Christian Witchcraft ?

The practice of sorcery and witchcraft in all its forms is detestable to God (Deuteronomy 18:9-12)

Christians only equate witchcraft with the external and obvious (pentagrams, pointed hats etc), and usually make a strong noise of resistance when the latest Harry Potter movie comes to the screen.

Unfortunately, most Christians have been fighting on the wrong front. Right under our noses the enemy has blinded us and has brought that black crow of witchcraft to roost in our churches, and to even squawk from our pulpits.

What is magic?

Christians rightly label the source of witchcraft's power from Satan.
But the enemy doesn't need the practitioner to acknowledge him, or even to believe in him in order to give him his temporary aid, if it suites him.

In fact most practitioners of magic don't see witchcraft as coming from the devil, but they see it as an intrinsic part of nature:

“Pure Witchcraft on the other hand, may focus a little more tightly on using Magick and ritual to work with the elemental and spiritual forces in nature. Regardless, I feel the differences are slight in that Wicca and Witchcraft both work to achieve balance and harmony within nature and self. - http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/wicca.htm”

Definitions

Here are a few words from Merriam Webster's dictionary:

Magic –
1.
a. The use of means (as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces.
b. Magic rites or incantations.
2.
a. An extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source

Spell –
1.
a. A spoken word or form of words held to have magic power
b. A state of enchantment

Incantation –
1.
a. Use of spells or verbal charms spoken or sung as a part of a ritual of magic;
b. A written or recited formula of words designed to produce a particular effect

(Bold italics mine)

Water in the ship

Someone once said that the church is like a ship on the waters of the world.
Good when it's in the water, bad when the water's in it.
Some examples where the water has gotten into the ship:

Post modernism in the world – Emergent church movement to accommodate it
Gay rights movement in the world – gay ministers
Entertainment driven world – entertainment driven churches
Witchcraft popular in the world – incantations in the church.

Many modern “Christian” books and preachers teach that our words have mystical power to change reality.
We are encouraged to “name it and claim it”, that we need to “confess” a thing into being. (Or be careful not to “confess it”)

What about scriptures that mention our words?

Some scriptures are taken out of context to support this view:
“The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.” - Proverbs 18:21 NIV

The Hebrews first read this verse in the context of the Law of Moses. The context that surrounded them theologically gave them things like bearing false witness (it could get you killed), teaching the Law (revives the soul) etc; very practical things.
The star wars, new-agey interpretation would never have entered their minds.

Here's a practical example of what kind of power this scripture is hinting at:
a) Put an empty glass on the table.
b) Get someone to look at the glass and “confess” for an hour that it is going to fall off the table.
c) Now, ask someone that's nearby to please knock the glass off the table for you.

Which method has the most power?

Many times references are made to Jesus teaching about the power of “saying” (like moving the mountain in Matthew 21:20-22 NIV).

But this is in error. Jesus was teaching about faith, not words.
In verse 21 He says “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt”
In verse 22 He says “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer”.

A good contrasting illustration of this principle can be found in God’s dealings with Israel in the desert while they were being led by Moses. (Exodus 17:1-5; Numbers 20:1-13)

The people are thirty, they start wining.
God commands Moses to strike a rock. He does, and water gushes out.
At a later time, the people are thirsty again and they start wining again.
God commands Moses to speak to the rock (here we go, maybe the power of words will do the trick),
Moses disobeys out of frustration and strikes the rock instead – the miracle still happens and water gushes out of it.

Where is the Christian’s source of miraculous power?

The source of power for a Christian is simple – it’s God himself.

It has pleased God, that the vehicle of this power is confidence in Him and His word (i.e. Faith). And it is inevitably linked to obedience to Him.

This means that Godly works of power work like this: He commands us to do this and that, we obey (which takes faith from our side), and God works the work of power.

There isn’t any intrinsic mystical power inside of humans, the source of power lies outside of us.
Whether God is the worker of that power, or Satan.

Witches and sorcerers believe that the power comes from them and from nature – they’re mistaken.

Many Christians believe something similar.

Is positive confession in the will of God?

All through scripture we have God's command and assurance that we should pray to Him if we are in need of anything. Any casual reading of the Bible will convince anybody of this.

One of the corner stone teachings on prayer is regarding His will:

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God:
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
- 1 John 5: 13-15 NIV

Now, if I ask God for something for say, 6 months and He won't give it to me.
Then I positively “confess” the existence of that thing into my possession, and it actually arrives – where is it coming from?

Well, it’s not from God; He closed his hand when I prayed. Why would he give it to me when I used a repetition of words?

The church has substituted/supplemented prayer with incantations.
Once this counterfeit to pray has saturated a person's spiritual life, how will he be able to discern the other seductions from the enemy?