The Opening of the Door: Spiritual Warfare, Symbolism, and the Impact of Church Rituals on Black Family Life
The Opening of the Door: Spiritual Warfare, Symbolism, and the Impact of Church Rituals on Black Family Life
QCP: In the Last Days Series — Part II
In many Black churches, there’s a powerful ritual often performed without explanation: “Opening the door.” It happened in the viral video — Apostle Ka’Chava Denmark called for the doors of the church to be opened as she prayed over the young girl who expressed emotional pain.
But what does this really mean?
And more importantly — what does it mean for the Black family?
Let’s break it down.
The Spiritual Significance: “Opening the Door”
In many Pentecostal, Holiness, and deliverance-based churches, opening the door symbolically represents:
Letting “unclean spirits” out
Inviting the Holy Spirit in
Creating spiritual alignment
Establishing authority in the spirit realm
It is a symbolic moment of warfare — a declaration that something needs to leave.
But in the viral clip, what was being asked to “leave” wasn’t a demon…
It was a child’s truth.
When Rituals Replace Responsibility
Here is where tradition becomes dangerous:
Spiritual rituals are often used to avoid emotional accountability.
Instead of listening, reflecting, or asking:
“Why is my daughter hurting?”
…the adults used spiritual language to silence her.
The door was opened physically —
but the emotional door was slammed shut.
How Church Rituals Shape Black Homes
Black churches have always shaped the emotional training of Black families. For better and worse, they teach:
how to process emotions
how to define “respect”
who gets to speak
whose feelings matter
whose pain is seen as rebellion
Many Black families use the same language at home that they hear in church:
“You’re being used by the enemy.”
“That ain’t nothing but the devil.”
“Fix your face.”
“Don’t embarrass me.”
“Get it together.”
This blend of spiritualization + emotional suppression teaches children:
Feelings = sin
Honesty = disrespect
Asking for help = rebellion
Pain = demonic attack
So the home becomes a church,
and the church becomes a home —
with the same silence in both.
The Intergenerational Impact
When a child grows up in these conditions, they learn:
to distrust their own emotions
to suppress their voice
to equate love with silence
to stay in harmful situations
to prioritize peacekeeping over truth
to judge themselves before others can
These girls grow into women who:
apologize for having needs
stay in unhealthy relationships
confuse obedience with love
silence their daughters the way they were silenced
And the generational cycle tightens.
The Solution: A New Door Must Be Opened
This generation is different.
Our daughters are telling their truth early.
They’re calling out emotional imbalance.
They’re naming what previous generations had to swallow.
What we need is not another ritual.
We need a new door — a door to:
emotional safety
active listening
generational healing
accountability
mother–daughter connection
spiritual wisdom that includes emotional intelligence
Children should not fear honesty in God’s house.
Children should not fear honesty in their mother’s house, either.
The true spiritual warfare begins with breaking silence, not enforcing it.
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