Can Witchcraft Affect Believers?

Many Christians quietly wonder: Can witchcraft affect believers? Can curses, spiritual attacks, or occult practices harm a Christian who belongs to Christ? Scripture gives a clear, reassuring answer. While the spiritual realm is real and attacks do happen, believers are not meant to live in fear. We can walk in authority over all of Satan’s power.

This article explains how witchcraft actually operates, including how it can work through fear, accusation, and even well-meaning Christians, why fear creates vulnerability, and how walking in the fear of the Lord produces real spiritual protection and immunity—without superstition, obsession, or anxiety. This protection is not theoretical — it is meant to be lived, tested, and experienced in real situations. You’ll also see real-life confrontations with spiritual attacks and explicit witchcraft, and why love and communion with Christ render them powerless. This teaching is part of our larger series on spiritual authority through union with Christ

Can Witchcraft Affect Christians?

Guys, I’ve been thinking of writing more about facing witchcraft attacks. I find a lot of poor understanding in this area. There is complete protection from witchcraft in the gospel, but it doesn’t come automatically. We must apply that truth through a present identification with Jesus. The Bible calls this “Clothing yourselves with Christ” in Romans 13:14, and explains how to do so more specifically in  Colossians 3:1-17. Christians can become vulnerable to witchcraft attacks when they fail to walk closely in communion with God.

We must stay in the spirit of Christ.

Our immunity to witchcraft flows from our present access to heaven through Christ — living from union rather than fear or striving. Immunity to witchcraft isn’t about a legalistic checklist or our religious performance. It is about a position of full surrender to God and a commitment to worship Him even if it costs us our lives. It’s in our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit that God’s love rules, and we walk in His glory.

On the one side are Christians who are terrified of witchcraft. We’ve spoken with a few Christians in Brazil who held this attitude. It’s really sad to see Christians who have so little idea of what the gospel implies for them. Many Christians really need to hear the gospel again and understand it!

1 John 4:4 (NRSV)

Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Luke 10:19 (NRSV)

See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.

We have authority in Christ to trample on all of Satan’s power. But we must know how to exercise that authority.

Living in the Kingdom of Light: Why Witchcraft Loses Its Power

Scripture is clear about the believer’s spiritual position. When we came to Christ, we were not merely forgiven — we were transferred.

Colossians 1:13 (NIV)

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Satan is no match for the kingdom of light. That is why he tries to deceive Christians into stepping back into the realm where he still operates.

The dominion of darkness is not entered by geography or ritual, but by agreement. Fear, hatred, bitterness, accusation, unbelief, and the works of the flesh all function as invitations to step out of the light and into darkness.

Ephesians 5:8–9 (NIV)

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth). Walking as a child of light is walking in God’s love.

1 John 2:1-10 (NIV)

Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness

Giving Satan Your Fear Is Lending Him Your Authority

On the other hand, there are Christians who would think it is absolutely impossible for witchcraft to harm a Christian; that such stories are just myths. I think that is just naive! Many Christians have been hurt, made sick, or come under oppression through witchcraft attacks.

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Be alert and have a sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Jesus gave all authority to believers not to Satan. That is why God calls us into agreement with his purposes and partnership with the Holy Spirit

Satan also seeks human partnership to accomplish his goals. Satan has no authority of his own on earth. He is looking for people who will lend him theirs. That’s witchcraft.

Satan also has no authority over Christians. If you’ve given your life to Christ, regardless of what other people do, Satan has no authority over you unless you lend him your authority.

Don’t give anything else the attention that only the Lord deserves. What you focus on is where you put your faith.

Giving Satan your fear is lending him your authority.

Immunity from spiritual attacks comes from standing in a gospel position of identification with Jesus—His death, resurrection, and present life in us. When we stand there, witchcraft has no authority, and fear has no place. In fact, fearing witchcraft is giving the attention (worship) that Jesus deserves to something inferior, and that is one of the very things that causes vulnerability. Rather, we walk in communion with God and stand on gospel truth. That is the position in which we have immunity from witchcraft.

