8 Reasons To Avoid Magic And Witchcraft

I was recently at a homeschool convention and this time brought the whole crew with me.  Three boys, a husband, and determination to get through the entire vendor hall.  Success!

While we were there, it was brought to my attention that there was a session on Witches, Warlocks, and Magic.  I was curious on their take on this topic as it had been presented to me in different forms and fashions just recently. I purchased the cd (since I missed the session itself) and listened to it at home once we returned.  Something wasn't sitting right.  So, in typical fashion, I pulled out my Bible, started researching, and discovered a few things along the way.  This was something that I had wanted to study for a long while but this event kind of spurred me on to actually do it.  Thank you, Lord, for giving us understanding and freedom to study these things here in our country and form truths based on Your Word alone.

I will share what I found, but please know that these things are my personal findings and convictions. These may not be what you believe or think, and that's okay.   If you choose to comment, please keep it civil.  :)

Here they are, eight points to the discussion of magic:

1. There is no “good” magic.

Magic is evil (Deuteronomy 18:10-14). Magic is in the Bible (1 Samuel 28) to show us the evil and death behind it.  This one account in the Bible does not give us a free license to explore all evil, but cautions us over and over again against it.  King Saul, the king in this biblical encounter brought on his own death by being a part of witchcraft and forsaking God himself.  There are no good witches, good wizards, or good magic (Leviticus 19:26, 31, Leviticus 20:6, 27, Galatians 5:19-21, Exodus 22:18).  God doesn't distinguish between good and bad witches and wizards.  All are evil.  Don't be deceived (Colossians 2:8).

2. We turn the spiritual world into entertainment. 

We make light of the unseen spiritual realms by turning it into something playful.  The spiritual world, angels and demons (Ephesians 6:12) work in battle.  They either protect and defend or destroy and tear apart.  God provides us with angels and our cheapening of their role diminishes God’s Holy power and paints an incorrect picture of the spiritual world.  If we knew what it truly took in the heavenlies, doing battle for our very souls, beyond what we are aware of, we may view it differently.

Scripture is clear what to do with those that practiced witchcraft – they should die (Exodus 22:18).  They didn’t mess around.  It was another god.  So why do we take the practices the witches and sorcerers used and are evil in God’s sight (witchcraft, magic, spells, etc.) so lightly, and turn it into pleasure?

We cannot reject God and his clear instruction to abstain from evil and turn from wickedness (1 Thessalonians 5:22 & 2 Timothy 2:19) just because it is pleasurable.

3. Satan would love nothing more than for us to slowly move toward his realm.

These books, shows, movies take us one step closer each time to being more comfortable with satan’s workings.  We compromise our convictions with a slow and steady pace.  You take one small step into satan’s territory, but because it’s only a step, it doesn’t seem that bad.  Then one small step again, until you are neck-deep, and it’s hard to get out.

Sin doesn’t look like sin.  It looks appealing and attractive.  Pleasurable and interesting.  Many times it comes with the stamp of approval from “godly” leaders.  We are to individually discern that which is good and holy (Hebrews 5:14).

4. Christians should look different than the world.  

Nothing is off limits to the world, so where do we, as Christians, draw the line?

The Bible tells us to guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) because the enemy prowls (1 Peter 5:8).  He would love nothing more than to plant seeds of magic, and for magic, sorcery, and witchcraft to be the catalyst that propel us into something deeper and darker.  Most snares of the enemy actually look enticing and good.  They are mostly good, with just a dash of evil and a sprinkle of wickedness so mixed in, that it can be hard to differentiate.

If there is even a hint of question or doubt, why entertain it?  Run from that which is evil, so it is not a snare that takes you down.

God is Holy (Psalm 99:9).  We are called to be holy (Leviticus 19:2).  We are to meditate, think about, pray about, and talk about the things that are Holy (Philippians 4:8), not things of satan like chants, spells, and magic.  Whatever is pure, holy, lovely, think on these things.  Where is your mind when you’re done reading and watching these things?  On God?  Being Holy?  Stand up and be called out among them (2 Corinthians 6:15-18).

We have gone blind when we see nothing wrong with something God has called sin.

Everyone did what was right in their own eyes in Noah’s generation.  And the same is true now, in the end times.  Christians have to set a higher standard than the world.  God’s spirit lives in us (1 John 3:24).  He calls us higher.  Dark and light cannot mix (Luke 11:36).

The more time we spend in the world, the more we will become like the world with no convictions or checks, where the world is about pleasures and what benefits me. The more time we spend with God, the holier we will become, and the easier it will be to recognize the things of the enemy, his tricks and traps. Our spirits will desire God and the things that please Him.

