While chatting with a pastor friend I had occasion to suggest that the Harry Potter books were a gateway to the occult. The response was that it was not a rock he would choose to perish on and that the stories contained good judeo-christian values. While I have deep respect for my friend I had to conclude he was wrong. Why did I come to this conclusion? Let’s do a bit of background research.
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
Matthew 7:9-10
What does the bible say about witchcraft?
Well the bible is far from silent on the subject. In fact I was surprised at just how much the bible warns about occult practice.
I have read all these texts before but this is the first time I have tied them all together. It is clear that scripture is very concerned with the real dangers of sorcery and occult practices.
Old Testament.
10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.
Exodus 7 emphasis added
18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
Exodus 22
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, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.
Deuteronomy 18
6 Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.
2 Chronicles 33
3 The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst;
Isaiah 19
I will destroy their counsel,
And they will consult the idols and the charmers,
The mediums and the sorcerers.
9 Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon.”
Jeremiah 27
Another good example of the futility of sorcery is Daniel 2. It is too long to quote here and needs to read in its entirety.
Finally the last mention of sorcery in the Old Testament is in the final book, the book of Malachi.
5 And I will come near you for judgment;
Malachi 3
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
Against perjurers,
Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien—
Because they do not fear Me,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
This list isn’t exhaustive but serves the point, they are listed in chronological order so you can work through them yourself if you choose. The theme continues in the New Testament.
New Testament.
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
Acts 16
19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Acts 19
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5
23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
Revelation 18
15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Revelation 22
A good article to look at is https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Magic-Sorcery
Popular culture.
We also find that the number of people in the USA identifying as pagan and/or Wicca in 2001 was around 134,000. A number which has risen to over two million today. Over the same period in the UK the number of people has more than doubled, possibly tripled. Harry Potter first hit the shelves in 1997. The Twilight Saga series arrived in 2005. Both of which have spawned very popular movies and have clearly inspired numerous other novels and television shows. Even very recently, music artist Taylor Swift has been promoting her latest tour and praising her fans “casting spells”. While I don’t think she has sold her soul to satan, she is guilty of helping to make witchcraft fashionable. By all accounts she seems to espouse good judeo-christian values.
Witchcraft has become mainstream following Harry Potter
it’s now hip to be a witch
So where are the dangers in good judeo-christian values?
The bible tells us the problem. It makes it clear that we are to refrain from fellowship with the ungodly.
4 I have not sat with idolatrous mortals,
Psalm 26
Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
5 I have hated the assembly of evildoers,
And will not sit with the wicked.
11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
1 Corinthians 5
33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
1 Corinthians 15
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
Ephesians 5
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 2
There are many more warnings beyond these. The clear message is to not be involved with anything that is against God. The natural human instinct however is to give people the benefit of the doubt and that is also true of scripture. “Judge not lest ye be judged” is a popular saying. However that does not apply when we are able to test things against scripture. As already quoted in Ephesians 5, we are to expose the “unfruitful works of darkness”.
So in conclusion. We need to be careful not to allow ourselves to be taken captive by darkness disguised as light. “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” as 2 Corinthians states. By the best of intentions we can easily convince ourselves, wrongly, that something is harmless because it contains good judeo-christian values.
It is however simply not true!
