When I worked as a manager at one of the world’s largest retail companies, I came into contact with hundreds of interesting and unique individuals. Despite their different backgrounds and personalities, most engaged in three things after work: drugs, video games and pornography.

Some people’s entire lifestyles revolved around satisfying these desires. Some scheduled their vacation days around video game releases. One would work a 10-hour shift, stay up all night playing World of Warcraft, then come to work the next day without sleeping. Some would get high as soon as they got home from work, and others were caught watching pornography while clocked in.

The more a co-worker was steeped in drugs, video games or pornography, the more emotionally unstable he was. This was clearly evident. You could see some people’s lives start to spiral downward, and they didn’t understand why.

Facing financial worries, terrible family relationships, twisted romantic interests and a lack of purpose, many, many people are turning to drugs, video games and pornography for escape and pleasure. They are trying to cope with life, but they are building spiritual gateways.

Indulging in these activities opens your mind to the evil spiritual realm!

Good and evil obviously exist. Both are matters of the spirit, and the human mind is where the physical and the spiritual meet. We have physical brains powered by the human spirit (Job 32:8). This human spirit is what makes us different from animals, who have brains but no spirit. Each decision we make has spiritual consequences.

The physical universe is governed by physical laws like gravity and conservation of mass. Similarly, human thought and conduct is governed by spiritual law. Both are from the same Creator. This law is very simple. It has been summed up in one word: give. Jesus Christ summarized it as loving your Creator more than yourself and loving your neighbor as much as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). This principle is further elaborated in the Ten Commandments, which are further elaborated throughout the Bible. They are not arbitrary rules but explain how the physical and spiritual reality work.

Yet most people are rebelling against spiritual reality (and physical reality) and suffering the consequences. They are choosing the way of get. This way of vanity, gratification and putting the self above everyone and everything also has a source: Satan the devil (John 8:44). This exaltation of one’s own will, against physical and spiritual reality, results in suffering, curses and ultimately death (Romans 6:23).

The very first human beings were presented with a clear choice between these two ways of life. Adam and Eve listened to Satan and chose the way of get. Consequently, all of their descendants have followed in that path!

It is a matter of cause and effect.

As this issue of the Trumpet shows, the whole world is and has been ruled not by God but by “the god of this world,” Satan the devil (Revelation 12:9; 2 Corinthians 4:4). Our minds are automatically tuned in to his broadcast of attitudes and emotions based on get, on vanity, on selfishness (Ephesians 2:2).

Drugs, pornography and excessive indulgence in video games are three dangerous gateway sins. These break God’s law and open the human mind even more to Satan’s intense broadcasts. These sins are also designed, engineered and marketed to be highly addictive. You can easily become permanently hooked! It is no coincidence that demonism has increased as these three gateway sins have increased.

Although they often could not see it, there was a clear reason why my work associates became more unstable, angry and even unhinged. There is a reason why their lives began falling apart. This is spiritual reality. This is cause and effect.

The more you open your mind to sin, the stronger its influence becomes. The more you indulge in temporary pleasures, the more addicted you find yourself, and the stronger the gateway becomes. It’s a death spiral, and many people are trapped in a trajectory of spiritual ruin.

The law of cause and effect remains. This means the opposite choice remains available to you. You can reject these tempting gateway sins and choose the life of blessings. Even if you have indulged in these vices, you can repent! With God’s help, you can choose instead to follow the counsel of Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

The results of our choices to indulge in gateway sins are becoming increasingly obvious. The Creator of your mind has something so much greater for you! There is hope! He gave us the incredible human brain, combined with the human spirit, for the very purpose of connecting your mind to His mind! (Philippians 2:5). Talking to God in prayer and obeying His law, with His help, opens the gateway to your Father in heaven, who wants nothing less than to nourish and develop your mind to the point where you can be born into His Family (Romans 8:14). The choice between the two is not an easy one, but it is yours to make.