Stylez4Christ
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Being "slain in the Spirit" is a topic that has seen a lot of debate among Christians, but it seems to me that there is more to this issue than many people might realize.
Consider that if God were to suddenly open us up and expose us to His infinite glory and majesty, none of us could handle it. It would completely overwhelm us and overpower us. Our systems might shut down at the enormity of it, and we wouldn't be able to stand up under it or bear it. God is so much bigger than any of us are capable of comprehending, and God is probably protecting us by not revealing the fullness of Himself to us while we are in our weak, mortal bodies. So when the awesome power of God touches a person in a special way, it can easily cause a physical reaction in the frail human body and the frail human nervous system. People's hands or bodies might shake, their knees might get weak or wobbly, they might fall to the ground, and so on. Those who have never experienced the Holy Spirit in such a tangible way might think that a person is faking this or is demonized or something, which can sometimes be the case. However, the power of God is real, and God sometimes "touches" people in special ways. Here are some examples:
"21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
"(Genesis 2:21) KJV
Adam's body physically reacted (by falling into a deep sleep) when God manifested His power
"12And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram;and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;" (Genesis 15:12-13) KJV
This doesn't sound like it was very pleasant for Abram, but the point is that Abram's body physically reacted (by falling into a deep sleep) when God manifested His power, just as Adam's body did.
"12So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked:for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them." (1 Samuel 26:12) KJV
The bodies of King Saul and his men physically reacted (by falling into a deep sleep) when God manifested His power, just as Adam's and Abram's bodies did.
" 2And, behold, there was a great earthquake:for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men." (Matthew 28:2-4) KJV
This wasn't a pleasant experience for the guards, but the point is that their bodies had a physical reaction at the manifested glory of God, and they fell down "like dead men."
" 3Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
5They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
6As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
" (John 18:3-6)
So why did the soldiers and the Pharisees recoil or "draw back" when Jesus said, "I AM"? After all, if they had come for Peter then it is doubtful that they would have recoiled in that way when Peter identified himself. Somehow there was divine power or glory involved when Jesus said, "I AM," and the soldiers and Pharisees physically reacted to that manifestation of God's glory by recoiling or stepping backwards. Perhaps that caused them to stumble and fall, or perhaps it was the glory of God itself which caused them to fall.
" 13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (Acts 26:13-14)KJV
"9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
" (Acts 10:9-11)KJV
Peter had fallen into a trance, but what was his physical body doing while he was in this trance? Using modern terminology, perhaps a Christian who knew him would have said that he was "slain in the Spirit," or that he had "fallen out under the power of God" (or something equivalent).
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
(Revelation 1:10) KJV
What was John's physical body doing while he was "in the Spirit"? Using modern terminology, perhaps a Christian who knew him would have said that he was "slain in the Spirit," or that he had "fallen out under the power of God" (or something equivalent).
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth
such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth 4How that he was caught up into paradise,and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
6For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
(2 Corinthians 12:2-7)KJV
Based on 2 Corinthians 12:7 (above), Bible teachers tend to believe that it was Paul himself who had been caught up to the third heaven. If Paul was not physically caught up into heaven then what was his body doing while he was experiencing heaven? Using modern terminology, perhaps a Christian who knew him would have said that he was "slain in the Spirit," or that he had "fallen out under the power of God" (or something equivalent).
Modern Christians who do not believe in being "slain in the Spirit" often say that the above Scripture passages are not meant to be normal experiences for Christians. But the point is that the frail human body can react by falling over or "going into a trance" or "going into a deep sleep" when the glory and majesty and power of God are manifested in some way. When the power of the Holy Spirit touches people who are standing up while receiving prayer, sometimes they fall to the ground. It would be out of balance to say that this should happen every time someone receives prayer, because it doesn't appear to have happened very often in the New Testament. But it would also be out of balance to say that this should never happen, because the above passages show that people can experience physical reactions at the manifested glory and power of God.
Is Falling Backwards a Sign of Judgment?
One argument that people sometimes make against being "slain in the Spirit" is that falling backwards is always a sign of divine judgment in the Bible, and falling forwards (or falling facedown) is a sign of reverence and worship in the Bible. In other words, falling forwards is always "good," and falling backwards is always "bad." According to this argument, when modern Christians fall backwards while receiving prayer, it shows that being "slain in the Spirit" is a bad thing.
The Bible never says that falling backwards is "bad" and that falling forwards is "good," so the only basis for this argument comes from certain patterns that sincere, well-meaning people believe they see in Scripture. Therefore, we need to determine if these are valid patterns in the Bible which God intends for us to use for drawing this conclusion.
