Just the word “conjures” iconic images of flying broomsticks, pointy black hats, and green skinned hags with pointed noses. As an illusionist I will occasionally encounter well meaning but misinformed people who confuse the art of stage illusion with witchcraft and magic. Those who truly study Scripture know this isn’t true. Others feel “Harry Potter” and “The Wizard of Oz” are the true witches.

These images are nothing more than illegitimate caricatures of witchcraft. However, there is a legitimate witchcraft that exists today. There are groups (known as “covens”) who participate in the worship of nature, cast spells, and even invoke demons in order to control and manipulate people and situations. Known as Wiccans, they exercise a pantheistic worship of a god and goddess, practice magic and sorcery, and celebrate pagan festivals throughout the year.

What exactly is their practice of “magic and sorcery?”  It was defined by its Wiccan founder as “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will.”  It is designed to be a way to control the forces of nature in order to manipulate people and control circumstances.  In the Bible, the word for magic and sorcery is from the same root word. “Pharmakon” It always refers to those who cast spells using drugs and those who falsely claimed to have supernatural powers in order to manipulate and control people through fear and intimidation. These practices are expressly forbidden in the Bible.

There is another form of witchcraft that is practiced today, however, that is much more subtle and devious. I personally believe it is one of satan’s favorite methods of witchcraft.  Most of the time, the people involved in this type of witchcraft don’t even realize they’re in it. The Biblical example is found in I Samuel 15:23 in Samuel’s words to Saul: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”

King Saul of Israel was intimidated by the cries of the people. A half-hearted leader, he allowed himself to be manipulated by the wishes of a small group of vocal people. God gave a specific word about how to handle the Amalekites. But Saul thought he had a better idea and didn’t do what God said. In doing so, Saul bowed to the wishes of the people and rebelled against God and His word. Because of that, he was rejected as King.  This one rebellion to God’s authority caused a series of cataclysmic events that led to Saul seeking out a medium. In I Samuel 28:3, Saul had banned all mediums and spiritists from his kingdom. Then Saul ended up going TO a medium for advice! What he originally was against, he ended up willingly participating in. That’s the subtlety of witchcraft.  You end up becoming that which you railed against. This ultimately led to Saul’s demise.

 So how does this apply today? Because this type witchcraft is being practiced in churches all the time by small groups of people who use fear and manipulation to control people in authority. These small groups do not actually have authority. They’ve not been given authority and often question why God overlooks them when it comes to leadership and authority so… in order to satisfy their frustrations, they incite fear, often times using their own twisted interpretations of Scripture, to get what they want in order to appear to have authority they don’t really have. It’s all about control. They’ll cry “It’s in the name of truth!” but it’s always about control.

After 20 years of full time ministry, I’ve seen this spirit of witchcraft operate over and over again tearing up churches and dividing God’s people. I’ve also watched the people who are perpetrating this spirit be cast down by God. In watching witchcraft at work, it uses three basic devices: Manipulation, Intimidation, and Domination.

 **Manipulation:

This is usually how it begins. It’s very subtle. This is different from persuasion, by the way. Persuasion presents facts and let’s a person decide. Manipulation tries to override a person’s decision. It literally causes a person to do something they wouldn’t normally do.  It doesn’t abide by Scripture in Matthew 18 and actually directly approach the person it has a problem with. It goes around the person and begins to propagate its viewpoint in order to “build a case.”

Manipulation uses fear to scare someone into doing their will. It uses sympathy to play on people’s mercy. It even uses embarrassment to control the actions of others.  No matter how you slice it, though, it’s still manipulation, plain and simple.  When someone uses fear, embarrassment, and/or sympathy to manipulate people into doing what they want, it’s witchcraft.

** Intimidation:

This is bullying or threatening. i.e. “If you do _________, I’ll leave the church” or “If you don’t change this, I’ll cause trouble for you.”  This is intimidation and witchcraft.  Someone may have the ability to force someone to do something, but it doesn’t mean they have the AUTHORITY.  There is a monstrous difference between power and authority. Witchcraft uses force and assumes an authority it doesn’t really have.

**Domination:

This last one is the most obvious one to identify. This is someone who controls others through sheer power. They use brute force to control others. Again, this control is witchcraft.  Many times people who use this type of witchcraft actually do have some authority, but as I said earlier, there is a difference between power and authority. A police officer has the authority to stop a car with his hand but he doesn’t have the power to do so. Those who abuse power in order to control others are exercising witchcraft. This is the point where those consumed by this witchcraft will often escalate their rebellion when they don’t get their own way. It is a sad path of destruction.

Witchcraft absolutely ignores existing authority and assumes its own authority. Often they will say, “This is my ministry” or “God told me to do this.” But is that really the truth? There is a very simple test to see whether that is real or not.  Authority and responsibility go hand in hand. So here’s the question to ask: “Do I have any responsibility in this area?” NOT do I THINK I have responsibility. Do I actually have any? Are you in a position appointed by those God has placed in authority? If not, then you don’t have any authority and if you attempt to operate in a position of authority in opposition to those actually in authority, you’re in rebellion and practicing witchcraft.

So how does a person escape from this?

1. Know you’re saved.
2. Know you controlled by the Holy Spirit. How? Surrender control of your life to the Lord. Quit trying to control everything and everyone else. Deliberately give those things away to the Lord. If you are offended by someone or something, exercise Matthew 18 and go directly to them first. Most situations can be resolved at this point just by brothers and sisters in Christ talking directly to one another instead of about them to other people.
3. Get in the Word.
4. Put on the full armor of God listed in Ephesians 6 every day.
5. Get under the covering of a church body and submit yourself to authority. If you’re currently in a place where you feel you cannot submit then go someplace where you can. A word of warning, though: When you go outside of a covering because you don’t agree or are disgruntled you will often times take that same disgruntled attitude to your new place.  This is why so many hop from church to church and are never satisfied. They do well until somebody disagrees with their viewpoint. They don’t realize that they are the problem.

It’s time for God’s people to recognize this deception and refuse to participate in it any longer. Witchcraft is the enemy of unity in the Body of Christ.  There are too many Christians looking for pointed hats and flying broomsticks and not enough recognizing and rebuking the true spirit of rebellion and manipulation of witchcraft that is so prevalent in churches today.