The Reality of Witchcraft

Witches, wizards, warlocks, and magic are as much a part of American pop culture as football and cheeseburgers. Whether it is the enormously popular Harry Potter franchise, the mystical and esoteric characters that are included in the rosters of superhero films, or characters that populate children's cartoons, witchcraft is increasingly presented as a "not necessarily evil" practice, and in many cases outright heroic. And it is certainly nothing to be concerned about, as it is mostly just a "fun" part of fiction. However, despite what Hollywood movies and cartoons might suggest, the Bible reveals that witchcraft and sorcery are very real, and very dangerous. 

Consider Exodus 7-8. We tend to assume that Pharaoh’s magicians were using trickery and sleight of hand to mimic the miracles Moses performed by God’s power, but the Bible never says that. They actually turn water into blood, a rod into a serpent, and conjure up frogs. Interestingly, they can only replicate - they cannot resolve. They can make the problem worse, but they cannot make it go away! More interestingly, when God has Moses turn the dust of the ground into lice, the magicians fail. They can’t do what only God can do: form life from the dust of the ground (see Genesis 2:7). At that moment even those wicked magicians had to acknowledge “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19).

I Samuel 28 provides further evidence in Scripture that witchcraft is real. When King Saul consults the witch at Endor, Scripture never says the spirit of Samuel that she calls up was a deception. Even the witch herself is shocked and terrified (I Samuel 28:12).

In the Old Testament, God instituted a “zero tolerance” policy for every form of witchcraft. God calls it an “abomination” and it was punishable by death (see Exodus 22:18, Deuteronomy 18:10–12, and Leviticus 20:27). If it wasn’t real (and extremely dangerous) then why would God specifically address it, and attach such a severe punishment with it?

We might assume that witchcraft is one of the "big sins" but 1 Samuel 15:23 states that "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft," comparing stubbornness against God to idolatry and occult sin. Likewise, Galatians 5:20 lists both idolatry and witchcraft among the works of the flesh. God puts these “big sins” in the same list as envy and fornication. Revelation 21:8 places the “big sin” of sorcery in the same list of sins as lying! Although we might classify sins as “big” or “small”, God clearly sees all sin as “big” from His perspective. 

The Deceitfulness of Sin (Hebrews 3:13)

Perhaps the most insidious aspect of witchcraft is the deception that it presents. The witch at Endor was likely terrified for one of two reasons: either A) she was a charlatan and no real spirit had ever actually answered her call, or B) she had never experienced anything other than devilish counterfeit spirits (I John 4:1, II Corinthians 11:14), and so the legitimate spirit of the godly man Samuel (the Bible never says it wasn’t really him) frightened her.

Take a “Ouija Board” as a modern example. It is just cardboard and plastic, produced by Hasbro (the same people who make Monopoly and Clue). But the intention of the “game” is to communicate with spirits (like Saul and the witch at Endor). Although the cardboard and plastic themselves are harmless, by using such a thing you are knocking on a door. You may be shocked (like the witch and Endor) when something answers!

Deception is Satan’s go-to move (II Corinthians 11:14). He is the father of lies (John 8:44), but that does not mean his lies do not have power behind them. It was the first move he ever made against humanity, and it is the only move he has ever really needed to use against us. Compare what God said in Genesis 2 with Satan’s subtly (Genesis 3:1, II Corinthians 11:3) in Genesis 3:

In Genesis 2:16-17 God said:

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

In Genesis 3:1-5, Satan said (emphasis added to show the difference):

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Notice how the deception process works:

• Satan questions and casts doubt on God’s word

• Satan makes one subtle change: God said they could eat for every tree except one, Satan said they could not eat from any tree.

• Eve adds to God’s word (God never said they couldn’t touch it).

• Satan blatantly contradicts God, and casts doubt on God’s goodness

Genesis 3 goes on to say:

“6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

Genesis 3 shows the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (I John 2:16). It feels good, it looks good, and it appeals to our pride. All sin, including witchcraft, appeals to these things in us. Things like witchcraft and sorcery grant a sense of esoteric power and knowledge that appeals to our sinful nature.

The Christian's Stand Against Witchcraft

The good news is that neither Satan nor witchcraft can stand against the power of God, which the believer has as a source of protection - if we use it! Even the archangel Michael - who is far more powerful than any human - relies on the Lord when confronting Satan (Jude 1:9). Make no mistake - although God is and always will be on the throne of heaven (Satan tried to take it once and failed miserably - see Isaiah 14), right now Satan is the “god of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4). But the Bible-believing Christian has the victory through Christ. I John 5:4-5 says: 

“4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Although God's word never tells the Christian to seek out witchcraft to "battle" against it, we are also given assurance that we do not need to be fearful of the dark power of the Enemy. I John 4:4 says:

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”