Curses, Hexes and Black Magic: Can These Impact the Christian?

Published On: September 22, 2025

Reshmi sat across the desk from her counsellor, her hands trembling as she spoke. In two years, her world had collapsed: her husband died suddenly of a heart attack, her son’s marriage fell apart in a bitter divorce, and he lost his job shortly after. “I think it’s my brother,” she whispered. “He’s been into witchcraft since college. He was furious when Dad left me the house instead of him. Could he really be cursing our family?”

In our culture’s renewed fascination with the occult—from TikTok tarot readings to ancestry curse “discoveries”—many Christians find themselves wrestling with genuine fear. Can supernatural forces be outside God’s control and actually harm believers and their families?

The answer from Scripture and Reformed theology is both clear and comforting: No power exists that can touch God’s children outside His sovereign will.

UNDERSTANDING TODAY’S OCCULT LANDSCAPE

Before addressing the spiritual reality, let’s clarify what we’re dealing with in modern occult practices:

Traditional Curses: Spoken pronouncements intended to bring harm, often involving rituals, objects, or appeals to spiritual powers.
Ancestry Curses: Claims that negative spiritual forces have been passed down through family lines, affecting multiple generations
Hexes: More elaborate curse rituals, typically involving symbolic actions, candles, herbs, or personal items belonging to the target.
Voodoo/Santeria: Religious systems combining African traditions with other beliefs, often involving ancestor worship and spiritual manipulation
TikTok Witchcraft: Social media-driven occult practices, including spell tutorials, crystal “charging,” and manifestation rituals marketed to young people
Tarot and Divination: Card readings, palm reading, and other fortune-telling practices claiming to reveal or influence future events

While these practices vary in complexity, they share a common thread: the belief that we, human beings, can manipulate spiritual forces to control outcomes in the physical world.

THE BIBLICAL FOUNDATION: GOD’S ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY

Scripture leaves no room for spiritual powers operating independently of God’s control. Consider these foundational truths:

Christ’s Supreme Authority: Colossians 1:16-17 declares that “by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…and in him all things hold together.” This includes any spiritual forces that exist.

Nothing Touches God’s Children Without His Permission: The book of Job reveals even Satan must ask God’s permission before afflicting Job. No curse or hex bypasses the Father’s protective will.

The Futility of Cursing God’s Blessed Ones: When the king of Moab hired Balaam to curse Israel, God prevented it entirely (Numbers 22-24). As Balaam himself declared, “How can I curse whom God has not cursed?”

Divine Providence Over All Events: Romans 8:28 promises “all things work together for good” for those who love God—including the very troubles that might seem like evidence of supernatural attack.

The Westminster Confession puts it perfectly: God “orders and governs all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence.”

WHAT REFORMED THEOLOGY TEACHES

The Reformed tradition affirms both God’s sovereignty and the believer’s security, even while acknowledging spiritual realities:

John Calvin warned against superstitious thinking while maintaining that God uses even Satan’s attacks for His purposes. In his Institutes, Calvin emphasised believers should focus on God’s Word rather than fears about magical manipulation.

The Puritans took a balanced approach—they believed demonic forces were real but strictly limited by God’s control. Richard Baxter taught that while Satan can harass believers, he cannot control or ultimately harm those united to Christ.

Westminster Standards emphasise God’s providence ensures “all things come to pass immutably and infallibly.” This leaves no room for curse-induced catastrophes for us outside God’s plan.

The Reformed position is clear: Spiritual forces exist, but none operates outside of God’s sovereign control.

ADDRESSING COMMON CONCERNS

“But what about generational curses?” The Bible does speak of consequences passing to children (Exodus 20:5), but these refer to natural results of sin, not supernatural curses. Christ has already broken every spiritual curse against believers (Galatians 3:13). When families experience repeated troubles, we must look first to patterns of poor decision-making, addiction, or other natural causes rather than spiritual manipulation.
“Can Christians be demon-possessed?” No. The Holy Spirit dwells within every believer (1 Corinthians 6:19). As 1 John 4:4 promises, “greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.” Christians may face spiritual oppression or attack, but possession—complete demonic control—is impossible for those indwelt by God’s Spirit.
“What about these unexplained negative patterns?” Life in a fallen world naturally includes suffering, loss, and hardship. When troubles cluster together—like they seemed to in Reshmi’s case—our first response should be to recognise: natural consequences (poor health choices, financial decisions, or relationship patterns often create cascading problems), the fallen world (disease, economic downturns, and broken relationships affect everyone, Christian or not), and God’s refining work (sometimes God allows difficulties in our lives to grow our faith and dependence on Him).

Before assuming supernatural attack, let’s consider whether ordinary explanations account for the troubles we’re facing.

PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING

What Christians Should Do:

Put on the spiritual armour described in Ephesians 6:10-18—prayer, Scripture, faith, and righteousness
Maintain regular Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship with other believers
Focus on growing in holiness rather than fear of spiritual attack
Trust in God’s protective providence over every detail of your life

What Christians Must Avoid:

Any occult practices, including “harmless” divination (Deuteronomy 18:10-12 forbids all forms)
Superstitious protection rituals or “spiritual warfare” techniques not found in Scripture
Making major life decisions based on fear of curses or supernatural retaliation
Attributing every difficulty to spiritual attack rather than accepting normal life challenges

Helping Others:

Gently correct superstitious thinking with Scripture
Point troubled friends to Christ’s complete victory over every spiritual enemy
Offer practical help and prayer rather than elaborate “deliverance” rituals

REST IN GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY

So what about Reshmi’s situation? While her brother’s occult involvement is deeply concerning and sinful, his practices cannot cause the tragedies her family experienced. Heart disease, marital problems, and job loss—while painful—occur in countless families regardless of anyone’s spiritual practices.

Reshmi needs comfort, but not the kind that comes from curse-breaking rituals or spiritual warfare techniques. She needs the deeper peace that comes from knowing her sovereign God loves her, controls every circumstance, and promises that nothing—absolutely nothing—can separate her from His love (Romans 8:31-39).

The Reformed faith offers believers this unshakeable confidence: Our God reigns supreme over every power, every principality, and every human scheme. No curse spoken, no hex performed, no ritual conducted can thwart His purposes for His children.

In a world filled with spiritual confusion, Christians can rest in this glorious truth: We belong to the One who holds all things in His hands.

CURSES, HEXES AND BLACK MAGIC: RELATED FAQs

“My Christian friend went to a psychic and her predictions came true. How do you explain that?” Reformed counsellor Dr Michael Emlet notes psychics often make vague statements that people interpret as accurate after the fact—a psychological phenomenon called “confirmation bias.” Additionally, demons may occasionally provide limited information to draw people into deception, as they did with the fortune-teller in Acts 16:16-18. Paul didn’t celebrate her accurate predictions; he cast out the demonic spirit because any spiritual guidance outside God’s Word leads people away from truth.

“I found strange objects buried in my yard that look like curse items. Should I be worried?” Reformed pastor and counsellor Bob Kellemen recalls a woman who discovered buried chicken bones and herbs on her property and became paralysed with fear. His advice was practical: remove the objects (they’re just physical materials with no spiritual power) and focus on what Scripture teaches about God’s protection. The real battle isn’t against buried trinkets but against the fear and superstition that gives them imagined power in our minds.
Why do some missionaries report more intense spiritual warfare in certain countries? Veteran Reformed missionary David Sills explains that in cultures more openly devoted to occult practices, Christians may face increased spiritual harassment—but not because demons are more powerful there. Rather, Satan works harder to maintain his strongholds where his deception is most entrenched. However, the same God who protects believers in America protects missionaries in Haiti or India; geography doesn’t limit divine sovereignty.

“Can objects like jewellery or art carry curses into my home?” Biblical counsellor Martha Peace addresses this common concern by pointing to 1 Corinthians 8:4: “An idol has no real existence.” Objects are spiritually neutral—they’re just wood, metal, or stone. However, if owning certain items causes us to stumble in faith or brings occult practices to mind, wisdom suggests removing them for the sake of our conscience, not because they possess magical power.

“My family has experienced the same type of tragedy for three generations. Isn’t that proof of a generational curse?” Reformed counsellor Jim Newheiser observes families often pass down destructive patterns through modelling rather than supernatural curses—alcoholism, financial irresponsibility, or relationship dysfunction create natural consequences that affect multiple generations. Christ has broken every spiritual curse (Galatians 3:13), but He may not automatically reverse the natural results of every sinful choice. The solution is repentance, biblical wisdom, and breaking sinful patterns, not curse-breaking prayers.
“I’ve heard Christians say we shouldn’t even pray against curses because it gives them too much credit. Is that right?” Counsellor and author Ed Welch takes a balanced approach: while we shouldn’t live in fear of curses, there’s nothing wrong with praying for God’s protection if someone claims to have cursed us. The key is praying with confidence in God’s sovereignty, not anxiety about magical powers. Psalm 91 and other protection prayers focus on trusting God’s care, not neutralising enemy spells.

“What should I tell my children about Harry Potter, fantasy books, or games with magic themes?” Reformed educator Marvin Olasky suggests that fictional magic differs fundamentally from real occult practices—one is imaginative storytelling, the other involves actual spiritual rebellion against God. However, parents should consider their children’s maturity and susceptibility to spiritual confusion. The goal is teaching discernment: helping children distinguish between fantasy entertainment and the real spiritual dangers Scripture warns against in passages like Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

CURSES, HEXES AND BLACK MAGIC: OUR RELATED POSTS