The Bible presents the devil as a real, living entity who was once a powerful angel in the courts of heaven but who was cast down to earth because of his pride and wickedness.  Satan also has a host of demons who do his bidding and carry out his plans against the people of God. In addition to the demonic, there are men and women who have entered into covenants with Satan and who actively participate in Satan’s plans. These men and women function as witches, warlocks, Satanists, and sorcerers.  These are reasonably interchangeable labels for individuals who partner with darkness.  Just as Jesus has his disciples, Satan does as well.  Many Christians also believe the idea of witches, warlocks and sorcerers actually wielding power is fictional.  They consign those notions to Harry Potter and the tales of King Arthur. 

We know from Genesis, that the world before the flood became a cauldron of evil. If the “sons of God’ in Genesis 6, were fallen angels who married the “daughters of men” and spawned the Nephilim, evil and satanic practices had made their way deeply into the human gene pool. The Tower of Babel, which was erected to reach into the heavens, became the sight for Babylon which them became a byword in scripture for evil, rebellion and occult practices.  Those occult practices were built on centuries of demon worship.  Those practices spread out into the world so that wherever idol worship emerged, those who served those idols were knowingly or unknowingly partnered with Satan.  Now there is a proliferation of occult practices around the world and even in America. Go into any secular bookstore and you may see a larger section on witchcraft than you seen on Christian writings. 

We have numerous references in scripture that reveal the reality of the “dark arts” having genuine power. When Moses confronted Pharoah and demanded that he let God’s people go, Pharoah demanded a miracle from Moses.  At Moses’ direction, Aaron threw down his staff and it became a snake (Ex. 7:8-13).  But, we are told Pharoah summoned his sorcerers.  They threw down their staffs and they turned into snakes as well. When Aaron struck the Nile with his staff, the water turned to blood. Pharoah’s sorcerers did the same thing by “their secret arts.”  When Egypt was struck by a plague of frogs the sorcerers duplicated the miracle.  By the fourth plague, a plague of gnats, the sorcerers could not match what Moses was commanding and testified that the “finger of God” was producing that plague. My point here is that, although God has much more power than the enemy and those that serve him, they do have some authentic power in the supernatural realm.

In Numbers 22, the king of Moab called on a sorcerer named Balaam  to place a curse on Israel so he might defeat them in war.  God forbade him from doing so and sent an angel to kill him if he would not relent from declaring the curse.  The curse would direct demonic powers to afflict Israel.  God took the threat seriously and acted to prevent it. 

God has spoken very specifically about occult activities in scripture:

“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you” (Dt. 18:10-12).

“Do not allow a sorceress to live” (Ex.22:8).

“I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells” (Micah 5:12).

“Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells” (Isa. 47:9).

“…all because of the wanton lust of a harlot, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft” (Nahum 3:4).

In these verses and others, God acknowledges the reality and power of witchcraft, although his power is much greater. In Acts 8, we are introduced to Simon the sorcerer who had practiced witchcraft in a Samaritan city for some time.  We are told that he had amazed the people with his sorcery and was held in high esteem in that city.  The people even called him The Great Power of God.  That alerts us to the fact that some witchcraft may be attributed to the hand of God. In Revelation 22, we are told that those who cannot enter the city of God to eat of the tree of life are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, murderers and idolators. 

When I was a kid, witches were cast as evil. In Walt Disney films like Snow White, the witch was ugly and malevolent. But in recent years, Satan has led an effective PR campaign to open the door for the notion of good witches (Bewitched, Charmed, etc.) and good sorcerers (Harry Potter).  Wicca has taken on a respectable aura claiming it only empowers women and any incantations evoked by its members only produce good. Culture has drawn lines between white magic and black magic (good and bad). Eastern religions, psychics, tarot cards, horoscopes, etc.it seems  have all been assigned a neutral or acceptable status by society. 

Scripture, however, makes no differentiations.  Anyone reaching into the spiritual realm who is not calling on the Holy Spirit is partaking of an unholy spirit whether they know it or not.  The tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden, represented a supernatural,  alternative source of wisdom and knowledge…a source that excluded God…which is the definition of occult practices.   Concerning psychics, mediums and necromancers, God asked why man would inquire of the dead rather than inquiring of the living God. 

Satan’s strategy from the Garden until now has been to get men to seek life, power, revelation, wealth, significance, direction, etc. from any source apart from God. When I see believers dabbling in these things or letting their children choose “good witches” or “good sorcerers” as role models, I cringe.  

Satan is real and so are his demons.  Witches are real and so is witchcraft.  Some dabble in it while others are fully immersed.  Either approach opens up a believer or their children to demonic deception and influence.  As the world gives approval to these “God alternatives,” I believe we need to be clearer with the lines we draw for ourselves and our children.  Because something is a work of fiction, does not mean it does not convey values and perspectives that bleed over into the non-fiction world.  Without trying to impose some legalistic line of lists of movies and books to cancel, let me encourage you to pray about these things and ask the Lord to show you where to draw the line. 

Thousands of witches covens operate in America currently.  Colleges promote classes on Eastern religions and practices (including healing practices) that invite demonic spirits into a person’s life. Some get involved out of curiosity while others are looking for something to provide power and control for their lives.  Others dabble just for fun.  Whatever the motive, the outcome is a real and threatening connection with Satan and those who serve him.  We should not be silent on this matter as the church or as parents to our children.  God considers every aspect of the occult to be detestable and so should we.  Please be aware and wise in relation to every form of the occult, regardless of how it is packaged. 

We know the idea of curses in the 21^st 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.