Fasting has glorious benefits, yet it can be like swimming in shark-infested waters as the enemy is lurking in the deep seeking to devour us. The fasted lifestyle is not neutral. If our motivations are pure towards the Lord, with the goal of love as our aim, this very fervor is strengthened in us, gloriously, through our fasting. On the other hand, if our motives are for self-exaltation and motives rooted in pride, these very realities will be strengthened in us as we fast, hardening our hearts toward the Lord. Therefore, don’t fast casually, with unchecked motives, or we will be at risk of doing more harm than good to our spiritual lives. In all of the dangers of fasting, this is the overarching one; it is the fact that it is not neutral and can cause severe harm to us if we use it without wisdom and in a way that is not ordained by God.

 

Jesus has not called us to be simplistic or naïve as we seek to respond to Him in a wholehearted way. Wholeheartedness has never come without great disruption in the spiritual realm and thus, we must let wisdom warn us of the specific danger zones ahead. They include isolationism, a spirit of poverty, eating disorders, legalism that operates in a religious spirit seeking to earn standing with God, inappropriate asceticism, and the possibility of counterfeit encounters whose source is demonic instead of holy. Then there is the danger most common and most lethal to true spirituality—pride. The only way we can be safe from falling into these is by consistently pursuing 100 percent obedience, staying committed to other believers, and spending time in the Word of God. The Scripture is the final authority that judges all our experiences.

 

Fasting, like dynamite, has great power that can be used for either good or evil. The reason for the power is that whether this activity is used for good purposes or bad, the results in the soul are not neutral but powerful. This is so important,  the enemy would have us be swayed into darkness without realizing it, while all the while we are fasting and thinking ourselves spiritual.

Fasting sensitizes the human spirit to the spirit realm, including both the genuine and the occult realms. Many false religions and occult groups promote the practice of fasting because of its real dimensions of power. They are often lead by people intensely committed to fasting who strongly deny their flesh in order to have a greater access to the experience of the spirit realm Those in Eastern religions are often much more committed to fasting than those in the western church.

 

There is a counterfeit side to fasting that Satan seeks to exploit. Satan counterfeits the things of God in an attempt to deceive the faithful. Even believers can receive a demonic vision that leads them into delusions of grandeur. Those who increase their fasting may also experience an increase of demonic activity designed to confuse and deceive. This is not unusual or unexpected. The things that bring power in the Kingdom of God are uniquely targeted by the enemy to undermine those that embrace them.

 

Demonic deception is on the rise, increasing dramtically in the hour we live in and will only multiply to levels the Earth has never known before the return of Jesus. Paul prophesied that in the End Times some would depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrine of demons. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…speaking lies…forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:3–5).

 

This proneness to delusion for a sincere believer who has no anchor in the Word of God can lead to massive false ideas about themselves—buying into ludicrous notions of superior spirituality.

 

We must be on special guard during times of fasting, being intentional to stay focused on Jesus, connected to the Body of Christ, immersed in the Word of God and open to correction. If we allow ourselves to become isolated from people and then neglect to read the Word, we will lose our focus on intimacy and we may find ourselves seeking that which leads to our own spiritual grandeur. A true way to determine the purity of our motivations in fasting is by the fruit evidenced in our lives.

 

 

One of the clear dangers that often entangles those who give themselves to fasting is isolationism. Some who regularly fast lose their way when they become isolated from the Body of Christ. Fasting must be accompanied by great humility and godly interdependence on one another in order to preserve us from massive pitfalls. We are not complete in ourselves and God has set up His Kingdom in such a way that we must pursue the Lord together as a spiritual body. We are only complete when we’re functioning together as the Body of Christ. It is as we corporately come together in unity that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

 

We want to be intentional about being committed to our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Isolationism disregards the glory and grace of God that is imparted to others. It is anti-servanthood, anti-compassion and anti-social—all realities that oppose the heart of God. The Scripture calls us to the fasted lifestyle because it is the best way to fulfill the two great commandments—loving God and loving others. Jesus even said our greatness was measured by serving one another. It is essential to stay committed to other believers, and refuse to retreat into a strange isolation.

 

Another pitfall to avoid in the fasted lifestyle is in our quest to live simply, we must not allow ourselves to fall prey to a spirit of poverty, which is from the enemy. Prosperity is a blessing of the Lord, He has promised to provide for us. Because we want to be rich in blessing and giving to others, we resist the spirit of poverty and believe God for financial increase. We will receive much increase and yes, we will give it away freely. Why would we rejoice in lack? We rejoice that we can share abundantly with others as we pursue a deep spirituality.

 

As we continue fasting, let's make an effort to not only abstain from food, but to abstain from falling under the oppresive blindfold the enemy has ready to tie around our heads. Let's make an effort to incessantly make this fast be about our heart and our Jesus—Fast on!