Obedience

So Samuel, inspired by the Holy Spirit, gave us one of the greatest lessons in scripture. It so clearly describes true religion. Religion is not sacrifice, but obedience. It shows that though Saul was offering to the Lord, it was idolatry, walking in the ways of the nations around him.

And Samuel said, Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king. (1 Sam 15:22-23).

This passage also shows what witchcraft is. It is rebellion and manipulation. Saul tried to manipulate God with his offering. We learn this from a very young age, as children disobeying our parents. We learn how to manipulate them. This is witchcraft: an attempt to get our own way by manipulation. When we grow older we learn more fancy ways of doing it.

All witchcraft is manipulation, bluff, fear and rebellion. It has no authority. It is merely a work of the flesh (Gal 5:19-20). There is no supernatural power in witchcraft unless God allows it. On the other end of the stick, all manipulation, whether by Christian or non-Christian, is witchcraft: human nature.