Curses and Christ

The tools of witchcraft

Can true born-again Christians be harassed by demonic spirits? Can they become demon-possessed? And can witches and shamans put curses on them?

The answer is an emphatic no. Then why do some churches and ministers teach the opposite? There are two reasons; (1) many people who profess to be Christians simply don't know the Bible, and (2) some people do it for economic reasons. 

Economic reasons? Yes, economic reasons. They earn big coin by suckering gullible folks into believing that they may be troubled by demons and generational curses. And then they offer--for a fee of course--to chase away the demons and break the curses. Consider it a Christian form of fortune-telling. Or, just call it what it really is--a financial scam.

A woman named Beth who operates a blog called The Other Side of Darkness makes the claim that Christians aren't delivered from demons and curses just because they are born again into eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ. Here's a sample of her teaching: 

Although Jesus bore all of our sin, this did not remove curses that are in place. There are laws in the spiritual realm that need to be upheld. The spiritual laws of Jeremiah 17 state that a man that makes of himself god, will be cursed. That will be upheld by God, just as all the other spiritual laws have been. If you are suffering from the effects of what you believe are a curse, then it is important to understand that it is not your fault. Somewhere in your family line a relative has made a choice to either purposefully or ignorantly bring ill intent into their blood line.

There's simply no evidence in the Bible that even suggests that Christians remain under curses and demonic oppression even after they've been saved in Christ. Yes, everyone who makes himself a god is cursed. However, every curse is broken in Christ. If those curses aren't broken, then Christ's death on the cross was insufficient. However, it was totally sufficient.

What does the Bible say concerning God's protection of His people? It says this:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. (Psalm 91:1-8)

 That's pretty easy to understand, isn't it? God protects His people from the forces of spiritual and physical evil. Here's more:

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  

You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  

He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:9-16)

 Certainly, true Christians can rebel against God and bring punishment upon themselves. But that punishment comes because God is trying to warn them to repent and get out of sin. The writer of Hebrews made that point extremely clear when he quoted Proverbs: 

My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? (Proverbs 3:11-12)

If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 

They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5-11)

 I'm sure that Beth means well. She escaped the Mormon Church to become a genuine Christian. That was no small accomplishment because the Mormon Church is a cult that makes it extremely hard for those who attempt to leave.

But there's no excuse for teaching false doctrine. You must know the Bible thoroughly before you embark in ministry. Otherwise, you become the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the last days: "The (Holy) Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." (1 Timothy 4:1) 

Sadly, many well-meaning people are doing that these days. And to the great harm of the church.