In Deuteronomy 18:10-11 we read, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or ONE WHO CONJURES SPELLS, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.” In this passage God commanded the Israelites to not be associated with anyone who was involved in the OCCULT. The “occult” is a “belief in supernatural practices such as magic, mysticism and spells” and often includes attempting to “communicate with the dead.” We see this borne out in the 8 things mentioned here:

1) Witchcraft…a WITCH

2) Soothsayer…a FALSE PROPHET (1 Samuel 6:2; Jeremiah 14:14; Ezekiel 13:9, 9)

3) Interpreter of omens…a PALM-READER/FORTUNE-TELLER

4) Sorcerer…a WITCHDOCTOR (Exodus 7:11; 22:18; Daniel 2:2)

5) Conjurer of spells…a WIZARD

6) Medium…a SPIRIT MEDIUM (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6-7; 1 Samuel 28:3, 7)

7) Spiritist…a SÉANCE LEADER

8) Caller of the dead…a NECROMANCER

Some of these practices go together. The soothsayers and interpreters of omens both use supernatural means to tell the future (which are LIES). The witch, witchdoctor, and wizard all use supernatural means to cast a spell or curse on someone. And the spirit medium, séance leader and necromancer all use supernatural means to seek to communicate with the dead. They are all using the “power of Satan” and “demonic forces” to accomplish these things (though they may not be aware of this).

Your question deals specifically with the witch, the witchdoctor and the wizard. They believe they can practice this form of magic by using INCANTATONS (a “series of words said as a magic spell or charm”) in order to curse someone. If you read all the passages listed above it is obvious that these are NOT FAKE, but terrible realities that are produced by the supernatural power of Satan. In other words, people that are under the power of Satan can cast a spell on someone. In the last days, during the coming 7-year Tribulation Period, there will be a man who has such power, and he will indeed cast a spell on all who refuse to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). We read several times of other “sorcerers” in the book of Revelation (9:21; 18:23; 21:8 and 22:15).

Let’s end on a very positive and encouraging note. Though unbelievers can be the victims of a “magical spell” cast upon them, believers in Jesus Christ cannot be affected for they are under the protection of God the Father and the indwelling Holy Spirit. We read in 1 John 5:4-5, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Add to this the promise in 1 John 4:4, “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.” Believers are born again into God’s family through faith in Christ and we have the Holy Spirit in us to preserve us from Satan’s supernatural deceptions. Thus we read of the believer, “the wicked one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18). In contrast, unbelievers are vulnerable to Satan’s attacks, for we read in the next verse, “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”  (DO)  (558.1)