Here are the passages which are often used to support the argument that falling backwards is "bad":
10And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
13And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
14And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
15Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
16And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?
17And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. (1 Samuel 4:10-18)KJV
Prior to this passage, God had already judged the family of Eli the priest because he did not properly restrain his two sons (1 Samuel 2:12, 22-36, 3:11-14). In the passage above, the Israelites had been fighting the Philistines, and in order to win this battle the Israelites had decided to take the ark of the covenant to the front lines in the belief that it would bring them victory (see for example Numbers 10:35-36 and Joshua 6:6-11). At this point Eli was old, blind, and overweight (1 Samuel 2:22, 4:15, 18), and he was desperately, fearfully waiting to hear what had happened to the ark of the covenant (1 Samuel 4:12-13, above). When he heard the terrible news that the holy ark of God had been captured by the Philistines, we can understand the shock and horror that he must have felt. When people receive such devastating news, the natural reaction is to recoil (backwards) in shock, and that's what the Bible describes happening to Eli. Being a "heavy" man, he fell and broke his neck and died.
The question is, are we meant to read something into the fact that Eli fell backwards rather than falling in some other direction? The Bible doesn't say that Eli's direction of fall has any significant meaning here. Instead, this passage simply gives us a fairly straightforward description of what happened. There is nothing here which tells us that if Eli had fallen forwards and died then we should interpret it as a sign that Eli was under God's favor, but since Eli fell backwards and died then we must interpret it as a sign of divine judgment. The only way to determine if it is significant that Eli fell "backwards" would be if we can show that a strong pattern exists in the Bible in which people under God's judgment consistently fell backwards. What we're going to see is that there is no such pattern in the Bible.
When we recoil or "draw back" and it causes us to stumble, it would be natural for us to fall backwards. So when Jesus declared "I AM" and the soldiers and the Pharisees "drew back," it is natural that they would fall backwards to the ground (but notice that the Bible doesn't actually tell us in which direction they fell).
There are numerous people in the New Testament who brought judgment on themselves by their actions, but none of them are recorded as falling backwards at any time. That is not a Scriptural pattern. In John 18:3-6 (above), the Bible does not say that the soldiers and the Pharisees fell backwards as a sign of judgment, so this is an interpretation which some Christians are reading into this passage. For example, notice that Jesus used that same divine expression, "I AM," after He was brought before the high priest, and notice that He was condemned to death, mocked, and beaten:
61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
(Mark 14:61-65)KJV
In this passage Jesus was officially condemned to death, and He was spit upon, blindfolded, struck, mocked, and beaten. These people certainly brought divine judgment on themselves by their actions, yet none of them fell backwards. In fact, no-one else in the New Testament is ever described as falling backwards. There's no pattern in the Bible to support the opinion that people are under divine judgment when they fall backwards while receiving prayer in a church service.
This is another passage which some Christians use to argue that falling backwards is always a sign of divine judgment. However, this passage simply says that Saul fell "full length" to the ground. Did he fall forwards? Did he fall backwards? Did he fall to one side or the other? Did he fall prostrate on his face? The passage doesn't say. We can't use this passage to prove anything about the "direction" that someone falls to the ground.
This passage describes a characteristic of the tribe of Dan, using the imagery of a snake as a metaphor. Consider that if a snake bites a horse and the horse rears up, which way is the rider likely to fall? It would be natural for the rider to fall backwards in that situation. The horse rider in this passage is not a real person (it is simply used as part of a metaphor), and this passage doesn't prove that falling backwards while receiving prayer is wrong or bad.
This is another passage which refers to the "backslidden" hearts of the Israelites. It does not describe anyone actually falling to the ground, and it doesn't prove that there is anything "wrong" or "bad" when people fall backwards to the ground while receiving prayer.
These are the main passages which are used when people try to prove that falling backwards is always "bad." Based on the above passages, here are some thoughts to consider:
To summarize, the Scriptural evidence does not prove that it is "wrong" or "bad" for people to fall backwards while receiving prayer. But notice that if the Scriptural evidence did prove that people are under the judgment of God when they fall backwards (as some Christians believe), then this would mean that it is perfectly Scriptural for such people to fall backwards!
Here is another problem with the argument that falling backwards is "bad" (showing that a person is under divine judgment), and that falling forwards is "good" (demonstrating reverence for the Lord). Notice that when David killed Goliath, Goliath fell forwards:
"49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth." (1 Samuel 17:49)KJV
Some people argue that falling forwards (facedown) is "good," while falling backwards is a sign of judgment. But in the above passage we can see that Goliath fell forwards (facedown) in judgment, which contradicts that argument.
