In an age when interest in witchcraft and astrology is surging, many Christians are asking: What does the Bible really say about sorcery? Pastor and theologian John Piper recently tackled this question on his “Ask Pastor John” podcast, offering a biblical perspective on magic and witchcraft and how God’s view on these practices has changed from the Old Testament to the New.
Piper began by highlighting key Old Testament passages that speak to the seriousness of sorcery. Exodus 22:18 and Leviticus 20:27 both mandate the death penalty for those who practice witchcraft, showing how Israel, as a nation governed by divine law, treated such practices with extreme seriousness.
“One of the reasons that God established His presence among the nations through the people of Israel in this way … was to demonstrate the hopeless condition of humanity and to prepare them for the coming of a Savior,” Piper explained.
He noted that the Old Testament law was meant to highlight God’s holiness and the seriousness of sin, demonstrating the impossibility of salvation through human effort alone.
However, Piper pointed out that with Jesus’s coming, God’s people were no longer a nation-state governed by civil law but rather a global church called to extend mercy and reconciliation.
He referenced Acts 19:19, in which the Apostle Paul encounters magic practitioners in Ephesus. Rather than calling for their execution, Paul urges them to burn their books—a significant departure from Old Testament legal penalties.
“The sins are just as serious now,” Piper said, “but we live in a day of mercy, a day of reprieve, a day of salvation and reconciliation with God.”
While the severity of sin has not changed, the means by which God deals with it has. Piper explained that under the new covenant, the role of the Church is to call sinners—including those involved in sorcery—to repentance and faith in Christ rather than enforcing Old Testament punishments.
Piper’s discussion comes at a time when witchcraft and occult practices are on the rise. A 2018 study found that self-identified witches have increased dramatically in the U.S., with New Age practices like astrology, folk magic, and Wicca becoming increasingly mainstream.
Christian leaders, like author and speaker Jackie Hill Perry, have warned that many churches today are failing to address the dangers of witchcraft and spiritual deception. At Passion 2023, she stated that the enemy is trying to lead an entire generation away from true spiritual power.
“The enemy wants us to consider alternative sources of power for joy, for peace, [and] for a right mind,” Perry said. “I think some of the blame for that is the Church because we have been raised in churches that are more afraid of the Holy Spirit than they are of Harry Potter.”
Beyond real-world witchcraft, Piper also touched on the debate surrounding fantasy literature, such as The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. He acknowledged that while some fictional stories contain elements that can be spiritually harmful, others can inspire virtue, courage, and faith.
“Can made-up reality clarify reality?” he asked. “Does fiction have the capacity to awaken people to the truth of the real world? And I think the answer to that question is, ‘some of it.'”
Piper admitted that he has encountered fiction that is spiritually corrupt but also stories that have deepened his appreciation for goodness, hope, and sacrificial love.
Ultimately, Piper emphasized that the Bible is clear: sorcery, in all its forms, is a serious offense against God. Yet, in the era of Christ’s grace, the Church is called to respond not with condemnation but with a call to repentance and salvation.
“The punishment that awaits those whose sins are not repented of will be far more severe in Hell than anything the Old Testament ever did through capital punishment,” Piper warned. “But we are in a time of grace.”