On the banks of the Amazon River live a species of large, colorful spiders.  When they spread themselves out they look exactly like the blossoms of a brilliant flower.  When bees and insects land on one to find pollen they find instead a spider that poisons and kills them.  Satan does the same thing with the occult and New Age movement today. 

            Many, many Bible verses clearly forbid God’s people to get involved in any occult activity.  The power behind the occult is always demonic (Acts 8:9-24; 16:16-18).  While sins of the flesh give opening to Satan’s forces, involvement in the occult gives MUCH more access.  It is direct involvement with demons, and voluntarily asking them to work in your life.  Deuteronomy 18:9-13 gives a list of some of the main occult activities which are forbidden.

Deuteronomy 18:9-13. When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.  10. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire,  who practices divination, or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11. or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.  13.  You must be blameless before the LORD your God.    

sacrifice son or daughter in the fire   Worship of Molech (includes worship of stars, sorcery, divination, etc.)  Manesseh did this (II Kings 2:1-17)

divination  kosem kesamim  Foretell future or discover hidden knowledge by supernatural powers.  Ezekiel 21:21 used arrows (picked one with label that they likes), or livers (color and configuration).

sorcery  meonen  Predict future based on planets, etc.  Drugs usually part of this (pharmakeia – Greek  Gal 5:20)  This is referred to in Acts 8:9-24

omens  menachesh  Inspect entrails of beasts, flight of birds, especially they used snakes back then.  To find hidden, secret info, knowledge

witchcraft  mechashsheph  Literally to reveal truth, uncover mysteries, usually by magic or witchcraft (drugs, herbs, perfumes to call demons, etc.).  The Jews learned it in Egypt & from pagans.  It is associated with idolatry (turn from God) and is strongly forbidden  (II Kings 9:22;  II Chronicles 33:6; Micah  5:12; Nahum 3:4).  God gave the death penalty for doing this  (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27)

cast spells  chober chaber  A charmer, hypnotism, spells, curses

medium  shoel ob  ‘engastromuthoi’ or ‘ventriloquist’ – demon speaking through man  (Isaiah 8:19, Leviticus 19:31; 20:27).  This is the same as Phythona spirit in Acts 16:16,18.  This is the name of the dragon/snake Apollo killed at Delphi who guarded the priestess there and gave her oracles.  Thus this Apollo spirit became the one by which the god spoke to the person who had it, enabling them to pronounce oracles.  This can be misinterpreted as ‘speaking in tongues’.

spiritist  yiddeoni  A wizard (male witch) who would contact demons trying to get information God doesn’t give out

consults the dead  doresh el hammethim  Necromancy, contact the dead, is forbidden (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6,27; II Kings 23:24; I Chronicles 10:13-14).  Saul went to the witch of Endor to do this (I Samuel 28:7-25).

            Form of occult involvement today include use of amulets or good luck charms, astrology, astral projection, black or white magic, clairvoyance, spells, crystal ball readings, divination, drug usage, ESP, iridology, fire walking, fortune telling, herbology, horoscopes, levitation, ‘magic’ (not slight-of-hand tricks), mind reading, necromancy, numerology, occult healing, occult games, omens, Ouija boards, pendulum, palm reading, pyramidoloty, psychometry, reflexology, ring or needle on a thread, seances, sorcery Satanism, soothsaying, spells and curses, spiritistic visions, table tapping or rising, Tarot cards, reading tea leaves, telepathy, transcentental meditation, gitagenics, wizasry, yoga, etc.  I’m sure other activities and beliefs could be added to the list. My purpose is not to make a conclusive list, but to give an idea of the types of things that open us to demonic involvement.   The point is that sins of these kinds MUST be admitted, confessed, renounced, and all access taken back from Satan.  Then any demons who are working through these areas must be cast out in Jesus’ name.  Prayerfully and honestly read the list and check anything you have ever been involved in, then confess, renounce, and take back all access.  Command the demons to be gone, too.