We know the idea of curses in the 21st century sounds like superstition or something belonging to the realm of fiction. Most individuals don’t take the notion seriously, including most Christians. I would venture that the great majority of pulpits in America have never issued a sermon on the topic and very few Christian counselors or healthcare providers would ever role that out as a possible source of a client’s torment, failures, or illness.
However, it is a very biblical topic and a serious reality that often needs to be addressed. The first mention of a curse pops up only three chapters into Genesis. When Adam and Eve sin, a curse is pronounced on the serpent, on the earth itself, on the man and on the woman. The curse calls for supernatural power to produce and maintain some kind of negative consequence for those under the curse. The serpent would crawl on his belly (he was apparently upright before the curse); the woman would experience great pain in child bearing (both in the birth process and in the raising of children), the earth would produce thorns and thistles and the man would have to scratch out a living on the face of an earth that would resist his touch rather than cooperating with it.
In Deuteronomy 28, God promised abundant blessings for obedience, but then offered half a chapter of curses for disobedience that would be released on Israel if they rejected God. In numbers 22, we encounter a man named Balaam who was a sorcerer. The king of Moab went to Balaam and asked him to place a curse on Israel so that he might defeat them in battle. His words were, “For I know that whoever you bless is blessed and whoever you curse is cursed” (Num. 22:6). The king had witnessed his work on numerous occasions and had seen the results. God nearly killed him to prevent him from issuing the curse because Israel was blessed. One lesson from the account is that God took a curse uttered by a sorcerer seriously.
In essence, a curse is an authoritative word that directs spiritual forces to produce negative results in a person’s life…poverty, persistent illness, relationship failures, oppression, loss, untimely death, etc. When a curse is operating it seems that nothing ever goes right, even when the people involved are doing the right things. A curse may fall on a nation, a group, a generation, a family, or an individual. There may be numerous causes for a curse but I only want to focus on witchcraft in this blog.
We are in a season of highly increased witchcraft (sorcery) in America. Some research suggests there are more practicing witches in America now than members of some major denominations. I regularly encounter people who seem to be operating under a curse.…undiagnosable illnesses, spirits in their home tormenting family members, financial stress, relationship issues flaring up suddenly, etc. In many of these cases, I have asked if there was anyone they knew who might be holding a grudge against them and who also was involved in witchcraft. In many cases, they quickly identify who that person might be – ex-spouses, ex boy friends are girls friends, an irritated neighbor, an angry former mother-in-law, estranged family members, etc. Some have previously been members of a witch’s coven and had left under threats.
Suspecting that witchcraft might be operating against them, we then made sure the person we were ministering to had forgiven any of those who had hurt them in the past and even the one who might be cursing them in the present. We made sure they repented of any known sins they had not submitted to the cross – past or present. In the name and authority of Jesus, we then canceled any curse that had been established against them and canceled any demonic assignment made on the basis of that curse. We then commanded any demonic spirit involved to abandon its assignment, leave, and never return. You may even send the spirit back to the person who pronounced the curse. Finally, we asked the Lord to assign angels to keep any other spirits at bay that might try to enforce the curse again and to even prevent the witch from issuing the curse again. This has typically made a marked positive difference in their situation.
One thirty-five year old woman, in particular, had a wasting disease that could not be diagnosed. She was told by doctors that she would die within a few months of they could not find the cause. As we talked and prayed, she identified her sister’s former lesbian partner who held a grudge because the woman who was ill encouraged the breakup. The lady had been involved in witchcraft and we believe the Holy Spirit revealed her as the source. We prayed, broke the curse, and her health turned around in just a few days.
When dealing with curses we often look at unrepented sins, generational curses, word curses spoken by family members or the individual himself, or witchcraft that the person has been involved in (tarot cards, psychic readings, fortune-tellers horoscopes, etc.). These are definitely the first places to look. However, we sometimes forget to consider that witchcraft might be in play, actively directing spirits toward another person. As you look for sources of a curse, keep witchcraft in mind and ask the person if they know anyone who has been practicing occult arts that may also be holding a grudge against them. I suspect you may discover that scenario more than you may anticipate.
