From such as: ESP, Séance, Telepathy, Hypnotism, Fortune-telling, Water Witching, Magic, Ouija Board, New Age, Street & prescribed Psychiatric Mind Drugs, Tarot Cards, Astrology and other forms of idolatry and witchcraft.

What is Occultism? Stated concisely, it is participation or involvement in any way with fortune telling, magic practices, spiritism, or false religious cults and teachings.

Occult Bondage and Oppression
The Scriptures warn that there will be a great increase in occult activity in the last days: “Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” 1 Tim 4:1

There has never been a time in history when the warnings against the dangers of occultism were more necessary than in the present. Multitudes of people, Christian and non-Christian alike, find themselves suffering physical, mental, psychic and spiritual oppressions, few realizing that it is because they have allowed themselves to become ensnared in the diabolical web of occultism, which is under the influence and control of the powers of darkness.

Vital Questions to Consider
If you have ever been involved in any way in the following occult practices, whether done innocently or not, are you aware that the Scriptures condemn such practices without reservation and that you have opened the door to oppression or bondage to the powers of darkness?

Have you ever visited a fortune teller?

Has anyone read your palm or told your fortune by the use of cards, tea leaves, crystal ball, Ouija board, or other means?

Have you consulted the Ouija board (out of curiosity or in earnest), or played with the popular occult games being sold today: ESP, Telepathy, Kabbala, Horoscope, Clairvoyant, Voodoo, New Age and so on?

Divining for water, oil, minerals, underground sewer and water lines, by using a forked stick or other objects, is an ancient occult practice known as “water witching” or “dowsing”. Have you, or has anyone for you, engaged in this?

Have you at any time consulted a medium, or anyone with psychic or clairvoyant powers?

Have you attended a séance or spiritualist meeting, or attempted to communicate with the dead or so called spirit “guides”?

Have you practiced or experimented with ESP., Telepathy, automatic writing, table-tipping, levitation of objects, yoga, PK, remote influence or the subconscious mind of others, or self-hypnosis?

Have you been hypnotized?

When ill, have you sought (or were you subjected to as a child) treatment of healing or diseases, burns, sickness, wart removal, etc., through magic charming, powwow, Spiritualism, Christian Science, or by anyone who practiced psychic, spirit or metaphysical healing, or who used hypnosis, the pendulum, or trance for diagnosis or treatment?

Do you read the horoscope columns or follow astrology? Do you read or possess occult literature? (books on ESP, reincarnation, dreams, fortune telling, astrology, metaphysics, self-realization, magic, clairvoyance, hypnosis, yoga, handwriting analysis, religious cults, or works by such authors as Edgar Cayce, Jeane Dixon, Arthur Ford, or Ruth Montgomery)

Have you ever attended meetings or assented to the teachings of Satanists, the Rosicrucians, Spiritualists, Mormons, Christian Scientists, Unity, Baha’i, Theosophy, Inner Peace Movement, Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship, Association for Research and Enlightenment, Religious Research Foundation of America, Unitarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, or others of an occult nature?

Do you know that all such occult practices are condemned by God in the Scriptures, being an abomination unto Him and are under His curse? Are you aware that anyone who has ever practiced or participated in any form of occultism (whether done innocently or not) has opened the door to oppression by the powers of darkness, even though such occult activity may have occurred many years ago or before you became a Christian? You may even now be the victim of occult bondage and oppression because of this and unaware of the source and cause of your problems, whether physical, mental, psychic, spiritual, marital or other.

Occult Involvement is Disobedient to God’s Word

All forms of fortune telling, spiritualism, magic practices, and involvement in the cults and their teachings are absolutely forbidden by the Scriptures: … thou shall not learn to do after the abomination of those nations. There shall not be found with thee any one… that uses divination (fortune telling), or an observer of times (soothsayer), or an enchanter (magician), or a witch (sorceress), or a charmer (hypnotist), or a consulter with familiar spirits (medium possessed with a spirit “guide”), or a wizard Tarot Cards   (clairvoyant or psychic), or a necromancer (medium who consults the dead). For all that do these things are an ABOMINATION unto the Lord! (Deut. 18:9-12)

The Scriptures condemn all forms of occultism as sorcery and warn that “… they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21), but “… are an abomination unto the Lord” (Deut. 18:12), and “… shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (Rev. 21:8). From earliest times God forbade occultism as spiritually defiling (Lev. 19:31), and made participation in it punishable by death (Ex. 22:18; Lev. 20:27), and cause for rejection of that soul by God (Lev. 20:6). (See also: Ex. 7:11-12 with 2 Tim. 3:8; Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:26, 31; 20:6; 1Sam. 15:23; 28:3; 2Kgs. 21:5-6; 2 Chron. 33:6; Isa. 2:6; 8:19; Jer. 27:9-10; Zech. 10:2; Mal. 3:5; Acts 8:9; 16:16; 19:19; 1Tim. 4:1.)

