Troubles are common to all human beings. Jesus said, in John 16:33, that in this world, we will have trouble. Some examples of problems we deal with regularly include unemployment, poverty, illness, loneliness, and infertility, among others. So, what brings these troubles our way? In the traditional African worldview, people will blame one or a combination of four forces: generational curses, witchcraft (sorcerers/magicians), demonic forces, or issues with the dead. Depending on where you’re from, one or a combination of those forces will hold more weight or take a unique form. Often, folks in the village will support the notion that generational curses, witchcraft, demonic forces, and issues with the dead are the ones blocking blessings and bringing about harm in society.
It is widely believed by traditionalists and many African Christians that God brings blessings down to us humans, and our prayers can reach him to request a blessing. However, some forces are believed to cause harm and block people’s blessings. These forces are blamed for all of our struggles. Very few people, Christians, believe that a sovereign God can allow us to suffer for our good (James 1:2-4, Deuteronomy 8:2-3, Matthew 5:12). There is barely any talk concerning the providence of God working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28, Ecclesiastes 8:12, Ezra 8:22). Popular belief mainly affirms that the four forces are the ones that thwart blessing and prayer. The lack of awareness about God’s participation in these things is attributed to the fact that most people believe that God just created the universe and left it alone; he is no longer involved in it. He left it to run its course. Is this so?
The ‘Man of God’
Traditionalists and some Christians believe in the existence of mystical, invisible, hidden, spiritual power in the universe. This power originates from God but is possessed hierarchically by divinities, spirits, and the living dead, and it is available to some people in various degrees. Those to whom this power is accessible are believed to use it for good, such as healing, rainmaking, or divination, while others can use it for evil things like magic, witchcraft, and sorcery.
Today, ‘men of God’ are viewed among those with access to this spiritual power and are expected to use their gift to do good and connect people to God. Many believe that men of God, such as pastors, bishops, apostles, or even prophets, don’t struggle with the evil forces as we do because they’re anointed. It is also believed that if these men of God pray for you, your blessings will be on their way soon. The floodgates open, and the four forces surrender whenever the man of God prays, prophecies or performs deliverance over you in exchange for a financial sacrifice. Men of God frequently set themselves up as people of extraordinary power in the spirit by wearing sleek suits, using strong, commanding language in prayer, and declaring war against evil forces.
Unfortunately, many churches purport to worship God, but through the African traditional religion model. Instead of using the usual mediums and sorcerers to connect to the spiritual world, these churches have ‘men and women of God’. Instead of giving black goats, red chicken, or bitter herbs, the ‘man of God’ is given money as a token of appreciation for using his anointing to break the power of evil curses and demonic powers.
Good News through the Gospel
Instead of overcoming the four forces through the fake ‘man of God’ in exchange for your money, how about considering the good news of the gospel? We have no reason to fear the four forces because, through the gospel, Jesus has defeated them on our behalf. Let’s look at them one at a time.
1. Generational Curses
We live in fear of generational curses even as Christians and think that it is because of them that we can’t make progress. However, scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if you are in Christ, the OLD HAS GONE, and the NEW HAS COME. In other words, generational curses are not your portion; you’re in Jesus Christ and, therefore, free of any generational curse.
2. Demonic Forces
We, as Christians, can be pretty fearful of demonic forces. Many of us blame the devil and demonic forces for all of the challenges that we face in our lives. To be clear, he does roam around the earth like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8), but we are called to resist him (Ephesians 6:13-18, James 4:7). We do so by reminding ourselves what Jesus has done for us. The record of our sins is nailed to Jesus on the cross, bringing us life and cancelling our record of sin, which then brings open shame to demonic forces (Colossians 2:13-15). Jesus has taken away Satan’s power to bring Christians the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). Jesus has given us the power to flee temptation (1 John 3:8). He has secured our salvation. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39).
3. Witchcraft
Many believers, without the full understanding of their place in Christ, fear curses from witch doctors. They will blame life’s struggles on a curse brought through witchcraft or by a family member who visited a witch doctor. However, Christians don’t need to fear curses because Jesus took on all curses when he died on the cross (Galatians 3:13-14). We have been set free from the power of curses through Jesus (Galatians 5:1, John 8:36). No weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17), and since you’ve been blessed by God as stated in Galatians 3:13-14 then you cannot be cursed (Numbers 23:7-8, 19-23). Dark forces are weak in comparison to the power of our God (1 John 3:8, John 1:4-5), and if he has blessed you with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3), then a witch’s curse shall not prevail against you. Praise Jesus for this!
4. The Dead
In Kenya, where I live, many communities have great reverence for the dead. They will perform certain rituals to confuse or remove the power of the deceased’s spirit. Whenever something terrible happens in the family, the cause will most likely be attributed to the spirit of a dead family member. It can sometimes be traced back to the fact that the deceased request before their death was not fulfilled. The bereaved family will blame the dead for all the troubles they face.
However, scripture teaches us that Jesus has ransomed us from the futile ways inherited from our forefathers (1 Peter 1:18-19). Further, only Jesus’ presence is still on earth (Hebrews 7:25), the dead do not return to earth (Job 7:7-10), and the dead are unable to communicate with the living (Luke 16:19-31).
If Jesus has set us free from all these things and won the battle for us through his life, death, and resurrection, then how could we, as Christians, still live in fear? No curses, demons, witches or dead people can block our blessings or prayers. We do not need any ‘man of God’ to help us have our prayers answered or unblock the path of our blessings. Jesus is the reason why God blesses us, and he also made a way for us to pray to God directly (Hebrews 4:15-16). As much as we must be wary of the evil one and his ploys, nothing trumps the power and freedom that come with the gospel. Praise God for the victory that we have in Jesus Christ.
References
The Essence of African Traditional Religion | Church Life Journal | University of Notre Dame. https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/the-essence-of-african-traditional-religion/
