“Witchcraft comes to visit Part 1”
Deuteronomy 18:10
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,
Beloved tonight I want to preach on an area that God has truly placed upon my heart that I believe will help us and guide us to see the wiles of the enemy in every perspective possible but one arena I want to mention tonight is the arena of witchcraft. What is witchcraft?
Witchcraft by definition is an:
1. Exercise of allegedly magical powers: the art of using allegedly magical powers
2. Alleged effect of magical powers: the alleged effect or influence of magical powers
3. Seductive charm: alluring or seductive charm or influence
What is the biblical meaning of witchcraft?
They are called sorcerers and people that practice divination let alone those that are in pure rebellion of God’s word as the bible tells us that rebellion is the spirit of witchcraft. Beloved the church has been infiltrated by witches that pose as Christians especially new churches to try to stop a wonderful work of God. What do some witches do that pose as Christians:
1. They act like a Christian
2. They talk like a Christian
3. They pray like a Christian
They do not serve like a Christian, I love God and I love what God is doing in this church but only if we did this, if only the Pastor would do that, if only we could start something new, they start to create in the minds of those that love Jesus a mind of confusion and begin to cause strife amongst one another and even the Pastor and his congregation. Rebellion, people have asked me why is it we don’t do this and do that, well we have a proven testimony of what we have been doing that God draws men and women out not what we do but what God has done. Rebellion starts to form by trying to control the Pastor by giving, witches give generously and then they suggest and if the Pastor doesn’t respond they stop giving, they stop coming, and because they formed some type of voice they take some with them. Rebellion is witchcraft.
1 Samuel 15:23
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.”
This is biblical truth tonight in the name of Jesus and beloved you need to know truth and have discernment and understanding of such wickedness that can try to form itself in the image of a Christian and yet come to destroy the Christian. How do you kill a duck? You sound like a duck. Beloved how do you kill a Christian? You sound like a Christian.
A number of witches are going about the country today, this is a warning that Satanists are infiltrating the church--especially charismatic churches. Some of these former witches have authored books telling of a diabolical plot by evil witches to enter congregations posing as super-spiritual Christians. Their purpose is to deceive and shipwreck pastors and to lead multitudes of naive believers into occult worship.
Many of these evil witches, they say, are already firmly established in numerous churches, controlling both the pastor and congregation and causing great confusion, wickedness, divorce-even death.
Saints, we in the Body of Christ dare not allow the devil's power to be magnified in the house of God! His power is limited, and he cannot penetrate a Holy Ghost wall of fire. When the disciples were sent out with power to heal the sick and raise the dead, they came back rejoicing: "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name" (Luke 10:17).
1st "Those who walk in holiness resist the devil”
James 4:7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Holiness is the wall that rejects and deflects the darts of the enemy, yes the enemy will come in but his powers will not penetrate the people of God, Pastor what do you mean the enemy will come to church, did not Satan stand before God when the angels of God came to give an account?
Job 1:6
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.
Beloved did not Satan try to seduce Christ to worship him and denounce God the Father by enticing Him with things of the world?
Matthew 4:1-9
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
This gives us great insight of what I have mentioned before that the a person that is involved in witchcraft will say in so many words I’ll give you this if you will honor what I ask of you then later I will demand of you. Your money perishes with you. You cannot buy the glory of God.
Church, if you are not walking in the full armor of God you will be deceived by the enemy in every way and doubt the word of God. Witchcraft is rebellion against the Word of God. Witches will use the Word of God to confuse those that are vulnerable. Don’t be vulnerable beloved be strong in the Lord and trust in Him acknowledge His ways in all that you do for it is biblical.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
I just did a bible study on knowing your enemy and beloved we have an enemy that is real and can form himself in anything that He wills and you need to have discernment and not be oblivious of demonic entities that will come in the form of a Christian.
