Witchcraft’s Demonic Influence: How to Break It and Change Spiritual Atmospheres
We’re not just taking on the devil.
We’re taking on people who have authorized the devil to have power over their mindset. When you pray, you strip that mindset of its power and potency, making you more effective in your space.
Here’s an example. Witches and ungodly people have attended meetings where I have ministered. They are completely surrendered to the devil, and they meditate on the devil the same way a believer would meditate on the Bible. It’s not only the fact that the devil has overtaken their lives and they have given their minds, emotions, and behaviors over to the kingdom of darkness, but it’s also the fact that they have come into my airspace. There’s a supernatural confrontation when their darkness comes into contact with my light. I wrestle, not with flesh and blood, but against evil powers and principalities (see Ephesians 6:12). If a true believer stands in front of someone fully persuaded by the devil, the result is that demons are driven out.
Rebellion As Witchcraft
A particular element associated with deception is rebellion. In today’s culture, rebellion is often encouraged and viewed as a positive trait. The statement, “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,” gets quoted often, but it may not be fully understood. Let’s briefly examine the following scripture reference and what this means in greater depth.
So Samuel said: “Has 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 heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
When taking this scripture into context, we can ascertain a definition for the phrase, “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” First, we need to recognize that rebellion is a violation of authority.
Violation of Authority
In the case of Saul and Samuel, it was a violation of God’s authority. But how is this tied together with witchcraft? The answer is man’s will over God’s will. When a person prioritizes their desires or actions over what God has instructed, it is an act of rebellion. Regarding spiritual things, acts of rebellion are defined by a person who wants to access the realm of the spirit by their own means.
Behavior such as this is tragic. Saul attempted to play it off; however, God was not pleased. Later, we see Saul stepping into witchcraft by engaging with the witch of Endor to pull Samuel up from the grave. Saul’s action fulfilled what he started when he disobeyed Samuel’s words, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” The following is the account of Saul’s encounter with the witch of Endor.
The Witch of Endor
Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.”
So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.” Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”
And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!” And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.”
So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down. Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”
Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy? And the LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. Moreoever the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines .And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night. And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me” (1 Samuel 28:3-21).
Saul had gone from disobeying Samuel to fully exercising witchcraft! An interesting thought is that just as the servant had a quick answer about where to find a witch, many are ready to assist someone in unintentionally disobeying God! Watch who you surround yourself with!
Unauthorized Access to the Realm of the Spirit
Witchcraft is unauthorized access to the realm of the spirit. Those who do not obey authority in the natural and those who disobey on a spiritual level are the same. Both are unauthorized violations of authority.
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:8).
Many things could occur regarding those who claim things they likely have not truly seen or experienced. Here are three that you may find helpful over the years.
Fake encounters: Simply experiences contrived by misguided people’s imagination, desiring the experience more than the truth.
Self-deception: As unique as it may sound, through my experiences with the prophetic, I have seen a profound need for people to be validated; they often imagine encounters and call them real. It’s almost as if they give themselves to their imagination and call it visions, dreams, etc.
Demonic encounters: Demonic persuasion or experiences involving agents from the kingdom of darkness having access to the mystical through ignorance.
How Should the Believer Respond?
Ultimately, self-discipline by the Word of God is the highest form of combating demonic forces. A person committed to being a living sacrifice through self-denial and a solid biblical foundation is primed to have an explosive and highly effective prayer life. Without having the mechanism of your thoughts and emotions, along with your belief system, under the control of the Word of God, followed by the leading of the Holy Spirit, the results will be diluted and weak.
A fully trained and operational believer is required to combat all the elements of surprise attacks by darkness and the current world. This does not mean perfection; what it means is dedication. To be a disciple is to be a disciplined follower of Jesus Christ. If a person claims to be a disciple of Jesus, they must be an active follower of Jesus’ teachings and the realities of the New Covenant.
A potent force for God is released through this kind of believer. You are called to be that kind of believer. Loyal to the Lord Jesus Christ and available at His call.
Dear reader, I believe that is who you are. Now, you must believe it and become that living sacrifice, which is your reasonable service unto the King (see Romans 12:1). Remember, in it all, Jesus loves you, and there is nothing you can do about it. You might as well marshal your life to follow Him, build your discernment, and walk in the Spirit.
