Witchcraft is the act of practicing the worship of a deity other than Jesus Christ. The sin of witchcraft is directly associated with idolatry in the same way that adultery is associated with fornication. In the same way that a person committing fornication does not mean that they are committing adultery, those that practice idolatry do not always practice witchcraft which is why it is listed as a separate sin.
When a person practices witchcraft, they are taking their worship of a false god and using that to fuel a desire under the facade of empowerment.
Witchcraft has two forms in the Bible. In the Old Testament, written in Hebrew, the term used is "kishsheph". Kishsheph is what typically comes to mind when a person thinks of witchcraft: casting spells, pronouncing curses, and practicing divination. This term is found in Exodus 22:18 and Deuteronomy 18:10 among others. Exodus 22:18 is the infamous "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" verse. Deuteronomy 18:10 states "there shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch". As discussed in the previous lessons, these heinous acts consisted of incest, beastiality, mutilation, orgies, and human sacrifices.
God is always gracious and does not immediately punish a sin. God gave the inhabitants of Canaan over 400 years before judgment (Gen. 15:16, Psalm 103:8). Later, when King Ahab and Queen Jezebel persuaded the Israelites to worship Baal, the same despicable practices took place in Israel by the Jews themselves (1 Kings 19:18).
That isn't to say that all witches have sacrificed humans. However, the acts of casting spells and practicing divination is an anathema to the Lord. The reasons for this are quite simple. When practicing divination, the medium is consulting with evil spirits (Jeremiah 14:14, Isaiah 19:3) and is rebelling against God (1 Samuel 15:23). God alone can provide answers and wants to give wisdom freely. The Apostle James wrote "if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). God gives wisdom and insight freely. He doesn't charge money which is something that mediums have done for thousands of years.
When a witch wishes to give a blessing or a curse, they are doing so out of their own ignorance and anger. Only God can give blessings (Gen. 22:16-17, Phil. 4:19, James 1:17) and only God knows what blessings to give a person (Rom. 12:4-8). What's worse is when a person pronounces a curse upon another. Nobody curses out of love; it is something done out of anger and that is called wrath - which is one of the works of the flesh that Paul lists. It is not our place to harm others when we are harmed. In Deuteronomy 32:35, God says "to Me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste". God tells us what we are supposed to do in Romans 12:19-20. In that passage, the Apostle Paul says "dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink..."
Witchcraft, is essentially, giving yourself the role of God through the worship of demons. "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." (Isaiah 46:9-10)
In the New Testament a different term is used. The Greek word used for witchcraft and sorcery is "pharmakeia". Pharakeia is where we get the English word "pharmacy". In the New Testament times (which would include today), different drugs were used when practicing divination. Over the centuries, those drugs (opiates for example) were used for reasons ranging from relaxation to rape. During the Tribulation period, the Bible says that drug use will be rampant worldwide (Rev. 18:23). Different forms of pharmaekia are used to show that both the drug user and the drug dealer are considered guilty by God (Acts 8:9; Gal. 5:20; Rev. 9:21, 21:8).
Next work of the flesh: hatred