In Focus - From Darkness to Freedom ( March 2026 )

Title

From Darkness to Freedom 

Rediscovering one’s Identity as Children of the Abba Father

Intro

Fr Shoji ____ , a priest serving the youth through the Unbound ministry, writes about the two lies that deceive young people today, and two ways of freeing oneself from such bondage.

Highlight

To those who think that Gen Z is not open to spiritual encounters, I would say that our young people genuinely seek compassionate, trustworthy, and non-judgmental listeners, and once we offer them the space and show them the light of Christ, they are more than willing to take the path. 

Article

Imagine a baby born into a war-torn land, amidst bombings and gunfire, hunger and strife. Knowing no other reality, the child grows up in dread of everything around; so rooted is the little one in this brutality that it is almost impossible to convince them that peace is even possible. Growing up, the child is in awe of the power of their suppressor that they either follow them or live in constant fear of them. 

Think of another baby, born in a peaceful region, welcomed into love, raised with facilities and amenities that every child truly deserves... To them, the first child’s pain and hate-filled experiences would seem like an impossible reality. 

In spiritual warfare too we see these extremes, two dangerous lies that are common among young people today:

• Denying the Reality of Spiritual Warfare. The presumption that there is no spiritual world, and no Satan.

• Glorifying Evil as Attractive. The idea that Satan is powerful and glorious, and he can offer unlimited pleasure. 

Both lies are dangerous, and lead many young people into spiritual bondage.

Unlike the babies, a regulated adult, who has seen and experienced both sides – love and hatred, joy and sorrow – can look at these two worlds with wisdom; wary of the hatred and violence but also hopeful of peace and harmony. A spiritually wise man sees spiritual warfare as an inevitable part of life, and being prudent and wary of evil’s schemes, clothes himself with the grace and power of God. 

The First Lie: Satan Does Not Exist

The first lie denies the reality of spiritual warfare. It presumes that there is no spiritual world. When people believe Satan is unreal, they begin to treat all related activities as harmless or fun, approaching them without caution or boundaries. 

Many of today’s youth engage with evil out of curiosity, peer pressure, or influence from entertainment. The lie, ‘there is no Satan,’ becomes the entry for young people to ‘innocent’ experimentation – tarot cards, horoscopes, fortune-telling, visiting mediums, and Ouija boards. 

Take the case of a third-grade student and her friends who planned to use a Ouija board because they saw it in a movie. The eight-year-old, not even mature enough to understand what she was about to do, told her mother, ‘Tonight at 12:00, I need to invoke a good spirit. All my friends in class are doing this.’ Even in the safety of classrooms, teachers have started presenting Ouija boards as games. The sheer normalisation of the act and the use of terms like ‘good spirit’ point towards a blatant ignorance of the spiritual world. Just as movies have made spells and occult practices seem harmless, many lives have been deeply affected by the darkness behind them.

The danger is that people often treat these encounters as one-time experiments, without realising the spiritual consequences. These ignorant practices, even when done out of curiosity or as harmless fun, opens a space for dark forces to take control of their lives, and can result in serious bondages. These open doors become more of a threat especially in times of anxiety, trauma, or confusion, when they begin searching for consolation anywhere. 

In these times, they forget the warning God gave us: You shall have no other gods beside me (Exodus 20:3) and reach for any straw that can help them out of that momentary misery. Evil utilises this vulnerability in our spiritual realm and creates a stronghold, the same pattern seen in addictions such as drug dependency, alcoholism, and uncontrolled sexual exploration. 

When we believe there is nothing to fear or be cautious about, we begin to explore anything. Satan is like a dog on a chain. If we enter his territory, we open an entry door, and it can become a stronghold for him to attack. Do not forget that we are spiritual beings, and that God has given boundaries for our protection. 

The Second Lie: Satan Is Glorious and Fearsome

The second lie propagates Satan as powerful, one who can offer unlimited pleasure. This is equally dangerous as the first. 

Over the past decades, popular culture, and entertainment, including cartoons for children have been portraying evil as good and appealing. As a result impressionable children begin to admire devilish characters or normalise what is evil and dangerous. 