Examples of People Falling Facedown in Reverence and Worship
Well-meaning Christians who believe that falling backwards is "bad" often use some of the following Scripture passages to show that falling forwards (or facedown) is the only "good" or "proper" way to fall to the ground:
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
15 And the captain of the LORD's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
(Joshua 5:13-15)KJV
4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
(Daniel 10:4-10) KJV
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
10And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
(Ezekiel 1:26-28)KJV
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. (Matthew 17:5-6)KJV
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39)KJV
25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
(Acts 10:25-26)KJV
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
(Revelation 19:9-10)KJV
(For more examples, see Genesis 17:1-4, Ezekiel 43:1-3, 44:4, Mark 5:22-23, 5:30-33, 7:25, 10:17, 14:35-36, Luke 5:8-9, 12, 8:41-42, 46-47, John 11:32, Acts 9:3-4, 16:25-30, 22:6-7, 1 Corinthians 14:24-25, Revelation 1:16-17, 4:9-11, 5:7-8, 13-14, 11:15-17, 19:4, 22:8-9)
According to these passages, it is perfectly Scriptural for Christians to fall forwards to the ground in reverence and worship.
However, some people go a step further and argue that this is the only proper direction for Christians to fall. In other words, their argument is that falling forwards is "good," and falling backwards is "bad." One problem with that view is that many modern Christians (especially in the West) have never been taught anything about putting one's face to the ground in reverence. This was a common practice in Biblical times, but it would not occur to many people today unless they had been taught to do that. Therefore, many modern Christians express their reverence and worship in other ways besides putting their faces to the ground. If modern Christians are filled with great awe and reverence at the manifested presence and glory of God then it might cause them to feel weak and fall to the ground, but it would be unreasonable to expect that all Christians will always fall forward on their faces if they have never been taught to do so (especially if a pastor or a prayer team member is standing in front of them and laying hands on them, which would prevent them from falling forwards).
To summarize, it is perfectly Scriptural for Christians to fall forwards to the ground in reverence and worship, but the Bible never says that this is the only direction in which Christians can fall.
Is Being "Slain in the Spirit" Demonic or Occultic?
Here are most or all of the places in the New Testament where demons caused people to fall to the ground:
(Luke 9:42. This is repeated in Matthew 17:14-15 and Mark 9:20)
11And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
(Mark 3:11)
(Luke 8:27-28. This is repeated in Matthew 8:28-29 and Mark 5:2-8)
(Luke 4:33-35. This is repeated in Mark 1:23-26)
From these passages we can see that pastors, prayer team members, and so on should be sensitive to the fact that people can fall to the ground under the influence of demonic spirits. This has happened at my church on at least one occasion when a man came forward for prayer, then fell to his knees with his face to the floor, "dry heaving" as if he needed to vomit something out (which apparently happens sometimes when demons are coming out of a person). On another occasion, a demon began manifesting itself in a woman in the congregation at our church, and she was gently taken to another room for counseling and prayer. The New Testament demonstrates that these things can and do happen, and therefore churches should be sensitive and prepared for such situations.
Sincere, well-meaning Christians who do not believe in being "slain in the Spirit" sometimes argue that people are falling down because they are demonized, and therefore being "slain in the Spirit" is demonic. However, when they make this argument they are overlooking several important things. First, there are only a few recorded examples in the New Testament where people fell to the ground under the influence of demonic spirits, so it would be unScriptural and out of balance to claim that every person who falls backward while receiving prayer is demonized. Scripture doesn't support such a generalization. Second, notice that if demonic spirits are causing some people to fall to the ground, then this is perfectly Scriptural according to the passages above! Third, if people are demonized then they need prayers and deliverance, so coming forward for prayer in church is the best thing they could have done. It's not something that we should condemn them for doing. Fourth, at the top of this article we saw a number of Scriptural examples in which God caused people to fall into a deep sleep, to fall to the ground, to go into trances, and so on, which shows that people can fall to the ground for Godly reasons. Therefore, it is unScriptural to make the generalization that being "slain in the Spirit" is demonic. Recall that the Pharisees accused Jesus of being demonized, when in reality it was the Holy Spirit operating in Him (Mark 3:22-30). So if the Holy Spirit causes some people to "fall out under the power of God," but in our prejudice we accuse those people of falling down under the influence of demonic spirits, then we would be making the same terrible mistake that the Pharisees made.
A similar argument that people sometimes make against being "slain in the Spirit" is that it resembles pagan religious practices in which people fall to the ground. Therefore, being "slain in the Spirit" is occultic, according to this argument.