Witchcraft Isn’t Always Obvious or Ritualistic

In every form — whether overt rituals or subtle accusation — witchcraft operates through the same mechanism. It seeks your agreement in some form. It gains influence when a person accepts fear, false accusation or lies as truth, and it loses power when we truly come into agreement with the gospel.

Witchcraft does not only operate through overt rituals or sacrifices. Accusation, slander, intimidation, fear, and spiritual pressure operate through the same spiritual principles. One common expression in the church is the use of prophecy to control, direct, or pressure believers rather than to point them to Christ. The enemy works through lies, accusations, and partnership with human authority.

When I lived in Rio de Janeiro, we often saw sacrifices to demons on the street corners near our house. That kind of overt witchcraft is common in some places. Many people have experienced supernatural attacks that the average American would hardly believe possible.

However, the heaviness or oppression you feel when people are slandering you or judging you works exactly the same way as overt witchcraft does. And we overcome it exactly the same way.

I have often faced this. When I started ministering healing, many people misjudged me as being spiritually proud and puffed up because I was always sharing testimonies. People thought I was arrogant for boldly speaking God’s truth.

Sometimes I still feel that. I can feel the resistance to what I am saying, sometimes even rage. Jesus felt that too. We see in Scripture that Jesus knew when people were murmuring about him and what they were feeling.

Mark 2:5-8 (NRSV)

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts?

When I first faced this, I felt great heaviness. I just wanted to cry, but not in a good way. I wondered, “Have I become proud? Am I arrogant?”

The Lord taught me that I was feeling people’s judgments, and I needed to disregard people’s opinions and stand on truth. (I share these initial struggles in

I have often felt this and pressed through it before or after times when the power of God moved mightily in my ministrations. I even felt it recently and went to the Lord to see if He wanted to correct me on something. He gave me this:

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (NRSV)

So, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.

What happened? Some people were furious about what I said. They were murmuring about how I was a rude, difficult person. I felt it. But what I said was true. There’s nothing wrong with asking the Lord if he’d like to correct you in some area, but he may show you that what you are feeling is actually just the accusations coming against you. Jesus said:

Luke 6:22-23, 26 (NRSV)

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets…Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

If you are going to speak God’s word and walk in communion with Christ, you will face witchcraft attacks. Even if it is not in the form of a shaman sacrificing a goat in an attempt to curse you, it will come in the form of judgments, slander, mockery, and accusation.

In fact, some of the most damaging forms of witchcraft do not come through occult rituals at all, but through religious manipulation, false authority, fear-based teaching, and distorted gospels operating inside Christianity itself.

Another common example of witchcraft’s subtle spiritual influence can be seen in practices like Reiki, which often appear harmless or even benevolent but operate through the principles of special knowledge and manipulation rather than trust in Christ.

Fortunately, I’ve been around the block a few times! Just recognizing what’s happening is a big step towards being immune to it. But here’s the huge key! And I’m not sure I’ve ever even heard anybody talk about it:

The Fear of the Lord Is the Key to Spiritual Immunity

The fear of the Lord is not an oppressive terror or dread—it is being so captivated by God’s goodness, authority, and presence that no other voice, accusation, or threat carries weight in your heart.

One of the biggest keys to being immune to witchcraft is the fear of the Lord.

Essentially, fearing the Lord is this: Being absolutely completely enraptured in your knowledge of God more than anything else, and so that what he thinks of you matters more than anything else. It is seeking to please him and not men, as in the verse we quoted above from 2 Corinthians 5.

Rather than being rooted in a terrifying expectation of judgment, the fear of the Lord as scripture speaks of it is rooted in seeing his goodness. And the fear of the Lord sets us free from all other fears.

When I fear the Lord, it matters very little what people think of me as long as the Lord is pleased with me. The judgments, accusations, and threats through which witchcraft operate are empty. I’m not afraid of what people think of me or what they can do to me.

