Understanding the Divide: Christianity and the Occult

As a teenage (14-16 years old) I took a deep look into and started practicing in the occult. This is probably about the same age that most kids begin to explore, as I see many young people today that are playing at the occult or at least dressing the part with the gothic attire that I see out in public. It took me several years but I did finally realize how wrong I had been about the practice and began to actively search for my faith once again.

As followers of Christ, we are called to discernment in all areas of life, including how we understand spiritual matters. Today, many people are turning to occult practices seeking meaning, power, and spiritual fulfillment. However, when we examine Christianity and the occult through the lens of Scripture, we find two fundamentally opposing worldviews that cannot be reconciled. Understanding these differences is crucial for every believer who desires to walk faithfully with God.

The Foundation of Truth

The most fundamental difference between Christianity and the occult lies in their approach to truth and knowledge. Christianity is built upon absolute truth revealed through God’s Word. Scripture declares that God Himself is truth: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6, KJV). God’s Word provides objective, unchanging truth that serves as our ultimate authority.

In stark contrast, the occult is rooted in subjective experience and hidden knowledge. Occult practices typically involve seeking secret or esoteric wisdom through supernatural means apart from God. The term “occult” itself means “hidden” or “secret”, emphasizing knowledge that is supposedly available only to select initiates. Rather than relying on revealed truth, occult practitioners depend on personal experiences, mystical revelations, and subjective interpretations of spiritual phenomena.

The Source of Authority

Christianity recognizes God’s absolute sovereignty over all creation. Scripture teaches that “all the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?'” (Daniel 4:35). Christians submit to God’s authority as revealed in His Word, acknowledging that He alone has the right to determine how we should live and worship.

The occult, however, seeks to manipulate supernatural forces for personal gain. Rather than submitting to God’s sovereignty, occult practices attempt to harness spiritual power for one’s own purposes. This represents a fundamental rebellion against God’s authority, as it places human desire above divine will.

The Nature of Salvation

Christianity teaches that salvation comes by grace through faith alone. The apostle Paul clearly states: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV). This salvation is entirely God’s work, providing forgiveness of sin and eternal life through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

The occult promotes self-deification and human potential. Many occult philosophies teach that humans possess inherent divinity and can achieve godhood through various practices and rituals. This represents the ancient lie from the Garden of Eden: “ye shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5, KJV). Rather than recognizing our need for God’s grace, the occult encourages individuals to seek their own salvation through self-empowerment.

Biblical Warnings Against the Occult

Scripture provides clear and uncompromising warnings against occult practices. God explicitly forbids involvement in divination, witchcraft, and communication with spirits. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (KJV) states: “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD”.

The New Testament continues these warnings. The apostle Paul lists sorcery among the works of the flesh, and Revelation 21:8 (KJV) declares: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”.

Additional biblical warnings include:

• “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:31, KJV)
• “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” (Isaiah 8:19, KJV)

The Spiritual Dangers

Occult involvement opens believers to spiritual deception and bondage. The Bible teaches that Satan is “the father of lies” (John 8:44, KJV) and uses deception to lead people away from God. Occult practices, even when they appear to provide supernatural experiences or knowledge, ultimately serve to separate individuals from God’s truth and place them under demonic influence.

Christianity offers freedom through truth. Jesus declared: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32, KJV). Rather than seeking hidden knowledge or mystical experiences, believers find true spiritual fulfillment through relationship with Jesus Christ and obedience to God’s Word.

The Hope of Eternal Life

Christianity provides genuine hope through Jesus Christ. Our hope is not based on human achievement or mystical enlightenment, but on the finished work of Christ on the cross. First John 5:13 (KJV) assures us: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God”.

This hope transforms how we live today, knowing that “to be absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8, KJV). Our eternal hope is secure in Christ, not dependent on our own spiritual efforts or occult practices.

Living in Light of Truth

As Christians, we must reject all forms of occult involvement and trust wholly in God. This includes avoiding practices such as:

• Fortune telling and divination
• Astrology and horoscopes
• Séances and communication with the dead
• Witchcraft and spell-casting
• Ouija boards and tarot cards

Instead, we are called to seek God’s guidance through prayer, study of His Word, and submission to His will. When we face questions about the future or seek spiritual guidance, we should inquire of God rather than turning to forbidden practices.

The contrast between Christianity and the occult could not be clearer. While the occult offers false promises of power and hidden knowledge, Christianity provides the true path to eternal life through Jesus Christ. As believers, we must stand firm in biblical truth, rejecting the deceptions of the occult and embracing the freedom found in God’s Word.

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15, KJV). The choice is clear: we can trust in God’s revealed truth and find salvation through His grace, or we can follow the deceptive path of occult practices that leads to spiritual bondage and eternal separation from God. May we choose wisely, walking in the light of Christ and proclaiming His truth to a world lost in spiritual darkness.