Magic fascinates many people, yet the Bible shows again and again that any power apart from God leads to emptiness and bondage. Scripture is clear: the Lord alone is sovereign, and seeking hidden knowledge or supernatural help outside His will brings harm. The passages below group key verses under seven themes so you can see the full picture—God’s warnings, the impotence of sorcery beside His might, the way Jesus breaks every spell, and the certain judgment that awaits unrepentant practitioners. Read prayerfully, asking the Holy Spirit to deepen your trust in Christ and to keep you free from every counterfeit power.
Also Read: Bible Verses About Sorcery
God’s Clear Warnings about Magic
From Israel’s earliest days the Lord protected His people with firm instruction: refuse every form of occult practice. Whether fortune-telling, spell-casting, or necromancy, each act reaches toward powers that are hostile to God. These verses do not scold lightly; they guard hearts from deception. By steering us away from “other” spiritual voices, God keeps us near His own life-giving word. Notice how complete the prohibition is—no loopholes, no “white magic.” The message is loving but direct: trust the Creator, not creation; rely on the Spirit of truth, not spirits that lie. Obedience here is an act of worship and safety.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12
“Do not let your people practice fortune-telling, use sorcery, interpret omens, engage in witchcraft, cast spells, act as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.”
Leviticus 19:31
“Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.”
Exodus 22:18
“You must not allow a sorceress to live.”
Isaiah 8:19
“Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God’s instruction and the testimony of warning!”
Jeremiah 10:2
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars.’”
Magic Cannot Match God’s Power
Ancient courts were crowded with magicians who bragged about secret arts, yet every contest ended the same way: God’s wisdom outshined their enchantments. Pharaoh’s staff-swallowing snakes, Babylon’s baffled dream-interpreters, and Babylon’s tired astrologers all prove one point—no spell can overrule the Sovereign King. Even when sorcerers seem impressive, their signs are shallow imitations that collapse when real authority speaks. These passages remind us that the Lord is not threatened by occult displays; He exposes them. When you feel drawn toward mystical shortcuts, remember that the God who parted the sea and rose from the grave is already listening to your prayers.
Exodus 7:11-12
“Pharaoh called in his magicians, and they did the same thing with their magic. They threw down their staffs, which became serpents! But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.”
Daniel 1:20
“The king found them ten times more capable than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.”
Daniel 2:2
“He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed.”
Isaiah 44:25
“I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune-tellers.”
Isaiah 47:12-13
“Use your magical charms and spells you have worked at all these years—maybe they will do you some good! Let your astrologers stand up and save you from what the future holds.”
Magic’s Destructive Influence on Families and Nations
Sorcery never stays private; it spreads through households, rulers, and cultures, breeding cruelty and injustice. Kings sacrificed children, nations were seduced, and entire cities suffered because of charm sellers and spell casters. Scripture links occult pursuit with idolatry, violence, and broken families. These verses paint a sober picture: dabbling in magic does not simply “add sparkle”; it invites darkness that tears communities apart. God’s heart aches when people trade His light for deadly charms. By showing the social fallout, the Bible urges us to guard not only our personal purity but also the spiritual health of our homes and nations.
2 Kings 17:17
“They sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire, consulted fortune-tellers, and practiced sorcery, arousing the Lord’s anger.”
2 Chronicles 33:6
“Manasseh practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight.”
2 Kings 9:22
“How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel are all around us?”
Nahum 3:4
“All this because Nineveh, mistress of deadly charms, enticed the nations with her magic.”
Micah 5:12
“I will put an end to all witchcraft, and there will be no more fortune-tellers.”
Prophets Confronting Sorcerers
God does not leave His people defenseless; He raises bold witnesses who confront occult lies with truth. From Jeremiah’s warnings to Paul’s rebuke of Elymas, God’s servants expose deception and proclaim the gospel’s freedom. Their courage shows us how to respond today—not with fear of magic, but with confidence in Christ. These verses capture dramatic encounters where prophetic voices unmask sorcery, break its influence, and point crowds to the living Savior. The same Holy Spirit empowers believers now to shine light wherever counterfeit power hides, offering hope to those trapped in spiritual bondage.
Acts 8:9-11
“Simon had been a sorcerer for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great.”
Acts 13:8-10
“Saul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked the sorcerer in the eye and said, ‘You son of the devil… will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?’”
Acts 16:16
“We met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters.”
Jeremiah 27:9
“Do not listen to your fortune-tellers, mediums, or sorcerers who say, ‘You will not be taken to Babylon.’”
Ezekiel 13:20
“I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare my people like birds.”
Also Read: Bible Verses About Divination
Repentance and Freedom from Occult Practices
When the gospel penetrates a city, spell books burn and hearts turn to Jesus. Repentance is more than regret—it is a decisive break from darkness, trusting Christ’s finished work. The passages below celebrate that freedom. They show people destroying expensive occult items, God promising to cleanse His nation, and prophets announcing judgment so that captives can be released. If you have dabbled in magic, let these words assure you: the Lord both forgives and delivers. Your story can move from bondage to bold testimony, pointing others to the One who breaks every chain.
Acts 19:19
“They brought their incantation books and burned them publicly. The value of the books was several million dollars.”
Ezekiel 13:21
“I will tear off your magic veils and rescue my people from your grasp.”
Isaiah 2:6
“You have abandoned your people because they practice divination like the Philistines.”
Malachi 3:5
“I will speak against all sorcerers… for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 14:14
“The prophets are telling lies in my name… the delusions of their own minds.”
Sorcery as a Work of the Flesh
In the New Testament, magic is listed among the “acts of the sinful nature,” standing next to idolatry and hatred. These verses move the issue from external rituals to the heart’s allegiance. Witchcraft is not a neutral hobby; it springs from rebellion and partners with deception. Paul and the prophets alike warn that habitual sorcery blocks people from God’s kingdom. Yet the warnings also invite us to walk by the Spirit, whose fruit makes magic unnecessary. Freedom comes when we surrender every craving for control and let the love of Christ rule our desires.
1 Samuel 15:23
“Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.”
Galatians 5:19-21
“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature… idolatry, sorcery… anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
2 Thessalonians 2:9
“This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.”
Revelation 18:23
“You deceived the nations with your sorceries.”
Zechariah 10:2
“Household gods give worthless advice; fortune-tellers predict only lies.”
Final Judgment on Sorcery
The Bible’s last pages close the circle: unrepentant sorcerers face God’s final justice outside the holy city, while the redeemed live forever in His light. These solemn verses are not scare tactics; they uphold the moral order of the universe. Evil is real, but it is not eternal. Christ’s cross offers mercy now, and His throne will render perfect judgment then. Let these words fuel both holy fear and confident hope—fear that shuns the works of darkness, hope that rejoices in the Lamb who wipes away every tear and reigns without rival forever.
Revelation 21:8
“Those who practice witchcraft… their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
Revelation 22:15
“Outside the city are the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.”
Revelation 9:21
“They did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
Isaiah 47:12-13
“Now use your magical charms… maybe they can make someone afraid of you.”
Micah 5:12
“I will abolish witchcraft so you can no longer cast spells.”