The Bible warns against practices that can lead to mind control or spiritual manipulation, such as sorcery and divination, as seen in Deuteronomy 18:9-13. Instead, believers are called to be transformed by the renewing of their minds, as Romans 12:2 teaches, and to beware of being taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophy, as Colossians 2:8 cautions. As Romans 6:16 notes, believers are to be slaves to righteousness, not to sinful patterns or deceptive practices. Additionally, 1 Peter 5:8 reminds believers to be alert and vigilant, recognizing that their adversary, the devil, seeks to exploit any vulnerability, making it essential to discern and resist any form of mental or spiritual manipulation.
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When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.