We live in an interesting world when it comes to spirituality. For years, the assumption seemed to be that as society became less religious, we'd become less interested in the supernatural. We'd grow out of all that stuff, embrace science and reason, and leave the spiritual world behind us. Except that hasn't quite happened, has it?
These days, you'll meet plenty of people, particularly younger people, who wouldn't describe themselves as religious but are more than happy to describe themselves as spiritual. "I'm spiritual, not religious." And that can mean all sorts of things. For some, it's simply an acknowledgement that they believe there's more to life than what we can see and touch. For others, it might involve exploring different beliefs, traditions or spiritual practices.
Now, I'm not suggesting that everyone who describes themselves as spiritual is sitting around a Ouija board trying to summon their dead relatives on a Friday night. But I do think there's a genuine concern here. When we're open to the idea of a spiritual world but have very little understanding of what that world might involve, how do we distinguish between what's good, what's harmful, and what's best left alone?
From a biblical perspective, spiritual evil is real, deception is possible, and not everything presenting itself as spiritual should be trusted. People can potentially engage with spiritual influences they don't understand, sometimes deliberately, sometimes simply through curiosity. The Bible warns against divination and consulting the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10–12), while 1 John 4:1 tells Christians to test the spirits rather than believe everything.
Which brings me to a message I received recently from someone at church. "Can witchcraft work on a Christian? Are we protected by the blood of Jesus? And if so, where does the Bible actually say that?"
It's a brilliant question. And my answer begins with another question. Have you ever seen a shadow attack a lightbulb?
Can a Shadow Attack a Lightbulb?
Imagine walking into a completely dark room. You can't see anything, stumble over the furniture, bang your shin on the coffee table and probably say something you immediately need to repent of. Then you turn on the light. What happens? The darkness disappears. Not because the light fought a particularly difficult battle. Not because darkness put up a decent resistance before eventually surrendering. Darkness simply cannot overcome light.
And that's a helpful way of understanding the relationship between God and the forces of darkness. We sometimes imagine God and Satan as equally matched opponents locked in some enormous cosmic arm-wrestling competition. They're not. God is the eternal, uncreated Creator. Satan is a created being. They're not remotely in the same league.
John 1:5 tells us that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. And 1 John 4:4 reminds believers that the One living in them is greater than the one in the world. So, can someone successfully place a spiritual curse on a Christian? Personally, I don't believe they can override Christ's authority over someone who belongs to Him. That doesn't mean Christians cannot experience spiritual opposition. But there's an enormous difference between being attacked by the enemy and belonging to him.
What About the Blood of Jesus?
Christians often talk about being "covered by the blood of Jesus". But what does that actually mean? Scripture tells us that through Jesus' blood we receive forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7), cleansing (1 John 1:7), reconciliation with God (Colossians 1:20) and confidence to approach Him (Hebrews 10:19).
Colossians 2:15 also tells us that through the cross, Christ disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities, demonstrating His victory over them. So yes, the blood of Jesus is central to our victory over sin and Satan. But it's not some kind of supernatural insect repellent. We don't repeat certain phrases enough times to keep demons away. The power isn't in the words themselves, but in what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection. Our confidence is in Christ, not our ability to perform the correct spiritual technique.
Don't Leave the Front Door Open
Now, before anybody gets too comfortable, belonging to Jesus doesn't mean we're incapable of experiencing spiritual attack or oppression. Ephesians 6 tells believers to put on the full armour of God to stand against the devil's schemes. Notice that we're told to put it on. You can own the finest motorcycle helmet money can buy, but it's not much use sitting on a shelf while you're travelling down the motorway at 70mph. Similarly, we can know about God's truth, righteousness and salvation while failing to allow those things to shape our lives.
Ephesians 4:27 warns us not to give the devil a foothold. In context, Paul is talking about unresolved anger, but the principle is worth considering more broadly. When we knowingly hold on to sin, entertain temptation or continually resist God's instruction, we create opportunities for the enemy to exploit our weaknesses. Not because God has abandoned us or Satan has somehow taken ownership of part of our soul, but because we're resisting God's authority in areas where we need His wisdom. Which brings me to something I think every Christian needs.
A Bit of Spiritual Spring Cleaning
You know what it's like when you finally clear out that cupboard you've been avoiding for three years. You discover all sorts of things you really don't need. Broken stuff, things you've kept for absolutely no reason, possibly even the source of that strange smell that's been bothering you for months. But you also find things you've desperately needed at various points. Things you've spent ages looking for, perhaps even bought replacements for, because they were buried beneath all the rubbish.
Our spiritual lives can be like that. We allow bitterness to settle, unhealthy habits to develop and compromises to become normal. Meanwhile, things we genuinely need, like prayer, Scripture, obedience and our joy in following Jesus, can get buried beneath everything else. That's why we need to regularly examine our hearts, confess our sins, repent and invite the Holy Spirit to show us what needs addressing.
But here's the important bit. We don't do this because we're terrified Satan might move into the cupboard and start paying rent. We do it because this is what following Jesus looks like. There's a theological word for it: sanctification. It's the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, making us more like Jesus as we respond in faith and obedience.
We're not trying to become holy enough to earn God's protection. We belong to Him already. And yes, growing in holiness also means dealing with things the enemy might exploit. But that's a consequence of pursuing Christ, not our motivation. The goal of Christianity isn't to become really good at avoiding demons. It's to become more like Jesus.
Sometimes It's Satan. Sometimes It's Just You.
Christians can be remarkably quick to blame Satan for things with perfectly ordinary explanations. Your car breaks down? Spiritual attack. You oversleep? The enemy is trying to derail your destiny. You've spent more than you earn for six months and now you're struggling financially? Clearly Satan is attacking your finances. Or perhaps you need a budget.
Sometimes blaming spiritual attack becomes a convenient way of avoiding responsibility. If Satan caused the problem, I'm the victim, and perhaps I don't need to examine my decisions. But Romans 8:37 describes believers as more than conquerors through Christ.
That doesn't mean we never suffer. Sometimes hardship comes from living in a fallen world, sometimes from other people's actions, and sometimes from our own poor decisions. And yes, genuine spiritual opposition exists. But not everything that goes wrong is demonic, and we should never assume someone's suffering means they've invited spiritual attack. Just ask Job. We need discernment, not superstition.
So What If Someone Actually Tries to Curse You?
I'd encourage anyone genuinely worried about this to pray, and I'd happily pray with them. Not because Jesus has lost control and we need to help Him regain it, but because prayer directs us back to the One who already has authority. I'd also encourage them to remind themselves of Scripture.
Romans 8:38–39 tells us that neither death nor life, angels nor demons, fears about today or tomorrow, nor any powers in the universe can separate us from God's love in Christ. When anxiety creeps in, speak those truths aloud. Not as a counter-spell, but because sometimes we need to hear ourselves declaring what we know to be true. I belong to Jesus. My life is in His hands. Nothing can separate me from His love.
The Bible doesn't promise Christians immunity from every attack or hardship. It does give us firm grounds for trusting Christ's victory and refusing to live in fear. So take spiritual warfare seriously. Put on the armour of God. Deal with sin and pursue holiness. But don't become so fascinated by darkness that you forget about the light.
Because ultimately, our security isn't found in our ability to recognise every possible spiritual attack. It's found in Jesus.
And remember that lightbulb? The darkness doesn't disappear because the light is particularly brave or has developed a clever strategy. It disappears because of the power running through the filament inside it and the nature of the light it produces.
And the One who lives in you? He is the Light of the World.