The Principality of Witchcraft

The principality of witchcraft is the fourth principality of Satan. The objective of this principality of Satan is to cause mankind to believe and declare that that which is evil is good and that which is good is evil. Said another way, the principality of witchcraft causes a person to speak presumptuously as if sent from God. "They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word" (Ezekiel 13:6). Its attendant power is the spirit of witchcraft which has at his disposal one captain—hypocrisy—and all lower ranking principalities and powers like rebellion, sedition, entrepreneurship, idolatry, tradition, lying, disobedience, sorcery, guile, confusion, emulation, judgment, confusion, hate, bitterness, haughtiness, etc. to use to fulfill his mission.

After being grounded in tradition and setting up idols (see "The Principality of Tradition" and "The Principality of Idolatry"), we will then ascribe power to people, ideas and other things that have no power (see "The Principality of Entrepreneurship" and "The Principality of Rebellion"). We will make gods that are no gods. Thus, making ourselves liars and actors because the Christianity we are participating in is bereft of any connection to God; it is merely ritual (see "The Principality of Hypocrisy"). As a result, we still try to seek power from what we call "God." We give our own life to our rituals believing that they are just as powerful as God or we speak for God out of our own hearts. We commit sorcery in the first case and witchcraft in the second. Let us pause and differentiate between the two.

Sorcery vs. Witchcraft

Sorcery as defined by the Lord, involves the various methods used to enchant, bewitch, or influence someone via supernatural means and/or the various methods used to perform the supernatural like those employed by necromancers, observers of times like stargazers, monthly prognosticators, and astrologers, consulters of familiar spirits, psychics, exorcists, witches, wizards, magicians, charmers, and enchanters. Thus, these use a spirit of sorcery to perform their deeds.

There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times [astrology and numerology], or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits [psychics], or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

Whereas, witchcraft deals more with false prophecy: speaking as if one has foreknowledge from God; as utilized by soothsayers, sorcerers, seers, diviners, and false prophets (Acts 8:9-10; Acts 13:6; 2 Peter 2:1). We can use Merriam-Webster's dictionary definition of divination to explain God's view of witchcraft: "the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers."

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. (Acts 16:16-18)

From scripture, the definition of witchcraft is best expressed in Isaiah 5:20 which states "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" We can see this in operation if we examine king Saul and the people sent to utterly destroy Amalek:

Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. ... But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. (1 Samuel 15:1-3, 9)

Even though God had declared all of Amalek as evil—"utterly destroy all that they have," Saul and the people decided that some of the evil was actually good; for they spared "all that was good." They, through witchcraft, called evil—Amalek—good and consequently, good—God—evil. Hence, God rebukes them: "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22). Like Satan, the spirit of witchcraft replaces the truth with a lie (we will talk more on this shortly). "Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart" (Jeremiah 14:14; see also Ezekiel 12:24; Ezekiel 13:7-9; Ezekiel 22:28). "Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him" (Job 13:7)? The consequence for knowingly speaking for the Lord even though God has not sent the person is shown in the excerpt below from Jeremiah:

And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, ... And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; ... Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month. (Jeremiah 28:1-2, 11, 15-17)

From this excerpt, we see the correlation between the sin of rebellion and the sin of witchcraft as was first mentioned to king Saul: "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king" (1 Samuel 15:23). Thus, the sin of witchcraft entails presumptuously speaking a lie but declaring it as the truth—as from the Lord—is similar to the sin of rebellion which entails presumptuously committing sin thereby despising the Word of the Lord (Numbers 15:30-31).

Do You Believe in Magic?

There is an issue with the Christian use of magic. How so? Christians as a whole have become mesmerized by other religious practices. We tend to incorporate such practices into our definition of what our Christianity means. Magic is the power to generate influence from some supernatural source. In this case, the source is never God. God never calls his power magic. Power from other sources are inherently magical because they give the person glory more than or the same as God (see "Name it and Claim it"). Where is this happening? It is happening in church. Churches do all sorts of things. They admire Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and others of idolatrous religions. They pay attention to them and also invite these people to speak at their churches. They want a syncretistic gospel, one that includes all faiths. On a lower level, they may just simply practice things like Yoga and other idolatrous things believing that they are harmless.

Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? (Malachi 2:17)

All of this is occurring because of this syncretistic push. Many people are beginning to believe that there is nothing unique about Christianity. It is just one of many religions. Jesus is beginning to become de-emphasized and the new language of the church focuses more on "God." This is rightly so because most people in church believe in the god of their own choosing anyway. An excellent example of this is Father Divine. He embodies the modern spirit of witchcraft in the church:

Father Divine ... developed religious ideas, including the theory that negative thinking produced illness and problems whereas positive thinking tapped into the power of God and produced healing. [He] began to preach his religious message on street corners and in private homes, slowly gathering followers. In 1906 he visited the Azusa Street Revival [we discuss this in "Part Three: The Modern Church (Built on Quicksand): Synagogue of Satan"] and claimed to have received an experience of God's presence within himself. Continuing his traveling ministry, he began to teach that God, who had once become human in Jesus, had now become human again in a Negro, namely, himself. He ... began to gather a small community of believers ... His followers ... addressed him as Father Divine. Numerous testimonies from converts claimed that the mention of his name or meditating upon his kindness had cured them of tuberculosis, heart trouble, paralysis, and other ailments. [He] taught his followers that illness and death resulted from failures in faith. If they simply thought about Father during times of trouble, their problems would disappear. The more closely they lived his teachings, the closer they came to being divine and immortal themselves. The followers of Father Divine avoided alcohol, tobacco, gambling, racial prejudice, and sexual intercourse.¹⁷

What does this have to do with witchcraft? Divine seemed to believe that through the "impartation" he received from the Pentecostal service at Azusa Street that he somehow became God (Acts 8:9-11). He believed and taught people that there was power in his name. The people loved him so much that the mere thought of him would bring joy. Their trust in him brought results. If this is true, we must be careful about folks who believed simply because they have their desired results. Father Divine clearly was not God; he died and he stayed dead. Nevertheless, many people believed him and they saw different evidences that validated their belief. Witchcraft has the power to actually make us think it is real if we believe hard enough. And to some degree it is real; it is just that the power comes from Satan. His principle teaching reminds us of some the preachers we hear today. They claim to have the power to impart the anointing of God on us; and NOW, because of this anointing, all we have to do is meditate on and speak what we want God to do for us and it will happen. They tell us that our problems are the result of our lack of faith in our confession of what we want God to do for us. Kind of eerie isn't it? That many Christian preachers would be preaching the exact same message—excluding the fact that the God that Divine's followers were talking about was Divine himself. Most preachers today would say Divine was out of his mind. He was a false Christ. So why are their messages the same? It is clear that Divine could not be preaching the Word of God believing such foolishness, so can we say the same thing about modern day preachers?

People in the world are no strangers to positive confessions. Have you heard of the book featured on the popular television talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, called The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (Atria Books/Beyond Words, November 28, 2006)? People have been talking about having faith in yourself and claiming what is yours for years. It has no foundation in Christianity. It is the philosophy that gives claim that we have the power to speak things that are not as though they were because we have that power in ourselves. This is what is binding all of the religious traditions together. Modern Christianity is losing its uniqueness, but this is happening on purpose. From Liberal Protestants to Conservative Fundamentalists, people are making attempts to curb the edginess of Christian doctrine. They want a unified theory of religion; a belief that will incorporate all the "good" principles of living. This belief will incorporate all that is good from every good religion. People want the power to direct themselves. So whatever belief enhances one's self-image is a good one: in other words psychology is the new Christianity. People want a personal god. Agreement with others is out of the picture. They want a god for the individual not the community so he will be adapted to all of their tastes, fitting all of their specific needs (see "Personal Savior"). This god is all about "me." Thus, instead of not thinking of "himself more highly than he ought to think" (Romans 12:3), this "new" Christianity advocates self-righteousness: "I'm saved, sent and sanctified! I'm God's elect."