We certainly should not participate in the occult, but is it true that Christians must never do things that might resemble pagan or occultic practices? For example, Christians light candles in church for various reasons (such as a candlelight service at Christmas or at Easter), yet candles are a prominent feature of many pagan religions and occultic rituals. If Christians must not do anything that might resemble pagan religious practices (as some people argue), then this would mean that we must never light candles in church for any reason. Another example is that many pagan religions worshiped gods who were born of a virgin, who died and were resurrected, who were called "the light of the world," who promised eternal life for the righteous and eternal punishment for the wicked, who had a "holy meal" consisting of bread and wine, who commanded baptism, whose birthdays were celebrated on December 25th, and so on (for example, try doing an Internet search for "Mithra," and then scan through some of the articles). If Christians must not do anything that might resemble pagan religious practices (as some people argue), then this would mean that we must not worship Jesus Christ. After all, Jesus was born of a virgin, He died and was resurrected, He is called "the light of the world," He promises eternal life for the righteous and eternal punishment for the wicked, He had a "holy meal" consisting of bread and wine, He commanded baptism, we celebrate His birthday on December 25th, and so on, all of which resemble certain pagan religious beliefs and practices.
The devil is a counterfeiter (see 2 Thessalonians 2:9, for example), so he has caused pagan religions to have counterfeit beliefs and practices which
imitate the beliefs and practices of Christianity. As another example, notice that going into trances is a big part of the New Age and the occult, yet the Scripture passages at the top of this article show some of the apostles going into trances.
So while it is true that Christians should not get involved in pagan idolatry, we should also recognize that there are pagan beliefs or practices which bear a resemblance to legitimate Christian beliefs or practices. This means that it is overly simplistic to condemn "falling out under the power of God" just because people in pagan religions fall to the ground. We have already seen that there are Scriptural reasons why Christians might fall to the ground while receiving prayer (especially if God causes it to happen), so it would be wrong to condemn being "slain in the Spirit" simply because of a superficial comparison with other religions.
Are People Giving Up Their Self-Control?
Sometimes Christians will say that when people are "slain in the Spirit," they have given up their self-control. The argument is that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and God would not cause us to sacrifice a characteristic of the Spirit.
But is this really a valid reason for condemning "falling out under the power of God"? Christians certainly need to exercise self-control in the face of trials and temptations, and we need to exercise self-control in order to crucify the flesh ), but the Bible also tells us to submit ourselves fully to God (see Hebrews 12:9 and James 4:7, for example). Therefore, if the Holy Spirit is trying to do something special within a person as he is receiving prayer and the laying-on of hands, then that person would be quenching the Spirit if he uses his self-control to resist the Spirit. Notice the following passages, for example:
51Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
(Acts 7:51)KJV
19Quench not the Spirit.(1 Thessalonians 5:19, New King James Version)
Remember, we have seen Scriptural examples where God put Adam, Abram, and others into a deep sleep, and we have seen Scriptural examples where some of the apostles went into trances, and so on. Those people were not wrong for "giving up their self-control," and modern Christians are not wrong for submitting to the Holy Spirit. This doesn't mean that it is always the Holy Spirit when people fall backwards while receiving prayer, but it is unScriptural to dogmatically claim that it is never the Holy Spirit causing that to happen. If the Holy Spirit wants to do something within us, then we are supposed to give up our self-control and fully submit to Him.
Consider that if God were to suddenly open us up and expose us to His infinite glory and majesty, none of us could handle it. It would completely overwhelm us and overpower us. Our systems might shut down at the enormity of it, and we wouldn't be able to stand up under it or bear it. God is so much bigger than any of us are capable of comprehending, and God is probably protecting us by not revealing the fullness of Himself to us while we are in our weak, mortal bodies. So when the awesome power of God touches a person in a special way, it can easily cause a physical reaction in the frail human body and the frail human nervous system. People's hands or bodies might shake, their knees might get weak or wobbly, they might fall to the ground, and so on. Those who have never experienced the Holy Spirit in such a tangible way might think that a person is faking this or is demonized or something, which can sometimes be the case. However, the power of God is real, and God sometimes "touches" people in special ways. Here are some examples:
When God created Eve, He first caused Adam to go into a deep sleep:
"21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
"(Genesis 2:21) KJV
Adam's body physically reacted (by falling into a deep sleep) when God manifested His power
When God made a covenant with Abram (later to be known as Abraham), God apparently caused Abram to go into a deep sleep:
"12And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram;and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;" (Genesis 15:12-13) KJV
This doesn't sound like it was very pleasant for Abram, but the point is that Abram's body physically reacted (by falling into a deep sleep) when God manifested His power, just as Adam's body did.
