Is “black magic” real?

You may not have seen it, but the forces of darkness were humiliated in front of hundreds of millions of TV viewers earlier this month in India. Sanal Edamaruku, president of the skeptic group Rationalist International, challenged India's most powerful black magician to use his dark powers to harm or kill him on live national television. You can read all about it at their website, but suffice it to say, Sanal is alive and well today, despite a lot of spooky black magic theatrics.

The incident has generated a lot of blog chatter—and the massive number of people who tuned in to watch it suggests that it's a topic that interests a lot of people there.

It got me to thinking about Christian beliefs regarding black magic. It wasn't that long ago that (many branches of) Christianity in the US went through a phase of near-obsession with black magic, satanism, and the occult; remember the "Satanic Panic," Mike Warnke, and the like? I read Bob Larson's novel Dead Air as a kid, and while I now look back on it rather sheepishly, it had me convinced for a while that dark powers and black magic were alive and well in modern America—and could harm me if I wasn't on guard against them.

All this came to mind while reading the above account of the black magician's failure to demonstrate his powers on Indian TV. How seriously do Christians today take the idea of black magic? Do you believe that a black magician in India could tap into real, evil supernatural power, or does the very thought make you roll your eyes in disbelief?

If I were to poll most of my evangelical Christian friends with that question, I think the response would be that while they don't take black magic very seriously, it's not something they're prepared to completely dismiss. That said, I do know a few Christians who claim to have experienced evil supernatural attacks or incidents.

But I'm curious what you think, so I've put together a little ThinkChristian poll. It's just off on the right side of the page in the sidebar. Take the poll, and share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Comments (34)

There are indications in scripture as well as countless stories of missionaries with first-hand experience that "magic" on some level exists in as much as there is a spiritual power struggle that goes on behind the veil of the natural world. To what extent, I'm not sure. However, I don't take things like witchcraft or "magic" lightly.

Simply put "black magic" is the dark opposite to a miracle. Thankfully,l we serve a God that has overcomed the world and the powers of the enemy.
I'm not sure what the supernatural laws of the universe are (so to speak), but there seems to be a direct relationship to dark magic and the belief systems of the culture it's in. My wife experienced some very scary and real spiritual opposition in places like Africa and Sri Lanka.
Our daily battles are fought in the Spiritual realm more than you imagine.
Yes, any form of spiritualism has connections with satan. Yes it is real. Satan's objectives are to steal and destroy.

Eph 6:12

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." NASB

I know a guy who says some of the darkest spiritual experiences he's had have been in St Andrews in Scotland, the home of the Scottish Reformation.

I've seen a kid go crazy whom I was convinced was demon-possessed in the middle of a Christian kids' camp. There were people there who knew him better and said it was normal for him, but I know that it wasn't normal for anyone else I've seen. I don't believe 'possession' is a cop-out though, I believe there is a blur between what someone does of their own accord and what they are led to do by dark forces. It can be like an addiction. You don't have to start and you can stop at any time, but you just don't want to.

Let us not gloat over the humiliation of dark arts on TV. The guy from RI could just as easily humiliate (in the eyes of the world, at least) a sincere Christian. Any miracles are performed by God for God's purposes, not the person who prays for them and He doesn't have to repeat anything or have a precedent.

Even if you don't believe in demons being allowed influence in your life, have a think about the petition in the Lord's prayer: 'Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil'.
"Black" "magic" is real. So is so-called "white" "magic". I've seen and experienced it myself. We have countless examples of it in the Bible and through our history. In "civilized" socities it is not as prevalent. Primarily because Satan's tactics here is to convince us that we're too civilized to believe in "those fairy tales". In western culture there is no such thing as the spiritual realm. That's the great deceit of Satan. Which is why we don't experience as often the show of obvious supernatural power. To see such a thing would convince our population that there is a spiritual realm and there is a Satan.

Whereas in societies where this stuff is a normal part of life they see very real and scary manifestations of demonic power. That is all it is. Manifestations of demonic power.

Christians make the mistake of thinking that since Jesus defeated Satan on the cross Satan has no real power. Satan does has power as we saw countless times throughout the New Testament AFTER Jesus' ascended. However, as Christians we are told that all authority in Heaven and Earth has been given to Jesus. Jesus has also given us authority over all evil powers. Our authority comes through and by Jesus Christ alone.

"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." Luke 10:19 NIV


I have seen very real and terrifying manifestations of the demonic. I know people who have seen even more terrifying shows of Satan's power. I live in a community where witchcraft and satanic worship are common place. This is Hometown, USA here.

As I told other people I minister to: get past it! Sure I've experienced some scary stuff but nothing and I mean NOTHING compares to the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan will do things in our lives to draw our attention away from God. Even as Christians we can get drawn into these demonic manifestations and get caught up in how "amazing" they are. Forgetting that these things are minute in the eyes of the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

I think its best we not dwell on it...at the same time I think we're allowing ourselves to be deceived if we ignore it.

