Can Curses and Spells Affect a Christian?

 

Can a Christian be affected by curses and spells?

 by Barbara Latta

Witches and devils are prominent Halloween costumes. Thoughts about spells and curses are exhibited in decorations. Witch doctors still exist who practice their arts with voodoo dolls.

This brings up the question, can magic arts, spells, and curses affect a Christian? 

Can a Christian be Demon-Possessed?

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

The power of God lives inside us. There is no greater power.

If we are inhabited by the Holy Spirit, the devil can’t also live there. We can be influenced by temptation and commit sin, but we are forgiven and already washed clean by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:5-6).

But a Christian can open the door to satan and allow these evil spirits to come in by participating in the demonic practices God forbids in Scripture.

We shouldn’t participate in the devil’s activities, even when it is portrayed as harmless and fun.

Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:31 NKJV)

Seances, Ouija boards, tarot cards, crystal balls, palm reading, and horoscopes are tools of the devil to deceive people. So are movies, books, and TV shows that glorify charms, vampires, and zombies.These are not harmless games. Talking to the dead is forbidden because a medium is not talking to the departed spirit of a person. A medium is relating to a familiar spirit that has taken on the form of the dead. The Holy Spirit (not a person talking to a demon) gives us guidance and shows us what we need to know about our lives and future. 

Demons have existed since the beginning of time. Spirits don’t die; therefore, they can know facts about a person and take on a visible form. Those who visit fortune tellers are conned into thinking they are conversing with a lost loved one.

Once a person dies, (except in the cases they were raised from the dead and those people still died again), they are in heaven or hell. They do not come back to converse with those on earth (Luke 16:26).*

 When we give in to fear, we are under that emotional control. If we go too far into believing lies of the devil, we react irrationally.

Our words, or those of others if we believe them, are seeds that sprout and affect our lives. If someone says they are putting a curse on us, we can reject that by the power of God (James 4:7).

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me. (Isaiah 54:17)

We resist the devil by abiding in Jesus (John 15:4-5), renewing our minds (Romans 12:1-2), and wearing our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6). Jesus told us that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18). That doesn’t mean we hide behind a door so the devil can’t get it. It means we pursue and overcome evil by the power of His blood. 

We Should Live in the Blessing

In Numbers 22-24, Balaam tried to curse the Israelites but because God had blessed them, Balaam couldn’t curse God’s people. But later the Israelites disobeyed God and committed fornication with Moabite women, so they cursed themselves. They opened the door for satanic influence and possession.

God’s blessing had been spoken over them. But they chose to go the way of evil, so they reaped the consequences of those actions. 

Another person's curses can't affect a child of God unless we accept what we hear, get in fear, and agree with the words spoken.

Once we are born again, God has blessed us. But if we refuse to live in His blessing, we are the ones who curse ourselves. 

Hebrews 6:4-6 tells us how a born-again person can turn away from the Lord and become reprobate.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

What scriptures would you add about our ability to resist curses and live in God’s blessing? Share your thoughts.

Here is a link to a podcast by Jonathan Cahn regarding curses on Christians https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3VGmhYN5iE

*In 1 Samuel 28, Saul visits a witch to get her to talk to Samuel for him. This is a violation of Leviticus 19:31. Either God allowed (in this case) for Samuel to come back from the dead to give Saul a message or the witch saw into the spirit world and knew it was the prophet and not the familiar demonic spirit she expected. That is why she was so alarmed. You can read more about this in Adam Clark’s commentary on these scriptures.