God also put King Saul and his men into a deep sleep:
"12So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked:for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them." (1 Samuel 26:12) KJV
The bodies of King Saul and his men physically reacted (by falling into a deep sleep) when God manifested His power, just as Adam's and Abram's bodies did.
When the guards at Jesus' tomb saw the glory of God which was revealed in the actions of an angel of the Lord, they were so frightened that they shook and fell over:
" 2And, behold, there was a great earthquake:for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men." (Matthew 28:2-4) KJV
This wasn't a pleasant experience for the guards, but the point is that their bodies had a physical reaction at the manifested glory of God, and they fell down "like dead men."
When Judas led the soldiers to Jesus so that they could arrest Him, Jesus confirmed His identity by using the divine expression, "I AM" (as in Exodus 3:13-14: "Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'""). The soldiers and Pharisees physically reacted to this pronouncement of Jesus' glory by falling to the ground:
" 3Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
5They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
6As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
" (John 18:3-6)
So why did the soldiers and the Pharisees recoil or "draw back" when Jesus said, "I AM"? After all, if they had come for Peter then it is doubtful that they would have recoiled in that way when Peter identified himself. Somehow there was divine power or glory involved when Jesus said, "I AM," and the soldiers and Pharisees physically reacted to that manifestation of God's glory by recoiling or stepping backwards. Perhaps that caused them to stumble and fall, or perhaps it was the glory of God itself which caused them to fall.
When Jesus revealed Himself to Saul of Tarsus (later to be known as the apostle Paul) and his companions, it caused them to fall to the ground:
" 13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (Acts 26:13-14)KJV
The Bible says that Peter went into a trance when God was about to give him a vision:
"9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
" (Acts 10:9-11)KJV
Peter had fallen into a trance, but what was his physical body doing while he was in this trance? Using modern terminology, perhaps a Christian who knew him would have said that he was "slain in the Spirit," or that he had "fallen out under the power of God" (or something equivalent).
- The apostle John said that he was "in the Spirit" when he was given visions of the future, which he wrote down in the book of Revelation:
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
(Revelation 1:10) KJV
What was John's physical body doing while he was "in the Spirit"? Using modern terminology, perhaps a Christian who knew him would have said that he was "slain in the Spirit," or that he had "fallen out under the power of God" (or something equivalent).
- The apostle Paul was "caught up to the third heaven," and he didn't know if it was with or without his physical body:
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth
such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth
4How that he was caught up into paradise,and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
6For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
(2 Corinthians 12:2-7)KJV
Based on 2 Corinthians 12:7 (above), Bible teachers tend to believe that it was Paul himself who had been caught up to the third heaven. If Paul was not physically caught up into heaven then what was his body doing while he was experiencing heaven? Using modern terminology, perhaps a Christian who knew him would have said that he was "slain in the Spirit," or that he had "fallen out under the power of God" (or something equivalent).
Modern Christians who do not believe in being "slain in the Spirit" often say that the above Scripture passages are not meant to be normal experiences for Christians. But the point is that the frail human body can react by falling over or "going into a trance" or "going into a deep sleep" when the glory and majesty and power of God are manifested in some way. When the power of the Holy Spirit touches people who are standing up while receiving prayer, sometimes they fall to the ground. It would be out of balance to say that this should happen every time someone receives prayer, because it doesn't appear to have happened very often in the New Testament. But it would also be out of balance to say that this should never happen, because the above passages show that people can experience physical reactions at the manifested glory and power of God.
Is Falling Backwards a Sign of Judgment?
One argument that people sometimes make against being "slain in the Spirit" is that falling backwards is always a sign of divine judgment in the Bible, and falling forwards (or falling facedown) is a sign of reverence and worship in the Bible. In other words, falling forwards is always "good," and falling backwards is always "bad." According to this argument, when modern Christians fall backwards while receiving prayer, it shows that being "slain in the Spirit" is a bad thing.
The Bible never says that falling backwards is "bad" and that falling forwards is "good," so the only basis for this argument comes from certain patterns that sincere, well-meaning people believe they see in Scripture. Therefore, we need to determine if these are valid patterns in the Bible which God intends for us to use for drawing this conclusion.
Here are the passages which are often used to support the argument that falling backwards is "bad":
10And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
13And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
14And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
15Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
16And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?