When I walk in the fear of the Lord and communion with God, my conscience cleansed by the blood of Jesus and God’s love flooding my heart, accusations, slander, and mockery don’t move me. Recently, a kid said something mean to my little girl, and she started verbally attacking him. I said, “Rebekah, don’t do that because when you do, you give importance to him.”

Now it’s not that he’s not important to God, as all people are precious to Jesus. But we must not “give importance to” people when they are attacking us.

It would be more accurate to say we must not “give importance to” their words or the spirit speaking through them. And when we fear God, we won’t, because we aren’t afraid of them. We aren’t impressed with anything else when we behold God’s glory.

Staying in the Spirit of Love is Walking in the Spirit of Christ, and What Evil Spirit Can Overcome Jesus?

1st John 4:18 tells us that perfect love casts out fear.

“Perfect love” refers to participating in love. It refers to loving as God loves.

Perfect love doesn’t just refer to receiving God’s love. Love starts with receiving through what Jesus has done for us, but it is perfected when we love as God loves. We love because God first loved us.

Salvation is ultimately about knowing God and participation in his nature. And that participation is what gives immunity to witchcraft. When you are in the spirit of love, you are in the Spirit of Christ. And what witchcraft can stand against Jesus Christ?

Love Replacing Fear Makes You Immune to Witchcraft!

When you don’t care about what people think of you, but you love them, and you weep and pray for them when you see how they are blind and know not what they do, you are in a good place. That’s what it’s like to live in the fear of the Lord.

I work a lot on Sundays, and I’m also more interested anyway in genuine fellowship with participation than sitting in a pew and watching a show. I listen to plenty of great preaching and worship music on YouTube.

When I get together with the church, I go to pray together, share testimonies, interact, not to hear music and a sermon and go home. And sometimes those things are a bit hard to find much in a Sunday program.

So, having nothing against people who like to go every Sunday and whose work schedule permits them to, the real essential thing I’m looking for is fellowship. And I meet with a few other believers a few times a week.

How I Remained Immune When a Well-Meaning Pastor Spoke a Curse

This wasn’t overt occult activity or intentional harm — it was a moment where fear-based words carried spiritual weight, and the outcome depended entirely on whether I let his words move me.

One pastor, a guy I really like and care about, was recently really concerned that I wasn’t showing up on Sundays. I told him about the nature of my work. But he said, “God is going to take your job from you because you are putting your job before him!”

That is witchcraft, and he doesn’t even know it! But I’m immune to it! Why? Because I love this guy and care about him, I’m not afraid of him. He doesn’t have the power to hurt me. I’m in Christ. What really matters to me is what God is doing and what God is saying.

Proverbs 26:2 (NIV)

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. However, if I were to “give importance to” his words, even by getting all offended, I would open myself spiritually to his words affecting me. If I did so, I could even lose my job due to his curse! But when I walk in identification with Jesus, cursing me is like attempting to curse Jesus. It goes nowhere.

The spiritual world is real, and I’ve seen it work many times! But my reality is that I weep with love for people even if they don’t like me, and I want them to know Jesus and be built up in the knowledge of him! That is what gives me immunity to witchcraft. For more real-life examples of how believers can walk in authority over witchcraft when it operates through false prophecy

When you live in identification with Jesus, clothing yourself with Christ. A demon to attack you is like a demon attacking Jesus himself. Guess who wins?

When people are spiritually blind, I pray for their eyes to be opened. I explain in more depth how this kind of fear-based spiritual control operates within Christian settings — and how to discern it — in my article How Witchcraft Operates Inside Christianity.

(By the way, scripture says in 1 Timothy 5:8 that those who don’t care for their family have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever! So I don’t see working on Sunday in a job I thank God for as conflicting with my love for Christ! Even there, I am working for the Lord and expressing his love by caring for my family.)

