Do curses have power over Christians?

[2PhiloVoid]

a Christian family goes on vacation, buys some trinkets and comes home. bad things start happening to them and they are told that one of their trinkets is cursed and to destroy it, so they destroy it and the bad things stop.

I think we have all heard of stories like this. No cursed object has any power over Christ and thus should have no power over us, his followers. We shouldn't be looking for these things but I'm always perplexed by these accounts. Christ has authority over all things, including said objects, so why do these stories come up? What power is being manifested in these objects and why does it have an effect over some Christians?

No, I think the whole idea of curses having power over Christians is a myth, especially if and when we're talking about Christians who proactively apply themselves to Jesus Christ and His teaching on a daily basis.

 

[DamianWarS]

OK more commentary. For the most part I am actually skeptical of many accounts of occult objects etc. There is a verse in the NT where saint Paul speaks about the idols of the pagan gods and says "they are nothing" etc. and I think that is very true for the most part. Many things only really work because people believe in them. Like they open themselves up to it as far as a demonic connection or perhaps their is some kind of psychosomatic thing going on.


But at the theoretical level there does exist something about objects and places "being energized". The above story is a positive version of that. Occult objects etc. is the negative version. Essentially things become energized with the activity of the area kind of like building a static electrical charge from rubbing an object or some other activity.


Interestingly enough in Judaism there kind of exist some reason for this based on concepts of Holiness and consecration. Objects, places, people set apart from God use and sometimes manifesting miraculous powers etc. the bones of a prophet resurrecting a man, getting healed by touching the hem of a garmet, getting killed by touching the ark of the Covenant etc.


Anyway I guess you can say there is both Holy and unholy consecration....

But I am against a lot of what I hear regarding occult objects; because it seems like the stories and testimonies make demonic power much more powerful than it should be, at least in regards as Christians are concerned.

There is an interesting article written by a well-known missiologist Paul Hiebert called "The Flaw of the Excluded Middle". You can google it and find all sorts of copies (like this one) and one of his statements essentially is saying when we deny this middle zone (ghosts, spirits, witch doctors, diviners etc...) active in this world we deny the opportunity to speak the power of Christ over them demonstrating God's authority and power, which to the one who's world view accepts these things will respond by another act of power. He also claims that those who have engaged in this middle zone, rather than reject it, have the most impact.

The disciples themselves saw Christ walking on water and their first response was it was a ghost so if they were skeptical or not, in that moment they believed in the para-supernatural and no one takes the opportunity to correct this thinking. Jesus doesn't say "there's no such thing as ghosts" he just tells them not to be afraid. That's one thing that Christ seems to do in the gospels. He accepts people world view "as is" without correcting them with "ghosts don't exist" or "that man has epilepsy not a demon" then he reponds to it by speaking power over it.

I am at a place where I do not reject the power but I also do not believe it has any power over me because of the authority Christ has over all things.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

There is an interesting article written by a well-known missiologist Paul Hiebert called "The Flaw of the Excluded Middle". You can google it and find all sorts of copies (like this one) and one of his statements essentially is saying when we deny this middle zone (ghosts, spirits, witch doctors, diviners etc...) active in this world we deny the opportunity to speak the power of Christ over them demonstrating God's authority and power, which to the one who's world view accepts these things will respond by another act of power. He also claims that those who have engaged in this middle zone, rather than reject it, have the most impact.

The disciples themselves saw Christ walking on water and their first response was it was a ghost so if they were skeptical or not, in that moment they believed in the para-supernatural and no one takes the opportunity to correct this thinking. Jesus doesn't say "there's no such thing as ghosts" he just tells them not to be afraid. That's one thing that Christ seems to do in the gospels. He accepts people world view "as is" without correcting them with "ghosts don't exist" or "that man has epilepsy not a demon" then he reponds to it by speaking power over it.

I am at a place where I do not reject the power but I also do not believe it has any power over me because of the authority Christ has over all things.

