The White Magic Error and Charismatic Re-definition of the Occult
by R. Davis
__________________________ Confusion arises because Charismatics practice in the name of the Lord ________________________ Popular Charismatic author Michael Green endorsed what he refers to as “discriminating mysticism” in his book I Believe in Satan’s Downfall. He wrote:
But Mr. Green errs. He is correct about the dangers of mysticism, but errs in teaching that some types are okay, or even that there is any valid distinction to be made. There is no such thing as discriminating mysticism, or mysticism “through Christ”, Confusion arises because Charismatics practice in the name of the Lord Charismatic authors like Mr. Green confuse believers because they claim to practice in the name of the Lord. But, can we practice just any sort of spirituality so long as it is in Jesus’ name or in the name of God or the Holy Spirit? Of course not. Israel was a sad example:
Charismatics always practice their mysticism or occultism in the name of the Lord. Mysticism often consists of seeking Him outside the Word in mystic focus upon a mental image—that is, an imagination of Jesus such as Mr. Green uses—or by seeking a vision. Then there is the magical reliance upon a name: for example, Charismatics call for presence of the Holy Spirit (“More, Lord, more…”). In my former Church, people would say Jesus’ name repeatedly, hands open, Confusion also arises when Charismatics condemn the occult Another way Charismatic teachers confuse us is by giving lip service to the prohibition against the occult. For example Mr. Green, who endorsed mysticism in the quotation above, wrote in the very same book:
Charismatics are always warning against the occult, not realizing they practice the very thing they condemn. Wizards who conjure gold dust are in the occult, but not them! Egyptian Isis worshipers who seek spiritual drunkenness are in the occult, but not them. Buddhist faith healers are too, but not Charismatic faith healers. Animists who channel lion spirits are, but not Toronto Blessing enthusiasts. Witches who cast spells to ward off curses are occult, but not them when they try to break off curses. Sorcerers who talk with angels are occult, but not them…after all, they go by another name! Charismatic condemnation of others is often noteworthy for its vehemence. Witches are a favorite target. I once heard John Sandford of Elijah House, a person who follows very occult theophostic teachings, claim to have spent three hours in spiritual warfare “fighting against witches” (brave words followed up by a request to donate lots of money because, he said, the more we donated, the more God would pour out His Holy Spirit). In my former Church, Charismatic prophets cautioned me not to “see a devil under every rock” but at the same time they often searched chapel before Sunday services for tarot cards or other items supposedly planted by witches to disrupt the worship. This kind of hysteria is dangerous. And it leads to a lot of self-righteous criticism. Mr. Green again:
Here Mr. Green baldly asserts that occult religions make no claim upon practitioners for “love, holiness or the service of others.” He appears to think that he, in his religion, has the corner on these attributes. But this is simply not true.
Without accepting Sufi occult teaching, we must admit that it cannot be condemned for failing to teach love, holiness, or service of others as Mr. Green charged. Mr. Green’s unfair condemnation of other religions and other seekers is repeated later in I Believe in Satan’s Downfall when he writes: Only in Judaism and Christianity is mysticism inescapably linked with love and compassion.8 Is this true? Do only these 2 religions in the entire world teach mysticism with love and compassion? Of course not. And, Christianity should not be teaching mysticism. The White Magic error and the re-defining of “occult” The White Magic error, in all its forms, stems from the belief that there are good and bad types of occultism as determined by the practitioner’s motives or personal spiritual purity. This is exemplified in witchcraft: so-called white witches use occult power for good, so-called black ones for evil such as cursing people they don’t like, or fulfilling selfish desires. The white witches do not realize that what they are doing is wrong and involves them in the evil kingdom of Satan. But error compounds upon error with Charismatics who, because the Bible forbids occultism, cannot admit their practices are ‘occult’. They get around this by changing the definition, as we will see. And then they condemn others by applying the new definition to them.  To be fair, Charismatics are not alone in condemning others.