How Love Made Me Immune To Satanic Attack In Real Situations

A few years ago, I went to pray for a man who had a reputation for violence. He had recently attempted suicide. My wife said, “He’ll kill you if you try to pray for him.” I said, “I’m not afraid. I feel compassion for him.”

A demonized man was unable to punch me

I hadn’t known that he was involved in a form of witchcraft, but God’s glory came on him as I prayed. The spirits that he’d invited through rituals and vows couldn’t stand God’s fire, and they began to manifest all over him. Then, as I continued to pray, I saw a flash of rage in his eyes and said, “Every spirit of rage, let go of him now.”

The spirit screamed, “He’s mine! I’ll kill you!” But I was totally unafraid. As he flailed his fists, they barely came in contact with my shoulders. He couldn’t hurt me. I had committed my life fully to the Lord, and I knew that whether I lived or died, I belonged to Jesus.

I felt compassion, not fear. Throwing my head back, I laughed defiantly and said, “Don’t you understand? Jesus gave his life for this man, and now the Holy Spirit is after him to bring Jesus what he paid for. Your time is up! Get out!” The man collapsed as the evil spirit left, powerless against the Spirit of Christ.

After we explained what had happened, he prayed with me to give his life to Christ. He also threw away some stones, which he had invited spirits to inhabit.

A confrontation with a witch in a dream

Around the same time, I had a powerful dream. I floated up 30 feet in the air in front of a witch’s house, extended my hand, and yelled, “In Jesus’ name!”

She came out furious, screaming, “You destroyed all my stones! They cost 10,000 reais! I’m going to kill you now!”

She referred to stones which she’d invited spirits to inhabit and used for divination. But I didn’t feel a twinge of fear, only compassion.

I plead with her, “Lady, don’t you see how these things you are serving are powerless against Jesus? They are only hurting you! Those stones were only bringing a curse to your life! Why don’t you give your life to Jesus? He loves you! Jesus died to save you, and he’s much more powerful than any spirit you’ve served before.”

Jesus heals a black magic practitioner

Don’t be afraid of people who are involved in the occult. If you have Jesus’ heart, you’ll feel compassion for them. I once prayed for a lady I met who had a severe limp, and Jesus healed her knee.

Later, someone asked me, “Do you know who she is? She practices black magic. People hire her to cast spells and make their enemies sick or kill them. I had no idea! But that didn’t stop Jesus from showing mercy and calling her to repentance by healing her knee.

A Real Example of Spiritual Attack — and How Protection Works

So, another example to illustrate what I’m explaining to you guys. There was a woman at a ladies’ job, above her in the work hierarchy, who was spiritually oppressed. We have good reason to suspect she is involved in the kind of “explicit witchcraft” which involves making sacrifices to demons and all that stuff. It’s common in Brazil, and we’ve run into it a lot.

Hatred allowed a spiritual attack on the kidneys

Anyway, this employee was having a really difficult time with her boss. One day, in particular, was really bad, and she came home with pain in her kidneys. She told me she thought she had kidney stones. I stretched out my hand and declared, “Everything that’s not from God, get out! All the pain, get out now! Every afflicting spirit, you get out!” She started deep belching.

I continued, “All of it, out now, in Jesus name! Peace and power of God, fill her body! Nothing that doesn’t belong!” These enormous, deep belches kept coming for about 10 minutes, and then all the pain was gone.

The spiritual attack had entered when she said, “I hate my boss.” That was the moment she stepped out of the position of identification with Christ and gave her agreement to an evil spirit.

The Key Jesus Gave To Overcoming Evil

You’ll never overcome witchcraft by reacting in the same spirit as the person who is persecuting you. We overcome by responding in the spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Christ overcomes every evil spirit.

Luke 6:27-28 (NIV)

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

The lady (and the spirit deceiving her) continued to cause trouble. One day, I said, “You need to protect yourself spiritually. You can’t let this lady or what she does define you or determine who you are and how you’re doing.”

