When you hear the word “sorcery,” what comes to mind? For many people, it’s Halloween, witches and wizards in fairy tales, or the playful magic of the Harry Potter movies. For others, it feels like a relic of the past, something irrelevant to modern life.
But the Bible doesn’t treat sorcery as harmless or trivial. Sorcery is listed as a deed of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–20). In Revelation, it is mentioned alongside murder, immorality, and theft as sins that people refused to repent of (Revelation 9:21; 18:23). In other words, God takes it seriously…even if our culture doesn’t.
So what exactly is sorcery? Why is it sinful? And what does it have to do with us today?
What Is Sorcery?
The English dictionary defines sorcery as “magic, witchcraft, enchantment, or divination by the assistance of evil spirits.” The Greek word used in the New Testament, pharmakeia, refers to “the use of drugs, spells, or magical arts.”
Sorcery isn’t talking about sleight-of-hand card tricks or illusions you see on stage. It’s about relying on powers other than God:
- Casting spells or calling on spirits.
- Voodoo, séances, or psychic readings.
- Tarot cards, horoscopes, and astrological predictions.
Some of these sound exotic. Others seem like harmless fun. But underneath, they all share one thing in common: a reliance on forces other than the Lord.
Why Sorcery Is Wrong
From the very beginning, God demanded to be the one spiritual power His people trusted. “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). He is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14). In Christ, we are told to walk in Him, rooted and built up in faith (Colossians 2:6–10).
Why is sorcery wrong? Because it shifts our confidence from the Creator to the creation. It opens the door to spiritual forces of darkness.
The Bible makes it clear that those forces are real. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against “the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Satan is called the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
The Scriptures even show sorcery at work:
- Pharaoh’s magicians in Exodus turned staffs into snakes and water into blood (Exodus 7:11–22).
- The witch of En-dor conjured Samuel’s spirit for King Saul (1 Samuel 28:7–20).
- The Ephesian converts burned their books of magic arts when they turned to Christ (Acts 19:18–19).
There is power in darkness…but it is a corrupting, enslaving power. That’s why Scripture repeatedly warns us to place our trust in God alone (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 1:17; 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10).
Why run to horoscopes when we can run to the One who made the stars? Why visit a psychic when we can pray to the God who knows the end from the beginning? Why tinker with darkness when Christ offers eternal life?
Another Dimension: Sorcery and Drugs
There’s another layer to this conversation that many overlook. The Greek word pharmakeia gives us our English word “pharmacy.” In the ancient world, medicine, superstition, and magic were often blended together. Doctors might prescribe herbs while also invoking spirits.
Does that mean medicine itself is sinful? No. Paul advised Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach (1 Timothy 5:23). Luke, “the beloved physician,” is praised in Scripture (Colossians 4:14). Proper medicine is a gift of God.
But sorcery also included drug abuse. Throughout history…and especially today…drugs have been used for more than healing. They are used for escape, for “highs,” for altering the mind. From ancient potions to modern substances like cocaine, meth, LSD, marijuana, or the abuse of prescription pills…this is sorcery too.
Why? Because drug abuse places trust in a substance instead of God. It dulls the mind when God calls us to be sober and self-controlled (1 Peter 4:7). It enslaves when Christ calls us to freedom (Romans 6:12–14). It often defies the law, which God commands us to honor (Romans 13:1–7). Ultimately, drugs become a false master and an idol (Matthew 6:24).
The Call to Sobriety and Trust in God
Sorcery, then, is not just about spells and witchcraft. It’s about anything that shifts our confidence away from God…whether through spirits, stars, or substances.
The Bible’s answer is clear: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10–11).
We fight darkness not by dabbling in it but by clinging to the light. We fight fear not with spells but with prayer. We fight despair not with drugs but with the living hope of Christ.
Conclusion: Sorcery vs. the Savior
The word “sorcery” may sound outdated, but what it represents is devastating. Whether in witchcraft, horoscopes, or drug abuse, sorcery deceives, enslaves, and destroys. It promises insight or escape but only leads to bondage.
As Christians, our call is to something far greater:
- To worship God and Him alone (Matthew 6:33).
- To live soberly and faithfully, waiting for His Son from heaven (1 Thessalonians 1:9–10).
- To trust the One who heals us not only in body but in soul (1 Peter 2:24).
Sorcery cannot save. Drugs cannot deliver. The stars cannot guide. Only Christ can.
So the question is simple: Where is your trust? Will you turn to the powers of darkness, or will you cling to the Light of the World?
