Sorceries

"When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead." (Deuteronomy 18: 9-11 NIV)

The "occult" and "black arts" have been condemned by Lord God since the fall of man into sin.

Ever since Eve was first taught and believed the lie of the Serpent, the Serpent has continued to teach Eve's descendents in what is devilish (diabolical), and in what is "taboo," or in what is divinely forbidden.

Such sinister and carnal knowledge of things is often elaborate and sophisticated, for it is authored by beings superior to man, by angels, albeit, fallen angels.

Satan (the "old serpent," or "the devil" or "Satan" or the "great dragon" - see Revelation 12: 9) is the author of all "devilish knowledge." Wrote Paul:

"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." (I Timothy 4: 1, 2 NIV)

Just as the scriptures are the "out-breathing" of God (II Timothy 3: 16 - 'inspiration'), and therefore contain his "breath" and "life," so are the teachings and practices of the demons, and of Satan, the "mastermind," the "out-breathing" of such "deceiving spirits."

The teachings and practices of the occult come from a demonic "inspiration," the counterfeit of heavenly inspiration, or inspiration by the Spirit of God. God the Spirit inspires; the Serpent also inspires.

The things that are condemned by Lord God, through Moses, are very widely practiced today.

1. "Who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire" (abortion?).
2. "Who practices divination."
3. "Who practices sorcery."
4. "Who interprets omens."
5. "Who engages in witchcraft."
6. "Who casts spells."
7. "Who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead."

Though the chief focus of this study is on "sorcery," notice from the above passage how sorcery is "known by the company it keeps," being associated with idolatrous rites and practices, all designed by the demons to entrap the devotee and keep him from Christ and the way of salvation.

"For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries." (I Peter 4: 3 New American Standard)

The religion of the "Old Serpent" has ever intended to turn the soul away from God and to the worship of Satan through the worship of self.

Satan does seek to be worshipped. When he tempted Christ he said to him - "all these (kingdoms) will I give unto you if you will fall down and worship me." (Matthew 4: 9)

What precisely is "sorcery"?

"Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic." (Acts 8: 8-11 NIV)

"Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." (Revelation 9: 21 KJV)

"And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." (Revelation 18: 23 KJV)

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5: 19-21 NKJV)

There are three words that are intimately connected together in the above passages - magic, sorcery, and bewitched.

"Magic" (from the 1st passage in Acts) is from the Greek word "mageuō" and means "one who uses magic."

On the other hand, "sorceries" (mainly from the Book of Revelation) is from the Greek word "pharmakeia" and means "the use or the administering of drugs." It is from the latter word that we get our English word "pharmacy" and other such words dealing with drugs and medicines.

It is particularly these three words that are often joined together in scripture, as in the passages above. The Acts passage describes one of the first great Christian imposters to "infiltrate" the society of Christians, Simon Magus, himself a "magician" and "sorcerer."

Simon entered the church with the pretension of being a genuine disciple, but his real hidden motive was to find out the source of the apostle's power to work miracle.

"Bewitched" is from the Greek word "existēmi" and means:

1) to throw out of position, displace
a) to amaze, to astonish, throw into wonderment
b) to be amazed, astounded
c) to be out of one's mind, besides one's self, insane

In the passage in Galatians the Greek word for "bewitched" is "baskainō" and means "to charm," or "to bewitch."

"Pharmakeia" may be thought of more in terms of what witches brew, of the occult work of the ancient alchemists, who created their "elixirs" and "concoctions" with "mind altering" powers and as means to communicate with the idol gods.

All drugs are not condemned in scripture. Context is most important in this regard. The use of drugs as a religious intoxicant or as a means of communicating with "gods," is "sorcery."

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17: 22 NIV)

"Does good like a drug or medicine." But, sorcery is the wrong use of drugs, and this is why it is connected, in the passage from Peter, with "lusts" and with "drunkenness" (not from alcohol alone, but from other intoxicants, or drugs) and with "drinking parties" and "abominable idolatries." A "drug" becomes a "poison" when it is abused and violated.

How many today have had their minds adversely altered because of drugs? How many today have found that drug abuse was the door by which the demons entered the mind and took control?

According to the prophecies of the "end time," drug abuse and demon control and influence will be widespread, with sorcery and witchcraft being the norm. And, according to the Apocalypse, people will refuse to repent and to turn from these things, even though they are suffering awful judgments and consequences from them.

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21: 8 KJV)

This is the sad fate of all unrepentant sorcerers. Of them it may be said that Satan "poisoned their minds." (Acts 14: 2 NIV)

Friend, are you trapped by a life of drug abuse and dependence? Then I urge you today to flee for help to the only one who can deliver you, to the Lord Jesus Christ. "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10: 13)