Recently I was asked to go into detail regarding where I saw signs of New Age and Witchcraft infiltration or influence in Christian churches. Below is the video of my response, followed by a super in depth explanation of various examples of things we need to watch out for. Let me know if any points require follow up posts or podcasts! I love Jesus, I love spiritual gifts, I love authentic prophecy and I love the Bible, I love the Holy Spirit, I love miracles and healing. These things aren’t that. ❤️
Signs of New Age and Witchcraft Infiltration
1.) Counterfeit Faith (Word of Faith & Prosperity Teaching, aka Law of Attraction in the Church)
This looks like “name it and claim it,” and the fear of misspeaking because you believe “words create worlds”: that your words have the literal power of God, and whatever you say is going to magically happen. This denies the sovereignty of God, and shows a more magical way of thinking. An example of what I mean is when people refuse to say “I have cancer” or “I have the flu,” even though a doctor has diagnosed them. Speaking something true should not scare us. Do I believe we can then pray against it, condemn it, reject it, and declare healing scriptures to great effect? For sure! But this is not the same thing as “manifesting” your destiny, or “calling what you want into being,” and it’s not fearful.
Rebellion is the root of witchcraft sin, and you can see it subtly manifested in this practice of manifesting your destiny/law of attraction/calling it into being/quantum mysticism. The “name it and claim it” preachers believe they decide what their destiny is, and what they deserve, and they want the supernatural power to make it happen. They also tend to acquire a lot of wealth by promising the same to others, which makes them seem a bit like Simon the Sorcerer. And for ourselves, we usually use this occult practice to pursue our idols (wealth, relationships, status, influence, etc.).
While it is true that “death and life are in the power of the tongue,” we should not live in fear or presumption. We are not Jedi, we are not sorcerors — or at least, we shouldn’t be. It is true that praying Psalm 141 (“Guard my mouth, oh Lord, and keep watch over the gate of my lips!”) is a good idea, but this is more because if we sin with our lips, that causes trouble for us and hurts others.
The power of God operates for healings, miracles, prayer, and yes there are prophetic functions, but I think if we get rid of the idols in our hearts it will be easy to tell this from what I am addressing. Blessing and cursing are real, clearly seen in scripture – that is not this. If you have a legitimate need and God gives you faith for it, or God gives you a promise, I’m not at all opposed to praying for it or declaring it in faith. I also don’t think we have to wait for God to tell us what to do before we make every decision, but we shouldn’t be using witchcraft to go after what we want. The key is to be in submission to His will, not elevating your own.
2.) Counterfeit Prophecy (Divination, Fortune Telling, Psychic Reading in the Church)
The more idols you have in your heart, and the more you enjoy/hide/defend sin in your life and heart, the more likely your attempts to prophesy are actually going to come from your own self or pick up on spirits of divination. Demons are attracted to sin like flies are attracted to death (“Beelzebub” – Lord of the Flies). It is NOT true that anything you imagine comes from “the mind of Christ.” Making things up and then declaring them as if they are prophecy is the pathway to becoming a psychic reader. Demons are happy to come in and feed you things. The Holy Spirit is holy, is a Person, has His own will, and that will is not yours. Just because you are saved doesn’t mean you can have whatever you want and prophesy whatever you think. We are meant to wait upon the Lord, and receive whatever He gives shows us or says to us. If He tells us to look a little closer at a vision He gives us, we should obey. We should not just start imagining things.
The standard of true prophecy isn’t whether or not the word of knowledge is accurate (demons can give you information too) or whether it comes to pass (demons can foretell too), but whether the prophecy actually came from the Holy Spirit. Is this the word of the Lord, or isn’t it? It takes a bit more discernment, and maybe that’s not convenient, but discernment is what we badly need.
3.) Counterfeit Submission & Authority (Control, Manipulation and Witchcraft in the Church – often using scripture to spellcast and curse)
Only God is sovereign. Control belongs to Him. When we start trying to control people and events with our will, we are in rebellion against God, and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. Don’t use scripture to control people, don’t pray scripture to control people, and don’t be manipulated by anyone who does. If someone wants sex, secrecy, or money from you, and they use scripture to try to get those things from you, RUN. If they try to force you to make a major life decision using their position in the church, or using scripture, RUN. If you do any of these things, REPENT IMMEDIATELY. This is an extremely serious sin, and God is highly likely to discipline you. Humble yourself before He has to do it for you.
Some witches and sorcerers use scripture in some of their spells and rituals because they understand the power of the written Word of God. Does this mean their works are godly or “legal”? No.
4.) Counterfeit Sacraments, Elements, and Rituals (Crystals/Power Objects/Tarot Cards/Reading Decks/Oils/Essences/Dream Catchers/Aura and Energy Work/Grounding in the Church)
The use of props for spiritual purposes is an occult practice, with the exception of that which is commanded in scripture for each covenant. In the New Covenant, as Christians, we have the Bible, the waters of baptism, and the elements of communion, anointing with ordinary oil (this is symbolic, the oil is not magical), prayer and the laying on of hands.
