In certain circumstances, it seems justifiable to explore every avenue of possible healing. However, only the God of the Bible has the ultimate authority and power to heal or to save life, even medical doctors are not greater than God! The question is, "Do witchdoctors honour Jesus or not?" The Bible says that anyone who will not accept the light of Jesus is living in the dark, and condemned (see John 3:17-21).

The practice of seeking treatment from witch doctors, is common in some African cultures. Because this is the normal village practice when someone is sick, it can appear to be compatible with faith in Christ, especially if some Christians do it. But when we become a new creation in Christ, we must put off the things of darkness, even if they are traditional, and live in the light with Jesus. Any person or spirit that does not honour Jesus is of the darkness.

God is always insulted when we look to powers other than His for deliverance or provision. As His children we must renounce all involvement in witchcraft and put our total trust in Christ's ability to help. Christ has much more power than demons, as He is the Creator and they are rebellious created beings. Through Him we have been given the powerful Spirit of God who is above all spirits. God is good and he always works for our good: whereas evil spirits are cunning and may seem to help at first but get us entangled eventually to our destruction.

The Bible says the following about occult consultations:
Leviticus 19:26 ‘you shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes’;
Leviticus 19:31 ‘do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God’. (NIV)

We must also consider what the Bible says about seeking healing. There are many passages about the faith of a believer making them well, for example, when Jesus or the Apostles performed miracles. The Bible also talks about God dealing with suffering and sickness in response to prayer (see James 5:13-18). On the other hand, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 is a strong warning against Satan's work in counterfeit miracles.

It is through prayer that we express our faith in the God who can heal. This is the model by which we are to fight spiritual battles even when they manifest themselves in a physical or mental way. As Ephesians 6:16-18 makes clear:
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (NIV)

We are to put our trust in Christ and use the means which God has allowed for us to seek healing. If we seek help from forces which do not honour God, we are not trusting in God. The kingdom of darkness will only lead to frustration and despair. The Kingdom of Light is where healing, hope, freedom and forgiveness are all found in the wonderful power of Jesus.