Dangers of the Occult: Witchcraft

• Print
• Email

Whether you are merely interested in the possibilities "white" witchcraft promises to offer, or if your interests lie with the far end of the spectrum and you want to invoke demons, I urge you to read this article before proceeding deeper into any ritualistic activity. You have nothing to lose by reading further, and may very well save your own life by doing so.
If you are the parent of a child who is dabbling in witchcraft, you owe it to your child to learn the truth about the dangers of the activities in which he or she is involved. While the primary purpose of this article is to discourage those would venture into the dark world of demonic deception, it also contains information included with you, the parent, in mind so that you can be familiar with the subject. Satan's greatest weapon against your child is your lack of knowledge about how he plans to destroy their lives.

Is Witchcraft Real?
Although many people take a dim view of Devil worship, most regard witchcraft as the harmless stuff of myths and movies. From Sabrina, the Teenage Witch to Harry Potter, witchcraft, it seems, has evolved from the subject of medieval folklore to mainstream entertainment. Gone are the comical black hats and flying brooms, but the power of witchcraft to enchant many remains strong.

If witchcraft were only a force in the world of fantasy, there would be no need for articles such as this. Unfortunately, witchcraft is neither mythical nor harmless. As we see in Deuteronomy 18:10-14, the word of God confirms that witchcraft is not only real, but it is also an abomination to God:

¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer.
¹¹ or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,
¹² for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.
¹³ You shall be blameless before the LORD your God,
¹⁴ for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this.

"Sorcery" includes any form of witchcraft or working of magic spells and was practiced by the Canaanites—the inhabitants of the Promised Land God was about to give His people. God made it clear that these pagan practices were "an abomination" to Him and that His people were not to partake of them.

Despite God's warning, people have practiced witchcraft in various forms since biblical times and it continues to be the religion of choice for an increasing number of people. In the United States, alone, there are over a half million people for whom witchcraft is a way of life. The dedication these practitioners bring to their faith is no less than that shown by followers of any religion.

An even greater number of people—primarily juveniles—dabble in witchcraft out of curiosity, without any sense of commitment to it. The forbidden allure of witchcraft appeals to many youths much, similar to the temptation to try soft drugs, although the consequences of involvement in the occult can be even more devastating. The promises of power, popularity, or revenge pose a special appeal to young people who lack a positive family environment and close friendships.

Regardless of the level of devotion, as in ancient times, those who practice witchcraft do so because they believe its magical rituals give them supernatural power over persons and situations in their lives. In reality, however, there lies behind the veil of witchcraft a world of dark spiritual forces, eager to lure the enchanted away from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not All Witches Are the Same
Just as some Christians identify with a particular denomination while others remain unaffiliated, those who practice sorcery fall into different categories of beliefs and practices. Both males and females may refer to themselves as witches, while only male practitioners may claim the title, warlock (a title seldom used by serious practitioners).

A large number of self-proclaimed witches follow the pagan religion Wicca, or "white magic," while others practice less-organized forms of witchcraft. Many belong to local groups known as covens, but some choose to practice their craft alone. Some witches adhere to specific forms of ritualistic magic as practiced by certain occult icons such as Aleister Crowley, but some follow a self-styled form of sorcery.

Witchcraft Nothing New
There are warnings against it in both Old and New Testaments against the practice of witchcraft. In the laws handed down to Moses, God had these things to say about it:

Exodus 22:18:

You shall not permit a sorceress (witch) to live.

And,

Deuteronomy 18:10-12:

¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
¹¹ or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,
¹² for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.

This is pretty strong language, but God had a good reason for dealing harshly with those who practiced sorcery. God's goal, during the time of Moses, was for Moses to lead God's people from captivity of over 400 years in Egypt to the "promised land" He was giving them. During their time in Egypt, God's people were exposed to many pagan beliefs that were held and practiced by the Egyptians. It was crucial that God's people remain holy and undefiled by Egyptian paganism, or by pagan practices of people they would encounter as they settled into their new homeland.

