GOD’S VIEW OF WITCHCRAFT

I have always endeavored to keep my teachings in a positive light and not point out the negatives of the
World that surround us. We get so many negatives in a day that I, surely don’t need to add to it.
However, there are some things that are negative that we must talk about because the leadership in the
denominational churches and, actually, in every aspect of our society, promotes teachings and doctrine
that are absolutely contrary to God, His Word and everything that Jesus Christ stood for and stands for.
Tonight that subject is witchcraft.
My sister believes that she knows the Bible and, yet, she believes that Harry Potter is right on with God’s
Word, the Bible. She couldn’t be more wrong! I have tried to tell her what the Bible says, but, she won’t
listen. So, I wanted to put this before you so that you can choose. You can make the decision between
the things that are being propounded in all the World regarding witchcraft, wizards, enchanters, the
occult and the like or God, Jesus Christ and the Word of God.
Before we begin our search in God’s Word I want to remind you that we live in a different
administration. We are no longer under the Levitical Law. Therefore, we no longer stone people or kill
people for practicing witchcraft etc., but, we are to learn what God thinks of these practices and the
people that do them.
Exodus 22:18 (KJV)
18 Thou shalt not suffer (allow) a witch to live.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (KJV)
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the
fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations
the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
There were two practices regarding fire that were and still are an abomination to God. The first was
sacrificing children to Molech, a pagan god. there was a large idol of Molech built, I believe it was in the
plain of Mamry. It had a head like a dog and a body of a human. The mouth was open and the body
hollow. They would start a fire in the base of the idol and carry their children up to the mouth and throw
them in. The other was where they would make a bed of coals and have their children walk across the
coals barefoot. The practice is still done today and it is an abomination to God. The reason that it is an
abomination to God is that the person is not using the power of God, but, the power from the devil spirit
world. Herein lies another principle. God will protect those who believe, look at Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego in Daniel chapter three. God saved them from death in the fiery furnace because they stood
for God and believed His Word. That is entirely different than tempting God.
Matthew 4:5-7 (KJV)
5 Then the devil taketh him (Jesus) up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his
angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thyfoot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
When you do things that you don’t have to do and then expect God to deliver you you are tempting
God. This includes throwing yourself off a pinnacle, fire walking and handling poisonous snakes like they
do in some of the southern states. They point to the scripture in Mark.
Mark 16:15-18 (KJV)
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay
hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
This is in the context of “IF.” If you happen to pick up a poisonous snake or “if” you drink something
poisonous by accident. For an example of this look at Acts chapter twenty eight.
Acts 28:3-5 (KJV)
3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the
heat, and fastened on his hand.
4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No
doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to
live.
5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
Paul didn’t pick up a viper on purpose. It was by accident. Paul picked up wood for the fire and it was
cold out. One of the logs was hollow and the snake was hidden in the log. When he put it on the fire the
snake warmed up immediately and struck.
Let’s go back to or main topic.
Leviticus 19:31 (KJV)
31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the
LORD your God.
Leviticus 20:6 (KJV)
6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after
them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
2 Chronicles 33:6 (KJV)
6 And he (Manasseh) caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also
he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and
with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.In the New Testament we are instructed to stay away from these practices as well.
Galatians 5:13-23 (KJV)
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the
flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary
the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I
have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of
God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
In Acts chapter nineteen is a record that we must deal with in this study because it is prevalent
today in the churches.
Acts 19:13-20 (KJV)
13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil
spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
These exorcists were possessed with devil spirits and they were using that power to kick out
other devil spirits. It is interesting to note that they used the name Jesus and not the name of
Jesus Christ. The name Jesus represents his humanity whereas the name of Christ represents his
power and spiritual position. If you will study the New Testament you will see the Jesus Christ’s
detractors and enemies only used the name “Jesus” never “Jesus Christ.”
When Jesus Christ or Phillip or Paul delivered someone from evil spirits it wasn’t a ceremony
they simply said GET OUT and in the case of Phillip, Paul and other disciples they said GET
OUT in the name of Jesus Christ and the spirits had to leave.
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed
against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on
them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned thembefore all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
When the people saw the difference between the flawed power of the exorcists and the pure power of
men and women being delivered from devil spirits and all forms of sickness and disease they chose the
pure power of God and His Word and got rid of all of their amulets and Ouija boards and Harry Potter
books.
The believers, in the Book of Acts dealt with and confront sorcerers.
Acts 13:6-12 (KJV)
6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a
Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and
Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the
deputy from the faith.
9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness,
wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a
season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to
lead him by the hand.
12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
Who has the ultimate power? We, the Christians do. Elymas was powerless against the pure power of
God wielded by a believer!
Acts 8:5-13 (KJV)
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing
the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many
taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and
bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of
God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of
Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered,
beholding the miracles and signs which were done.Glory Hallelujah! Here is a man that wasn’t just dabbling in the occult he was leading the pack and, yet,
when he saw the power or God operating in a born-again Christian he forsook all the things of the occult
and hopped on the band wagon of Romans 10:9,10! He accepted Jesus Christ as his personal lord and
savior and got born again!
Witchcraft, familiar spirits and the practices of the occult are an abomination to God and every time the
power of the occult had the light of God’s power and might shone upon it it lost all of its luster and
people dropped what they were doing for a greater power.
God’s Word and His power are the same today as they were in the first century. All we have to do is
believe!