Sorcery is one of the most searched bible terms on biblegateway.com. Why? What’s the attraction to sorcery? What is sorcery? Is sorcery a witch stirring a pot, kids playing with an ouija board, or tweens reading Harry Potter? What does the Bible say about sorcery?
Let’s dig in and find out what the bible says about sorcery!
Sorcery is aligned with witchcraft and divination and other magic arts. It’s an attempt to enter the spirit realm while bypassing God. Shortcuts and counterfeits never work with God. God judged sorcery, witchcraft, and divination as abominable practices. Christians must reject all forms of sorcery, magic, divination, and witchcraft.
It’s important to maintain a Biblical perspective in all things — including sorcery. Far too many Christians make up their own non-biblical rules and regulations.
Bible Verses About Magic
I love sleight of hand. It’s entertaining to me. That’s not the same as using the dark arts to circumvent God’s realm.
Daniel 1:20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.
The magic arts of the counterfeiters were inferior to the wisdom of God.
Daniel 2:27-28 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.
Only God in heaven reveals mysteries.
Daniel 4:7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation.
The magicians continued to fail. Daniel, by the Spirit of God, succeeded.
Acts 8:9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
Many people are fooled by magic. It’s a counterfeit.
Bible Verses About Divination
God harshly judged divination in the Old Covenant.
Leviticus 19:26 You shall not eat any meat with the blood. You shall not practice divination nor soothsaying.
Deuteronomy 18:10-11 No one among you is to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire, practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, cast spells, consult a medium or a spiritist, or inquire of the dead.
King Saul inquired of the dead. God judged him and fired him from being king.
I Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as reprehensible as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as reprehensible as false religion and idolatry. Since you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.
Interestingly, God compares rebellion to divination.
2 Chronicles 33:6 He also made his sons pass through the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.
Many of us are like King Manasseh. He was evil and did many terrible things.
God judged him and he ultimately repented of his sin.
Jeremiah 14:14 Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them, nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility, and the deception of their own minds.
I believe that this verse is happening once again. The “prophets” are predicting falsehoods in the name of God. When anyone says, “Thus saith the Lord,” proceed with caution.
Bible Verses About Fortune Telling
Is there anything wrong with visiting a fortune-teller? Yes, there are a few things wrong with it. First of all, it’s a waste of money. God does not share His mind with the demonic. You’re simply tossing money away.
More importantly, God warns us not to listen to or engage fortune-tellers.
I would lump the modern-day “prophets” in the charismatic church as fortune-tellers. They go from church to church giving “words from the Lord” which are no more than fortune-telling.
Deuteronomy 18:14 Though these nations you are about to drive out listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do this.
Jeremiah 27:9 So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.
Many bible verses are taken totally out of context. One such verse is Jeremiah 29:11. God is judging the Hebrews with seventy years of captivity. The fortune-tellers were disputing this judgment and speaking contrary to the providential will of God.
Micah 5:12 And I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes.
Acts 16:16 Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling.
Bible Verses About Consulting Mediums
Saul paid a huge price for seeking a medium rather than God.
I Chronicles 10:13-14 So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
Isaiah 8:19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
Stop visiting mediums! Seek God, instead.
Bible Verses About Sorcery
It’s interesting that the prophet Nahum refers to it as the attractive mistress of sorcery. Sin is attractive. It’s a mistress because it’s an act of spiritual adultery. Guard your heart and mind.
Nahum 3:4-5 Because of the continual prostitution of the prostitute, the attractive mistress of sorcery, who treats nations and clans like merchandise by her prostitution and sorcery, I am against you. This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. I will lift your skirts over your face and display your nakedness to nations, your shame to kingdoms.
Malachi 3:5 Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
God has zero-tolerance for sorcery.
What Does The Bible Say About Sorcery — Work of the Flesh
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul states that sorcery is a work of the flesh. It’s grouped with anger and drunkenness and sexual immorality.
Sorcery, in this context, is related to drug use. Often, sorcerers would concoct potions as part of their rituals. The use of hallucinogenic drugs made counterfeit spiritual encounters more believable.
Recreational drug use is unrighteous. The abuse of prescription drugs is dangerous.
Many states have legalized certain drugs. Lawful and holy are not the same thing.
It might seem like a stretch to align sorcery with drug use. It is not, though.
Drug misuse and abuse have no place in the Kingdom. If you need help gaining freedom, get it. There is no shame in asking for help.
We all struggle with something. God’s grace is sufficient.
Harry Potter and LOTR and Narnia
Raising children is challenging. Parents are often judgmental. You must seek God on behalf of your family and raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. We can certainly learn from one another but copying another’s house typically ends in disaster.
Three of the best-selling books of all time (The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter) are steeped in magic. Should we prohibit our children from reading them?
That’s your choice. I would recommend family discussions around the themes of these books for those who choose to read them, though.
If you do not allow your children to read them explain why. Sister Bertha’s condemnation is not a valid reason.
Blessings!