She realized that if she came home angry because of how her co-worker was behaving, ready to explode at anybody or anything, she would be spiritually vulnerable. She began fasting and praying to keep her focus on communion with God.

A second attack on the kidneys is exposed as demonic

A few weeks later, she was upset after another hard day at work. She said, “I hate my boss!” and went home with pain in her kidneys. She said, “Jonathan, I think I need to see a doctor.”

Now I’m not against seeing a doctor if you need to, but I responded, Can’t you see that this attack is spiritual! Why are you talking about going to the doctor?” She kept complaining of the pain, and I suddenly put my hand on her side and said, “All of it, get out in Jesus’ name!” Guess what? Deep belching! And all the pain left.

If she had still felt pain, I wouldn’t have discouraged her from going to the doctor. But I knew what the real issue was. Just recognizing what’s going on is a significant part of dealing with the attack.

Why Demons Hate Being Exposed

Demons hate being exposed! They masquerade as God’s voice in every case when they operate in a church

They often masquerade as a purely natural problem and try to get the victim to accept that problem as part of their identity. Demons thrive in the darkness, but when exposed, they can be confronted.

Many people have all kinds of problems that they think are purely natural, and they have no idea of what is happening spiritually. I don’t know if the lady at her work did an overt witchcraft attack against her (like sacrificing a chicken to a demon) or simply expressed the spirit that was controlling her in anger and strife. But either way, the spiritual dynamic was the same, and the way we overcome it is the same.

No, I don’t believe every problem is a demon or witchcraft. But I’ve now had many experiences in which I thought something was natural, only to find out that more was going on. That is why we ask the Lord for discernment!

What I’m sharing here has the potential to really help many people. In fact, maybe as you read this, you recognized how and when you began to have a certain pain or problem. Maybe you thought it was purely natural, and now you recognize a spiritual aspect to it. Now that thing is exposed!

It wanted to stay hidden so that you would try to deal with it only naturally, instead of getting to the root of the problem. You can rebuke that thing in Jesus’s name and command it to get out of your body! It’s simple. Turn your heart towards Jesus, open up everything in your heart and life to Jesus Christ, and tell that thing to get out now!

I hope this post helps you to become more aware of what’s happening in the spiritual world and of how to protect yourself spiritually by walking in the fear of the Lord, or in other words, keeping your heart in the state of worshipping Jesus, and if your heart ever leaves that place, getting back to it quickly! And for those who are afraid of witchcraft (and no Christian should be) knowing how we overcome witchcraft can help you to stop being afraid of it.

How to Protect Yourself from Witchcraft as a Christian

Biblical protection from witchcraft does not come from rituals, formulas, or obsession with darkness. Immunity to witchcraft comes from living in communion with Christ.

When believers walk in the fear of the Lord, keep a clear conscience, refuse agreement with accusation, and remain focused on Jesus rather than spiritual threats, witchcraft loses its influence. Fear gives power to lies; worship gives authority to truth.

Christians do not overcome witchcraft by fighting darkness, but by standing firmly in Christ’s finished work and refusing to give importance to voices that contradict God’s truth.

Frequently Asked Questions About Witchcraft and Christians

Can witchcraft affect Christians?

While spiritual attacks are real, Christians are not meant to live in fear. Witchcraft gains influence through fear and agreement with lies, but believers who walk in communion with Christ and stand in the truth of the gospel can live in spiritual immunity.

Can a Christian be cursed by witchcraft?

Scripture teaches that an undeserved curse does not come to rest. Witchcraft cannot override Christ’s finished work, but fear and agreement with accusations can create vulnerability. Protection comes from abiding in Christ, not from rituals or counter-curses.

How can Christians protect themselves from witchcraft?

Biblical protection from witchcraft comes from living in communion with Christ, walking in the fear of the Lord, keeping a clear conscience, and refusing agreement with fear or accusation. Christians overcome darkness by standing in Christ, not by fighting it.