God did not want such teachings to infiltrate any culture. It was these practices that brought judgment on the Canaanites and expelled them from the land. The Devil and his legion only seek to “steal, kill, and destroy.” (John 10:10) For this reason, Deuteronomy 18 labels the practices of witchcraft, sorcery, divination, and necromancy as detestable to the Lord. Jesus said the Devil is “a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) In dealing with the demonic, you cannot expect them to deal in truth. Experiences with the occult drive us away from God and bring us into contact with the demonic realm. The world of the occult not only brings a false message, but a dangerous one as well. Spiritism involves ouija boards, sances, necromancy, and ghosts. Those involved in spiritism attempt to communicate with the dead and receive information or help from them. The magick arts include witchcraft, white magic, black magic, sorcery, Satanism, black mass, and witch doctors. Those in magick attempt to control the present by ceremonies, charms, and spells. ![]() ![]() The second category is magick or paganism. The divination arts include astrology, zodiac charts, crystal balls, tarot cards, palm reading, psychics, numerology, and horoscopes. Divination is the attempt to foretell the future and thereby shape our lives accordingly. There are three primary categories of the occult world: divination, magick, and spiritism. People want control over the future, spirits, or over other individuals. Many begin with “harmless” dabbling, but this can often lead to more. There is an attraction to the occult that appeals to our interest in the unseen. The first is disillusionment with the church and organized religion. Why is there such an interest in the occult? Experts point to several factors. Through these practices occultists seek to influence the present or future circumstances, of their lives or the lives of others. A brief definition of the occult is the practice of attaining supernatural knowledge or powers apart from the God of the Bible. The term occult is derived from the Latin word “occultus,” which means to cover up, hide, or those things which are hidden or secret. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the prophets of God confronted the problem of the occult. The occult has thrived since the beginning of civilization. Such popular shows deal with the world of the occult. In another show, teen-age witches use their white magic to defeat evil warlocks and spirits. ![]() In a popular TV show, the heroine calls upon spirits, spells, and magic to defeat demonic beings. This article is also available in Spanish. Pat Zukeran explains why Christians need to be wise and discerning concerning the occult, both recognizing its power and danger, and not going overboard either.
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