Today’s world seems to be marked with a daring, adventurous, gambling spirit of chance. Millions of people seemingly are gripped with the spirit of stupor and slumber as to the dangers of certain things and have resigned themselves to a "let come what may" attitude. There seems to be a real challenge involved in games of chance and gamble - a win all or lose all game does not seem to alert the player or participant to "count the costs" or to evaluate the situation.

In games of chance such as gambling at poker, pool, slot machines, crown and anchor and others, there seems to be no common sense, no reasoning or thoughtfulness involved. The player seem possessed with a fever for the competition, hoping and believing that this will be his winning hand, that he will hit the jackpot this time.

This spirit of chance does not warn the gambler to quit when he’s winning because of the deceiving spirit which keeps telling the player to continue because the BIG WIN is coming. The deceiving spirit fills the player with hope that he will become rich - even though perhaps for years he have never succeeded in doing so - but yet the player continues to be deceived with the hope that the next one will be the big one and if he just tries one more time, he will win and everything will turn out all right in the end.

Then when the player is at the bottom, the deceiving spirit seems to tell him he MUST gamble to get his money back and fix everything. The deceiving spirit tells him if he just keeps trying he will get out the big black hole he has fallen into -- and so it goes -- on and on, the big, ugly, vicious circle with the gambler ensnared in the web of deceit, lies, covetousness and pride.

The gambler often forgets about his wife, children, his home and the loved ones in his life when he is under the spell of the deceiver. When the gambler is under the yoke of the "Monster" or "Demon of Chance". Time means nothing and appetite vanishes when this deceiving spirit takes control of a person. The lust for money and power, the pride of winning and the gratification of the flesh keeps the enslaved gambler in a stupor. Real values such as home life, spiritual accomplishment, and the results of the sin of gambling mean nothing as long as the fever rages in the gambler’s brain.

Gambling is demon inspired and has caused more domestic problems, poverty and suicides than many other sinful vices. Men have gambled away their inheritances, their homes, their pay checks and their furniture. In despair and bitter shame, many gamblers have obeyed the voices of the suicide demons who say, "It’s too late now - you can’t face your family or friends. Why not jump off the bridge or take an overdose of sleeping pills and end it all."

Many others, being afraid of death, are able to escape the suicide demons and instead follow the impulses of the spirits of lust who say, "Now that you’ve ruined you life, your good name, why worry - get away from all the pressures and discipline of family life. Why don’t you pack your bags and hit the trail --- go get lost in the big city."

And many of these unfortunates end up on skid road as drunkards, drug addicts, sex perverts or working as prostitutes. Yes, my friends, gambling and games of chance are definitely demon inspired and will eventually bring heartache, remorse, divorce, even death.

I believe there are at least 7 evil spirits or demons involved in the sin of gambling or chance and every gambler has been led astray by at least one of these demons.

The spirit of pride which says, "Oh yes, you can do it - no one else may be able to, but you are better - you will show them. You will not be defeated - you must prove that you are more skilled or stronger, that you are the best." The spirit of pride continues to speak to you saying, "They might think you are a coward, or a chicken, you have to show them. Don’t let them get away with saying that, show them now you are man enough to do it. After all, what will the boys think? You must save face."

Of course, the lying spirit, which deceives, in one of the worst destructive forces in the world today. That force that tells you to keep at the game of taking a chance because everything will be all right -- or the evil spirit which tells you to try it just once more because you will hit the jackpot this time -- or don’t worry, everything will come out in the wash, everything will turn out all right - just don’t worry about it, it will work itself out because time heals everything,

The tormenting spirit of lust certainly does its ugly soul destroying work in thousands of lives daily around the world. The thirst for power and prestige or recognition often causes a man to enter into the game of the sin of gambling or chance. The desire to be with the wrong crowd, to feed upon the filthy conversations and to digest the sensuous music while drinking alcohol can bring people to the place of gambling. Certainly the demons of lust play an important role in the sinful practice.

In Samuel 15:23 the Bible says, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is an iniquity and idolatry." Many people are stubborn, even though they know they are doing wrong, they will not acknowledge it. The evil sprit which causes this is tied so very closely with the spirit of pride. Because of stubbornness many people have gone the downward track, not willing to accept someone’s apologies, not willing to forgive or forget a grudge, and not willing to accept defeat or responsibility. Many people find it very hard to quit when they are losing for fear of ridicule or hurt pride and are not willing to admit they are wrong. Stubbornness has ruined many good people because they were not willing to listen to reason or to accept advice and change their mind and admitting defeat.

Lastly, there seems to be a spirit of complacency or false security - a spirit of slumber and sleeping or drowsiness. This includes not recognizing the danger, not seeing the evil in certain things and accepting everything that comes along as being all right.

I believe this spirit is most prevalent in the world today. People’s consciences have been seared with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:2) It seems many people are living in the "twilight zone" where everything is grayish -- nothing is really black and nothing is really white but everything is a compromise color. What was at one time considered bad now is not really that bad - and nothing shocks you anymore. Things seem to be tolerated where they once were not tolerated. We are living in an age of tolerance, free thought and new moral standards.