The Dangers of WitchCraft

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Witchcraft is a practice that involves the use of spells, incantations, special objects, symbols, and ceremonies to manipulate the spiritual realm in order to gain knowledge, power, and influence in this realm. The Bible condemns witchcraft as a great sin and warns of the severe consequences for those who practice it. Witchcraft can take many forms, such as divination, sorcery, familiar spirits, necromancy, interpreting omens, fortune-telling, mediumship, idolatry, and magic. Some examples of witchcraft in the Bible are:

• The sorceress who was put to death by the command of God (Exodus 22:18)
• The wicked who use divination, omens, spells, and mediums (Deuteronomy 18:10-11)
• The king of Moab who hired Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 22-24)
• The witch of Endor who summoned the spirit of Samuel for Saul (1 Samuel 28)
• The evil king Manasseh who sacrificed his sons and consulted mediums and spiritists (2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chronicles 33:6)
• The magicians and sorcerers who opposed Moses and Aaron in Egypt and in Babylon (Exodus      7-8; Daniel 2)
• The false prophetess Jezebel who led Israel into idolatry and witchcraft (1 Kings 16:31; 2 Kings 9:22)
• The sorcerer Simon who tried to buy the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:9-24)
• The sorcerer Elymas who tried to hinder the gospel (Acts 13:6-12)
• The fortune-telling slave girl who was freed by Paul (Acts 16:16-18)
• The books of magic that were burned by the converts in Ephesus (Acts 19:19)

 
Witchcraft is a rebellion against God, a rejection of His word, and a denial of His provision through His providential grace. It is also a deception from the demonic forces that imitate dead relatives (familiar spirits) that provide otherwise unknowable information along with influence. It leads people into bondage. Those who practice witchcraft, and its various forms, are under the influence of Satan and his demons.

What is a Familiar Spirit?

A familiar spirit is a demon that is summoned by a medium with the intention that the spirit summoned will obey his or her commands. Often, familiar spirits are believed to be the spirits of people who have died (Duet. 18:11). However, biblically this is not the case. Such appearances are in actuality demonic forces imitating people in order to deceive.

We know that people cannot come back from the dead from what Jesus said in Luke 16:19-31 when he gave us the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Jesus said in verse 26 “and besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.” So, we can see that people cannot come back from the dead. 

However, we cannot leave this topic without addressing 1 Samuel 28 that deals with Saul and the medium who, apparently, contacted the departed Spirit of Samuel. Commentators are split on whether or not this was actually Samuel, but the text seems to imply it was. So why the exception? We are not sure, but it might have been allowed for the purpose of rebuking Saul for his sin, something that does not happen with familiar spirits when they manifest. Perhaps it is a teaching tool to show us the difference between those who are really of God (Samuel) and those who are not (familiar spirits).

The two words “familiar spirit” in the King James Bible are translated into English from the single Hebrew word obe אֹוב.

The Good News

The Bible reveals that God is more powerful than any form of witchcraft. In fact, all who repent and turn to Him will be forgiven of the occult practice. God is greater than any demonic force or spiritual deception. His grace is sufficient for anyone who seeks His forgiveness and cleansing.

If you have been involved in witchcraft in the past, you can be forgiven. But you must trust Jesus, who is God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14), to forgive you of all of your sins. Then, turn from the witchcraft, divination, sorcery, Ouija boards, tarot cards, or whatever else you’ve used to contact demonic forces. Confess that all is sin and ask Him to forgive you. Pray to Him and receive Him as your Lord and Savior. Get rid of the demonic objects and abandon occultic practices. After all, you cannot serve two masters. You either serve Jesus, or you serve the enemy.

 
Article Summary

• Witchcraft is a practice that involves the use of spells, incantations, special objects, symbols, and ceremonies
• Witchcraft can take many forms
• Witchcraft is a rebellion against God, a rejection of His word, and a denial of His provision through His providential grace
• The Bible condemns witchcraft in all of its forms
• You can be forgiven of your past witchcraft by turning to Jesus.

Source:  carm.org