As you’re reading this article on the biblical view of witchcraft, have this at the back of your mind: At the beginning of this year, 2020, a close family member, who is a staunch believer in witchcraft, came to me and made a remarkable statement. He said, “witchcraft can make you see a tree in the middle of a road to make you be involved in an accident, but this cannot work on you (referring to me) because you don’t believe in witchcraft.”

It is Functional

The Bible does not deny the reality of evil or demonic powers that torture people in various ways. The Bible tells us of people who were possessed by demons, meaning that the evil spirits were in total control of these people. These are the people that, when others look at them, they conclude they are bewitched – i.e., not in their sound mind and control but under the control of another superpower. Most importantly, the Bible speaks of two kinds of demon controlled people: those who are demon-possessed and those who are demon-oppressed. Those that are demon-possessed specializes with self-harm and harming others (Cf. Matthew 5:15, 8:28, and Luke 8:29).

Those who are demon-oppressed are those who were suffering from various kinds of demon-caused sicknesses, such as being mute and deaf or other chronic diseases (Cf. Matthew 9:32-33; 12:22; 15:22, 17:18; and Luke 11:14). Witchcraft, therefore, is the outworking of evil powers, through demons or evil spirits, to make people suffer from self-harm, harming others, and various kinds of sicknesses.

Witchcraft is functional because the Bible tells us that salvation involves the process of being removed from the “domain of darkness” to the domain of light. It says in Colossians 1:13, “He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.”(Emphasis added). So, either a person is in the “domain of darkness” where Satan has control over their lives through the ministry of demons or is in the domain of light where the Son has control over their lives through the various ministries of the Holy Spirit. So there is no middle ground, either a person is controlled by evil spirits (i.e., an unbeliever) or by the Holy Spirit, if he is a believer.

It is a Deception

Firstly, Satan is the father of all lies from the beginning (Cf. John 8:44). And the most prominent “functional” lie by which he has deceived us as a people, especially Africans, is that idol (or ancestral) worship is central and indispensable for human existence. Unfortunately, the so-called “ancestors” are not a sovereign state, but God is. The Bible teaches that all human-made idols, either physical or imagined, are powerless and deceiving –Cf. Isaiah 44:9-20. Like false teachers, ancestral worship is like waterless springs (2 Peter 2:17). Witchcraft promises heaven but delivers hell, all the time. Witchcraft is most functional, where fear abounds –Cf. Hebrews 2:14.

The more you’re a slave of fear of death and the devil, the more your vulnerability to witchcraft practices, especially among Africans. And it is on this premise that witchcraft is a “functional” deception. Those who are walking in the light are commanded to keep themselves from idols, both physical and imagined (1 John 5:21 and 1 Cor. 10:14). Secondly, witchcraft is a “functional” delusion because evil practices are a shadow of reality. When the Bible declares

that Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between man and God, the African religion – i.e., ancestral worship – mimics this reality (Cf. 2 Cor. 11:14). Satan’s schemes are strong delusions; those who are perishing cannot discern his craftiness. It says in 2 Thessalonians 2:11, “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false.”

Lastly, all evil practices are functional because Satan has been given the power to perform “miracles” good enough to deceive those who believe in him (Cf. Revelation 13:11-15). Yes, evil practices can even summon _ire to come down from heaven to deceive those who are perishing. Therefore the choice is ours, whether to believe in the real source of power and dominion, Jesus Christ, or the temporal and deceptive schemes of the father of all lies, the devil.

Counseling Application: What a biblical counselor must know before helping those suffering from witchcraft’s beliefs and practices: There can be no “middle ground” regarding the Jew and the Christian’s attitude to witchcraft. In whatever form, witchcraft is a violation of the first two commandments. Anything I depend on more than God – even if it promises success, riches, good health, or protection – is an idol. In Deuteronomy 18:10-14, God gives a comprehensive list of witchcraft practices which Israel had to avoid to maintain pure worship. As far as God was concerned, pagan religions and witchcraft were one and the same thing. Paul’s response to Elymas, the sorcerer (Acts 13:6-10), is another clear illustration of how a Christian counselor should perceive witchcraft.

How then should we help those suffering from witchcraft beliefs and practices? There are two primary ways in which those who are biblical counselors can help those who are suffering from witchcraft beliefs and practices. Firstly, evangelize them by showing them the foolishness and deception of ancestral worship, such as in Isaiah 44:9-20.

Lastly, we should point those suffering from witchcraft beliefs and practices to the real source of power, authority, dominion, signs, and glorious wonders, God the Father, through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the real deal; all others are fake and deceiving. The sooner we believe this truth, the more we are freed from the fear of death, demons, and Satan. Only the pure gospel of Jesus Christ with the full teaching of the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit can remove this evil of mystical powers so that we may trust and obey God fully from our hearts.