I have personally seen things and experienced things that'd make your skin crawl.

But I'd much rather speak of and dwell on the supernatural moves of God that'd make you fall to your knees and praise His name.
You said: "In "civilized" socities it is not as prevalent. Primarily because Satan's tactics here is to convince us that we're too civilized to believe in "those fairy tales". In western culture there is no such thing as the spiritual realm. That's the great deceit of Satan. Which is why we don't experience as often the show of obvious supernatural power. To see such a thing would convince our population that there is a spiritual realm and there is a Satan."

That's a really interesting idea--that "black magic" in an "enlightened" Western society would actually hinder, not help, Satan's work. I have heard from some missionaries (and Wazungu refers to this above) that black magic seems prevalent in cultures where widespread superstition and animism make it still an effective form of spiritual oppression.

Still not entirely sure what to think about it, though. What examples from the Bible would you cite as examples of black magic at work? I can think of a couple (the witch at Endor, and Balaam's intended curse against the Israelites) but in both of those cases, it seems to be suggested that it's actually God working behind the scenes, not Satan. What other examples do you have in mind? (I'm leaving out the New Testament instances of demon possession, since those don't seem to have been caused or instigated by somebody practicing 'black magic.')
1 Samuel 28 would be such an event. Revelations also speaks of "black magic". Although I can't recall specific references. I know there are more but I'm too tired to recall right now. I'll try finding some answers in the morning.

I do know that the Bible warns repeatedly against practicing "black" "magic". I use quotes because black/white are both as evil just one is more deceitful than the other in its true identity and neither are really "magic" but demonic manifestations.
Amen. Well explained!
Of course christians believe black magic is real. Most have tried to ban the Harry Potter books. They thick if children read them they will sudenly start performing magic. Christians fail to realize that Harry Potter is not real it's make believe. Christians can be so gulible.
Much of Harry Potter is based in real life witchcraft and black magic. This is the admission of the writer herself. She finds real life witchcraft and mysticism facinating....

As a side note, I'm quite offended this post was approved for showing. Not for its content but because of the poster claiming the name of "Jesus Christ". I understand wanting to allow everyone to share their opinion but some level of discretion needs to be maintained. Just not really appropriate...
I think black magic is an outdated term. With current knowledge and discoveries of energy and the over all connections with the universe. Magic is not real. There are many magicians revealing secrets or teaching them everyday. Curtis Lovell -Magic of Curtis www.MagicofCurtis.com even teaches magic in a DVD for beginners - POOF! You're a Magician taught by Curtis Lovell II. Even if you check on yourtube you will see Chris Angels bloopers of him performing fake magic tricks which seems to some that is black magic.
Here is a link to a DVD that teaches magic...... http://video.barnesandnoble.co...
I don't know, doesn't this experiment prove that the "magician" is a fraud?
It certainly seems to show that this particular "magician" is a fraud. The question is, do you think that all "black magic" is a fraud, or do you think it's really out there? What do you think?
Well, I know this guys a fraud.

As for the power of evil, I certainly believe that (though in Christ there is freedom), I'm not sure about this "Magic stuff".

Though then again the supernatural definitley exists, and there are documented cases that it does.

But why do we not see it so much in the west?

Is it the media? Is it the materialism?
I believe it to be very real and here are just a few examples. The man who molests then kills his child and can't understand why people are mad at him. The woman who intices younger men into their beds and society thinks that the young man got lucky. The person who walks into a fast food establishment or a store and opens fire, then kills themselves. We laugh when someone says don't get postal and point and laugh at the child molester who has a sign on his lawn saying so. Not all, but some say that it's the fault of the individual who is homeless, because they are lazy and don't want to work. Then again we have what is called welfare families which are sometimes four generations long. Jesus said to love God and to love one another, don't you think that if you love someone you would want the best for that person. Then go out and when you see evil (black magic), say a prayer (as the devil hates it when we pray to God and Jesus), then help that person to understand they too can be one with Christ. There is evil out there and it's up to us to ask God and Jesus to help us keep it away. In God's Grace John
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was making the world believe he didn't exist.

He's real and he's cunning. I think demons realize that if they made their existence known in a massive audience the reaction would be more towards finding protection against them (Christianity) rather than obeying their power.

Just a thought...
You know, the reaction of the massive audience (predominantly Hindu/Muslim) would be to be more pious and goody-good to their own Gods that they already believe in for protection. So in a way, "Satan" would have won if the tantrik had succeeded in killing Sanal, because it would keep India in fear of the black magic cult and in servitude to their Gods.

Or, there's a much simpler explanation that makes much more sense: black magic is superstition and has no real power, as are much of the artifacts of dualist/religious thought.
Anything demonic that not only glorifies Satan but gives more power to 'let loose' in the world is a serious threat and needs to be bound by the blood of Jesus.

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