“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”
— 1 Corinthians 10:21

We don’t always realize that many of the things we partake in have a spiritual aspect. You may think it’s just a TV show, just a movie, just a song, but spirits operate through the media we consume.

When the Bible says, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons,” it is warning us against compromising and leading double lives. But the forms that compromise can take are not always overt. For example, some people love God but also listen to music celebrating things they know are wrong and watch movies that accent sinful behaviors. When they do this, they are drinking of the cup of demons, consuming what demons are serving up, because anything that encourages a lifestyle contrary to the Word of God is not inspired by the Spirit of God. It is energized by demons.

I want to encourage you, beloved, to practice fidelity in your relationship with God. Be focused and refuse to compromise. This does not mean you are to become legalistic. My encouragement is that you not entertain yourself with things that dishonor Messiah Jesus or that encourage the sins Yeshua died to cleanse us of.

I know some churches focus so much on dos and don’ts that their members feel as if they are in bondage. That is not the heart of God. But there is no freedom in compromise, and it often leads to complete alienation from Jesus. This is why Yeshua warned us about being lukewarm, saying, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot” (Rev. 3:15). The more we give our hearts to other lovers, the more we drift away from Him, and the weaker we become, until we are no longer effective witnesses for the kingdom.

I don’t advocate simply following a bunch of rules; I encourage people to develop a relationship with Jesus, but we must guard that relationship. If your heart isn’t focused on pleasing God, it can be lured to partake of the table of demons. God is asking us to deny ourselves and follow Him. We cannot drink of both His Spirit and the cup of demons. Let’s not compromise. Messiah Jesus wants you to follow Him in the narrow way that leads to life.

Father, help me to guard against compromise. Awaken me supernaturally if my heart begins to drift away from You.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Revelation (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2020), Used by permission.