Incense: Should You Use It?

 

 Growing in popularity is the use of incense. Incense is wood sticks that when you light them release a smoke from the properties of wood and minerals from which they come, some examples are Frankincense, Myrrh, Sage, Amber, Sandalwood, and etc. Incense can be used to help freshen your home, and even can be tool to do with smoke smells coming from neighbors. However, in a religious context there is some concerns. Most of the types of incense have very specific religious connections to false and pagan religions, Palo Santo (Holy Wood) is a South American one that is used to ward off evil spirits, and bring good energy, which is not appropriate for us Christians, we caste out demons in name of Jesus, not by incense, and incorporating a pagan wood is a slippery slope into witchcraft. Sage in particular is used by New Age people to cleanse homes, and so burning it has pitfalls, because the fallen angels and demons are legalists, they will want to claim they have a right to be there because you are participating and using incense that if often used to summon them. 

A rebuttal is that God made the plants, trees, and minerals from which these incenses are derived, "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.," (Psalm 24:1-2), as well as, "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.." (1 Timothy 3:4). However, the Apostle Paul also says, "But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23), and there is the issue of the appearance of evil, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:22, KJV); for burning incenses that are used in magic and pagan rites will confuse pagans to why you as Christian are doing so. For me most of the incense brand are problematic because they have been used in ancient pagan rites, for instance Sandalwood "is an incense burnt in Buddhism, revered for its ability to calm and focus the mind. The Ancient Egyptians imported the wood for use in medicine, embalming, burial, and for ritual burning to please the gods." (Google Search, Sandalwood). Amber was "considered a sacred temple powder referred to as the "Nectar of the gods," or Ambrosia. Spiritually Amber is used for mediation, healing, purification, luck, love, emotional and spiritual balance, and aphrodisiac." (Google Search, Amber). See we are suppose to fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and we have one Mediator for our Spiritual balance, Christ, not incenses. So this alarms me because right now blending of pagan practices into Christian life is becoming popular, with people even thinking they can  do Yoga, which has poses to Hindu gods, the Lotus position in yoga literally is the position of Vishnu on he lotus flower and the Buddha. 

So what are we Christians to do? Should we forgo incense altogether. Well not so fast. Our Lord Jesus Christ was given incense, "And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts—gold and frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11). Our Lord in Bethlehem was giving Frankincense which obviously is an incense, its in the name, and Myrrh which can come in an incense. So if you want to get an incense that is Biblical, I would go with those two. In fact, on Amazon you can get the two for Church purposes: 

I think the best advice is to stick to Frankincense and Myrrh because they were given to our Lord Jesus in an act of worship. Though I would advise against the practice of using it to ward off demons or heal people. That is not what Scripture tells us to do, it says to caste demons out in the name of the LORD and lay hands on the sick, "Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;  they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." (Mark 16:14-18). Nothing there about incense. Now if you feel incense increases your confidence, that it gives you some mood help in preparing to do these things, I see nothing wrong with that. In many ways I feel anointing oil doesn't do anything though it is said to be used, "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord," (James 5:14), it more of the act gives people a faith boost in prayer, and the boost gives them the faith in Jesus to move mountains. That is the tension, not letting something become idolatry or a talisman of protection, thus an antichrist, while allowing it to be helpful for the purpose to boost faith  because its instructed in Scripture to do it. 

 We know that prayer is referred to as incense in Scripture, "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!" (Psalm 141:2), "And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints," (Revelation 5:8), and "And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel." (Revelation 8:3-4). So we see incense and prayer connected in Scripture, though using these verses in defense of incense is rather dubious because it says our prayers are incense, not that we are burning incense, your prayers are your words you speak to The Holy Trinity of Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit. 

Using incense is a matter of conscious. I for one have issues with the types of incense used in antiquity and today for pagan worship of false gods, and to do mystical and magical practices, because Jesus warns, "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8). The word used for magical arts there is, "Pharmakos, The term "pharmakos" refers to individuals who practice sorcery or witchcraft, often involving the use of drugs, potions, or spells to manipulate or control spiritual forces. In the New Testament, it is used to describe those who engage in occult practices, which are condemned as contrary to the worship of the one true God." (https://biblehub.com/greek/5333.htm). By that definition the incenses of Palo Santo and Sage, to remove spiritual forces and control them falls into practicing occult and this very definition that is violation of Scripture! So we should have nothing to do with that. Again I suggest stick to Frankincense, and Myrrh, and do not use it to control spiritual forces, but rather as pleasant aroma that reminds you that Jesus received it as one of his first gifts! Amen.