Defeating Witchcraft
1. There is only one way to deal with witchcraft in the church or in the family and that is utterly and completely.
2. Witchcraft is open rebellion against God. It is against everything holy. It will wreck your life, your family, your church, and your community. That is why there can be no compromise. Witchcraft, and those who practice witchcraft must be removed.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. I Samuel 15:23
3. Rebellion and witchcraft are both directly against the Lord. Witchcraft is the devil's hateful tool. It is always against the Lord, His Church, and His anointed ministers. Witchcraft is anti-Christ. It is a serious, and dangerous sin. That's why God told the Israelites...
You shall not suffer a witch to live. Exodus 22:18
note: In New Testament times witches are not killed. But they must repent, or be completely removed from the fellowship of the Church, and Christian families.
note: We hate the sin, but we love the sinner. As Christians we must confront evil doers with love, admonishing them to repent. But then "after the first or second admonition - reject" (Titus 3:10) "Reject" means have nothing to do with them anymore. They are no longer welcome in the church - or the family.
note: There is no such thing as a "good" witch, or a "white" witch. All witchcraft is against God, the church, and the family. God has judged nations because of it. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psalm 9:17
4. The people of Nineveh were guilty of idolatry, violence, and witchcraft. God sent Jonah to them, telling them to repent. Then the people of Nineveh heard the words of God and repented, from the greatest of them to the least of them. They all repented, and their judgment was spared. But 100 years later the people had gone back to their old ways. God had to send them another prophet. His name was Nahum. This time God did not tell them to repent. He simply told them that He was against them, they would be destroyed, and He would dig their graves.
I will dig your grave, for you are vile. Nahum 1:14b
5. Why did God tell the people of Nineveh that He would dig their grave? It was because they were worshipping false gods again (spiritual harlotry), and practicing witchcraft (sorcery).
Woe to the bloody city! It is full of lies and robbery. Its victim never departs. The noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots! Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of slain, a great number of bodies, countless corpses - They stumble over the corpses - Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, The mistress of sorceries, who sells nations through her harlotries, and families through her sorceries.
"Behold, I am against you," says the Lord of hosts. Nahum 3:1-5a
6. No Christian should ever have anything to do with witchcraft. And no Christian should ever have anything to do with the worship of idols. The worship of idols and witchcraft are closely related. Both of these things are direct and open rebellion against God. The people of Nineveh knew better. They had repented and turned to God at the preaching of Jonah. They had once believed. Jonah 3:5
7. But what if someone in the Church is actually working witchcraft? What should the Christians do? First, they should recognize that the person who does such things is not a Christian. Secondly, they must confront that person. Then, after a first, or second admonition, they must reject that person. Whoever is working witchcraft must completerly repent, or be completely removed from the fellowship of the church.
Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned. Titus 3:10-11
note: There is nothing more divisive in a church than witchcraft.
8. It should never be simply the job of the pastor to confront the people in the church who are doing witchcraft, or causing division. It is always the job of all the people in the church to make sure that such things do not happen. God holds the entire church corporately responsible. If you doubt that just read the judgment of God against the church of Thyatira in the book of Revelation chapter two.
9. The relatives of the one who is sinning should be the first ones to confront them (because the relatives are usually the first to know). If the person does not repent, the next step is to report it to the elders of the church (those in the church who are spiritually mature). After that, the elders of the church (with the pastors knowledge or participation) must confront the person. If the person still does not repent, he must be publicly confronted in front of the entire congregation. Then, if he still does not repent, he must be removed from the fellowship of the church.
10. Remember this... God judged the entire nation of Nineveh for allowing sorcery in its midst. There is a corporate responsibility before God to take care of such matters. The people of Nineveh knew God. They had repented at the preaching of Jonah one hundred years earlier. They were without excuse. They could not claim ignorance.
Also remember this... When God spoke to the churches in the book of Revelation, He spoke to the entire church - not just the pastor
11. If someone is practicing witchcraft in the church, the goal of confrontation should be his deliverance, and salvation. The goal is always reconciliation and restoration to full fellowship.
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Galatians 6:1
People who have been deceived by the devil to practice witchcraft can be saved!
Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. Acts 19:19
12. Sorcery, witchcraft, divination and any other such thing is an abomination to the Lord. That's why people try to hide it, or disguise it. When you are confronting someone who is suspected of witchcraft, you must be certain of what you are confronting. The spiritual gift of discerning of spirits may be needed, in order to know what you are dealing with. Hopefully someone in the group (deliverance ministry is a group ministry) will have the gift of discerning of spirits. The devil is a liar, but he cannot lie to the Holy Spirit of God.
note: The person, or persons, who are practicing witchcraft (or mixing pagan occult beliefs with Christianity) should be confronted privately at first - in order to give them a chance to repent, and be delivered.
13. If nothing works, and the person who is practicing witchcraft does not repent, there is only one more thing to do. They must be publicly denounced.
Those who are sinning, rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. I Timothy 5:20
14. If you have discovered a witch in your family, that person must be asked to repent, or leave - as soon as possible. Your other option is to leave yourself. But the last thing you want to do is to continue to live with such a person. You have to protect yourself, your witness, your testimony, your wife, and your children.
Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:11
15. If a witch has to be removed from the fellowship of the church, or family, some family members might object. Too bad. They can also leave. They have a choice to make.
He who loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Matthew 11:37
There can be no compromise.
16. To make sure that no one can successfully work witchcraft against you, here is what you can do...
- Repent of all known sin, and receive Christ as your Savior and Lord
- Renounce any association with cults, or the occult, or any oaths or curses that you or any member of your family may have taken. This includes Native American religion.
- Have no friendship with anyone who is a witch.
- Make sure your family is united in Christ
- Allow no drugs, wicked movies, drunkenness, or idolatry in your home
- Come into unity with all true believers.
- Worship and praise God, and serve only Him.
- Remove all items of idol worship or the occult from your home.
- In prayerful agreement with your husband or wife, anoint the doors and windows of your house with oil, marking it as belonging to God and His Holy Spirit. The oil represents Jesus' blood. Then tell all demons they must leave in Jesus' name - and never come back. This could be important because you do not know who may have lived in your house before you, or what they were doing.
- Pastors must preach against witchcraft.
- Christians need to pray that anyone practicing witchcraft in their community will either repent or be removed from the community. God indeed does answer that kind of targeted praying.
17. God said...
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness. And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. I Corinthians 6:14-15