The warnings weren't for naught. Scripture tells of numerous instances where God's chosen people turned from the worship of God to the worship of pagan deities.

Through the auspices of pagan religions, Satan succeeded for a time in turning God's elect from the worship of the true God to worshiping him and his demons. And what a success it was. Numerous scriptures reveal God's broken-heartedness as His own people not only ceased to worship and love Him, but, instead, worshiped the very Devil. Because of their rebellion, the Lord allowed His people to face military defeat and more captivity in order to weed out those who followed false religions.

God's desire today, as then, is to have a people who will worship Him in holiness and truth. Also now, as then, Satan and his horde of demonic spirits relentlessly seek the worship that is due only to God. We are not under the Levitical law, today, but are under grace. This means God is no longer calling for the death of witches, but that they, and all sinners, would repent, believe the Gospel, and be saved.
In the early days of the church, many witches repented—as the Lord calls them to, today—and accepted Christ as their Lord, rather than Satan.

Acts 19:19:

And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.

The value of the evil books the new converts burned amounted to about $10,000 in today's currency. Even so, the cost paled in comparison to the value of having the Lord Jesus Christ living inside their hearts.

Wicca: White Magic Not So White
Wicca, the modern and most popular form of witchcraft, was developed by British author Gerald Gardner in the 1950's. Gardner based the religion of Wicca on both old and contemporary magic rituals, as well as ancient traditions. Although Wicca is an eclectic religion, with no single book or set of doctrines guiding its followers, Gardner's teachings and writings remain heavily influential among those who practice Wicca.
Most Wiccan witches insist, as did Gardner, that Wicca is the practice of "white magic," and that their form of witchcraft has nothing to do with devil worship or Satanism. In a sense, they are correct. For the Wiccan, neither the God nor the Devil of the Bible exists so, they reason, Wiccans cannot be guilty of worshiping Satan. Instead, they believe in the worship of nature and natural forces. Their belief in witchcraft is based on the premise that one can harness the powers of nature to influence one's life. Some witches also believe in the existence of a universal god and goddess, from which all power ultimately originates. Pantheism, or the belief that each person is a "god" in their own right, is also prevalent among Wiccans.

Why Is Wicca Bad
What is so wrong with a religion that respects nature? The word of God says it is the Creator, Jesus Christ, we are to worship, not the creation. Romans 1:18-25 explains clearly the error of denying God and honoring, instead, the works of His hands:

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
²⁴ Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
²⁵ because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

The witch will glorify natural elements and, in doing so, feel a sense of "oneness" with the wondrous powers of nature. This is a counterfeit experience, designed by Satan to keep the deceived from experiencing the true joy that comes from being one with the Creator. Nothing that witchcraft, the spirits, or Satan himself offers can match the experience and power of having the Spirit of the only true God living inside you.

Witches Code of Ethics
Witchcraft is appealing to many, because it allows followers to avoid the issue of sin, as viewed by God. Instead, Wiccans are guided, morally, by two precepts: The witches rede and the Three Fold Law of Return.

The rede states "if it harms none, do what thou will." The focus on self and the pursuit of one's own will, rather than the will of God, is fundamental to both witchcraft and satanism.

In Matthew 17:21, Jesus states that only those who do the will of God—not their own will—will go to heaven:

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

The "Three Fold Law" simply states that whatever a witch does, be it good or evil, will be returned to them three times over in this life. Some believe deeds will be returned seven times. How inferior this system is, compared to the total forgiveness offered to us by the Lord when we confess our sins:

1 John 1:9:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Gray Magic, Black Magic, and Other Forms of Sorcery
The majority of those who identify themselves specifically as witches claim that theirs is a religion of peace and good will and self-development. Most will not admit to using their esoteric powers to harm others, although they will contend that a witch can perform spells that will affect revenge, if the practitioner is willing to pay the price.

