Occult Activity Is Self-Centered
At its most basic level, the occult is about power: knowledge as power, objects as power, supernatural power. This power gives us control over others and over our circumstances. We get to play God. It feeds our pride and doesn’t appear to cost us much. In addition, it can offer comfort by seemingly offering reconnection with deceased loved ones. The occult, then, is religious (Mt 6:7).
The occult also caters to our selfish desires to not have our spirituality be costly. It does not require us to love or even to serve God or others. We need not avoid evil or live by a stringent code of conduct. We can do what we want, living as we please, without moral restrictions. In other words, we can live a selfish life. We may or may not recognize, or even care, that such a lifestyle means that we are not being delivered from the evil one whose agenda for us is pain, loss, and ultimate destruction (Jn 10:10). This is rebelling against what God wants (Mt 6:13, NIV).
Suppose, for instance, that a man wants a woman to have sex with him. He is really uninterested in marrying her nor in becoming the type of loving man to which she might become attracted. Instead of following the Christian path of discovering, then submitting to God’s will, he uses occult power to try to cast a love spell on her. His intent is to have her involuntarily give herself to him regardless of God’s will and what is best for her. He seeks to use her rather than lovingly connect to her in respectful intimacy.
Thus, there is a price with the occult. We become idolaters, less focused on healthy relationships, with more emphasis on power and control than on love. Our character becomes less Christ-like. We also come under demonic influence because demons are the power behind the occult (Acts 19:13-16). That is why in 1 Samuel 28 the occultist who is described as a medium is said to have a spirit in her, to possess such a spirit/demon, and to be the mistress of such a spirit/demon (it possesses her too). In seeking to have control, the occultist forfeits control to an evil spirit. (The medium has an evil spirit take control of her and speak through her). The occultist seeks to be like God, ending up losing out on God’s best and coming under a curse (Lev 19:31; 20:6, 27). Yet, there is forgiveness and restoration in Jesus Christ. God’s way is always best. It moves us toward truth, life, and love. Let us pursue His path!
When God wants a couple or family to alter course, the revelation is normally clear.