Secular occultists also warn or denounce each other,
each believing he understands the key to righteousness in
occultism. They excuse themselves on the basis of their
superior understanding of the occult, their humility, their
unselfish desire to use occult powers in the service of others,
and so on.
But Charismatics go one step further into error, even denying what they do is occult, although this comes in various shades and, as is the way with satanic influence, is confusing and not easily pinned down. They deny well-intentioned occultism: there is only ‘selfish occult’, and that is what everyone else is doing. They re-define the meaning and teach that a religious practice is or becomes occult only when tainted by bad intentions. In other words, they believe occult means ‘selfish’, ‘unloving’, etc. It's all about a person's heart, not their spiritual practices. And, of course, they are not involved in the occult because they are so good and holy and loving! Like secular occultists they judge themselves as good and righteous—mistake number one—but they are also blind to the real nature of their spirituality—mistake number two. So they end up practicing as white magicians. We saw these mistakes in Mr. Green’s teaching. First there was the basic White Magic Error: he distinguishes Christ-focused mysticism from selfish mysticism: white vs. black mysticism. He also expressed the charismatic re-definition of the occult very clearly: “occult practice…does not make upon [a person] any claims for love, holiness, or service of others”. What a satanic twist, this redefinition of the occult! What a deception—a demonic lie with profound consequences. Christians beguiled with this lie develop a self-righteous blindness. They practice occultism, condemn others, and congratulate themselves on how loving they are. What a victory for Satan: people practicing in the name of the Lord are (a) involved in the occult, (b) full of pride, (c) blind to what they are doing, and (d) often loud in their condemnation of others, bringing mistrust and dislike upon the Church. What a beam in their eyes:
A person’s intentions do not make a religious practice occult or not. Occultism is not mysticism gone bad or “undiscriminating mysticism.” No dictionary supports this, and neither does the Bible. The occult does not become evil in the context of selfishness. It already is evil because, whether we realize it or not, it involves us in the kingdom of Satan and his fallen angels. It is evil regardless of our intentions, be they good or bad. 
The fact is, many good people (in human terms) become involved in the occult. The sooner we come to understand this, the sooner we will be able to reach out to them in real love and gracious understanding. The real meaning of “occult” Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary:
We see from Websters that the occult has nothing whatsoever to do with evil intentions. It has to do with the supernatural. Occultism always has one or more of these characteristics: 1) Occult practice includes seeking God or truth beyond nature, reason and the rational mind—that is, in the supernatural realm. 2) Occult practice is based on a belief that communion with God comes through subjective, supernatural experience. 3) Occult practice involves seeking supernatural energy, spirits, power, presence, influence, action or enchantments. A note here about a misunderstanding of ‘occult’ by writers attempting to warn Christians, but who have suggested that ‘the occult’ means secret – i.e. private, hidden away – rituals. If this is the right meaning, then as occult practices become more openly practiced, they are no longer occult. This is not correct. Please also note: I do not say true Christian experience is not highly supernatural. It is. Salvation is a supernatural miracle of God which completely changes a person’s life. His love shed abroad in our hearts is a continuing miracle. Answers to prayers are miracles. What I do say is that it is not for us to seek after the secret things, which belong to God. We are to seek in the revelation of His Word:
See What is Occult? What is Biblical? posted on this Website. Magicians accusing magicians, sorcerers accusing sorcerers Of course, occultism does not change from being Christian to ‘magic’ and ‘sorcery’ in the hands of selfish people. It was never Christian to begin with. But consider a teaching from When the Spirit Comes With Power by influential Charismatic John White, where he says just this:
Mr. White constructs here a totally occult and magic doctrine. He teaches that the “power of God”—which he confuses with the Holy Spirit as is evident from the rest of his book although it may not be manifestly clear from this short quote—is a dormant, morally neutral force available for anyone to use. It is neither good nor evil, he teaches—neither holy nor unholy—but it is the “user” who makes it good or evil, holy or unholy, based on his or her intent. Amazing: men or angels determine the holiness of the “power” of God. Keep in mind, Mr. White is speaking of the Holy Spirit. Shall men determine His moral attributes? His holiness? So says Mr. White. Furthermore, he teaches that God does not discriminate as to who may receive this power and anyone can “use it”: believers, nonbelievers, sorcerers and even fallen angels. 
