FREEDOM FROM THE GRIP OF WITCHCRAFT
As we come to the close of the age, there are several terrible things that
have found their ways into the church. Unless an effective spiritual surgery aimed at cutting off these things is carried out, this generation may not witness a revival.
This is an age of moral decadence. Among other things there are seductions, worldliness and backsliding. Witchcraft has taken over many congregations. The purpose of looking into this topic is to identify, isolate and radically banish these witchcraft spirits from our lives.
I want you to pray this prayer point with all aggression: Every witchcraft power that does not want me to have peace, your time is up. Therefore, die, in the name of Jesus.
The blood of Abel spoke vengeance but the blood of Jesus speaks better things. It is now left for you to claim those good things through aggressive prayers. The Bible says: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36), Therefore, pray like this: Let the blood of Jesus speak for me today, in the name of Jesus.
THE WEAPON OF DOMINATION
There are some key points to note in this chapter. The first thing is that witchcraft is a terrible thing. It is public enemy number one. Witchcraft is extremely bad because it makes people to do satan’s will. It makes people do what they do not like to do ordinarily.
These days, as believers get more enlightened on the subject of deliverance and the power of God, there Is a great consciousness about witchcraft power. Several people are getting to understand things that have to do with witchcraft
operations.
It has been made abundantly clear that witchcraft operations are used to subdue people through demonic influences. It uses satanic weapons to subdue people’s prospects. It is used to perpetrate evil and to effect a change using powers which are different from the power of God.
Let us take an incisive look at 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 22:
1 Samuel 15:22: And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
The key word in this verse is “obedience.” It is not possible to bribe God with sacrifices or with money. The only thing He delights in is obedience.
1 Samuel 15:23: For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
WITCHCRAFT ROOTS
Whenever there is a problem a believer ought to perceive the problem as a tree having branches. For example, if someone is addicted to alcohol, drugs or smoking, they are just branches of deep problems. The root may just be frustration.
Let us consider the case of a prostitute. The root may be that the person is possessed of sexual demons.
There is a problem also when people go for deliverance or come to the house of God and still decide to stubbornly stick to their sins without obeying God. All that will be achieved at the deliverance ground is to bring about a demonic exchange. That is the water spirit may go for the lying spirit to replace it. The spirit of lust may take its leave, and dishonesty will come in, simply because the individual refuses to obey God.
Know that the flesh will always stand as a barrier between you and your deliverance. The Bible says:
2 Cor. 10:3-6: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not camal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
God has given us capacity to revenge all disobedience. God has given us the authority to deal with powers of darkness no matter how fortified their strongholds may be. But this can be done only when a believer Is absolutely obedient to God.
THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEDIENCE
One night a sister was sleeping on the bed. Jesus came in to her and spoke to her: “My daughter, do you want me to use you?” She said, ”Yes, use me, Lord.”
Jesus said,” If you want, me to use you, My glory must be your glory, therefore, remove your artificial glory.” She asked the Lord, “Please, Lord, I do not understand You. What is artificial glory?”
The Lord started to point to her certain things which were abominations to Him but she found it difficult to take to the Lord’s instruction. The more disobedient she became, the darker her spiritual vision; she was no longer receiving instructions through dreams, all the heavenly visions which she previously had, had disappeared. Why? She was not ready to be absolutely obedient.
If you see a sister who has been a member of a gospel church for not less than five years, trying to deck her self with jewellery and paintings and all kinds of things, she is more intereseted in artificial glory than the glory of God. There are certains prayers such a person cannot really pray. If she prays such prayers, she would be inviting more troubles. This is where some people miss it all.
Obedience to God must be absolute. There are many offenders in the house of God who do not really know the gravity of their offences. The Bible says that hatred is the same thing as muder, since murder is the offspring of hatred and anger. In the same manner, the Bible says that rebellion is the same as the sin of witchcraft. Stubbornness is the same thing as idolatry and iniquity. Rebellion
says, “I will not do it.” Stubbornness says, “I will do it my own way.” Unfortunately, anyone who disobeys God, no matter the level of the disobedience, has brought himself under the curse which God pronounced on witchcraft. And this is where the major trouble starts.
CATEGORIES OF WITCHES
There are many categories of witches. There are witches who possess evil powers to torment other human beings. They fly to attend witchcraft meetings in the night. It is very unfortunate that the whites are now embracing the gods that Africans have abandoned and are now going deeper into witchcraft.
Witchcraft practitioners now have their own pastors. In the white prisons, witchcraft pastors who are wizards dressed in total black attires would sit beside the prisoners. If a true pastor goes to the prisoners to preach, these witchcraft pastors too would be preaching the gospel of witchcraft. Because of the freedom of worship in the advanced countries, these witchcraft pastors are allowed to preach to prisoners just as the Christian ministers. Nobody would be allowed to criticize them, because the right of freedom of religion is exercised by all and sundry.
THE WORKS OF THE FLESH
The second type of witchcraft is that of the works of the flesh which are documented in Galatians chapter 5 verses 19-20. Many people who do not fly in the night, or drink anybody’s blood could still be referred to as witches if they harbour the works of the flesh.
Galatians 5:19-20: Now the works of the flesh are manifest. which are these; Adultery, fomication, uncleanness, lasciviouansss, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies.
There was a particular pastor who servad in six churches. In all of these churches, he was sacked because in each, he impregnate one woman. He was a witch.
When a person uses manipulation, domination and intimidation to have his way, it is witchcraft. The Holy Spirit does not manipulate people, He does not dominate or intimidate people. If prayer, fasting and confession of the word of God cannot be used to solve a problem, any other method used is witchcraft.
We should not criticise a man of God If he says that God says he should be praying on water for people to drink and get healed. We shall know the validity of his claim if people start drinking such water and it does not only quench their thirst but also has healing and miracle potency. Once somebody deviates from God’s instruction witchcraft takes over.
If someone uses influence, position, money, beauty, etc., to have his way, It is witchcraft. This Is a demonic manipulation.
A child can control his parents by manipulation; he could tell his mother half of the story and the father, another halt of the story so that both of them would start fighting.
Somebody could pretend to be sick so as to have his way. This is witchcraft.
Many children have grown up to be master manipulators. These days, there are
husbands who intimidate their wives
through rage and violence. It is witchcraft.
Several women manipulate their husbands by shedding tears and by making them feel very guilty. This Is also witchcraft.
There are mothers who tell their son that, “If you are the true son of your father chase out your wife,” It is witchcraft manipulation.
Some pastors would come forward and say, “God has shown me that there are 20 people here who will give me one million naira each.” They would go ahead to raise such money all through gimmick and manipulation. It is witchcratt.
The use of prophecies, visions and trances to control and manipulate people in any form is witchcraft.
