“Christian” Witches, Warlocks, and Psychics Invading the Church

While serving as editor at Charisma magazine, I received an email from a publicist who aggressively claimed to represent a “devout lifelong Christian” who is also “a clairvoyant, empathic psychic medium and psychic investigator with consultation on more than 100 missing person and cold case files on his resume.”

The man claims he communicates with people who have died and is using his gifts to help authorities “solve the unsolvable cases where tracks had run cold.” In fact, he calls this his life’s work. (Sounds pretty creepy to me.) The trouble with this type of prophetic ministry is that it violates Scripture. I have no doubt he is talking to spirits—familiar spirits who know everything about the deceased person.

Why these familiar spirits would cooperate in solving crimes, I do not know. What I do know is necromancy—which Merriam-Webster defines as “conjuration of the spirits of the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events”(1)—is an abomination to the Lord. And that didn’t change with the New Covenant. Deuteronomy 18:9-13 says:

When you enter into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you must not learn to practice the abominations of those nations. There must not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or who uses divination, or uses witchcraft, or an interpreter of omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts spells, or a spiritualist, or an occultist, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God will drive them out from before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God (MEV).

That is crystal clear.

The “Christian psychic’s” publicist claims he kept his psychic gifts “in the closet,” for fear of being ostracized by his Christian community. He counts pastors, Christian authors, and other strict religious devotees as part of his beloved family and insists he’s a devout believer. “God gave me this gift. I didn’t create it on my own,” he says, speaking of his “psychic calling.”

Of course, he says, he’s accustomed to Christian leaders disagreeing with him—but he is quick to answer that a Christian’s job is to love, accept, and preach to all people and not just those who suit the conventional paradigm.

“I take the basic information and then I can pick up on the person and begin to see pictures, places, and things visually in my mind,” he says, explaining how he helps investigators. “Going online to Google maps and Google earth helps me put a visual framework to what I am getting in my mind’s eye. I can look at an area, pick up clues, and assist in that way.”

Psychic Readings Aren’t Prophecy

He apparently does not hesitate to let Christian themes spill over into his “readings.” He sees it as a way to comfort and restore faith in clients who are deeply grieving the loss of a loved one.

“Many of the readings I do for private clients are people who have lost children to suicide or to other tragic events, and this has caused them to lose or doubt their faith,” he says. “They’re looking to repair their faith and my religious background plays a role in helping them on that journey.”

This is a tragic deception. The Bible tells us to comfort those who are in any trouble by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (see 2 Cor. 1:4). That comfort comes from the Holy Spirit.

Christians are not supposed to turn to psychics or prophets to get in touch with dead loved ones. Prophets are not supposed to get prophetic words from any other source but God, yet in this hour we are clearly seeing these and other troubling trends emerge among those who call themselves prophetic. This should not surprise as Paul warned Timothy, “But evil men and seducers will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13 MEV).

He says he is working to change common perception by opening up a public dialogue in the media regarding his “work as a medium and his Christian faith not being in direct conflict, but actually (complementing) one another.” With psychic mediums, clairvoyants, and intuitive people coming forward more and more, and their abilities becoming more widely accepted in society, this man feels it is time to address Christianity and psychic phenomena.

“It’s a conversation that needs to be had,” he says.

Perhaps it is. But it’s a conversation that needs to be had with an open Bible.

The Bible says “You shall not eat anything with the blood in it, nor shall you practice divination or fortune-telling” (Lev. 19:26 MEV). The Bible says, “Do not turn to spirits through mediums or necromancers. Do not seek after them to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:31 MEV). The Bible says, “When they say to you, ‘Seek after the mediums and the wizards, who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people seek after their God? Should they consult the dead for the living?” (Isa. 8:19 MEV). The Bible says, “The person who turns to spirits through mediums and necromancers in order to whore after them, I will even set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people” (Lev. 20:6 MEV).

I could go on and on, but we’ll stop there. Prophets, can we please do what the Bible says? Christians, please beware of psychics, mediums, familiar spirits, tarot card readers, crystal ball readers, palm readers, and the like. They may claim to serve God, but they are tapping into the spirit realm illegally and offering false comfort and fearful predictions that probably won’t even come to pass.

“Christians, please beware of psychics, mediums, familiar spirits, tarot card readers, crystal ball readers, palm readers, and the like. ”

Prophets and psychics can both make accurate predictions. Accuracy is not the only test of a true prophet. Test the spirit behind the word because there are many false prophets making true predictions (see 1 John 4:1).

I posted that on my Facebook page once, and it stirred up a hornet’s nest I never would have expected. I thought I’d get a few thousand hearty “amens,” open the eyes of some people who had not thought to judge prophecy in this crucial hour, and stir up a few devils. As it turned out, it stirred up more than a few devils who seem to enjoy swimming in impure prophetic pools.

