Witchcraft and the Church

Part 1 – Introduction and Overview

What is Witchcraft?

               This is not a question easily answered in a concise format. Witchcraft is a very broad category, and holds sway over many parts of our lives. Most of us battle witchcraft in our daily lives, but very few of us are able to recognize the symptoms as anything out of the ordinary. This is because Witchcraft is satan’s second favorite form of attack against humanity (fear is always his first form of attack), and it is generational. Almost all of us were introduced into witchcraft by our parents before we were old enough to speak a full sentence.

               What witchcraft is NOT is a bunch of old women in black hats dancing around a fire and chanting in some weird language. That is sorcery. It is a bed-fellow with witchcraft, but the two are very different.

               Witchcraft is a type of trespass which satisfies a desire for power. In accordance with this goal, it uses control and manipulation, breaks up covenant relationships, indulges in sin-covenants, is self abusive, and looks to sources of power and wisdom which are not from God. Witchcraft makes us believe that we can be God. The first recorded time that satan used witchcraft against the people of God occurred in the Garden of Eden, and it has been with us ever since. Since it is generational, it was handed down to Cain. As a result, he broke covenant with God and his brother, and slew his brother in a jealous rage. By the way, lust, selfishness and jealousy are also manifestations of witchcraft, because witchcraft teaches us to worship self above all else.

               Spirits of witchcraft are both male and female in orientation, although a man can be plagued with a feminine manifestation, and a woman with a male manifestation. We see this occurring in homosexual sin covenants.

Spirits of witchcraft always operate in pairs. If there is a Jezebel, there must be an Ahab. If there is a Ba’al, there must be an Ashteroth (pronounced A-SHE-rah), etc. If Jezebel is present in someone’s life, Ahab will always be found in a spouse, close friend, ministry partner, etc. Whoever it is will be in a covenant arrangement. The same is true of all spirits of witchcraft. Generally, the first place to look is in the spouse. However, the fact is that ALL of an individual’s covenant relationships could be infected, and deliverance would be required on a large scale.

How does Witchcraft Enter Someone’s Life?

               The answer to this question is just as difficult to answer in a concise manner. Because there are so many different spirits of witchcraft, there are many doorways by which they enter our lives. Let’s take a quick look at just a few examples, shall we?

               Jezebel, for example, is extremely manipulative. When we use manipulative techniques on those around us, we open the doorway for her. Ahab, on the other hand, is easily manipulated and willing to do most anything to satisfy his lust, especially if Jezebel approves. When we willingly allow others to manipulate us, especially with gifts which satisfy a lust, we open the door for Ahab. Jezebel is also very astute at attaining power which does not belong to her. We see this manifestation in homes all across the country when a strong-willed woman runs rough-shod over her husband, appeasing him by supplying  whatever he lusts for (lust may be, but is not necessarily sexual in nature). God set up divine order in families to operate a specific way, and when we design to implement our own way of thinking, we open the door to the enemy. We also see this manifestation when a man refuses to take his place as head of household, forcing his wife to take on authority which is not hers by divine order.

               Python will enter someone’s life through serious illness (diabetes seems to be a favorite), or through fringe occult practices. Horoscopes, Ouija boards, and tarot cards are favorite doorways. Leviathon will gladly accept doorways offered through gambling. Yes, even state Lotto games qualify. Python will choke the life out of its victim, while Leviathon will slowly drag a person down.

               The spirit of abominations, a witchcraft spirit which I have seldom encountered, will access a person’s life through the commission of abominable sins. Acts such as abortions, homosexuality, murder, etc. all qualify.

What Does the Word say about this?

               Biblical references for spirits of witchcraft abound to a greater degree than for any other type of spirit. God knew we would need these examples to safeguard ourselves against these malicious destroyers of lives.

               In upcoming installments of this series, I will go into depth detailing Spirits of witchcraft, both in the Word, and from a historical perspective.  We will explore the Biblical warnings against witchcraft, the penalties God assigned to those that practice witchcraft, and the behavior exhibited by the individual spirits. When we are done with this series, enough information will be presented so as to empower Believers to spot the operation of witchcraft and stop it in its tracks.

The next article in this series will detail the operation of Jezebel and Ahab, two of the most common spirits of witchcraft assigned against the body. We will learn the details of how they operate, how to spot them in action, and how to stop their operation.