The Not-So-Wonderful Wizard of
Sarx. Before you blame spirits of wickedness for your woes,
consider the role the fleshly workings of witchcraft plays in your suffering.
Born again or lost, Pentecostal or Presbyterian, most people
have some sense of what witchcraft is. Some equate
witchcraft with Halloween, jack-o’-lanterns and caped women
atop broomsticks. Others think of Wicca or African
witchdoctors. Still others recall Dorothy’s Wizard of Oz
archenemy.
Best-selling books and blockbuster movies recounting the
adventures of a popular boy wizard continue to sanction
witchcraft in today’s society by sensationalizing the wicked
acts of casting spells and mixing potions, and presenting
enchanting sagas between “good” and “evil” witches. And, of
course, who could forget the ever so popular fantasy
role-playing game “Dungeons and Dragons” in which
contestants engage dark forces with their so-called magical
powers.
To be sure, the media often portrays witchcraft as innocent
fun, but it is strictly forbidden in the Word of God
(Deuteronomy 18:9-14; Leviticus 19:31, 20:6; Isaiah 8:19).
Why does God forbid witchcraft? Because, regardless of what
some may think, witchcraft opens the door to demonic forces
in our lives and He is trying to protect us. While the world
can package witchcraft in the latest fashion trend or
idolize witches and warlocks on Hollywood’s Silver Screen,
there is no such thing as good demonic powers.
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Demonic powers intend to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came
to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). Just
as we believe His Word when it comes to healing and
prosperity, we also need to believe His Word when it comes
to witchcraft. Witchcraft goes far beyond meeting in a
forest to worship Mother Earth and hug pine trees. It is a
bona fide demonic power released through various activities
such as words, spells, amulets, charms, occult powers,
chants, magic, drugs, potions – or false prophecies.
Witchcraft is an enemy of the apostolic because it
negatively influences people, gives place to demon activity,
battles against the minds of men, challenges the Church of
Jesus Christ, buffets the maturity of believers, hinders
local church growth, comes against families, marriages and
relationships, and frustrates the advancement of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.
You might be saying, “But I would never cast a spell or
drink a potion.” I am sure that no true born again believer
would. But could there be other forms of witchcraft warned
of in the Bible? Witchcraft is much more common than one
might think. Let’s break away from the traditional
perception of witchcraft and explore some other
manifestations of this evil force, namely those that operate
through our old fallen nature, fondly known as the flesh.
The apostle Paul taught us that witchcraft is released
through our own stubbornness and rebellion to God’s will. He
describes both actions as workings of the flesh. Scripture
says, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye
should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ
hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This
only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the
works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so
foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect
by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1-3)
Notice the words “bewitched,” “spirit” and “flesh” in the
passage. The Greek word translated “bewitched” is
baskaino, and means to be charmed, seduced or placed
under a spell. The Old English word “bewitched” comes from
the word
biwiccan, which is defined as the working or
the result of Wicca sorcery. So we quickly understand that
the writer of the Book of Galatians tied witchcraft to the
manifestations, or workings, of the flesh.
“Flesh” in this Scripture is translated from the Greek word
sarx, which refers to the carnal mind, which is
enmity toward God. This interpretation of the word is better
described as the earthly nature of man apart from the Spirit
of God. A person, therefore, who is governed by the actions
of sarx can release witchcraft upon himself and others. No,
he or she does not become a Wiccan recruit, but,
nevertheless, like the Galatians, enters into a foolish and
illusory perception of life.
How does the flesh release witchcraft? Think for a moment.
Have you ever been around a person whose negative body
language, harsh voice tone, stubbornness, or contentious
attitudes made you feel like you were walking on eggshells?
Did those actions and attitudes make you feel like he or she
might lash out at you any moment? Maybe you even got a sick
feeling in the pit of your stomach. Even though nothing much
was said, you could probably still feel some sort of
negative force emanating from that person. Did you cue in on
the nonverbal message? Could that feeling be the result of a
subtle form of witchcraft emanating from sarx?
The apostle Paul, the writer who corrected the foolish
Galatians, didn’t stop with a quick rebuke. He wanted to
make the fleshly workings of witchcraft plain to all who
read his epistle. He continued, “Now the works of the flesh
(
sarx) are manifest, which are these; adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (unbridled lust),
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance (contention),
emulations (jealous rivalry), wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings (evil
carousing), and such like: of the which I tell you before,
as I have also told you in time past, that they which do
such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians
5:19-21; author’s emphases in parentheses).
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Paul directly connects the works of the flesh with
witchcraft, concluding that those who do (intentionally
practice) such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
The works of the flesh – temper tantrums, bad attitudes,
off-putting body language, stubbornness, and negative words
and confessions – are all workings of witchcraft. (I told
you this would be a different viewpoint on witchcraft.) Now
you can see why there is so much written in the Word of God
about the tongue (Proverbs 18:21, James 3:6).
When religious activity is carnally motivated rather than
spiritually motivated it releases a form of witchcraft, too.
Motivation is everything because its source is the heart of
man. Religion can also release witchcraft when it
intentionally avoids the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Scripture says, “Having a form of godliness but denying the
power (translated from the Greek word
dunamis)
thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:5).
What a powerful instruction to Timothy from the Apostle
Paul! The word “form” is translated from the Greek word
morphosis and means to have a mere shape, or to look
like the real thing. This religious counterfeit can be
identified because it looks like the Church, yet is carnally
motivated and disregards the necessity of the dunamis power
of God. That dunamis power is the ministry of the Holy
Spirit Himself. Paul’s final instruction is clear: turn away
from such.
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There are many religious people in the world who say they
are born again yet outright attack the ministry of the Holy
Spirit. The same people demonstrate a lack of spiritual
sensitivity, legalism and debate, hypocrisy,
self-righteousness, and a form of godliness that denies the
Holy Spirit’s ministry. The religious challenge the baptism
of the Holy Spirit, miracles and healing, speaking in other
tongues, prophecy, deliverance, fervent prayer, and every
other gift of the Spirit. Rather than enjoying abundant
Holy Spirit-administered lives, ministries, and churches,
the religious hold fast to man-made programs, vain
traditions, and carnal social activities.
Just spend time around someone who has that nasty,
contentious religious spirit and you will experience the
working of witchcraft from religion. Yes, religion releases
witchcraft when the sarx rather than the Spirit of
God governs activities that should be spiritual. It was
religious people, supposedly born again, that persistently
stirred up trouble for the Apostle Paul. They couldn’t
accept his teaching that it was possible to be born again
without circumcision (Acts 15).
Witchcraft that emanates from our flesh is an enemy far
greater that any Dorothy faced as she traveled the Yellow
Brick Road in search of the Wizard of Oz who could send her
back home to Kansas. The good news is that through our love
for Jesus Christ we can crucify that old carnal nature.
Scripture instructs us to take off our old corrupted manner
of living and put on the new man, which is created in
righteousness and true holiness in God’s likeness (Ephesians
4:22-24.
So the next time you experience the powers of witchcraft it
may not be coming from some occult mystic. It may just be
the workings of the Not-So Wonderful Wizard of Sarx...the
flesh.
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