I’ve had many people ask me a variant of the following question since I was a child: “Why won’t you watch Harry Potter if you watch Lord of the Rings. They both have magic. It’s hypocritical.”

It’s taken me a long time to have a solid answer to that question, but my answer now is, what is the fruit of it? Do you see people buying wizard hats and casting spells after watching  LotR? I’ve never seen it. However, this is exactly what happens for the majority after watching or reading J.K. Rowling’s novels.

As for Harry Potter growing up, I had 3 main reasons why I could never watch it. Firstly, I was instructed by my parents to never watch it because it was evil. I remember being at a friend’s house when I was around 6 and leaving the room to play with Barbies when it was switched on. That’s not to say however that I simply followed everything my parents ever told me; I argued with them over many things if ever I disagreed. However, (and this is reason 2) growing up in a Christian household, I’ve always had a very awake and sensitive spirit. When I saw Harry Potter playing, I would literally feel the demonic warfare. And thirdly, for as long as I can remember, magic has never been a game. I grew up with a white witch on my road, and it was common knowledge that she sacrificed cats. The very real reality of the heavenly warfare, and the part that witchcraft played in it, was sobering. The thought of entertaining it was unthinkable.

My mum has always been the most spiritually a tune amongst us. When we first moved into our previous property, she was convinced that witchcraft was occurring. We mostly ignored her, until we were told that our house was an old lay line: used as a meeting point for witches and seances. When we heard this, we rejoiced as a family.  We had a deep conviction that it was why we lived there. The glory of Jesus taking what was once a demonic foothold and claiming it for Himself sent joy through all our veins! We became more vigilant in praying over the house and pleading the blood of Jesus over every door frame, window, and corner and rejoiced in Jesus glorifying Himself through us in that house.

However, the ever spiritually atune mum, still felt that there was occult worship happening around us. She found an old shack in the woods and was convinced that it was used for occult gatherings. We told her to stop being so suspicious, but slowly, I started to sense it too. There was nothing provable, but sometimes I could literally feel the battle in the heavenlies around our property. And then, we started noticing our cats. 

At first we couldn’t figure it out, but they would regularly come home with a patch of hair shaved off on their legs or backs. For a long time, we tried to reason it as being a scratch from a twig, but there was no mistaking the very clean razor shaves. Mum slowly realised that only the black hairs on the cats were shaved and became convinced that our cats’ lost hair was being used in occult practices. When it finally dawned on me that she was right, I started praying for my cats. I prayed that they would be covered by the blood of Jesus and that no hair on their bodies could be used in satanic worship.  I prayed that the witches would be overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus when they came near our cats and that the conviction of sin and wickedness would cause them to run to Jesus. I prayed often over the cats. I didn’t really think about it that much after that, and I don’t know what happened in the lives of the witches, but I know that our cats stopped being shaven.

You see, there is a very real spiritual realm. In fact, it’s more real than what we currently experience.  Jesus is Lord and King and Redeemer, but He has an enemy. Don’t make yourself an enemy of Jesus by aligning with him.

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19‭-‬21 NKJV

Having such experiences in my life has neither made me afraid of the enemy nor caused me to be hateful and fearful of those who worship him. There are many witches around, and when I come into contact with them or hear that they live near me, I just want to love them, pray for them and long that they would know their true source of power and strength. As stated in the verse above, all sin is sin. They are in need of Jesus just as much as the rest of mankind.

However, I pray that, in me sharing and writing this, you would be awakened to spiritual things. We’re not called to be blind to the enemy’s ploys, and we’re defintiely not called to be entertained by it. As children of the light and children of the day, we’re called to see where darkness is and actively partner with Jesus in warfare. It’s not a fearful thing; it’s not a fairytale; it’s our calling as followers of Jesus.

“You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”
I Thessalonians 5:5‭-‬6 NKJV

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:10‭-‬13 NKJV

Know that if you have made Jesus your Lord, you are on the winning side. His is the victory.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
II Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Blessings, Abbie