Sin

Sorcery and Witchcraft

What the Bible Says

Sorcery and witchcraft involve the attempt to manipulate spiritual forces apart from God, including divination, spell-casting, and consulting the dead. Scripture condemns all such practices as abominations before the Lord.

Scripture Teaching

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 declares, "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord." Galatians 5:20 lists sorcery among the works of the flesh. Revelation 21:8 warns that sorcerers will have their part in the lake of fire. Acts 19:18-19 records that new believers in Ephesus burned their books of magic as an act of repentance.

How It Applies Today

Any attempt to access spiritual power apart from God — whether through occult practices, fortune-telling, horoscopes, or spirit communication — is condemned in Scripture. Believers are called to trust God alone and to seek His guidance through prayer and His Word. True spiritual power comes from the Holy Spirit, not from hidden or forbidden practices.