“I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community”. ( Leviticus 20:6 )

The Bible records instances where many Kings turned to Sorcerers for solutions to their difficulties.

“Then Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic.”( Exodus 7:11 )

The Lord instructed Moses that anyone within the Israelite community who sought the counsel of witches, mediums, or oracles, or was found guilty of practicing these rituals, should face the penalty of death.

“Men and women among you who act as a medium or who consult the spirits of the dead must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of an offence”. ( Leviticus 20:27)

The Bible underscores the importance of never offering your child as a burnt sacrifice and advises against allowing your community to engage in practices like fortune-telling, sorcery, omen interpretation, or witchcraft, as these actions lead people away from the path of holiness. Deviating from this path can incur God’s anger or wrath because such behaviours are regarded as acts of spiritual unfaithfulness. Consequently, God issues a warning that individuals who partake in these practices might face poverty and be compelled to leave their homes.

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, use sorcery, interpret omens, engage in witchcraft, cast spells, function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. But you must be blameless before the lord your God.” ( Deuteronomy 18:9-13 )

In the Book of Isaiah, it is stated that those who practice witchcraft are essentially spiritually dead even though they are physically alive. Instead, people are encouraged to seek the presence of the Lord, turn to God for guidance, and consult His prophets for advice.

“ Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead?” ( Isaiah 8:19 )

It becomes evident that families entangled in a dependency on witchcraft will encounter obstacles in their individual growth and progress. They may find themselves compelled to sell their belongings and abandon their homes. As they grapple with hunger and thirst, they may turn away from God and begin to criticize the Lord. Their lives will be filled with darkness, weariness, and severe misery as this is what the Almighty God has forewarned, in the Book of Isaiah.

“Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his words are completely in the dark. They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven.” ( Isaiah 8: 20-21 )

In ancient Egypt, the city was renowned for its practice of sorcery and engaged in spiritual unfaithfulness by worshipping other gods. When the prevalence of sorcery increased, God issued a warning, foretelling that their strength would diminish, their plans would be foiled, and even if they sought advice from sorcerers, oracles, or mediums, disaster would still befall them.

“I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community.” ( Leviticus 20:6 )

“Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?” ( 1 Samuel 28:3 )

Saul, who had a deep understanding of God’s instructions, assumed royal authority and subsequently banned anyone from engaging in mediumship or seeking guidance from departed spirits. He used strong measures to remove them from the land of Israel.

“Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.” 
( 1 Samuel 28:3 )

This very Saul, who had initially established the law against such practices, later succumbed to the influence of sorcerers and oracles. He began consulting the spirits of the deceased, thus tarnishing his sanctity. As a consequence, God stripped him of his authority, transferring it to David, and Saul ultimately met his demise. ( 1 Samuel 28:7-25 )

“ So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the lord. He failed to obey the lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium” ( 1 Chronicle 10:13 )

In the New Testament, numerous individuals with a history of sorcery repented and turned away from their previous practices. This highlights the unequivocal message conveyed by the Apostles against sorcery and mediums. Simon the Sorcerer from Samaria underwent a process of repentance and enlightenment as a direct outcome of his transformative journey.

“A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” They listened closely to him because, for a long time, he had astounded them with his magic. But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.” 
( Acts 8:9-13 )

In the city of Paphos, located in Cyprus, there was a false prophet by the name of Bar-Jesus, who was also known as Elymas among the Greeks. He practised sorcery and had a close association with Sergius Paulus, who held the position of Proconsul in Cyprus during the reign of Claudius. Sergius Paulus was known for his intelligence and expressed a desire to learn about Jesus, so he invited Paul and Barnabas to preach to him.

During the preaching, Elymas, the sorcerer, began opposing Sergius Paulus’s newfound faith. At this moment, Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, confronted the sorcerer in a manner reminiscent of how God spoke through Moses against sorcery in the past. Paul essentially conveyed God’s message, referring to Elymas as a son of the devil, an adversary of all that is good, filled with evil, and wickedness you are diverting people to the path of unrighteousness. As a consequence of his actions and resistance to the faith, God’s punishment swiftly befell Elymas, rendering him blind in the presence of Governor Sergius. This biblical account illustrates how the Holy Spirit opposed the practice of spiritual deception and deviation from the path of righteousness as depicted in the New Testament. 

‘Afterward, they travelled from town to town across the entire island until finally, they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing. Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.” ( Acts 13:6-12 )

Fortune tellers possessed a supernatural ability to predict the future of others. While the apostles were on their journey to preach the Gospel, they encountered a slave girl who was possessed by a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future. She practised her fortune-telling near the pathway leading to the village of Phillipi, and at the end of this pathway was a place of prayer.

As Paul and his companions passed by this pathway, Paul became deeply troubled upon hearing the girl’s predictions. This underscores that when the Holy Spirit resides within a person, they may experience internal turmoil when confronted with the positive predictions of fortune tellers. Paul, moved by this disturbance, issued a commanding order against the spirit that had possessed the girl. In the name of Jesus, he commanded the spirit to leave her. As a result, the spirit departed from her, and she lost the ability to predict the future of others. 

“One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. ( Acts 16:16-18 )

To effectively use the name of Jesus to confront individuals possessed by spirits, the person invoking Jesus’ name must be a committed disciple of God, living by God’s teachings. In a particular incident, some Jewish individuals attempted to expel an evil spirit by calling upon the name of Jesus, the very same Jesus preached by Paul. They declared, “In the name of Jesus, I command you to depart.”  However, rather than the evil spirit departing, it entered the person who had issued the command and inflicted harm upon them. This occurred because the evil spirit did not regard the name of Jesus with reverence, primarily because the person who invoked Jesus’ name lacked faith in Jesus and Paul.

“A group of Jews was travelling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” 
 ( Acts 19 -13 )

People who possess sincere faith in Jesus and are filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit will strongly react when they come across practices like sorcery and various forms of spiritual deception.