Although any involvement in witchcraft can open doorways for dark spiritual forces to enter one's life, the practice of spells intended to harm others, or to violate the free will of another person, are inherently demonic. The only powers that exist are the divine, the satanic, and human. Holy angels will have no part in practices forbidden by God, and humans have no supernatural powers. That leaves only the diabolical forces of Satan to which we can attribute any affect spell-casting may have.

Some "witches" leave the realm of Wicca and experiment with the deadly practice of intentionally invoking demons. Endless books—some hundreds of years old—are available that promise to invoke any demon a person chooses. Theses books, and the rituals they contain, are not merely the products of delusional minds. Many young people have found their invitations accepted when inviting dark entities into their rooms, and found that the door to demons is easier to open than to close.

The concept of using spells to get revenge is contrary to Jesus' command that we love our enemies.

Matthew 5:43-45:

⁴³ You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

Involvement in the occult gives the demonic the right to influence your mind in unholy ways. It is not unusual for anger, bitterness, jealousy, and the desire for revenge to afflict the practitioner of witchcraft. Once the demonic has succeeded in diverting the deceived from the path God created them to follow, it is quite easy to fostering in them the very attitudes of Satan. How much sweeter is the mindset Christ commands us to have toward those who wrong us!

One of the greatest deceptions held by witches who choose to practice black magic is that evil is more powerful than good. The Lord actually addressed that subject in His word.

Isaiah 47:9:

These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments.

Because of their continued rebellion, the judgment of the Lord had fallen on God's own people, despite their efforts to use witchcraft to stop it.

Additional Lies and Dangers Posed By Witchcraft
The ways witchcraft opposes the word of God could fill book, but here are a few more facts worth noting.

Yea Shall Be As Gods
Those who are caught up in the deceptive world of witchcraft succumb to the same old lie the Devil told Eve in the garden of Eden: "You will be as God." As one witch stated, "deity is in each one of us so in a sense we are each a deity, which is very powerful." It is a wonder anyone would be as gullible as to believe this lie from Satan. One serious illness, one major injury, or one tax audit will quickly remind any rational person that they are but a human being, and a hapless one at that.

Mostly Women
The majority (but not all) who call themselves witches are women. As with all things designed by Satan, there is an attempt in Wicca to distort the natural order of things ordained by God. In Christianity, God the Father is the one and only God. Witchcraft, on the other hand, appeals to women and feminists, because it asserts that female is more powerful than the male since they give birth. Even those who believe in both universal male and female gods will insist that the "mother goddess" is the more powerful of the two.

So Much Nonsense, So Much Hidden Danger
The language witches use when worshiping their gods sound like utter nonsense to the uninitiated. Indeed, even some witches do not understand some of the words used in rituals. This poses a great danger, because words spoken have power, even if the speaker does not know what they mean. The names of actual demons, who posed as Egyptian gods during time of the Exodus, are invoked in some rituals. The danger such incantations pose to the souls and sanity of those present cannot be overestimated, for the Devil is a gentleman and never refuses an invitation.

Sex Magic
Some witches practice "sex magic," in which they engage in sexual activities with other persons as part of a ritual. These types of rituals open up those involved to demonic spirits of lust, perversion, and worse.

Reincarnation
The overwhelming majority of witches believe in some form of reincarnation, a strict violation of God's word which says:

Hebrews 9:27:

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.

The popular growth of witchcraft, and all false religions, was prophesized by Timothy.

1 Timothy 4:1:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.

As we have seen, the Holy Bible strictly forbids any practice of ritualistic magic. Whether we call it Wicca, witchcraft, voodoo, gray magic, black magic, or by any other term, working rituals and spells is of the Devil. As children of God, we are commanded to flee from the Devil, not to worship him through the deceptive practices of sorcery and magic.

Christian Witches?
The Devil never gives up. Just because you have committed your life to Christ does not mean Satan will not attempt to lure you into the occult, or to keep you there if you were involved before coming to Christ. On the contrary, he takes unique pleasure in seeing God's children associating with the powers of darkness.