Venerable Fulton J Sheen once shared a story: After his death, a man reached heaven and wished to visit hell. St Peter allowed him to go. In hell, he was treated with great hospitality. So he asked permission for another visit, and again he was welcomed royally. The third time, St Peter warned him, ‘If you go this time, you cannot return.’ But the man insisted. When he entered hell again, everything had changed. He was treated cruelly and harshly. He asked, ‘You treated me so well before, why are you treating me like this now?’ Satan replied: ‘Earlier you came as a tourist. Now you belong here.’

This reveals a spiritual truth: entry points may seem pleasurable at first, but the consequences are bitter. As Jesus warns in John 10:10, A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy.

Subsequently, there is also increased fear of the ‘power’ that Satan wields. Media and the occult use horror films and viral social media content to present evil as hyper-powerful entities granting wishes or cursing foes, fostering anxiety in the viewer, especially among children and teenagers. Even after casual engagement, youth often exhibit issues like nightmares, compulsions, or ‘curses’. This also leads to an obsessive fear of sin/demons, leading to despair or false security (for example, relying on amulets over sacraments). Same as in the case of the first lie, vulnerable individuals going through emotional struggles may sink deeper into isolation, self-harm, or deeper occultism, mistaking it for ‘demonic oppression.’

Let us not forget that Satan barks fiercely but strains at God's leash. Fearing the bark ignores the Master's command: Get behind me, Satan (Matthew 16:23). The Church teaches that Satan’s might is creaturely and is crushed by Christ (CCC 395). 

Two Effective Tools for Healing and Freedom

Many people trapped through these two entry doors desperately want to return to freedom. Some even blame God as the cause of their troubles, when in fact the enemy has deceived them. As Christians, we have the responsibility to support such individuals with compassion and truth.  At present, there are two effective spiritual tools that support people in these situations:

1.  The Unbound Model

2. The Living Waters Model

UNBOUND

The Unbound model recognises that every individual has a will and the power to choose God. It does not reject medical or psychological approaches, but it emphasises a normal path of deliverance. It is like natural childbirth: the mother does what is needed, and the midwife assists in the process. 

The most important part of the Unbound ministry is compassionate listening. The person is listened to without judgment or prejudice, just as Jesus listened to the Samaritan woman. He did not condemn her repeated failures but led her into true worship.

Similarly, in the Unbound ministry, the minister helps the person walk through five key steps:

* Repentance and faith

* Unconditional forgiveness

* Renouncing evil

* Praying with authority

* Experiencing the love of the Father

Here, we acknowledge the existence of Satan and his plan of destruction, but the focus is on proclaiming the power of Jesus to deliver us from all evil. When we repent from areas where we have given space to Satan and place our trust in Jesus, He brings freedom.

As a priest serving in the Unbound ministry, I have seen numerous young people delivered from anxiety, fear, addictions, depression, orphanhood, and spiritual bondage. Helping them through this process, I have seen them suffering from low self-esteem, fear, anxiety, pride, and confusion rediscover their identity as sons and daughters of God, experiencing the love of the Father and growing daily in freedom. 

To those who think that Gen Z is not open to spiritual encounters, I would say that our young people genuinely seek compassionate, trustworthy, and non-judgmental listeners, and once we offer them the space and show them the light of Christ, they are more than willing to take the path. 

LIVING WATERS

Unbound exposes the first lie's ignorance; Living Waters heals the second's wounds. 

It addresses a major pit that many young people fall into today concerning sexual identity, guilt, pornography addiction, and the loss of faith in marriage and family as God’s institution. Through vulnerable and open group sharings, worship, and open testimonials, Living Waters offers young people an opportunity to rebuild lives ruined by the lies of the modern world.

Our Hope in Christ

St Paul reminds us: He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). Christ is the one who rescues, heals, and restores. 

The Church is called to walk with young people, helping them recognise the lies of the enemy and experience the abundant life Jesus came to give. And she does this primarily through the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation, restoring us to grace and intimate friendship with the Father. The sacramental absolution objectively forgives sins, closes demonic doors, and casts out fear through the priest's invocation of Christ's mercy. And the Body and Blood of Christ nourishes our soul and continues the healing every day.