Pokemon Go and Christians Part 3

The Prophetic Dangers of Pokémon Go: A Spiritual Wake-Up Call for Christians

Introduction: More Than Just a Game

Welcome back to the blog. It's Conrad from ConradRocks.Net, and my passion, as always, is to bring Jesus to your face and help you cultivate a real, spiritual relationship with the biblical Jesus.

A while back, a phenomenon swept the globe, and its aftershocks are still felt today. Phones in hand, millions of people began walking the streets, eyes glued to their screens, hunting for something that wasn't there—at least, not in our physical reality. I’m talking about Pokémon Go. On the surface, it seemed like a harmless bit of fun, a way to get people outdoors. But as believers, we are called to look beyond the surface, to test the spirits, and to examine everything in the light of scripture.

This topic became so pressing that I dedicated a three-part "Coffee with Conrad" interview series to it with my friend, Pastor Bob Strachan of Scotland Baptist, all the way from his church in Jedburgh, Scotland. In our final, concluding interview, we peeled back the layers of this cultural craze to expose the deeply spiritual and prophetic issues at its core. Today, I want to share the heart of that conversation with you. This isn't just about a game; it's about spiritual discernment, the reality of demonic influence, and the battle for the mind of every Christian in these last days.

The Elephant in the Room: Can Christians Be Touched by the Demonic?

One of the first lines of defense I hear from well-meaning believers is, "Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4, KJV). And to that, I say a hearty Amen! But does this mean we are magically immune to the influence, affliction, and temptations of the enemy? Is our salvation a force field that absolves us of the need for vigilance?

As Pastor Bob so powerfully articulated in our talk, the Bible paints a very different picture. The scriptures are filled with warnings, not to the world, but to us—the believers.

Paul warns Timothy, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1, KJV). Notice who is giving heed? Not the unsaved, but those who are departing from the faith. This implies that Christians can, in fact, listen to and be led astray by these spirits.

The battleground is clearly the mind. Paul feared for the Corinthian believers: "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3, KJV). He speaks of receiving "another spirit," which shows it’s a possibility for the church.

Think about the examples Pastor Bob raised:

• Satan was given permission to sift Peter like wheat.
• Job was afflicted directly by the enemy.
• Paul himself was given a "messenger of Satan to buffet him."

And perhaps the most compelling example is the one from Luke 13, where Jesus heals a woman who had a "spirit of infirmity" for eighteen years. What did Jesus call her? "A daughter of Abraham." In the language of faith, she was a saved woman, a child of God, yet she was physically afflicted by a demonic spirit. This is a clear, undeniable biblical precedent. Christians are not immune; we are targets. This is why Peter urges us, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8, KJV).

"All Things Are Permissible" - A Christian's License for Anything?

Another common rebuttal I've encountered is the misuse of Paul's words, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient" (1 Corinthians 6:12, KJV). People cherry-pick the first part to justify their actions, suggesting a blanket permission for any activity not explicitly forbidden in the New Testament.

Pastor Bob dismantled this argument with a sharp and brilliant point. He asked, is bestiality permissible? It’s not mentioned in the New Testament. Of course not! God’s moral law, His definition of sin and abomination, does not change with the covenant. Sin is still sin.

The Bible is clear: "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Galatians 5:9, KJV). As we discussed in our previous interviews, Pokémon is rooted in occultic principles and the anti-biblical theory of evolution. Even if you only see a "little leaven" of occultism or something that dishonors God, that small amount is enough to corrupt the entire experience. You cannot separate the "fun" part from its ungodly roots.

The Idol Is "Nothing," But What's Behind It?

This brings us to the next line of defense: "We know that an idol is nothing in the world" (1 Corinthians 8:4, KJV). People argue that Pokémon are just digital characters, pixels on a screen. They are "nothing." And they are right, in a sense. The physical object—the stone statue, the wooden carving, or the digital phone—is in itself, nothing.

But the scripture doesn't end there. Paul goes on to say, "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils" (1 Corinthians 10:20, KJV).

The idol isn't the problem; the demonic entity that receives the worship and attention behind the idol is the problem. As Pastor Bob explained, a demon is more than happy to step in and receive the focus and energy you're directing toward that "harmless" object. Your phone, in this case, becomes a conduit—a modern-day idol.

