there are malevolent powers belonging to a super-natural realm including Satan and his cohorts, which, evil powers, continually seek by all means to work deception upon the human race, individually and collectively. But the philosophy, psychology, and wide range of technology whereby deception is achieved, is practically unknown to the Christian Church. In other words, although many Christians understand the reality and purpose of deception; and, furthermore, they are even able at times to discern specific instances of that: yet, it seems that few understand the role and the power of language (the use and manipulation of words and other symbols), in processes involving deception. The 'tools' of Satan's 'trade', as it were, are hardly perceived by many persons who, by reason of their being in Christ, should not, and need not, be so blind.
Quite unlike it was with watchful Christians in the Apostle Paul's day, the vast majority of modern Christians are grossly ignorant of Satan's devices. Modern Christians little realize how pervasive and how powerful are the means whereby they are daily bombarded with Satanic 'magic' designed and purposed to "change people's consciousness". And not just in the world but also in the churches! It is commonly acknowledged among most Christians that the Church has somehow become greatly weakened. But few seem to possess any substantive understanding concerning the reasons why that is so. Thus if the causes of weakness in the Church are not well understood, then it is no wonder that solutions are not readily forthcoming.
Lack of Bible knowledge and lack of prayer, to be sure, are key factors contributing to spiritual weakness. Certainly, I believe that the Holy Ghost is perfectly able to protect from deception those who diligently seek unto God in his Word and in prayer. But I also believe, because the Scripture teaches, that God is not well pleased with those who are content to be 'simple-minded' and, so, they remain "ignorant of [Satan's] devices" (Proverbs 1:22; 2 Corinthians 2:11; et al). In other words, the teaching and the protection afforded to us by the Holy Ghost, through prayer and study of God's Word, leads us to inquire concerning the deeper workings of the spiritual realm - which, at the minimum, entails discipline involving one's 'thought-life'. The Bible explicitly describes the nature and the arena of spiritual warfare, as subsisting in the context of one's own thoughts and imaginations (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).
What, then, do thoughts and imaginations consist of, if not of words and images? Not only do words and images appear within the mind itself, but words and images incessantly pour into the mind by way of the eyes and the ears. What a simple truth that is. Yet, it seems obvious that most people do not control, nor do they carefully analyze, the words and images that they are exposed to. When, as it often happens, that words and images conveying false doctrine are represented as 'Christian truth' (in any of a great variety of settings), an additional 'layer', or factor, possessing exceptional psychological power by reason of association with Christianity, serves to seduce immature or otherwise careless persons to accept those (false) ideas as truth. The churches are practically overrun with just such phenomena, that is, with words and images that tempt and lead incautious souls further and further away from the truth of God.
The very nature of mind is such that living spirits are capable of comprehending the meaning of things - whether visible or invisible. Meaning, as such, is purely spiritual. But meaning can only be expressed and communicated (by men) by means of an infinite variety of symbols, albeit chiefly by words.
Still, let me try to be more clear. BEHAVIOR (acts, deeds, attitudes, speech, etc.) is the expression of CHARACTER. What one DOES is the product of one's CHARACTER. So says the Word of God, in many ways and places. But underlying and influencing CHARACTER is BELIEF. BEHAVIOR, then, which is the expression of CHARACTER, is essentially the product of BELIEF. In turn, what one BELIEVES has everything to do with what one does or does not PERCEIVE. The Scripture says, in Romans 10:14: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?..."
At last we come to see the importance of language. Language is a kind of bridge, as it were, connecting the thinking mind with 'meaning' expressed in symbolic form. Language facilitates the mind's ability to apprehend (see, hear, imagine), and then to interpret what is apprehended, in order to comprehend (understand) the 'meaning' of some thing, which, meaning, is conveyed by some form of symbolic representation. When thus understood, LANGUAGE appears to lie near unto the very root of our BEING. Here, then, is a visual model of the nature of spiritual reality, in view of the foregoing discussion:
BEHAVIOR
CHARACTER
BELIEF
LANGUAGE
PERCEPTION
BEING
The workings and the power of DECEPTION operate entirely in the category of LANGUAGE. For, language employs SYMBOLS that embody and convey MEANING, to the mind. Thus, BELIEF is influenced - if not in fact shaped - by the 'meaning' of ideas that are suggested to the higher functions of the mind, by means of language (in symbols). Those symbols appear to the mind, either within the mind itself or through the eyes and/or ears; whereupon receiving, the meaning of symbols (words/images) is interpreted by operations of the mind in the category of PERCEPTION.LANGUAGE does not merely link PERCEPTION and BELIEF but, in very large measure, language harnesses the meaning of symbols to inform, influence, and even shape belief. Thus language, as Moore rightly observed, is useful to "achieve changes in consciousness". He calls that "magic". Moore does not mean that magic is mere trickery or word-play, but magic is the purposeful use of spiritual powers (language, symbols) to manipulate CONSCIOUSNESS:
'Magic' involves the use of LANGUAGE
to manipulate BELIEFS and Consciousness,
which is to say, 'PERCEIVED reality'.
Satan evidently understands something about how the human mind works. He is very adept, very skillful and subtle, in the craft of using symbolic language of every kind in his attempts: to "change people's consciousness"; to tempt people to believe things that are not true; to deceive people to conceive of some kind of 'reality', other than what truly is.
It should now be understood that words and other kinds of symbols are actually possessed of real power. How that power is used, either for good or for evil, shall be further discussed in part 2.
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