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:9-14)

Divine's example makes us conscious of the church's progression towards folly. We want to have power in ourselves. We do not need a Bible to study. We do not even need a savior who is transcendent. Give us a man who stands between God and us. We will put our faith in him because he gives us the power to believe in ourselves. The power is in us and not in Jesus Christ. Again, this is magic, for it is seeking to influence the world through a source of power different from God Almighty through his Son and by his Spirit. We have Christian magicians walking around who do not know that they are not working as people of God but as witches and wizards.

Replacing The Truth with a Lie

Satan has caused many people to replace the truth (wheat) with something that seems to be the same (tares), except it is not. There are many "Christians" that talk the talk and walk the walk, but at heart they seek to satisfy themselves only. These tares exist in the Church in many forms: in doctrine, in practice, and in the people. As we see in this scripture below:

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:24-30)

Many of the tares exposed in this section and in the rest of this book are manifestations of the spirit of witchcraft. We see that Satan, from the beginning, uses witchcraft to misdirect Eve into believing that what God said was evil and that what the serpent said was good:

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:1-5)

The spirit of witchcraft empowers Christians to sin—to rejoice in iniquity (1 Corinthians 13:6)—and deceives them in continuing to believe that they are in right standing with God. In this time when popular theology is pushing the sentiment that "God loves you," they "forget" that the love of God "rejoiceth in the truth" and that "the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9). It is clear, "all unrighteousness is sin" (1 John 5:17) and that "whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever" (John 8:34-35).

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. (Romans 16:17-19)

When we examine how this evil spirit entered into the Church we do not have to look far: "the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful" (Mark 4:19). We see an example of this in Acts 8 in the conversion of Simon:

But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. (Acts 8:9-13)

Notice, the people of Samaria once considered Simon "the great power of God" until their conversion. Then Simon himself got converted and watched in awe as the true power of God was manifested in Philip and subsequently in Peter and John:

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. (Acts 8:14-17)

Even though Simon was now "washed in the blood," his mind was not yet renewed (Romans 12:2). Examine his offer to Peter and John: "And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:18-19). Simon, though recently saved, is still operating in the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of devils (1 Corinthians 2:6-8) when he offers money for the power to give the Holy Ghost. As an entrepreneur, he sees this new power as a means for him to regain his status of "the great power of God."

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the LORD for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. (Acts 8:20-24)

Thus Simon, a born again believer, had not yet denied himself nor "crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Galatians 5:24). "The lusts of other things entering in" have quickly choked the Word he had received, and rendered it unfruitful. The spirit of witchcraft that was present before his conversion kept its influence even after his conversion and quickly resurfaced. There are many Christians in the same predicament: they are lusting after their former life and trying to manipulate God's Word to "conjure up" their desires. They, however, become bitter against God about their lost place (prosperity and/or popularity) in the world given that "he that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination" (Proverbs 28:9). Christianity has become compromised because instead of heeding God's warning about remaining separate from the world, the Church has embraced the world and its customs (2 Kings 17:15; Psalm 106:35-36).

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Thus misdirection from Satan is guiding the Church more than the Word of God (see "Church Practices").

Conclusion

The principality of witchcraft entrenched as a strong hold works to cause the infected person to presumptuously speak as if sent from God. Witchcraft also begets a strong hold for the spirit of hypocrisy by which the infected person learns to operate with double standards (judgmental) and to be double minded (confused). Now that witchcraft and its power have been embraced, those possessed with this devil are now convinced that its power is of God. They forget, however, that its power really came from Satan by our love for the things of the world. Thus, our lust for power inundates us in the spirit of covetousness, which is the subject of the next section.

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