Demonic Influence While Intoxicated

EisMe

Scripture consistently warns against intoxication, highlighting how substance abuse weakens judgment and opens individuals to spiritual deception. While various herbs were used in biblical worship, they were only burned as incense, never smoked or ingested. Additionally, there is no historical record of marijuana being used in ceremonial worship, either in the Bible or among ancient civilizations.

Warnings Against Intoxication and Loss of Judgment

Proverbs 20:1 – "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."
Proverbs 23:29-35 – "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife?... In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper."
Ephesians 5:18 – "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."
1 Corinthians 6:10 – "Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
Luke 21:34 – "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life..."

Demonic Influence in Vulnerable States

Mark 9:17-18 – "A spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth."
Luke 9:42 – "Even while the boy was approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground in a convulsion."
1 Peter 5:8 – "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

These passages reveal that demonic possession and spiritual attack often target weakened states, whether due to intoxication, emotional distress, or physical exhaustion.

Biblical Herbs Were Burned, Not Smoked or Ingested

Exodus 30:23-25 – "Take the following fine spices: liquid myrrh, fragrant cinnamon, fragrant cane, cassia, and olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing oil."
Leviticus 2:1-2 – "Put incense on the offering and take it to the priests."
Numbers 16:46-47 – "Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar."
Psalm 51:7 – "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."

These scriptures confirm that herbs were never smoked or ingested in worship—they were burned as incense for purification and prayer.

No Scriptural or Historical Evidence of Marijuana in Ceremonial Worship

While some claim biblical references to herbs could include cannabis, scholars agree there is no direct link between marijuana and formal worship.
Genesis 1:29 speaks of seed-bearing plants, but does not mention marijuana or intoxicating substances for religious purposes.
Exodus 30:23 refers to "kaneh-bosm," which some speculate could be cannabis, yet linguistic studies identify it as calamus instead.

Native American Peyote vs. Marijuana

Peyote (not marijuana) was used in vision quests and spiritual ceremonies by certain Native American tribes.
Marijuana was not historically part of Native American rituals. Their traditional peace pipes contained tobacco, kinnikinnick, and medicinal herbs, but not cannabis.

Final Connection: Satan’s Strategy Through Substance Abuse

• Intoxication weakens self-control, allowing spiritual deception to take hold. • Drunkenness and drug use distort judgment, leading individuals away from righteousness. • Demonic influence targets vulnerable states, including those caused by substance abuse. • Biblical herbs were burned, not smoked or ingested, contradicting claims that marijuana was a ceremonial herb. • Marijuana was never used in scriptural worship, and only peyote appears in Native American spiritual practices.

Estephan

TheListener

I see your point here but I don't see any direct correlation with the scriptures you quoted, and some you didn't with intoxication creating an opening for demonic spirits. You quoted Mark 9:17-18, Luke 9:42, and 1 Peter 5:8 but I personally don't see them saying over indulgence in alcohol opens up someone to the demons. Yes, I see the word sober, but I researched the Greek and from my limited understanding and trusting the translation material online I don't see that sober in this context is talking about the effects of alcohol.

But, interesting subject

moley

You must be a blast at parties

Vidiot

EisMe - “…scriptures confirm that herbs were never smoked or ingested in worship - they were burned as incense…”

Yeah…

…’cause narcotics are never applied via that method.

😒

hoser

Ephesians 5:18

A scripture that Tony Morris took literally.

hoser

Cannabis is a legal substance in many countries. It comes in many forms and may or may not be an intoxicant.

I see it as a medicine especially the CBD oils.

The watchtower is hanging on to its old beliefs about marijuana trying to keep the control over the sheeple. Alcohol and caffeine are the only drugs allowed by the Jehovah’s Witness religion.

blondie

I always how the WTS handles it now that medical marijuana is legal in some states in the US as well in other countries? There are some drugs/medicines that while illegal without a prescription, many are, prescribed to you by a legitimate prescription. No mention in the publications. But then smoking is legal and they found a way of labeling smoking, using coca leaves, chewing tobacco, snuff as "spiritism" in 1973 when using these were labeled as a disfellowshipping (removed now) offense. WT1973 3/15 p. 181 " It is of interest to us that the Greek word used in the Bible for “practice of spiritism,” “sorcery” or “witchcraft” is phar·ma·kiʹa, which is very closely related to our word “pharmacy.” Phar·ma·kiʹa means, literally, “druggery.” Why is this word used for spiritism or sorcery? One authority says:

“PHARMAKIA . . . (Eng., pharmacy, etc.) primarily signified the use of medicine, drugs, spells; then, poisoning; then, sorcery, . . . See also Rev. 9:21; 18:23. . . . In sorcery, the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or patient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer.”—Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words...Is not the situation parallel today? Many drug users claim they are ‘approaching God,’ they are ‘expanding their minds.’ But actually it has to do with impressing the user with mysterious hallucinations and feelings, leading them to the demons, under the idea that the drug is freeing their minds for higher, broader thinking. If one is led into the practice of spiritism he is open to all sorts of wrong practices, demon influence, insanity and everlasting death. Spiritism, a work of the flesh, will prevent one from entering God’s kingdom..WT1973 6/1 p. 340 "What, then, of those who in the past were baptized while still using such addictive products as tobacco, other drugs, or who are on some treatment such as the “methadone program” and who continue in such practice? They may now be given a reasonable period of time, such as six months, in which to free themselves of the addiction. So doing, they will show their sincere desire to remain within Jehovah God’s clean congregation of dedicated servants...If persons already baptized are not willing to abandon their addiction to damaging and enslaving products, what then? Then they show that, like Esau, they do not ‘appreciate sacred things,’ preferring such habits to the privilege of being part of Jehovah’s clean people. They should therefore be removed from the congregation due to such conduct unbecoming a Christian."

Anony Mous

The Bible doesn’t say that people did or didn’t smoke, it was just not culturally present in the region until much later. Smoking in religious rituals isn’t foreign though. I guess you never heard about Rastafarianism. The Bible does allude to other substances with similar properties, typically wines mixed with herbs.

punkofnice

I'll drink to that.

Phizzy

Seeing as Demons do not exist, who cares what the Bible says, it is a collection of Books full of lies, mistakes and total nonsense.

Demonic Influence While Intoxicated

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