A Look at the Bible’s View on Curses and Spells
The Bible expressly forbids the use of curses and magic (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).
There should be no one among you who participates in child sacrifice, divination, sorcery, omen reading, witchcraft, spell casting, consulting the dead, or who is a medium or spiritist. These actions are abhorrent to the Lord, and it is for this reason that the Lord your God will remove the nations that practice them from their land before you (NIV).
Is It True That You Can Put a Curse on Someone?
To curse is to express a desire for harm to befall another person or object.
To bless, on the other hand, is to hope for the best for someone or something.
There is a widespread association between Voodoo and the concept of a curse. Someone is imagining awful things happening to persons they loathe by sticking needles into dolls that symbolize the people they dislike. People who cast charms come to mind.
Nonetheless, there is so much more to Voodoo than that.
The island of Haiti is the center of a religion known as voodoo, which is widely practiced across the Caribbean. It combines Catholic rites with the animist and magical practices of West African slaves. God is the supreme deity in Voodoo, but there are also many local deities, deified ancestors, and saints who may be contacted via trances, dreams, and rituals.
Modern society has been desensitized to the idea of witchcraft, curses, and spells.
The thought that I might never again experience the joy of a Sunday evening crept into my mind one Sunday evening. There was a palpable feeling of impending doom. Daily pain increased. On Thursday night, I was riding my exercise bike at full speed when my phone rang. A lady told one of our counselors that she and her witchy pals had chanted a death hex on me the previous Sunday night, and that the counselor had just ended a session with the woman.
I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. It took realizing the spiritual conflict I was up against before I could overcome it. Then I got off the bike, got down on my knees, and asked the Holy Spirit to remove any curses or demonic assaults. So that no wicked Satanic force could ever get near me or my loved ones, I beseeched the Lord to erect a wall of protection around us. The feeling of fear vanished.
Experiences like the ones I described above may certainly be squared away in a variety of other theological frameworks that don’t contradict the Bible, I’m sure.
Can a Curse Fall Upon a Christian?
According to a popular theological doctrine, Christians have nothing to fear from curses or Satanic assaults since “…nothing can separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:37-39) and “greater is He that is in us (the Holy Spirit) than he who is in the world (Satan)” (1 John 4:4). (1 John 4:4). Because of this theological framework, we may rest easy knowing that God’s love for us is unwavering and that the Holy Spirit is stronger than Satan. Closer inspection reveals that these scriptures don’t really promise freedom from all of Satan’s assaults and demonic curses.
Although you need not agree with my theological framework, I believe that we are engaged in an ongoing spiritual fight. These are valid concerns for us to have. In any case, as Peter points out:
“Keep your wits about you and your thoughts clear. The Devil is like a roaring lion, always on the lookout for a human prey. You must remain solid in your beliefs and resist him. (1 Peter 5:8-9).
It’s important to remember that we’re fighting against an evil force that’s equipped with a nasty and cunning array of spiritual weapons to use against Christians who aren’t on guard.
God equips us with many means of spiritual defense against Satan’s assaults. In a second, I’ll talk about them.
The death threats I’ve received throughout the years might probably be categorized as curses if we use the dictionary definition of the word to describe someone or anything wishing harm onto another person or object. I have two armored vests. Nobody ever warned me that I’d need even one. The death threats will not stop after a week.
For more than six months, I wore my new vest to church every Sunday while always worrying that Bill J would really carry out his threat to murder me. Because I let his wife make a donation to our church, he was quite upset with me. Regrettably, I wasn’t the only target of his profanity.
Bill J went on a killing rampage one night, killing two men in a neighbouring town before he was surrounded by police and committed himself in his vehicle as he drove to our house. Nine firearms and 400 bullets were discovered in the front seat, in addition to a bazooka at his home, when the police arrived. Thankfully, I was spared the wrath of such an unjust curse.
There aren’t many people who have been cursed as dramatically as I and eleven others were by Bill J.
For the sake of argument, however, let’s say that we acknowledge that there have been moments when we have disappointed or harmed others. They may actively or passively desire evil upon us, depending on how much we’ve injured them and how easily they can forgive.
When it comes to curses, what does the Bible say?
Cussing is often in the Bible. Considering how often the word “curse” occurs (almost 200 times), it is crucial that we deal with this matter.
The Almighty God does a lot of cursing in the beginning of the Bible.