17And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. (1 Samuel 4:10-18)KJV
Prior to this passage, God had already judged the family of Eli the priest because he did not properly restrain his two sons (1 Samuel 2:12, 22-36, 3:11-14). In the passage above, the Israelites had been fighting the Philistines, and in order to win this battle the Israelites had decided to take the ark of the covenant to the front lines in the belief that it would bring them victory (see for example Numbers 10:35-36 and Joshua 6:6-11). At this point Eli was old, blind, and overweight (1 Samuel 2:22, 4:15, 18), and he was desperately, fearfully waiting to hear what had happened to the ark of the covenant (1 Samuel 4:12-13, above). When he heard the terrible news that the holy ark of God had been captured by the Philistines, we can understand the shock and horror that he must have felt. When people receive such devastating news, the natural reaction is to recoil (backwards) in shock, and that's what the Bible describes happening to Eli. Being a "heavy" man, he fell and broke his neck and died.
The question is, are we meant to read something into the fact that Eli fell backwards rather than falling in some other direction? The Bible doesn't say that Eli's direction of fall has any significant meaning here. Instead, this passage simply gives us a fairly straightforward description of what happened. There is nothing here which tells us that if Eli had fallen forwards and died then we should interpret it as a sign that Eli was under God's favor, but since Eli fell backwards and died then we must interpret it as a sign of divine judgment. The only way to determine if it is significant that Eli fell "backwards" would be if we can show that a strong pattern exists in the Bible in which people under God's judgment consistently fell backwards. What we're going to see is that there is no such pattern in the Bible.
3Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
5They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
6As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
(John 18:3-6)KJV
When we recoil or "draw back" and it causes us to stumble, it would be natural for us to fall backwards. So when Jesus declared "I AM" and the soldiers and the Pharisees "drew back," it is natural that they would fall backwards to the ground (but notice that the Bible doesn't actually tell us in which direction they fell).
There are numerous people in the New Testament who brought judgment on themselves by their actions, but none of them are recorded as falling backwards at any time. That is not a Scriptural pattern. In John 18:3-6 (above), the Bible does not say that the soldiers and the Pharisees fell backwards as a sign of judgment, so this is an interpretation which some Christians are reading into this passage. For example, notice that Jesus used that same divine expression, "I AM," after He was brought before the high priest, and notice that He was condemned to death, mocked, and beaten:
61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
(Mark 14:61-65)KJV
In this passage Jesus was officially condemned to death, and He was spit upon, blindfolded, struck, mocked, and beaten. These people certainly brought divine judgment on themselves by their actions, yet none of them fell backwards. In fact, no-one else in the New Testament is ever described as falling backwards. There's no pattern in the Bible to support the opinion that people are under divine judgment when they fall backwards while receiving prayer in a church service.
- 19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
(1 Samuel 28:19-20)KJV
This is another passage which some Christians use to argue that falling backwards is always a sign of divine judgment. However, this passage simply says that Saul fell "full length" to the ground. Did he fall forwards? Did he fall backwards? Did he fall to one side or the other? Did he fall prostrate on his face? The passage doesn't say. We can't use this passage to prove anything about the "direction" that someone falls to the ground.
- "16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward."
(Genesis 49:16-17)KJV
This passage describes a characteristic of the tribe of Dan, using the imagery of a snake as a metaphor. Consider that if a snake bites a horse and the horse rears up, which way is the rider likely to fall? It would be natural for the rider to fall backwards in that situation. The horse rider in this passage is not a real person (it is simply used as part of a metaphor), and this passage doesn't prove that falling backwards while receiving prayer is wrong or bad.
- 11For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.(Isaiah 28:11-14)KJV
This is another passage which refers to the "backslidden" hearts of the Israelites. It does not describe anyone actually falling to the ground, and it doesn't prove that there is anything "wrong" or "bad" when people fall backwards to the ground while receiving prayer.
These are the main passages which are used when people try to prove that falling backwards is always "bad." Based on the above passages, here are some thoughts to consider:
Notice that most of these passages do not actually describe anyone falling backwards. It is easy to find Scripture passages which contain the word "backwards," but we need to be careful that we are properly fitting those passages together and that we are drawing the conclusions which God intended to convey. But are we meant to put those passages together and then claim that drunkenness and gluttony are proper behaviors for Christians? Obviously not. We need to be careful about the conclusions that we draw from any patterns that we think we see in the Bible. In the passages above, there are only two possible examples of people actually falling backwards to the ground (1 Samuel 4:17-18 and John 18:3-6), which is hardly a "pattern" to use for condemning people when they fall backwards while receiving prayer in church.
- Notice that there are no Christians who fell backwards in the passages above. Not only does the Bible never condemn nor forbid falling backwards while receiving prayer, but the Bible does not give us any examples of Christians falling backwards under the condemnation of God. There is no pattern in the Bible which supports the idea that falling backwards is "bad."