Several people asked me to give Scripture to back up the comment. Of course, the Scripture was listed in the comment. In 1 John 4:1, John the apostle clearly states by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Many False Prophets Are Rising

The backlash against the post caused me to realize just how much confusion there is over prophetic ministry, the source of true prophecy, the function of prophet, and how some will defend soulish prophecy to the death.

As I always say, we wouldn’t have to test the spirits if it wasn’t for all the false prophets who have gone out into the world. Jesus warned that false christs and false prophets would rise in the end times (see Matt. 24:11). We’re seeing that now.

Indeed, I’m seeing blatant misuse of the gift of prophecy. Some who carry the title of prophet have been caught looking over the shoulders of closed-eyed congregants to get an up-close look at their offering envelopes. Later, these prophets give a word to the ones whose envelopes they peeped. Some faithful believers are falling for it hook, line, and sinker.

We’re seeing some who call themselves prophets encouraging people to sow $54.17 so they can tap into God’s protection promised in Isaiah 54:17, which reads: “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me, says the Lord.” Some faithful believers are falling for it hook, line, and sinker. We don’t need to pay God for protection like He’s a mafia boss—we just need to obey the Lord and believe His Word.

Yes, I’m seeing all manner of foolishness in modern-day prophetic ministry, where prophets are operating in deceptive practices for false profits. Jezebel’s puppets are running rampant in the church. And some faithful believers are not only falling for it hook, line, and sinker to the detriment of their lives and pocketbooks, but they are defending it vehemently.

Remember my original post: “Prophets and psychics can both make accurate predictions. Accuracy is not the only test of a true prophet. Test the spirit behind the word because there are many false prophets making true predictions (1 John 4:1).” Now consider this Scripture:

On one occasion, as we went to the place of prayer, a servant girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” She did this for many days. But becoming greatly troubled, Paul turned to the spirit and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out at that moment (Acts 16:16-18 MEV).

So you see, even someone tapping into a spirit of divination—which the Interlinear Bible defines as “to practice divination, divine, observe signs, learn by experience, diligently observe, practice fortunetelling, take as an omen”—can offer an accurate word. Psychics and some false prophets practice divination. They are tapping into a spirit other than the Spirit of God to prophesy.

The woman with the spirit of divination in Acts 16 was correct—she offered an accurate word—but the spirit behind the word troubled Paul. Ultimately, the apostle cast the devil out of her and set her free from this bondage.

It’s a dangerous game to knowingly turn to prophets who are operating in a false anointing. Leviticus 20:6 says, “The person who turns to spirits through mediums and necromancers in order to whore after them, I will even set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people” (MEV).

It’s also dangerous to do this unknowingly. The Bible warns us over and over and over again not to be deceived. We’re told to test the spirits (see 1 John 4:1). We must obey the Word and not automatically believe any and every prophecy we hear. We must exercise the gift of discernment and know the Word of God, lest we fall prey to false prophets.

Christian Witches Making Headway in Churches

So-called “Christian” witches love to come to my church, Awakening House of Prayer, in Fort Lauderdale. Mind you, I realize there’s no such thing as a Christian witch, but that’s what they call themselves.

I’ve seen a rise of Christians practicing witchcraft. Or maybe they aren’t Christians at all. I won’t judge someone’s salvation, but when people in church release word curses, pray against you, and conduct unholy fasts to destroy you, the fruit of the Spirit is clearly lacking. Galatians 6 lists both the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh. Witchcraft is among them. But there is a higher level of witchcraft that some so-called Christians are tapping into and it’s dangerous.

Christian witches have emerged with a vengeance. Christian witches are targeting government officials like President Donald Trump and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. But they are doing much more behind the scenes and are lifting their voices to recruit the discontented to their campaign.

There are Christians who act like witches and actual Christian witches. Both sides of this prophetic warning were and are true. One example of the latter is Rev. Valerie Love, who has been garnering media attention and ranting on Facebook against anyone who won’t accept her as an ambassador of Christ. She wrote on the social media platform:

Stop thinking you can tell people how to worship. Stop thinking you can tell people how to connect with the divine. I could tell you how many people have told me, “You can’t be a Christian witch” but here I am. See, you can’t tell me how to worship. You cannot tell me how to connect with the divine. That’s between me and God. You cannot tell me how to pray. (2)

The late Derek Prince spoke about “Christian witches” many years ago. He espoused there are two kinds of witches. One is people who know they are witches. This is a category of people, like Love, who celebrate their witch-hood and actively release curses, incantations, potions, hexes, vexes, and spells. The second category of Christian witches is those who don’t know they are witches—and most other people don’t know they are witches, either. These Christian witches may be polite and strong tithers, never missing a church service, but they are operating in witchcraft that control. In charismatic circles, we call this type of Christian witch Jezebel.