Occult Involvement Invokes a Curse
There are but two sources of hidden information and knowledge, or supernatural help, guidance and healing – God or Satan. One may, through prayer in Jesus’ Name, seek such help from God; but there is another way to obtain the desired guidance or help – occultism. Behind this door stand Satan and the powers of darkness who work through the occult media of fortune telling, magic, spiritism, and false religious cults. The Scriptures forbid man to seek help from or contact with these sources, for it is tantamount to calling upon another god (Ex. 20:3-5). Satan is called the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). Although Satan often accommodates the victim with hidden knowledge or help through these sources, this individual has opened a door of access to him and becomes prey to the forces of darkness to oppress in many ways.

The seriousness of occult participation is seen in the judgment of God which fell upon King Saul who died for seeking help from a medium. Read 1 Samuel 28 and 1 Chronicles 10:13-14.

CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCULT OPPRESSION AND SUBJECTION
The following are a few of the evidences of occult oppression or bondage, although some of these symptoms may stem from other causes. Usually when one or more of these manifestations are present, it is an indication of the presence and activity of demonic spirits, as well as the need of deliverance.

Prolonged depression or gloominess; indifference; irresponsibility; unpredictable behavior; delusions; uncontrollable passions and appetites; sexual perversions; enslavement to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco; compulsive eating; uncontrollable temper, hate, or other psychopathic tendencies.

Chronic fear or anxieties; nervousness or neurotic behavior; feelings of inadequacy or self-pity; abnormal desire for attention; extremely negative personality; compulsions (lying, stealing, gambling) or obsessions (fear of dying; acute jealousy); thought of self-destruction.

Psychic experiences; possession of psychic or extrasensory powers (none of which are to be confused with genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit); psychic oppression (seeing apparitions; hearing voices; poltergeist phenomena, etc.).

Indifference to spiritual things, the Scriptures or prayer; chronic doubts and difficulty in exercising faith; unscriptural religious beliefs or practices; inability to receive Christ of the Holy Spirit; hatred of the blood Atonement; blasphemous thoughts against God.

Abnormal talkativeness or loudness; muttering to oneself; shunning others; unkempt appearance; abnormally bright or glazed eyes; sullen, perverse or defiant facial expression.

METHOD OF LIBERATION FROM OCCULT OPPRESSION
If the oppressed are to be set free, some Christians must rid themselves of the naive and unscriptural notion that believers cannot be oppressed by Satan. On the contrary, many have been oppressed, vexed, depressed, deceived, bound and afflicted, especially when there has been any occult involvement, whether before or after conversion.

(See Job 1-2; Lk. 13:11; 22:31-31; 2 Cor. 12:7; 1 Thess. 2:18; 1 Tim. 4:1; 1 Pet. 5:8-9; Eph. 6:11-12).

1) Confession of faith in Christ. Without such a confession, there can be no permanent liberation, for where no sincere commitment to Christ is made there is no secure basis for such individuals to make continued resistance to the powers of darkness.

2) Confession of occult activity. All occult involvement must be recognized as disobedience to God, repudiated, and confessed as evil and unholy. The oppressed should name each form of occult participation which can be recalled (such as visiting fortune tellers, playing with Ouija board, following astrology, etc.), confessing it as sin, and asking forgiveness in Jesus’ Name. It is well to ask pardon also for any occult involvement you may have forgotten.

3) Renunciation of Satan and command to depart. This is not to be a prayer request, but a direct command to Satan himself by the person seeking deliverance. At this point Satan will only heed a command to depart (at least permanently) from the individual who granted him access in the first place through occult involvement. In faith, renounce him and all his work in your life and command him to depart in Jesus’ Name!

In exceptional cases where oppression is severe and faith is weak, it may be advisable to have another exorcise these powers of darkness after the first 3 steps have been taken on the part of the oppressed.

Accept the fact of your liberation by faith. Do not rely on “feelings” or “appearances” at this point. Stand on the Word of God – the evidence and assurance will follow. Satan knows he must release his victim when commanded to do so in Jesus’ Name, but this does not mean the evidence is always seen immediately. Boldly confess your deliverance by faith and “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James. 4:7).