Well I was going to give your post a thumbs up emoticon, but I don't see that option... Did they change something today, I wonder?

 

[Toro]

In general, I agree that a "curse" has no power over a follower of Christ.

However, there ARE objects/people/habits etc. That a Christian may allow to remain in their life that God wishes removed ... in which case that object/person/habit DOES become a curse as keeping it against that which the Father wills....is disobedience.

Items themselves, IF they hold any power, positive or negative over a Christian, that object has then become an idol.

 

[DeepWater]

Curses,.... this is an interesting topic.
Witches cast them.
Unbelievers are under one ... John 3:36. This is the judgement of God against every Christ rejector, that is created originally by the "curse of the law",....... that "Jesus has removed the curse of the Law", FROM the Born Again, because of the Cross... "Cursed is everyone who HANGS on a TREE"..(Cross).

Also, its all about and related to, the power of the "tongue". As your bible tells you that "life and death" are IN the power of the tongue.... the words you speak.
The words of Jesus are Truth and Life.
When Jesus spoke, it was Truth or Life filled words.
The word of the Gospel, preached and then BELIEVED, becomes a holy seed that can regenerate, thru the Holy Spirit, a dead spirit in a person and cause it/them to be Born Again.

Words are very powerful.

God "spoke" the world into existence THRU the Word.
Jesus is the "Word", pre-incarnate and "The word made flesh, Incarnate..... and that is why He is acclaimed to be and explained as the Creator in Colossians 1:16
In John 1:10 you are told that Jesus stood on the world He Created.
Consider that the baby feet of Jesus, .. the very first time they touched the dirt of the earth, were touching the World that He, as God Incarnate, created when He was still. "The Word was with God", "in the Beginning".

How do you curse yourself, if you are a Born Again Christian?
By what you say.
Your words are the power of your "tongue" creating your destiny. Every word you speak is a seed being sown, and every seed you sow out of your MOUTH, will come back to you, as a harvest.
Your NT says that you will be judged by the words that you speak, and this means that your own words will become your judge and your destiny, while you are alive, and when they profess the Faith you have In Christ, ..... God then accepts this as "faith is counted as Righteousness"...= to give you the "Righteousness of Christ" and "The Gift of Salvation".

There is also the fact that even tho Jesus "has redeemed us from the curse of the law" on the CROSS so that all judgment due us for our sin that was previously waiting for us in Eternity, before we were saved...has been given to HIM.....Yet, His death does not remove this problem..= The law of "sowing and reaping". So, you have 2 things to deal with in your life that are word based and deed based, .......harvests.
What you speak is a seed, and what you do is a "sowing and reaping" deed situation.
If you are in the FAITH,..... if you are really focused on discipleship and serving God and studying to show yourself approved and daily live to please God, very God conscience, then you will watch your mouth and you will control your deeds so that you do not bring upon yourself, their bad fruit as a harvest of pain, sorrow, and worse.

Let me show you how you can get cancer, a heart attack, a stroke, a brain tumor....etc, etc.. just using your own mouth.
You do it like this....

""""well, you know, my mama had high blood pressure, mental illness, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, a temper problem, blindness, AND I BET I'LL GET IT TOOOOOO""""".

SEE THAT? You just prayed the prayer of FAITH to get SICK, and maybe DIE.
So......Watch your mouth. Your mouth is a POWER to bring to your life, whatever you speak and BELIEVE.
Or as Jesus said, "whatsover ye believe , you shall have it".
"thy Faith hath made you whole".
And your FAITH can make you SICK.

Saint, ... FAITH can harm you, if you are using it to harm yourself.

Watch your mouth.
Never curse yourself with it, or the people you love, etc, etc....