Only after the first two chapters of Genesis do we find the first instances of God the Almighty cursing. And he swore vengeance on the devil for luring Adam and Eve to disobey God (Genesis 3:17). By cursing the soil, causing weeds to grow and forcing humans to toil and sweat for their food, He effectively condemned all of humanity (Genesis 3:17-19). The murder of Cain’s sibling resulted in God cursing him in Genesis 4:10–12. These oaths of doom were justly earned.
Reading the Bible, it becomes clear very quickly that God blessed those who followed Him and condemned those who disobeyed Him.
To curse is to express a desire for harm to befall another person or object. God only pronounced curses when his people disobeyed him.
To bless, on the other hand, is to hope for the best for someone or something. God’s people would be blessed if they obeyed Him completely.
A perfect illustration of the God who blesses and curses is seen in Deuteronomy 27-30.
God promised Israel tremendous rewards in Deuteronomy 28 provided they followed His laws to the letter. The rain would fall reliably, their children would grow up healthy, their animals would multiply, they would have enough to eat, they would crush their adversaries, their stores would overflow, they would rule over all other countries, and there would be plenty of rain.
Truly, that’s the pinnacle of perfection.
If Israel disobeyed God, however, “all these calamities would descend on you and overwhelm you,” God said (Deuteronomy 28:15).
The Bible contains several examples of curses uttered by people other than God. People often curse others in the Bible.
Since Ham had peeped at his intoxicated and nude father, Noah cursed him (Genesis 9:18-27).
As David fled Jerusalem ahead of Absalom’s rebel army, Shimei cursed and spat at him. After David succeeded King Saul, Shimei became dissatisfied (2 Samuel 16:5-8 and 1 Kings 2:32-46). Joab intended to execute Shimei then and there, but David dissuaded him by saying the curse was warranted. (David, by the way, never got beyond the curse. In his last moments, he begged Joab to cut off Shemei’s “white-haired head” from his body.
Very interestingly, Mrs. Job urged Job to denounce God and die (Job 2:9;19:17).
Mrs. Job’s pleas to her husband was brought on by Satan. Essentially, this was Satan’s roundabout way of trying to get Job to swear at God.
The Spiritual Armor You Need to Fend Off Satan’s Attacks
Before we go any further, I’ll tell you about the spiritual weapons I use to ward against curses and other forms of Satanic assault. Maybe some of these methods can help you find your way spiritually in this world.
I ask God first to surround me with a spiritual shield that will keep me safe from harm, whether it comes from human hands or the devil. Because if God could protect Job by erecting a barrier that Satan couldn’t cross without divine intervention, then surely He can do the same for me. Hast not thou placed a fence around him, and about his home, and about all that he has on every side? (Job 1:10, emphasis added) He has prospered in the country because of the blessing you have bestowed on his labor. I want safety and the reward of success.
Next, I attempt to live a pure and upright life so that I provide no avenue for any curse to harm me. Like a sparrow or a swallow that flits and darts, may the unfair curse not settle down.
Then, I make an effort to never go somewhere spiritually unclothed. When facing a spiritual challenge, I desire to be protected by God’s armor. It is my hope that Ephesians 6:10-17 will:
Trust in the Lord and his impressive strength, and you will emerge victorious. Put on all of God’s protective gear so that you can withstand the coming of evil and keep your feet firmly planted after you’ve tried everything else. So be steadfast, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, having fastened the breastplate of righteous, and having shod your feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition, arm yourself with the faith that will serve as a shield against the devil’s fiery darts. Put on the salvation shield and arm yourself with the word of God, the sword of the Spirit. And make it a habit to pray always in the Spirit (NIV).
Additionally, I reflect on those who have wronged me. I attempt to pray for their happiness and success rather than wishing them harm.
The Bible says to “bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28).
What I mean is that if we retaliate with curses against those who have wronged us, we expose ourselves to the wrath of Christ. But I warn you that everyone who is furious with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:22). Anyone who uses the word “Raca” in reference to a sibling will be held legally responsible. And whomever cries out, “You idiot!” is risking the wrath of God and the flames of hell.
At last, with much appreciation, I recall that the whole universe is under a curse because of sin. All of humanity “falls short of God’s glory” because of sin (Romans 3:23). For our sins, we expect nothing less than eternal damnation (Romans 6:23; Deuteronomy 21:23). Thankfully, when we confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, He takes our punishment upon himself on the cross. By taking on his own death, he has made the curse that has been laid on us seem less just. The shadow of death has lifted from us (Galatians 3:13).
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