- The New Testament tells us that if we sin then the Holy Spirit will convict us inwardly of our sin. The Bible never says that if Christians sin then we will fall backwards under divine judgment.
- If falling backwards is proof of God's judgment on people when they are "slain in the Spirit" (as some people believe), then what did those people do which supposedly brought them under divine judgment? All they did was to come forward in church to receive prayer! This argument is essentially saying that God is condemning people for requesting prayer in church.
To summarize, the Scriptural evidence does not prove that it is "wrong" or "bad" for people to fall backwards while receiving prayer. But notice that if the Scriptural evidence did prove that people are under the judgment of God when they fall backwards (as some Christians believe), then this would mean that it is perfectly Scriptural for such people to fall backwards!
Here is another problem with the argument that falling backwards is "bad" (showing that a person is under divine judgment), and that falling forwards is "good" (demonstrating reverence for the Lord). Notice that when David killed Goliath, Goliath fell forwards:
"49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth." (1 Samuel 17:49)KJV
Some people argue that falling forwards (facedown) is "good," while falling backwards is a sign of judgment. But in the above passage we can see that Goliath fell forwards (facedown) in judgment, which contradicts that argument.
Examples of People Falling Facedown in Reverence and Worship
Well-meaning Christians who believe that falling backwards is "bad" often use some of the following Scripture passages to show that falling forwards (or facedown) is the only "good" or "proper" way to fall to the ground:
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
15 And the captain of the LORD's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
(Joshua 5:13-15)KJV
4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
(Daniel 10:4-10) KJV
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
10And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
(Ezekiel 1:26-28)KJV
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. (Matthew 17:5-6)KJV
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39)KJV
25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
(Acts 10:25-26)KJV
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
(Revelation 19:9-10)KJV
(For more examples, see Genesis 17:1-4, Ezekiel 43:1-3, 44:4, Mark 5:22-23, 5:30-33, 7:25, 10:17, 14:35-36, Luke 5:8-9, 12, 8:41-42, 46-47, John 11:32, Acts 9:3-4, 16:25-30, 22:6-7, 1 Corinthians 14:24-25, Revelation 1:16-17, 4:9-11, 5:7-8, 13-14, 11:15-17, 19:4, 22:8-9)
According to these passages, it is perfectly Scriptural for Christians to fall forwards to the ground in reverence and worship.
However, some people go a step further and argue that this is the only proper direction for Christians to fall. In other words, their argument is that falling forwards is "good," and falling backwards is "bad." One problem with that view is that many modern Christians (especially in the West) have never been taught anything about putting one's face to the ground in reverence. This was a common practice in Biblical times, but it would not occur to many people today unless they had been taught to do that. Therefore, many modern Christians express their reverence and worship in other ways besides putting their faces to the ground. If modern Christians are filled with great awe and reverence at the manifested presence and glory of God then it might cause them to feel weak and fall to the ground, but it would be unreasonable to expect that all Christians will always fall forward on their faces if they have never been taught to do so (especially if a pastor or a prayer team member is standing in front of them and laying hands on them, which would prevent them from falling forwards).
To summarize, it is perfectly Scriptural for Christians to fall forwards to the ground in reverence and worship, but the Bible never says that this is the only direction in which Christians can fall.
Is Being "Slain in the Spirit" Demonic or Occultic?
Here are most or all of the places in the New Testament where demons caused people to fall to the ground:
(Luke 9:42. This is repeated in Matthew 17:14-15 and Mark 9:20)
11And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
(Mark 3:11)
(Luke 8:27-28. This is repeated in Matthew 8:28-29 and Mark 5:2-8)
(Luke 4:33-35. This is repeated in Mark 1:23-26)
From these passages we can see that pastors, prayer team members, and so on should be sensitive to the fact that people can fall to the ground under the influence of demonic spirits. This has happened at my church on at least one occasion when a man came forward for prayer, then fell to his knees with his face to the floor, "dry heaving" as if he needed to vomit something out (which apparently happens sometimes when demons are coming out of a person). On another occasion, a demon began manifesting itself in a woman in the congregation at our church, and she was gently taken to another room for counseling and prayer. The New Testament demonstrates that these things can and do happen, and therefore churches should be sensitive and prepared for such situations.
