Christ First Forum

Witchcraft in the Church
Mark 1:20-23; Ps. 74:3-4, 7
By- Francis Bola Akin-John

http://elifeonline.net/elife9-nov-dec/w ... Church.htm
Though many well-meaning Christians may not feel comfortable with this subject, yet we need to look at it afresh and give it the seriousness it demands. The gates of hell that cannot prevail against the church has come up with another strategy - 'if you cannot beat them, join them'. Satanic agents who regularly practise witchcraft have joined the church in large numbers today. They have infiltrated, penetrated and in some cases permeated the local church.

Biblical Basis: (Mark 1:20-23; Ps. 74; 3, 4, 7; Acts 8:9-23
The Scripture did not leave us in doubt as to the acts of witchcraft in the church (Jer. 5:26; Job 1:6; John 6:7; Acts 16:16-18). From these passages, we can see that witchcraft can be present in any church.

Witchcraft people are those who practise occultism, sooth-saying, sorcery, devilish and demonic rituals secretly. They look physically harmless, cool, nice and true Christians, but spiritually they are agents of Satan commissioned and sent to ruin, incapacitate and destroy the body of Christ. They are found in almost any church. They join churches for diabolical reasons. Witchcraft is not only practised by women but by men too. Pastors, prophets and young people practised it too.

Operations of Witchcraft In A
Practitioners of witchcraft don't go to church without a purpose. They attend church with several agenda's in mind. Below are signs of their operation.

• Immorality by pastor and leaders
• Evil occurrences and calamity
• Premature death of people
• Disturbing the flow of God's spirit
• Causing coldness and lukewarmess
• Instigating and dominating leaders to do stupid things.
• Sowing discord among brethren.
• Causing poverty and business failure
• Destroying the prayer life of the church.
• Appearing in various forms, shapes and symbols in dreams to people.

In most cases, those who practise witchcraft in the church are among the workers, leaders, deacons and prominent members. They get to prominent positions in the church and thereby control things. They are very close to the leadership and they cleverly manipulate things to their advantage. Many times, they are like Simon in Acts 8; they profess to believe but are not really free from the depth of sin and evil.

Why Witchcraft infiltrate Churches:
Except the church that deliberately wage war against them, they will try to be in every church. The reasons being that.

• The church is the only power that can stop them.
• If the church can be weakened, then people can perish
• They can hide and not be easily noticed.
• It is a recruiting ground for them.
• They are the representative of Satan.
• So as to destroy the testimony and power of the church.

In most cases, those who practise witchcraft in the church are among the workers, leaders, deacons and prominent members. They get to prominent positions in the church and thereby control things.

These and many other reasons are why witchcraft infiltrates church. And unknowingly, we open door for them when we fail to pray, pick anybody to fail to pray, pick anybody to work with us, walk by sight, seriously fast and pray and do spiritual warfare on continuous basis.

D. Destroying Witchcraft in the Church: (Exo. 22: 18; Lev. 19:13

It is our duty as people of God to rid our churches of witchcraft and demonic Spirits. (Lev 20:27; Deut. 18:10-11). We should hate witchcraft the same way our Lord does and not sit around condoning it in the name of love.

1. We must not fear them I John 4:4. Greater is He that is in us.
2. We must preach against it - I Samuel 28:3. The pulpit must be clear.
3. We must warfare against it. Continuous prayer and warfare must go against it. 4. We must deal with it. We cannot fold our arms and keep mum. Deliverance session must be put in place and those who refuse must be told to look for another church
http://elifeonline.net/elife9-nov-dec/w ... .htmThough
elifeonline.net

Remnant wrote:

Operations of Witchcraft In A
Practitioners of witchcraft don't go to church without a purpose. They attend church with several agenda's in mind. Below are signs of their operation.

My take on these issues

• Immorality by pastor and leaders this is a possibility.
• Evil occurrences and calamity possible
• Premature death of people not possible unless the do physical harm so called witches have no power of life and death
• Disturbing the flow of God's spirit very possible
• Causing coldness and lukewarmess most churches do this well on their own no need of witchcraft here
• Instigating and dominating leaders to do stupid things.possible but many don't need additional help to do stupid things
• Sowing discord among brethren. yep happens all the time
• Causing poverty and business failure Nope witches have no power over this either
• Destroying the prayer life of the church. hard to destroy something that allmost non existant
• Appearing in various forms, shapes and symbols in dreams to people. this is hollywood stuff not reality

In most cases, those who practise witchcraft in the church are among the workers, leaders, deacons and prominent members. They get to prominent positions in the church and thereby control things. They are very close to the leadership and they cleverly manipulate things to their advantage. Many times, they are like Simon in Acts 8; they profess to believe but are not really free from the depth of sin and evil.

This smacks of the Rebecka Brown books of the 80s there was a satanist in every church and a demoln under every rock. I knew a couple who were involved in this and had a so called deliverance ministry and were convincing christians that they were possesed and had to pray out the spirits ect. They took no responsibility for sin in there life and blamed the devil or demons for everything. Once they were afflicted by the demon of the busted waterpipe in there house. Too many people waste far too much time annointing this or that in there house binding this spirit or trying to cast that one out than they do just trusting God. Some will be offended but why give witchcraft and such more credit of i\ts abilities than it really has?