When we hear the word "witchcraft," our minds often conjure images of mysterious figures practicing dark arts in distant places. However, the Bible reveals a startling truth about what witchcraft really is - and it might be closer to home than we think.
What Does the Bible Really Say About Witchcraft?
According to Scripture, witchcraft isn't about spells and potions. The Bible defines witchcraft as rebellion and stubbornness against God's word. When we rebel against God's commands or maintain opinions that oppose His truth, we're engaging in what the Bible calls witchcraft.
Stubbornness, described in some places as being "stiff-necked," occurs when we lean on our own understanding rather than submitting to God's wisdom. This creates a dangerous spiritual condition where we may perform Christian rituals while living under a spell of disobedience.
How Does the Enemy Use This Against Us?
The enemy is a master manipulator who subtly engages people to rebel against God's ways without them even realizing it. Many Christians live their lives going through the motions of faith while remaining rebellious and stubborn in their hearts. This cuts them off from the blessings God intends for their lives.
The power in prayer isn't about convincing God through our tears or pain. The power in prayer comes from our obedience to God. When we obey God, He empowers us. When we submit to the Lord, we can resist the devil and he flees.
Why Don't We Change When We Hear God's Word?
Many believers hear God's word regularly but never experience transformation. This happens because the enemy blinds our spiritual eyes, preventing the light of the Gospel from penetrating our hearts. The word hits a roadblock and doesn't bring the change God intends.
When God's word is being taught, that's often when we suddenly feel tired or distracted - this is demonic activity designed to keep us from receiving truth that would transform us.
What Does It Mean to Be Taught by Christ?
According to Ephesians 4:20-24, when we become Christians, we must allow Christ to teach us. If we don't, our Christian life will be miserable and unfruitful. Being taught by Christ involves three crucial steps:
Put Off the Old Man
We must make a conscious decision to abandon our former way of living. This isn't something we wait for the Holy Spirit to do for us - we must actively choose to put off our old conduct and lifestyle.
Be Renewed in the Spirit of Your Mind
Our thought processes and how we interpret life must be transformed. We need to understand things from God's perspective rather than our own limited viewpoint.
Put On the New Man
We must clothe ourselves with the new nature that Christ provides - one created in true righteousness and holiness.
What Makes It Difficult to Change?
Several factors make it challenging to put off the old man:
- Maintaining the same friendships with non-believers
- Consuming the same entertainment (movies, shows, music)
- Visiting the same places that reinforce old patterns
- Trying to evangelize before we're spiritually secure ourselves
When we try to dance with the devil while seeking God's blessing, we remain trapped in an ineffective loop of Christianity.
How Does God Correct and Discipline Us?
Hebrews 12:7-8 teaches that God corrects us as His children. A father who doesn't correct his child is a bad parent, and God operates the same way with us. If we're exempt from correction - not because God chooses to exempt us, but because we refuse to receive it - we become illegitimate offspring, not true children of God.
God primarily corrects us through His word. When Scripture is preached or taught, we must hear it as God speaking directly to us, not merely as someone's opinion.
What Does Jesus Require of His Followers?
In Luke 9:23, Jesus lays out the non-negotiable requirements for following Him:
Deny Yourself
This means your feelings, desires, plans, and aspirations no longer take priority. You cease to exist as the center of your own universe.
Take Up Your Cross Daily
Not sometimes, not when you feel like it, but daily - in season and out of season, whether you're on the mountaintop or in the valley.
Follow Me
This is an ongoing journey of obedience and submission to Christ's leadership in every area of life.
Why Do We Struggle with Self-Denial?
Jesus explains that whoever desires to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for His sake will save it. This principle goes against everything the world teaches us about self-preservation and self-improvement.
The world tells us to look after ourselves first, develop the best version of ourselves, and pursue our goals. But Christ's way is the opposite - we must lose ourselves to find true life.
How Should This Change Our Prayers?
To deny yourself means forgetting about your own self-interests and taking on God's interests instead. This should dramatically change how we pray. Instead of prayers filled with "I," "me," and "my," our prayers should focus on "You," "Your kingdom," and "Your will."
When we pray for personal breakthroughs and blessings, our prayers are energetic and passionate. But when we pray for God's house to grow, for souls to be saved, or for God's presence to fill the church, our prayers often lack the same intensity. This reveals that we're still under the spell of self-interest.
Life Application
This week, examine your prayer life and daily decisions through the lens of self-denial. Instead of prioritizing your own agenda, consciously choose to put Christ's interests first in every situation. When faced with decisions, ask yourself: "What would bring glory to God?" rather than "What would benefit me?"
Transform your prayer requests from self-focused petitions to God-centered desires. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, trusting that He will add everything else you need.
Questions for Reflection:
- Are you still trying to maintain your old lifestyle while expecting God's blessings?
- When you hear God's word, do you receive correction or resist it?
- Do your prayers reveal a heart focused on self-interest or God's kingdom?
- What specific areas of your life do you need to "put off" to truly follow Christ?