No congregation that walks in holiness and the fear of God can be deceived or controlled by witches or evil spirits. Only pleasure-mad, Bible-and-holiness-rejecting churches are open to Satan's attempts to move in.
Wherever the Word of God is exalted, wherever people separate themselves from wickedness and the world, wherever there is true repentance and obedience to the Holy Ghost--there Jesus will always manifest His presence!
A congregation that is bathed in the presence of Jesus doesn't have to scream commands at wicked powers. The very power of Jesus drives out all that is wicked! Satan and his evil hordes simply cannot coexist with Christ's presence. We resist the devil by being full of Jesus--by living and worshiping in His presence!
James 4:7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Christians should forsake the friendship of the world, and watch against that envy and pride which they see prevailing in natural men, and should by grace learn to glory in their submissions to God.
"Submit yourselves to him as subjects to their prince, in duty, and as one friend to another, in love and interest. Submit your understandings to the truths of God; submit your wills to the will of God, the will of his precept, the will of his providence."
We are subjects, and as such must be submissive; not only through fear, but through love; not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
"Submit yourselves to God, as considering how many ways you are bound to this, and as considering what advantage you will gain by it; for God will not hurt you by his dominion over you, but will do you good."
Now, as this subjection and submission to God are what the devil most industriously strives to hinder, so we ought with great care and steadiness to resist his suggestions. If he would represent a tame yielding to the will and providence of God as what will bring calamities, and expose to contempt and misery, we must resist these suggestions of fear. If he would represent submission to God as a hindrance to our outward ease, or worldly preferment’s, we must resist these suggestions of pride and sloth. If he would tempt us to lay any of our miseries, and crosses, and afflictions, to the charge of Providence, so that we might avoid them by following his directions instead of God's, we must resist these provocations to anger, not fretting ourselves in any wise to do evil.
"Let not the devil, in these or the like attempts, prevail upon you; but resist him and he will flee from you."
If we are not submitted to God who are we submitted to? The witch that comes in tries to influence by her speech and will have more influence than God, beloved it is okay to tell someone I don’t receive that! If they haven’t invested in my life I don’t want you speaking into my life. I do not let just anyone lay hands on me it doesn’t happen if I don’t know you I don’t trust you. C’mon I know this is real to you tonight.
Witches give gifts and charms and things and if you are not in prayer and not in the will of God and His Word of course they will destroy you, but if you are obedient to the full Word of God the enemy will flee from you.
Beloved Jesus is the final authority in this church it is not man’s opinion not the ideas of wise men of bible theology school but fully of the Word of God that God has touched upon the hearts of men to do. All praise to the glory of God in the name of Jesus.
Why would witches try to come in to destroy the church, beloved it is about inheritance.
Matthew 21:33-41
This parable is more than a retelling of how the Jews had rejected God's appeal from heaven--and how they would be cast aside and the Gentiles made the husbandmen. It is also about a great supernatural battle over an inheritance. It's about a battle between the power of Jesus Christ and the power of Satan for the souls and allegiance of mankind! It's about who is going to rule and reign in the hearts of God's chosen! And beloved, you're either under the power of Jesus Christ or under the influence of Satan!
You see, this parable is about how a people of God can become bewitched by the devil and end up totally possessed by an anti- Christ spirit. Christ was talking here of a most powerful form of witchcraft--rebellion against the truth!
Here' is the Key to this parable: "This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance" (v.38). That is the devil speaking! "Let us create rebellion against the Son! Let us crucify Him! We will take control!" The Devil wants to snatch away the spiritual inheritance from our lives, he wants to control your life every step of the way but Jesus will direct.
Beloved we need Jesus to direct and guide our lives if not Christ who else?
There is healing in the name of Jesus. Repentance of sin is what this is, is denouncing the stronghold of Satan and uplifting the saving grace of Jesus. Pleading the blood of Jesus washes us clean and purifies us before the King.
Revelation 1:5
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
Beloved witchcraft is real and we need to know our enemy even when they come to visit the church.