Sincere, well-meaning Christians who do not believe in being "slain in the Spirit" sometimes argue that people are falling down because they are demonized, and therefore being "slain in the Spirit" is demonic. However, when they make this argument they are overlooking several important things. First, there are only a few recorded examples in the New Testament where people fell to the ground under the influence of demonic spirits, so it would be unScriptural and out of balance to claim that every person who falls backward while receiving prayer is demonized. Scripture doesn't support such a generalization. Second, notice that if demonic spirits are causing some people to fall to the ground, then this is perfectly Scriptural according to the passages above! Third, if people are demonized then they need prayers and deliverance, so coming forward for prayer in church is the best thing they could have done. It's not something that we should condemn them for doing. Fourth, at the top of this article we saw a number of Scriptural examples in which God caused people to fall into a deep sleep, to fall to the ground, to go into trances, and so on, which shows that people can fall to the ground for Godly reasons. Therefore, it is unScriptural to make the generalization that being "slain in the Spirit" is demonic. Recall that the Pharisees accused Jesus of being demonized, when in reality it was the Holy Spirit operating in Him (Mark 3:22-30). So if the Holy Spirit causes some people to "fall out under the power of God," but in our prejudice we accuse those people of falling down under the influence of demonic spirits, then we would be making the same terrible mistake that the Pharisees made.
A similar argument that people sometimes make against being "slain in the Spirit" is that it resembles pagan religious practices in which people fall to the ground. Therefore, being "slain in the Spirit" is occultic, according to this argument.
We certainly should not participate in the occult, but is it true that Christians must never do things that might resemble pagan or occultic practices? For example, Christians light candles in church for various reasons (such as a candlelight service at Christmas or at Easter), yet candles are a prominent feature of many pagan religions and occultic rituals. If Christians must not do anything that might resemble pagan religious practices (as some people argue), then this would mean that we must never light candles in church for any reason. Another example is that many pagan religions worshiped gods who were born of a virgin, who died and were resurrected, who were called "the light of the world," who promised eternal life for the righteous and eternal punishment for the wicked, who had a "holy meal" consisting of bread and wine, who commanded baptism, whose birthdays were celebrated on December 25th, and so on (for example, try doing an Internet search for "Mithra," and then scan through some of the articles). If Christians must not do anything that might resemble pagan religious practices (as some people argue), then this would mean that we must not worship Jesus Christ. After all, Jesus was born of a virgin, He died and was resurrected, He is called "the light of the world," He promises eternal life for the righteous and eternal punishment for the wicked, He had a "holy meal" consisting of bread and wine, He commanded baptism, we celebrate His birthday on December 25th, and so on, all of which resemble certain pagan religious beliefs and practices.
The devil is a counterfeiter (see 2 Thessalonians 2:9, for example), so he has caused pagan religions to have counterfeit beliefs and practices which
imitate the beliefs and practices of Christianity. As another example, notice that going into trances is a big part of the New Age and the occult, yet the Scripture passages at the top of this article show some of the apostles going into trances.
So while it is true that Christians should not get involved in pagan idolatry, we should also recognize that there are pagan beliefs or practices which bear a resemblance to legitimate Christian beliefs or practices. This means that it is overly simplistic to condemn "falling out under the power of God" just because people in pagan religions fall to the ground. We have already seen that there are Scriptural reasons why Christians might fall to the ground while receiving prayer (especially if God causes it to happen), so it would be wrong to condemn being "slain in the Spirit" simply because of a superficial comparison with other religions.
Are People Giving Up Their Self-Control?
Sometimes Christians will say that when people are "slain in the Spirit," they have given up their self-control. The argument is that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and God would not cause us to sacrifice a characteristic of the Spirit.
But is this really a valid reason for condemning "falling out under the power of God"? Christians certainly need to exercise self-control in the face of trials and temptations, and we need to exercise self-control in order to crucify the flesh ), but the Bible also tells us to submit ourselves fully to God (see Hebrews 12:9 and James 4:7, for example). Therefore, if the Holy Spirit is trying to do something special within a person as he is receiving prayer and the laying-on of hands, then that person would be quenching the Spirit if he uses his self-control to resist the Spirit. Notice the following passages, for example:
51Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
(Acts 7:51)KJV
19Quench not the Spirit.(1 Thessalonians 5:19, New King James Version)
Remember, we have seen Scriptural examples where God put Adam, Abram, and others into a deep sleep, and we have seen Scriptural examples where some of the apostles went into trances, and so on. Those people were not wrong for "giving up their self-control," and modern Christians are not wrong for submitting to the Holy Spirit. This doesn't mean that it is always the Holy Spirit when people fall backwards while receiving prayer, but it is unScriptural to dogmatically claim that it is never the Holy Spirit causing that to happen. If the Holy Spirit wants to do something within us, then we are supposed to give up our self-control and fully submit to Him.
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