Both types of Christian witches are rising in this hour. The first type are in no way part of God’s Kingdom. Rather, they are card-carrying members of the kingdom of darkness. The second type may make their way into heaven, but they need deliverance from hurts, wounds, and other issues in their life that make their life a living hell. As a matter of fact, I believe anyone who calls themselves a Christian witch also needs healing and deliverance.

Either way, Jesus died to set these captives free. The Christian witch movement is gaining momentum, but the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church. Now that this movement has been exposed, let’s pray for Christian witches, especially the most vocal ones, to experience a life-changing encounter with the love of the Father that leads them to lay down their sorcery and give testimony to His saving grace.

Operations of “Christian” Witches and Warlocks

Some “Christian” witches and warlocks are blatant about their beliefs. Others are more subtle in their operations. The Bible shows us what a warlock looks like in the New Testament in Acts 13:6-7:

When they had passed through the entire island of Cyprus as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain Jewish wizard or sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was closely associated with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent and sensible man of sound understanding; he summoned to him Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the Word of God [concerning salvation in the kingdom of God attained through Christ] (AMPC).

Let me stop there for a moment. Some Christians are like Sergius Paulus. They look for wisdom in the counsel of many but don’t discern some of the many are sorcerers. Like Sergius Paulus, they are intelligent people but they aren’t discerning. I know a man who paid a false prophet $10,000 for private mentoring because he was hungry to grow in the things of the Spirit. He got nothing but an empty bank account.

And catch that: His name was Bar-Jesus—many warlocks, sorcerers, and false prophets utter the name Jesus from their lips, but the motives are wicked. They practice divination, prophesy accurately out of familiar spirits, and have big bright smiles and wear the latest fashionable clothing. Beware. Another word for warlock is a conjurer or wizard. They claim to practice prophetic arts but they practice magic arts. Not everyone who says Lord, Lord is a true disciple of Christ.

Let’s go on to Acts 13:8: “But Elymas the wise man—for that is the translation of his name [which he had given himself]—opposed them, seeking to keep the proconsul from accepting the faith” (AMPC). Notice he had given himself that name. Warlocks, sorcerers, and false prophets give themselves a name. They are not submitted to the name that is above every other name, nor have they been called by the one who holds the name at which every knee must bow and every tongue confess. In other words, Jesus did not call them into the five-fold ministry. These people gave themselves a name and are trying to make a name for themselves.

Acts 13:9 continues: “But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit, looked steadily at [Elymas]” (AMPC). Notice how Paul wasn’t intimated by the wizardry warlock. He knew his authority. I will not be intimidated by “Christian” warlocks. You have no power or authority over me. Paul was not intimidated and neither should we be.

Let’s look at how Paul described him in Acts 13:10:

And said, You master in every form of deception and recklessness, unscrupulousness, and wickedness, you son of the devil, you enemy of everything that is upright and good, will you never stop perverting and making crooked the straight paths of the Lord and plotting against His saving purposes? (AMPC)

You have to understand why Paul was so upset: Elymas was standing in the way of God’s will. Nothing makes me more upset than when people purposely thwart God’s will.

Paul called him a master of every form of deception, recklessness, unscrupulousness, and wickedness. This is not just someone who practices these things. It’s someone who has mastered them. To master something, you have to practice it for a long time. Paul called him a son of the devil, in much the same way Jesus told the Pharisees they were of their father the devil. This is a bold statement. But it’s true.

Paul described this warlock as an enemy of everything that is upright and good. Again, a bold statement. They are enemies of God speaking in the name of God. They actively seek to tear down what God is building. That means warlocks are standing against everything that is upright and good and they are enemies of God speaking in the name of God many times. They actively seek to tear down what God is building. Paul said the warlock was perverting and making crooked the straight paths of the Lord. Christian witches and warlocks operate in perversion and sabotage. True prophets pave the way for the Lord; they make His path straight. Mark 1:2-3 says, “Look, I am sending My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.’” Paul said Elymas was plotting against God’s saving purposes. Warlocks want you to go hell with them. They point you to idols and have you chasing other gods who cannot save.

Notes

1. Merriam-Webster, s.v. “Necromancy,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/necromancy.

2. Valerie Love, Facebook post, September 28, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/ValLove/videos/10212419173224120/UzpfSTE5MDcxMzkwMTAwNjY0MjoxODUzNDczMTI0NzMwNzAz.