The Myth of “Christian Witches”: A Biblical Response to NAR Teaching

Author: Dawn Hill
Show: From NAR to Christ with Dawn Hill
Date: April 9, 2026

Show Summary

In this episode of From NAR to Christ with Dawn Hill, Dawn addresses a growing and concerning teaching within the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and hyper-charismatic movement—the idea of so-called “Christian witches.” Drawing from Scripture and personal experience, Dawn explains why this teaching is not biblical, why it creates confusion and suspicion in the church, and why true discernment must be rooted in the sufficiency and authority of God’s Word.

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Key Scriptures

• Deuteronomy 18:9–14
• Acts 8:9–24
• Acts 16:16–18
• Galatians 5:19–23
• 1 John 4:1
• Romans 16:17–18

Episode Highlights

• Why the phrase “Christian witch” is a theological contradiction
• How NAR and hyper-charismatic teachings often elevate subjective experience above Scripture
• The misuse of biblical passages to support fear-based claims
• The danger of false accusations and spiritual paranoia in the church
• What biblical discernment actually looks like
• Why the answer to deception is not fear, but clarity rooted in the gospel

Full Article

In this episode of From NAR to Christ with Dawn Hill, we are addressing a serious and troubling teaching that has gained attention in segments of the New Apostolic Reformation and the broader hyper-charismatic movement: the idea of so-called “Christian witches.”

This kind of teaching may sound dramatic, but that is part of the problem. It reframes biblical discernment in terms of suspicion, fear, and speculation rather than grounding believers in the truth of Scripture. Instead of helping Christians think clearly and biblically, it often creates confusion and encourages people to interpret fellow believers through a lens of accusation rather than charity, truth, and sound doctrine.

The Bible is clear that witchcraft, sorcery, divination, and occult practices are real sins and real evils. Deuteronomy 18:9–14 explicitly forbids God’s people from practicing or imitating pagan occultism. The people of God are not to seek supernatural power outside of the Lord. That much is beyond dispute. Scripture is plain.

But the existence of occult practices does not justify inventing unbiblical categories. That is exactly the issue here. The phrase “Christian witch” is a contradiction in terms. A Christian is someone who has been born again by the Spirit of God, united to Christ by faith, forgiven of sin, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. A witch is someone engaged in rebellion against God through occult practice, divination, or sorcery. Scripture does not merge those categories. It keeps them distinct.

That is why this episode matters. If the church is going to exercise discernment faithfully, it must do so according to God’s Word, not according to dramatic claims, personal impressions, or fear-based teaching. Discernment is not paranoia. It is not reading motives into people. Discernment is not turning fellow believers into suspects because they ask questions, raise concerns, or challenge false teaching. True discernment tests everything by Scripture.

One of the dangers in these teachings is the misuse of biblical texts. Passages such as Acts 8, Acts 13, and Acts 16 are often cited to build an argument about occult infiltration in the church. But those passages must be read in context. Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8 is not presented as a model of a born-again Christian secretly practicing witchcraft. He is rebuked sharply because his heart is not right before God. The account exposes false profession and sinful motives, not the category of a so-called Christian witch.

Likewise, Acts 16 records a demonized girl practicing divination. That passage shows the reality of spiritual bondage and the authority of Christ over demonic power. But it does not teach believers to label Christians as witches. It does not encourage speculative accusations. It does not establish a framework for treating spiritually immature believers, struggling Christians, or even critics of church leadership as occult agents.

This is where confusion enters the church. When subjective experience becomes the controlling lens, Scripture is no longer allowed to speak with clarity on its own terms. Instead, people begin with an experience, a fear, or a suspicion and then search for verses to support it. That reverses the proper order. Christians are called to submit experience to Scripture, not Scripture to experience.

Galatians 5 is also important here. When Paul lists the works of the flesh, he includes sorcery among them. But he does not create a category of Christians who should be identified as witches in the church. Rather, he warns plainly that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. The point is moral and spiritual clarity. The answer is repentance and faith, not spectacle, fear, or sensational teaching.

And that leads to another major concern. Fear-based teaching often harms real people. It can produce false accusations. It can fracture relationships. It can make Christians suspicious of one another. It can turn correction into conspiracy and disagreement into demonization. In some circles, people are taught that asking questions, testing leaders, or resisting extra-biblical claims is evidence of rebellion or occult influence. That is not biblical discernment. It is spiritual manipulation.

Scripture calls believers to something better. First John 4:1 tells us to test the spirits. Romans 16:17–18 warns us to watch out for those who cause divisions by teaching contrary to sound doctrine. Ephesians 4:15 calls us to speak the truth in love. None of those passages authorize reckless labeling, fear-mongering, or speculative accusations. Instead, they call for sober-minded, Scripture-saturated discernment shaped by truth, love, and humility.

So what should Christians do when they encounter genuine sin, genuine deception, or even genuine occult involvement? The answer is not complicated, even if it is serious. We speak the truth of God’s Word. We call sin what it is. We warn where warning is needed. We call people to repentance and faith in Christ. And we rest in the sufficiency of Scripture and the power of the gospel.

The church does not need more sensationalism. It does not need more speculative demonology. It does not need more fear-driven frameworks that go beyond Scripture. What the church needs is clarity. It needs faithful teaching. It needs pastors and leaders who will open the Bible in context, handle it carefully, and point people to Jesus Christ rather than to dramatic systems of suspicion.

The myth of “Christian witches” is not a harmless phrase. It reflects a deeper theological problem—one that blurs categories, weakens biblical interpretation, and fosters confusion in the body of Christ. If we are going to be discerning Christians, then we must be Christians who love the truth enough to reject unbiblical categories, no matter how popular or dramatic they may be.

The answer to deception is not panic. It is truth. The answer to confusion is not speculation. It is Scripture. And the answer to fear is not control. It is confidence in Christ, who has spoken clearly in His Word and who is building His church by His truth.

Takeaways / Reflection Questions

• Why is the phrase “Christian witch” a contradiction in biblical terms?
• How can Christians learn to distinguish biblical discernment from fear-driven suspicion?
• What happens when experience is allowed to control interpretation of Scripture?
• How should believers respond when they encounter genuine false teaching or spiritual deception?
• What does it look like to test everything by Scripture while still speaking the truth in love?

Call to Action

If this episode helped you think more clearly about biblical discernment, false teaching, and the sufficiency of Scripture, please share it with a friend.

Be sure to subscribe to From NAR to Christ with Dawn Hill and visit her author page at Servants of Grace or watch the series on YouTube.