- Crystal work for healing and spiritual purposes is occult.
- Tarot and card reading for purposes of prophecy and revelation is occult.
- Specially “blessed” and otherwise ritualized or manipulated oils, essences and objects for spiritual and energy work or healing….is occult. (Get outta here with your holy water!)
- Dream catchers are a witchcraft item.
- Aura and energy work including reiki, acupuncture and chiropractics are occult. Yoga also.
- Grounding. This is not the same as loving time in nature. When you start trying to draw strength from or attune to the forces of nature, you are acting like a practitioner of witchcraft.
5.) Counterfeit Sanctification (The Enneagram in the Church)
The enneagram is a new age system of false sanctification, which seeks to replace the pursuit of God and submission to the scriptures with submission to a complex personality system. It was put together by someone who got it from demons. “Heaven and Healing” podcast has an episode on this if you want to learn more. This is not like getting counseling in a difficult time, this is about submitting to a weblike system of ideas. Get caught in the web, get caught by the spider. That’s how the spirit world works.
6.) Counterfeit Worship (Yoga in the Church)
Yoga is the systematic manipulation of the body into symbolic forms meant to glorify and invoke Hindu gods and goddesses. It can’t be redeemed, there is no “Christian yoga.” The reason it is so hard to let go of is because it attracts demons, and they specialize in pleasing and delighting the flesh. It’s not purely physical. (We understand that the motions of worship are spiritual and physical, we understand that sex is spiritual and physical — why do we struggle to understand that yoga is spiritual and physical?) If you’ve gotten into this you’ll likely need deliverance. Stretching and exercise that do not involve yoga forms is the way to go!
7.) Counterfeit Festivals (Hallowe’en + Santa in the Church)
This shouldn’t need explaining, but Hallowe’en is blatantly demonic. We should not even honor or try to redeem the day. It’s a great opportunity to practice being “set apart.” Christianity is not about what we can get away with, it’s about carrying out a new expression of what the people of Israel did by being holy unto God, and calling people to Him. It looks different, but we still need to be set apart. It is a terrible idea to dress your children up as cultural icons or anyone or anything dead or living on a holiday dedicated to Death and Satan. I don’t think people understand how worship works.
Christmas I think is debatable. There is the celebration of Christ’s birth…and then there is the idolatry (worship of materialism), and the spell of witchcraft that comes in the form of “the spirit of Christmas.” Santa Claus is a false god, 100%, and putting your children on his altar or teaching them to pray to and invoke him is a terrible thing to do. Don’t do it. (Think about it for a second: A spiritual being, either a dead saint or simply a god, who the children pray to for presents, whose lap they sit on at his altar, who you invite into the home, leave an offering for on the mantle, who comes down from the heavens by fire (the fireplace), has impish underlings, and a heavenly chariot. Then your kids grow up and struggle in a proper understanding of God, struggle with faith and trust, and are all falling into sin and witchcraft. Ummm…)
(I have a theory that Christians should embrace the Feast of Tabernacles and hang out in an elaborate tent and tell deliverance stories. Now, THAT I could get behind!😁😅)
8.) False Mediators, False Christs, False Holy Spirits (“Angel” communication, aka Spirit Guides, Demonization in the Church)
Angels in the bible show up at God’s command, for a purpose. Interactions are rare and noteworthy in scripture. Humans are primarily earthly beings, we live on earth, we were made from dust, and God did that on purpose. We have our place, angels have theirs. In the new age and witchcraft world, it is common to have spirit guides, and to communicate with spirits of the dead. “Angel cards” are a well known type of tarot card substitute.
We are not called to be friends with or pray to angels or the cloud of witnesses. Demons will fill those roles, that is not the proper scriptural order of things. Every spirit being that serves God “keeps to its proper domain.” (see the book of Jude)
We don’t need mediators anymore, whether human or spirit. We have direct access to the Father through Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Amen! Am I saying none of us will be caught up in a vision and encounter an angel? No. But neither is that the same thing as making friends with spirits and seeing the spirit world nonstop. Many former practitioners of heavy witchcraft will tell you that some of their ability to see the spirit realm left when they renounced witchcraft and received deliverance. God’s way of giving us prophetic insight is simply not the same as Satan’s.
I’m not saying God could never cause anyone to see in the spirit realm this way, but look at your heart and life if you do. If there is secret sin in your life, idols in your heart, if you see witchcraft and rebellion manifesting in your children – I’d check the source of your prophetic gifting. Clean up your life and heart, get deliverance, and reassess.
