Lately in this online letter, I have taken the opportunity to remind us of certain ethical stances that Christians have, which might be different from the world at large. Here is another such reminder, prompted by my own daily Bible readings in Deuteronomy. God does not want us to engage in witchcraft or magic. He made this clear to Israel (Deut. 18:11). He also makes it clear in the New Testament, which condemns “sorcery” (Galatians 5:20, Revelation 21:8). For us in our modern world, this means that we should stay away from people who claim to be mediums and fortune-tellers.
People are often curious about whether these things are “real”. Here is my view. As Christians, we believe that the Devil does possess a degree of power (Luke 4:6, 2 Cor. 4:4). For this reason, it is possible that magical practices might tap into real spiritual forces. It is even possible that God himself might intervene and use the situation for his purposes (1 Samuel 28).
Having said that, I would be sceptical of anyone claiming such powers. Either way, God’s will is for us to avoid anything that smacks of witchcraft, and instead to “cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).