This resonated so deeply with my spirit. I thought about the history of the kings of Israel. Over and over, the Bible records that a new king "did that which was right in the sight of the Lord," but with a devastating caveat: "howbeit the high places were not taken away" (2 Kings 12:2-3, KJV). Why did they leave them? I believe it was fear. Fear of retaliation, fear of upsetting the people, fear of being seen as extreme. They were unwilling to go all the way for God, and that compromise left a doorway open for sin to re-enter the nation. We face the same choice today when we tolerate "high places" in our own lives.

The Prophetic Warning of a "Harmless" Game

What really struck me during our conversation was the prophetic nature of this entire phenomenon. Pastor Bob pointed out that the "high places" were never really removed from society; they just changed form. And now, through technology, they are being invited directly into our homes and churches.

When I considered the level of access people willingly gave this game—contacts, camera, location, personal data—I felt a chill. It’s a conditioning. People are being prepped to trade privacy, liberty, and discernment for entertainment and convenience. How much more willing will they be to accept a system that controls their ability to buy and sell just so they can eat? These games are, in my view, a small taste, a prophetic shadow of the coming Antichrist system. They are prepping people to accept the supernatural as normal and to give up everything to participate.

A Call to Spiritual Warfare: How Should We Then Respond?

So, if we're convicted by the Holy Spirit to remove these influences from our lives, how do we approach our friends and family who are still involved? This is where the rubber meets the road.

The wrong way, as Pastor Bob warned, is to get on social media and start blasting everyone who disagrees with you. How long did it take for God to bring you to this point of understanding? It was likely a process. You cannot expect to deprogram someone from a lifetime of cultural conditioning with a single, angry Facebook post.

This is about relationship and trust. Jesus’s words about the beam and the splinter are key: "first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye" (Matthew 7:5, KJV). Interestingly, the Greek word for "cast out" is ekballo, the same word Jesus uses for casting out demons. We must first deal with the demonic influences and strongholds in our own lives. Then, with gentleness, compassion, and trust that we’ve built, we can help our brothers and sisters.

A Word to Pastors: Don't Invite the Enemy to Church

Finally, Pastor Bob gave a solemn, urgent warning to pastors and church leaders. I want to echo it with all my heart. Inviting Pokémon Go into your church by making it a "Pokéstop" or a "gym" is spiritual insanity. You are not being culturally relevant; you are sending a formal invitation for demonic spirits to come and make your church a playground.

Do not be naive. The devil is not afraid to walk into a church building. A demon-possessed man cried out right in the middle of the synagogue while Jesus was teaching! (Mark 1:23). If your church is on fire for God, you are a target. Satan will use any method he can, including a "harmless" game, to infiltrate, disrupt, and destroy your ministry from the inside out. Better to lose a few members who are committed to the world than to lose the presence and power of God in your services.

Conclusion: Dig Deeper and Go Higher

The issue of Pokémon Go is a symptom of a much larger spiritual battle. We are called to "be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2, KJV).

This requires courage. It requires you to be different. It requires you to examine everything—every game, every movie, every tradition—and ask: Does this glorify Jesus? Are its roots godly? Am I giving place to the devil?

If you've been involved in this or other questionable activities, the path forward is clear. Repent. But don't just stop playing. As Pastor Bob urged, destroy these things. Burn them. Delete them. Don't pass the curse on to someone else by giving it away. Close the door firmly and command Satan to leave your life in the mighty name of Jesus.

This is not about legalism; it's about holiness. It's not about fear; it's about walking in the authority and power that Christ has given us.

A Call to Action:

I want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on this? Have you had experiences with the supernatural side of things that the world calls "harmless"? Share your testimony in the comments below.

If this message has stirred your spirit, please share it with your friends, your family, and your pastor. Let's get this conversation started in our churches.

For more content that challenges you to go deeper in your walk with Jesus, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow ConradRocks.Net on social media. And please, check out the incredible resources and teachings from Pastor Bob Strachan over at ScotlandBaptist.com.

Until we meet again, dig deeper and go higher.

God Bless,
Conrad