THE ENEMY, THE WITCH AND FORGIVENESS

INTRODUCTION
God expects forgiveness from us to our enemies.

1.0 An Enemy
If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely
bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee
lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt
surely help with him (Ex 23:4-5).
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his
daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an
observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, (Deut 18:10)

From the two quotations above, taken from KJV, an enemy is a known individual. An
enemy hates for various reasons: condition of birth (Jud 11:1-7), robbery “(Isa 61:8),
evil doing (Amos 5:15), false oath or promise (Zec 8:17), broken relationship (Mal
2:16), brutality/wickedness (Ps 45:7), cruelty (Nah 3:19), exhibition of immorality
(Rev 2:21-22), pride (Amos 6:8), Anger (Gen 39:19), dispute (Pro 17:14), injustice
(Eze 9:9-10), partiality (Job 13:10), dishonesty (Jer 22:13), etc. Inordinate hatred
may also develop from envy (Gen 4:5; 1Sam 18:8), uncompromising attitude (1 Kin
22:8), the gospel (Luk 6:22).
God expects forgiveness (Prov 19:11; Matt 5:23-24; 5:44; 6:12) thogh repentance is
essential. However, when the offender is adamant Christ still expects our
determined efforts “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell
him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained
thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in
the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall
neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let
him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (Matt 18:15-17).

From the day of Christ’s birth to the time He committed His Spirit to God on the
Cross the devil was at His heels: manifesting as King Herod, the tempter, the
Pharisees, the Scribes, the Chief Priest and even within the discipleship showing up
in Simon Peter and working in Judas Iscariot. They were all known.

1.2 A Witch
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his
daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an
observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a
consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all
that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because
of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from
before thee. (Deut 18:10-12).

God declares, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” (Ex 22:18). God’s relationship
with witchcraft is illustrated in HIS reaction to Manasseh “..did that which was evil in
the sight of the LORD, like ..the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the
children of Israel. … caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the
son of Hinnom… and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with
wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger…
the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which
took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to
Babylon” (2 Chron 33:1-11).

A witch may relate as a friend, a relation or a close ally. Usually the victim is not
aware of the witch’s devices and may not hide his ambitions, aspirations, plans,
etc from this unknown individual; thus posing great risk. When the victim
becomes aware he cannot take any physical action: he can only pray against
the practice as it cannot be substantiated.

.2.0 PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS

The Lord Jesus likened principalities and powers as “When a strong man armed
keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come
upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted,
and divideth his spoils. …When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh
through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my
house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and
they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the
first”(Luk 11:21-26).

From Deut 18:10-12 it is clear that the witch seeks the power of demons or inherits
it; however, he is aware of the powers. Christ never spared demons (Luk 8:30-
37) even when they pleaded they met their destruction.

3.0 FORGIVENESS
The accounts of Matthew shows that Christ’s first address to the public in His
Ministry is on repentance “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mat
4:17). In our relationship with our neighbours Christ declared “take heed to
yourselves: if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him, and if he repent,
forgive him…”(Luk 17:3,4).

To qualify for forgiveness we need to confess our sins. “If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
(1 Jn 1:9). The process of confession is detailed in Rom 10:9 “If thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”.

2 Chron 33:12-13 gives account of Manasseh’s repentant heart in captivity. “when

he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly
before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him,
and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom.
The only good a victim of witchcraft can do to a witch is to pray that the affliction he
is passing through be multiplied and passed back to the witch.

4.0 SATAN’S INTRUSION INTO GOD’S PLAN FOR MAN

The story of creation is clearly stated in Gen 1 & 2 with God’s blessings of man for
dominion in Gen 1:28. Satan crept in through Eve to create a gulf between man and
God. God promised salvation through the seed of Eve. Satan misconstrued the seed
as the direct son of Eve hence he crept in, using Cain, to disrupt God’s plan for man.
God later chose Noah to manifest His plans for man; Satan again crept in through
Ham as recorded in Gen 9. Note God’s transfer of His blessings on man through
Adam to same through Noah in Gen 9:1-3. Note the additional blessing of the fear of
man by beasts “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast
of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth,
and upon all the fishes of the sea” (Gen 9:2).

Satan also incurred into God’s plan through Abraham. Immediately after God’s
covenant with Abraham as recorded in Gen 15:18 Satan crept through the age old
tradition of bearing children by childless women to their husbands through maids
(Gen 16:1,2). This act is at variance with the sacredness and peace of the family
relation. Abraham’s yield to Sarah’s suggestion did not stand against God’s
covenant with him but becomes grievous to future generations. “And he will be a
wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him”
(Gen 15:12).

Satan’s agents are held accountable for their actions. God established this in
Mariam (Num 12:1-10), Christ preached it (Luk 11:21-26) and upheld same in
Judas (Mk 14:21) while the Holy Spirit functioned in that policy in the handling of
the affairs of Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:1-11).

5.0 DELIVERANCE
In Jeremiah, God said “But I will deliver thee in that day…and thou shalt not be
given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid” (Jer 39:17). This implies
that deliverance has to do with liberation from oppression, wickedness and/or
bondage. In the physical it may be from man to man; in the spiritual, man or
principalities and powers may direct the event. Physical oppressions can be
negotiated and relief sought or reports made to higher authorities (Luk 17:3,4).
Spiritual attacks, in contemporary times cannot be negotiated: evidences available
cannot be scientifically and medically substantiated. The only solution to Christians
is to seek refuge in the Almighty. It is not man alone that is under bondage for the
Bible says “…creature itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom 8:21).

The process of deliverance is stated by Christ in Luk 11:21-26. Christ expects that
the strong man should be bound and “take from him all his armour wherein he
trusted…” (Luk 11:22). Christ emphasised the need to completely disarm the force
of darkness otherwise “goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits … and the
last state of that man is worse ...”(Luk 11: 26).

The scripture does not condone wickedness. The account of Acts 8 on Simon the
sorcerer is a clear example of God not condoning witchcraft (See Acts 8 20-24). To
him Peter declared “thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not
right in the sight of God. Repent therefore in this thy wickedness, and pray God, if
perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee” (Acts 8:21,22).

Paul did not spare Elymas the sorcerer seeking to turn away Sergius Paulus from
the faith but declared “… thou child of the devil…the Lord is upon thee…” (Acts
13:10,11). Paul’s authoritative declaration and the ensuing consequence
contributed to the conversion of Paulus “Then the deputy, when he saw what was
done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord” (Acts 13;12).

CONCLUSION
Deliverance should centre primarily on liberating the victim and unceasingly praying
for total restoration. Liberation for the wicked is beyond the powers of the victim
but Satan would use such declaration to obtain temporary release for his agents to
enable him carry out his nefarious activities against the children of God while the
victim is re-ensnared. The wicked can obtain salvation if he relinquishes all satanic
powers, pleads for mercy, and accepts Christ into his life: there must be total
surrender (2 Chron 33:12-17)..

JB Fagoyinbo