5. We have a responsibility as parents in regards to magic and witchcraft.

As parents, we have the responsibility to talk with our kids about evil, and what types of evil are out there, but to be cautious not to turn it into entertainment and enjoyable watching and reading.  Witchcraft, sorcery, and magic come straight from satan.  These things have no place in heaven or with God’s people, as he inhabits us. 

It is important that our kids know that magic exists, what forms and shapes it can come in, and how to avoid it. What our kids shouldn't be a part of are the media outlets that portray magic as fun, entertainment, enjoyable, pleasure, when they can quote chants and spells, and when they see magic and witchcraft as play.  As Christians, when we watch, read, and see these things, our Spirits should be moved to know that these things are evil. We should have a check in our spirit when we see things of satan. We cannot compromise on that, or we will be taking one small step at a time toward our ultimate destruction.

There’s a fine line between teaching our kids to be in the world but not of it (Romans 12:2, John 15:19), or teaching them how to participate in it.

6. Literature and the arts aren't good enough excuses to practice sorcery.  

Just because these things are in book form – or art, doesn’t make it less evil.  Using it for literary study is the same as using any other evil thing for the same purpose:  porn, lying, stealing, sexual preferences, and other forms of debauchery for the purpose of literature. 

You are going on a journey with the people in the book or movie. They become your friends or enemies as you engage in their story.  You experience their experiences, and you put yourself in their shoes.  If you are actively participating in their activities, you are a participant.  If their activities are holy, so are yours.  If their activities are evil, so are yours.  By watching others be a part of sorcery via movies and books and actively participating, we are opening ourselves to compromise as Christians.  Satan knows no boundaries.  He can use movies and books to lure you in just as well as he can if you attend a séance. 

7. Wait....Isn’t there magic in the Bible?

Yes.  As a matter of fact, there is.  1 Samuel 28 gives us a description of what happened to King Saul when he consulted a medium and Samuel’s ghost appeared to him.  Does this event give us a free license to use magic for sport and entertainment? No. The purpose of the story was to teach us a lesson that magic brings death.  King Saul’s death was brought about because he consulted the medium.  “Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse,”  1 Chronicles 10:13-14.  The focus is on his heart and his demise after he left God and resorted to using witchcraft.  This encounter was to show us the dangers of these practices, and to show us the evil that brought his death.  It does not show us that witchcraft is fun and magical and can be made into a light story.  It is evil at its core and God repeatedly warns us to stay away from it.

8. How is magic and witchcraft different than the other sins and evil we see and read about?

It’s not.  Sin is sin, no exceptions.  You may ask us why we can watch a movie or read a book with adultery, lying, stealing, or murder without shutting it off or closing it up? It is unfortunate these sins exist just as much as magic and that they are portrayed as good.  In our home, we do restrict movies and books that portray sin as good. Even those movies and books made for kids. We do this to keep our hearts pure and not to invite evil and compromise in to our home. We see enough of this in the real world, let alone viewing it as a good thing or even something to be praised.  If a movie had a murder that was portrayed as a positive thing, or a book had an underlying theme showing how to get away with stealing without repercussions, it would not be something we allow.  Do we get sucked back in from time to time and compromise?  Yes.  The enemy is sneaky and when we let our guard down, it’s easy to get snagged back in.  Lord, give us strength. We use the direction of the Holy Spirit to help guide us if we are unsure.  

Being a Christian in our world today is difficult.  It always has been, but the pressures of living wholly for Christ are becoming increasingly more difficult.  God will soon be sifting the wheat from the chaff.  We need to do more of what makes us holy.  We cannot tell ourselves that it's okay to look at witchcraft as long as we don't practice it. “No wicked thing should be set before your eyes, and no wicked thought should enter your heart” (Mat. 5:28; II Cor. 10:5). God is holy, and He will hold all men accountable to His holy infallible words.

Revelation tells us that in the end times, sorcery will be the means by which all nations will be deceived (Revelation 18:23).  And we can see it.  There are more and more movies and books and talk of magic, sorcery, and witchcraft all the time.   

Magic, on the other hand, is summoning satan and those who live with these things will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21). This is God's bitter enemy who would love nothing more than to destroy us. And we're going to give him an easy way in? No thank you. By chanting, spells, boards, magic, summoning the dead, levitation, and a host of other evils, we are exposing ourselves to satan himself and even asking for him. Those are the works of the devil, and where those works are, there he is. You are asking for him to join you. There is only room for one god in your heart.  Who will it be?  Our God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14) but allows us to choose. He is jealous for our hearts.  He wants us, and loves us.

As a family and as individuals, we will fail, but we will rise again in God’s strength.  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).  And for us, that means to get rid of the things that God detests.  We’re a work in progress and we’re miles from perfect, but so very thankful for God’s grace and forgiveness when we slip up again and again.