The occult aspects of Mr. White’s teaching are serious, yet his doctrine of the Holy Spirit has been accepted by countless Churchgoers and forms the basis for much Charismatic thought. Even evangelical leaders John Piper and Wayne Grudem have expressly endorsed his doctrine, approving his teaching that the Holy Spirit can bring about unholy consequences in a person’s life.* But, to “use” or wield supernatural power is the role of the shaman or magician, not a Christian: it is clearly occult. Mr. White comes close to acknowledging this when he says Christians who use occult power for selfish purposes are acting like sorcerers and magicians. However, he tacitly excuses his own “use” of the “power” because his intentions are unselfish. And he teaches that those who use occult power for good purposes are good Christians. These are perfect examples of the White Magic error and the satanic re-definition of occult. Following is another Charismatic teaching, this one about calling down “God’s touch of love”, which contains a Charismatic redefinition of occult:
The above writer believes it is okay to call down supernatural power for the benefit of another, but the same practice becomes “incantation or sorcery” when done for selfish purposes: again, the White Magic error. YogisLike Charismatics, Hindi yogis emphasize the importance of good intentions for wielding supernatural power. And like witches they distinguish between white and black magic—or high and low occultism: the basic White Magic Error. Humility is important, they say, and pride must be destroyed before a person can become great in his faith. Better than Charismatics, however, most yogis realize their practices are occult. Consider the parable of a yoga disciple named Gorakshanath who “had tremendous pride because he had realized the Truth and attained occult power.”11 But in an encounter with another yogi, Garakshanath was outdone. His master said, “I gave you all kinds of occult power, but you were defeated by that yogi, only because of your pride. Now that you have been humiliated, now that your pride has been smashed…before long you will surpass both him and me.” The teaching here is clear: humility is a sign of healthy spirituality and is important for the proper use of supernatural power—a teaching also common among Charismatics. 
Yogis also rely upon good intentions to receive blessings from God and for protection from evil spirits. Take for example the teaching of guru Sri Ramakrishna Who says that “when there is even a trace of pride in a person, he cannot reach God,”12 and exhorts us to:
This guru is saying that if our intentions are good, God will bless us and we will receive from Him, even through occult practice. But is this not what Charismatics say? Consider the following teaching from renowned yoga master Sri Chinmoy, who teaches that to attain supernatural powers should never be the goal of a practitioner, but only a means to spiritual evolution:
Mr. Chinmoy is effectively teaching here that those who practice yoga with good intentions will be blessed, but those who are in it for the power are practicing a “low form of occultism.” This, of course, is just another variation of the White Magic error. Note also that he, like Charismatics, seeks the (apparently loving) presence of God through occult practice. Ancient magicians – Eliphas LeviWill we find the White Magic error repeated elsewhere? Yes. It is common on the occult path. Take one of Europe’s most famous magicians, Alphonse Louis Constant, who wrote under the pseudonym Eliphas Levi in the mid 1800’s. Master alchemist and self-proclaimed “Magus of Light”, Mr. Levi wrote numerous tomes on magic. Even though he called himself a magician, Mr. Levi also evaluated himself as a Christian because he used God’s power (which he termed “Astral Light”) in accordance with God’s will—this, of course, is similar to John White’s self-evaluation. And Mr. Levi would agree with Mr. White on other points. He believed supernatural power is available to everyone, believer or not. He also distinguished between those who use occult power for good, and those who use it for evil; the former he called Magicians of Light or Transcendental Magicians, and the latter he scorned as practitioners of black magic: again, the White Magic error. The writings of Eliphas Levi, Magus of Light, resonate with ideas found in Mr. White’s book When the Spirit Comes with Power, albeit clothed in different terminology. To compare their writings is to see how occult spirits lead practitioners to similar beliefs. 
