The Bible has a lot to say about witchcraft. The nations that surrounded the Promised Land were saturated with such practices, and God had stern words for His people concerning any involvement with them.
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 says:
“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their 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.
God takes witchcraft very seriously. The penalty for practicing witchcraft under the Mosaic Law was death (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27).
Here are some key points and verses from the Bible that address witchcraft and related practices:
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- Condemnation of Witchcraft: "A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death."
- Abominable Practices: “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 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 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord."
- Idolatry and Sorcery: "Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these."
- Rebellion as Witchcraft: "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry."
First Chronicles 10:13 tells us that “Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance.”
Here's a summary of key figures and events related to witchcraft in the Bible:
What Does The Bible Say About The Occult?
| Person/Event | Description |
|---|---|
| Saul | Sought guidance from a medium, leading to his downfall. "So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord." |
| Simon the Magician | Practiced magic in Samaria and amazed people before converting to Christianity. "But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great." |
| Elymas the Magician | Opposed Barnabas and Saul, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. "But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith." |
| The Burning of Magic Books | Believers in Ephesus confessed their practices and burned their magic books. "And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all." |
In the New Testament, “sorcery” is translated from the Greek word pharmakeia, from which we get our word pharmacy (Galatians 5:20; Revelation 18:23). Witchcraft and spiritism often involve the ritualistic use of magic potions and mind-controlling drugs. Using illicit drugs can open ourselves up to the invasion of demonic spirits.
There are only two sources of spiritual power: God and Satan. Satan has only the power that God allows him to have, but it is considerable (Job 1:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:2). To seek spirituality, knowledge, or power apart from God is idolatry, closely related to witchcraft. First Samuel 15:23 says, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”
Witchcraft is Satan’s realm, and he excels in counterfeiting what God does. When Moses performed miracles before Pharaoh, the magicians did the same things through demonic power (Exodus 8:7). At the heart of witchcraft is the desire to know the future and control events that are not ours to control. Those abilities belong only to the Lord.
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Since the Garden of Eden, Satan’s major focus has been to divert human hearts away from worship of the true God (Genesis 3:1). He entices humans with the suggestions of power, self-realization, and spiritual enlightenment apart from submission to the Lord God. Witchcraft is merely another branch of that enticement. To become involved in witchcraft in any way is to enter Satan’s realm.
Seemingly “harmless” modern entanglements with witchcraft can include horoscopes, Ouija boards, Eastern meditation rituals, and some video and role-playing games. Any practice that dabbles in a power source other than the Lord Jesus Christ is witchcraft.
We don’t need to fear Satan’s power, but we should acknowledge it and stay away from it. First John 4:4 says, “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.” Satan can create much havoc, harm, and destruction, even in the lives of believers (1 Thessalonians 2:18; Job 1:12-18; 1 Corinthians 5:5). However, if we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no power that can ultimately defeat us (Isaiah 54:17). We are overcomers (1 John 5:4) as we “put on the whole armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). When we give our lives to Christ, we must repent.
Isaiah 8:19 says, “When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” When we follow those words to their logical conclusion, we could also ask, “Why seek any power apart from the source of all real power? Why seek spirits who are not the Holy Spirit?”
Witchcraft and its many counterparts promise spirituality but lead only to emptiness and death (Micah 5:12; Galatians 5:19-21).
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Additional Verses:
- “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.”
- "For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry."
- "Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it."
tags: #verses #about #witchcraft