Whether you are a Christian who combines elements of Wicca or other pagan religions with your faith, or if you have been deceived into practicing "Bible spells," the Lord is calling on you to repent and turn to Him for forgiveness and deliverance.
As members of Christ' own body, we must not have anything to do with occult practices in any form. 1 Corinthians 10:21 tells us:

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

As children of Righteousness, we must renounce all involvement in occult practices. We must commit to living our lives in a manner that honors the gospel of Jesus Christ, rather than the unholy works of darkness.

The Wrong Way to Prosper
Many people are attracted to witchcraft mainly because they feel it provides a way to get things they might not have otherwise. There are spells for protection, money, health, relationships, employment, success, and the list goes on an on.

Even though, through demonic power, some people do find these rituals to be effective, the things granted by the Devil come at a price. The more Satan gives you, the more he demands of you, until you find yourself helplessly enslaved in a lifestyle that you are forced to serve, rather than one that serves you.

Why appeal to Satan—whose only goal is your destruction—for what you need, when God lovingly promises to meet your every need as an expression of His rich love toward you?

Philippians 4:19:

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Desiring to have our needs met is not a sin. God knows we need certain things. But turning to Satan and his demons to provide what we need, rather than trusting the Lord, is the ultimate example of a losing proposition.

Would the Real God Please Stand Up?
The God of the Bible—the only true God, said this about Himself:

Isaiah 44:24:

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: 'I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.'

King David, a man after God's own heart, had this to say about the God of Creation:

Psalms 8:3-8:

³ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

The heavens and the earth were created, and by one God. The same God formed you and me in our mother's wombs. We, like the moon and stars, are the work of His fingers. How sad it is that so many people do not know what it is like to enjoy a personal, intimate relationship with their Creator, the One and Only true God. If you do not know that joy, won't you turn to Him now and ask Him to be your only Lord and Master?

Harry Potter: An Apt Role Model for Christian Children?
Many innocent children have been exposed to the occult by their parents letting them read Harry Potter books by watching Harry Potter movies. More than 250 millions books have been sold, and there is no indication the series will end soon.

If you a parent, you have the responsibility given to you by God to instruct your children in the fear and knowledge of the Lord. Allowing you children watch Harry Potter movies, read Harry Potter books, or to develop any interest whatsoever in the occult or occult-related fantasy tales, is to be negligent in your parental duty. Make no mistake about it―the Devil loves children, for they are easy targets for his deceptions. In fact, Satan has made an entire commercial enterprise out of packaging his wares for the most innocent and vulnerable among us. The question is whether you will bow to pressure from your child, or from other parents who may not know the Lord, or will you stand strong in the Lord against powers of darkness that would lead your child's thoughts away from the Lord?

Conclusion
Because of the growing popularity of witchcraft, I felt it necessary to spend a lot of time exposing the dangers it presents. I pray the Lord uses these words, and most importantly HIS words, to turn you away from the devilish world of the occult in all its forms.

As we have seen, the Holy Bible strictly forbids any practice of ritualistic magic. Whether we call it Wicca, witchcraft, voodoo, gray magic, black magic, or by any other term, working rituals and spells is of the Devil. As children of God, God commands us to flee from the Devil, not to worship him through the deceptive practices of sorcery and magic.

If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ and have been involved in ritualistic magic of any sort, I have a proposition for you. Simply call out, now, to the God of the Bible and ask Him, if He is real, to reveal Himself to you. If you do so with a sincere heart and a willingness to turn from your sins and follow Christ, I promise you that Jesus Christ will reveal Himself to you. Far from some mystical experience you might seek with a "god" of nature through witchcraft, the Creator of Heaven and Earth is alive and He is able to make Himself known to those who truly seek the truth.

If you need help from this ministry in breaking free from the dark bonds of witchcraft, please contact us. To Jesus be the Glory if you do.