As for false Jesus Christs, these you have to discern by understanding what the spirit says about itself, what kind of life it tempts you to live, how it twists scripture, etc. Be sure of the character of your church leaders. This is one of my greatest concerns for Christians who embrace a lifestyle of sin, and start to hear “Jesus” tell them it’s ok. There are tons of these false Christs in the new age, some are dramatically different than the Jesus of the Holy Bible and history but some aren’t. Some are a spirit of “Christ consciousness” calling people to ascend in their frequency and become godlike. If you call upon Jesus and have lots of idols and sin in your heart, it’s good to simply be aware that demons don’t care what church you go to. This is even true in highly dry, cessationist and legalistic churches where the obvious sins are pride and quenching of the Spirit, and where the other sins hide in the heart where nobody but God can see. The spirit world pays attention to what you truly worship in spirit, heart and in deed. (“worship in spirit and in truth”) The solution is to live a lifestyle of repentance and become learned in the Holy Scriptures, get rid of the idols in your heart, have accountability, and get deliverance.
Side note – I don’t recommend studying all the cults and false religions, especially if you are young in the faith or an unstable soul. This isn’t going to be edifying for you, I personally believe few people are called to do so. These are demonic texts. Why meditate on them? If you are called to become learned in such things, you’ll know.
9.) Counterfeit Dream Interpretation (Dream Dictionaries, Ancient Occultic Symbolism, and Vain Imaginations in the Church)
Don’t use google or “dream dictionaries” to try to interpret your dreams. You’ll end up partnering with spirits of divination. It is better to learn to understand metaphoric language, like the way we learn to understand poetry, know the Bible and the dreams of the Bible extremely well, and have a finely tuned prayer life so you learn how the Holy Spirit speaks to you specifically. A symbol may mean different things at different times, it depends on context and what God is specifically doing in that moment. John Paul Jackson left behind some good teachings on dreams, but to make even those into rules is to veer into idolatry. Ultimately, God decides what your dream means.
10.) Counterfeit Glorified Body (Gender and Identity Ideologies, Transhumanism in the Church)
Our fallen physical bodies receive life from the Holy Spirit as we are led by the Spirit and deny the lusts of the flesh, but ultimately we are promised a new body. A resurrected, glorified body! Yes, there is something inadequate about our earthly state, because of the fall of creation, but transhumanism and gender ideologies are not the answer. These are false, and represent a form of rebellion against God. Rebellion, again, is as the sin of witchcraft. In the case of cutting (surgeries involving blood) and experimenting on the young and mentally tormented, these ideologies may even veer into the territory of ritual sacrifice. (The spirit world sees things very differently than our modern minds. And the spirit world is correct.)
11.) Counterfeit Spirit Journeys / Visits to Heaven (Astral Travel in the Church)
I almost forgot this one! Guys, stop it. Apostle John was trapped on an island and was caught up, Apostle Paul was caught up — but you are not visiting heaven every time you close your eyes, lift your hands and yell “Daddy, pick me up!” I’m sorry if this sounds a bit sharp, but I’ve been in churches where that is the way this goes down.
Witchcraft practitioners and new agers often learn how to leave their physical bodies and go on spiritual journeys. This is called astral travel. Demons facilitate this, with demonic power. Witchcraft has all kinds of dark ways and arts, and honestly this one might be one of the most dangerous. It leaves the human soul and spirit and body so vulnerable. It’s just dark. I’m not here to teach the occult, but just know that God never tells us to astral travel. That is not what it means to be seated with Christ in heavenly places!
Rebellion is the root of witchcraft, in God’s eyes they are the same sin. God made us human, we live on earth and have spiritual encounters as He sees fit. If He brings you into a vision or into heaven, no problem. If you are using language like “ascend in the spirit” and what you mean is go into a place of deep prayer where you are extremely aware of His presence, and He begins to encounter you and show you things — that is not a problem. Just make sure you are worshiping and praying to the Jesus of the Holy Bible.
If you are seeking power and practicing methods to lift your consciousness from your body (by your own will) and travel to realms that you then see and describe to people, and you’re encountering other beings there, you have a serious problem. You need deliverance and you need to repent. If you are honestly just imagining things and lying to people in order to sound extremely spiritual, this is embarrassing and also sinful, and you need to repent and stop. I challenge you to confess this sin to someone mature in the body who you trust, and have them pray for you.
Conclusion
Final note, all of these will be accompanied by a lack of biblical grounding, so it’s important to know the Word of God. Stay simple in the faith, live pure and holy and humble, live a life of submission and church community, study the scriptures, stay far from sin and idols, and live a life of prayer and fasting. Amen! You’ll have nothing to worry about. But if you want to run wild in spiritual power and not exercise discretion in terms of your lifestyle, thought life, prayer life, learnedness in the scripture, etc. . .I’m sorry friend, but it’s simply foolish. You don’t know what you are getting into. The spirit realm is real, and if you aren’t fully submitted to the Holy Spirit, you’ll be partially submitted to an unholy spirit. Keep yourselves from idols.
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