The second ruling spirit that has sought to hinder the spread of the gospel in the southern region of Nigeria is the spirit of witchcraft. Witchcraft has been in existence in these communities for a long time. Through our ministry experience, we have discovered that many people enter into witchcraft deliberately. Their stated purpose is either to destroy the lives and dreams of people that they dislike or to actualize certain goals for themselves.
These loathsome spirits operate clandestinely. They work essentially at night and frequently take on human form, since people world be more likely to stay clear of them if they were to appear in their true forms, with their true names. Although most people say that they reject the practice of witchcraft, they ignorantly consult with native doctors, sorcerers, charmers, necromancers and diviners. Many have been misled to believe that these supposedly innocent practices have nothing to do with witchcraft; consequently, these practices are commonplace in markets and other such public places.
Others are aware of the dangers these practices pose, but many feel helpless in the face of such an onslaught of evil. They know that dabbling in the occult and specifically in witchcraft is not harmless fun, contrary to the thinking of some Christians in the West who regard certain manifestations of the occult as benign. I am amazed that some Christians are still arguing about the appropriateness of their children watching the recently released Harry Potter movies, which are designed to make evil look like fun. Some are so deceived that they think they can love both Jesus and Harry Potter at the same time! I heard that a recent survey of American youth reveals that approximately 90 percent consider the practice of witchcraft harmless! Nigerians, on the other hand, for most of their lives have seen up close the destructive work of this evil ruling spirit of witchcraft.
The witches in the southern part of Nigeria do not have sophisticated methods of operation. They do not hold conferences in hotels, march publicly or fight for the right to hold open gatherings; nor do they recruit through websites. Witches are not publicly accepted by entire communities. Their method of operation borders on the bizarre, as they often meet in non-physical form on treetops, rooftops and other such outlandish places. These, in fact, are their covens!
The rites of initiation into witchcraft are often transferred generationally from parents or relatives. Transference commonly takes place through eating certain specially prepared foods. It can be extremely difficult to reject initiation, since it is carried out by people who are loved and trusted. Schools and other such public institutions are also fertile ground for recruiting potential witches.
One of the banes of Africa, and especially southern Nigeria, is the fact that we have practised consulting the devil through spiritually blind native doctors. The Scriptures make clear the disastrous consequences of such an unwise choice (see Mathew 15:14). This, in part, explains why Nigeria has continued to wallow in darkness for so long. However, I continually thank God for His grace upon our land over the past few decades. Light is beginning to break through at last!
Our ministry, among many others, has accurately identified these spirits in our various regions, exposing them for what they really are. We are succeeding in making it very uncomfortable for them to continue their ungodly work. Through sound biblical teaching, effective counseling and demonic deliverance, we have continued to expose their hidden works. Knowledge of truth is so important because these spirits maintain their strongholds largely through the exploitation of people’s ignorance of God’s Word. Countless numbers of people have now experienced freedom through attending our deliverance school, which is hosted on a regular basis at our church. Our 24/7 prayer chain also is a great help toward neutralizing the activities of witches in our region.
(From the book Out of Africa by C. Peter Wagner and Joseph Thompson in 2004, pg 86-88)