The French magician taught that magic is the “secret” of the “science of good and evil [and]…confers on man powers apparently superhuman.”15 The secret, Mr. Levi says, consists in understanding and accessing a universal power, which he refers to as the “Astral Light.” This power, of course, finds its equivalent in John White’s “power of God.” Mr. White taught that the power can be used by men and angels; Mr. Levi taught the same thing about Astral Light. We saw that Mr. White believes God’s power is neither good nor bad, but can be used for good or evil in ccordance with the will of the practitioner. Mr. Levi taught the same thing about the “Astral Light,” calling it a “blind” force. His translator explains that this force, “… is the great medium of occult force, but as such it is a blind force, which can be used for good or evil.”16 And, magician Eliphas Levi condemned other occultists, especially mystics. In great but unintended irony the Magus of Light wrote:
Here we see an unrepentant magician condemning other occult practitioners: the White Magic error. Mystics, says this magician, are the real sorcerers. Now we have come full circle. So, who is the real sorcerer? They all are, of course. Our futile understanding All occultists, whether Charismatic or other, are on misguided quests—for spiritual power, for personal change, for truth or for love. Charismatics call down spirits, seek miracles, wield supernatural power and claim to be God’s prophets, not realizing that what they are doing is forbidden, wrong and dangerous. Perhaps some don’t care, those referred to in Scripture as failing to love the truth and to whom God sends a delusion. Said the apostle Paul:
Occultists of any name are just as foolish, just as selfish, just as unselfish, just as loving and just as unloving as others. And just as blind. But those who have the Word of God—Charismatics and Christians—are guiltier and will suffer a greater weight of judgment, for they have apostatized and show they have cast His words behind their backs. Sorcery, occultism, mysticism and magic are works of the flesh (see Galatians 5:19-20). Humankind will find them naturally appealing. For this reason, among others, the Bible warns us not to lean on our own understanding but to put all—not a little, but all—our trust in God, and in His commands, including His commands to stay away from the occult:
Moses warns us against relying on our own understanding—or, as he puts it, following the promptings of our own hearts—because we are stubborn seekers who love to flatter ourselves. ____________________________ Endnotes (Website references were current when quotations were taken. Links have been removed to avoid linking to occult or Charismatic Websites. Full references are in the book.): * Popular teachers John Piper and Wayne Grudem accept Mr. White as an authority on the Holy Spirit. They expressly endorsed both Mr. White and his book When the Spirit Comes in Power, containing the very teaching we are discussing here, in their own widely-circulated publication, 50 Crucial Questions: An Overview of Central Concerns About Manhood and Womanhood. At page 41, Mr. Piper and Mr. Grudem wrote, “John White is right when he writes, ‘Some people believe it to be impossible that the power of the Holy Spirit could have unholy consequences in an individual’s life. But it can.’ ” What blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. And Mr. Grudem was himself expressly endorsed by Banner of Truth Trust. Neither Mr. Grudem nor Banner of Truth Trust would recant their explicit or implicit endorsement of the occult doctrine of John White, nor even respond to concerns raised by the author. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. © Ruth Davis, Baruch House Publishing, 2008.
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or any type of godly or safe mysticism. That’s like saying we can safely commune with God by offering sacrifices to Baal. Mysticism is just one face of occultism and is forbidden by God. It is defiling, it is more dangerous than it may appear, and it is a root and means of spiritual deception (see 
awaiting a sense of His arrival (again, as they imagine). I once heard that Charismatic evangelists were asking large assemblies of people to chant Jesus’ name, a mantra to invoke His presence, but clearly occult in its mindless repetition and notions about the power of repeating a name. Former yogi Rabi R. Maharaj says he “firmly believed, as do all orthodox Hindus, that the mantra [the name of a god repeatedly spoken out loud or in the mind] embodied the deity itself and created what it expressed.”2 Occultists believe there is magic power in a name. Then there is the seeking of powers of divination, etc., all in the name of the Lord, and magic conjuring of gold dust, jewelry, and manna from heaven—so-called.
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