 

[DamianWarS]

Well I was going to give your post a thumbs up emoticon, but I don't see that option... Did they change something today, I wonder?

it seems it has been turned off in the Discussion and Debate (Christians only) sections and subforms (possibly more sections). I'm not sure the motivation behind this but it still works in other sections (like General Theology)

EDIT: clearly it has been turned back on based on the "Like" to this very post

 

[JackRT]

Never heard a story like that. Curses not only have no effect on Christians they have no effect on anyone at all unless one decides to believe that they do.

Good reply. Curses have only as much reality as we give them.

 

[ChicanaRose]

What power is being manifested in these objects and why does it have an effect over some Christians?

Good question.

 

[Oldmantook]

a Christian family goes on vacation, buys some trinkets and comes home. bad things start happening to them and they are told that one of their trinkets is cursed and to destroy it, so they destroy it and the bad things stop.

I think we have all heard of stories like this. No cursed object has any power over Christ and thus should have no power over us, his followers. We shouldn't be looking for these things but I'm always perplexed by these accounts. Christ has authority over all things, including said objects, so why do these stories come up? What power is being manifested in these objects and why does it have an effect over some Christians?

Of course Christ has authority over all things. We also have authority as regenerate believers over things provided that we do not pollute ourselves with those things - intentional or unintentional as Satan is not interested in "playing fair." Doing so gives the enemy a foothold in our lives. Would you play with a Ouija board? That is why the believers in Acts 19:19 burned their occult scrolls. And that is why the Apostle James instructed the new gentile believers to not stay away from things polluted by idols in Acts 15:20.

 

[OrateProNobis]

A priest had told us in one of his homilies that he was cursed and got delivered from a certain prayer he received from another priest. I believe he said it manifested as a really bad back pain and when he said this particular prayer it ceased.

I would like to think that Christians can’t be cursed but how does one explain being oppressed by spirits and possessions? St. Paul said we fight against powers and principalities. There is something out there. I don’t want to know how it works.

just don’t invite them in.

 

[OrateProNobis]

Afterthought.... even Jesus Christ Himself was tempted in the desert. You would think satan would not dare to approach God Himself in the flesh but yet he did. So I would wonder how exempt are we really from evil touching us?

that’s why we’re told to be vigilant at all times.

 

[BryanJohnMaloney]

My poor wife suffers from this delusion. She refuses to accept any decorative item from abroad, because she is convinced that some pagan or another pronounced some enchantment on them. Me? I am a servant and child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His power is above all things, so I fear nothing.

In addition, Scripture backs me up: I Corinthians 8. Nevertheless, since her faith is weak, I avoid such trinkets so as not to cause her to stumble.

 

[Christopher0121]

I think the subject is a bit more complex than most people realize. Demonization comes in at least 2 phases (some Christians have broken these things down into more than 2).

Oppression - This is when demonic forces attack or attempt to influence you or your loved ones from the outside.

Possession - This is when demonic forces begin to take up residence in one's being as a spiritual parasite that will drive the individual further down the road of sin or mental instability in the hopes of destroying their host.

While Christians do indeed have power over "cursed objects" that doesn't mean that we negate them when they are around us in some automatic or mechanical manner.

For example, let's say a Christian purchased a beautiful African statue at a thrift store. It's beautiful, cultural, and well crafted. The Christian might not know that the statue was actually a part of demonic rituals and now has demonic attachments. That Christian home might find itself experiencing heightened emotional sensitivities leading to more fights and arguments. They might start experiencing nightmares. And yes, they might begin to experience paranormal activity, or mental/emotional instability.

If the Christian family is walking in the Spirit the Holy Spirit will reveal the nature of the spiritual attack (discernment). At this point the Christian family should break the curse on the item and perhaps get rid of it. Any continued demonic activity as it relates to oppression or possession should be dealt with in accordance to how the Holy Spirit leads. The power that resides in us is far more powerful than any demonic power. However, where we often fail is in properly recognizing demonism and properly employing the power that resides in us.

 

[BryanJohnMaloney]

I Corinthians 8.