Curse:  The expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, etc., befall a person, group, etc.

Satan was the first to be cursed.  (Gen.3:14-15) “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”  The first curse we see in scripture is that of disobedience to God, the result of the fall of man.  A curse from God is the result of disobedience to Him and His laws.

(Gen.3:17-19) “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” 

It was disobedience that brought the curse to Adam.
(Gen.3:16) “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”  The curse for Eve was that she was to bring forth children in sorrow, and she lost equality with her husband who was now to rule over her.  Jesus came and restored this, as we are all one in Christ Jesus.  (Gal.3:28) “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

These are just the beginnings of the curses from God.  There are many places, as we shall see, where curses were implemented as a result of disobedience to God and His laws. 

Those that blaspheme the name of God are in danger of destruction.  (Lev.24:11-16) “And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan :) And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them. 

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.  And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.  And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.” 

The Lord has not changed.  Even though we are under grace now and not the law, everything in the law was a shadow for which is to come.  Instead of stoning a person today, God may withhold His protection from someone, or allow trying times and situations to invade that persons life as a result of blaspheming His name.

Make no mistake, a person will not receive a curse for no reason.  All words must go through God first.  (Prv.26:2) “As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.”  A curse can only be implemented to someone deserving of it.  It will come no other way. 

Even though we have been redeemed from the curse of the law, we are still under the law of sowing and reaping.  We reap what we sow. (Col.2:14-16) “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.”  

(Gal.6:7-8) “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”  God will not be mocked by having a sinful believer in His midst.  What we do has serious repercussions to it.

A curse may come under someone as a result of a demonic object in the house that is an abomination to the Lord.  (Deut.7:26) “Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.”  The word curse here in this verse means appointed to destruction.  Any pagan deity or idol of eastern pagan gods, occult items and symbols and anything demonic for that matter carries a plague of destruction with it and should be discarded immediately.  This is something God takes most seriously.

(Deut.13:13-18) “Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you; Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.

And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again. And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers; When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.” 

Here we see that certain men went after other gods and God commanded that the city be burned and all the spoil.  This is because He did not want anyone to take anything home that was cursed.  He commanded it to be burned and the city and to never build it again.  It states not to cleave to the cursed thing so that the wrath of the Lord will not rest on those who have that cursed thing in their possession.  This should serve as a swift reminder that there is only one God and He is a jealous God. 

(Ex.20:4-5) “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. 

God will not tolerate a pagan deity in the home of a Christian.  In the home of the heathen, they may have demonic problems such as things moving and creepy sounds and occurrences.  If a deity of demonic origin is in the home of a Christian, the wrath of God will abide there until the fake god is removed.  We see it in the new covenant as well.  (Acts 19:19) “Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.”

God repeatedly warns His people against the use of demonic power and gives us such warnings to protect us from the power of the enemy.  Idolatry is condemned repeatedly throughout scripture.  (I Cor.10:20) “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” 

An idol is a symbol and behind the symbol is the devils power.  Satanic symbols, witchcraft symbols, any form of divination or occult emblems hold serious demonic power to them and can invite a curse upon the owner.  Demons are often attached to such objects and can deceive and manipulate reason in order to deceive.  All occult objects are cursed objects.

Heathen idols that can be purchased in department stores across America, many represent heathen deities.  These items should never be in a Christian home.  American magick such as good luck charms can have a root in the occult.  Luck has to do with Satan.  Anything of a superstitious nature should be cast out.  Horoscopes and other forms of divination are all demonic lies.  Christians ought not to have such things in their homes.  Only through being clean before God can we be safe.  

(Ps.37:22) “For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.”  God punishes disobedience and rewards those that obey Him and keep His commandments.  (Ps.119:21) “Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.”

(Deut.27:15-26) “Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother.

And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.”

Here we have a list of things that allow a curse to become valid or to have legal grounds to take root in your life. 

1) Those that make an idol. (Any pagan deity or middle-eastern god will have a curse attached to it.) 

2) Those that dishonor their parents. (Prov.20:20) “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.” 

3) Those that are dishonest about what is theirs.  (removing a landmark shows dishonesty as to what part of the land belongs to you.) 

4) Those that cause the blind to go out of the way. (This also has a spiritual element to it, as the blind are symbolic of those without truth.  Ministers that cause this are under a curse.) 

5) Those that pervert judgment, leaders that are corrupt. 

6) Those that commit adultery with their father’s wife. 

7) Beastiality 

8) incest

9) Adultery with a mother-in-law

10) A person who hits his neighbor in secret.

11) Those that take bribes to murder.  12) Cursed is anyone who does not do these things written in the law.

Now, the flip side to this is that there are rewards to obedience.  (Deut. 28:1-14) “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 

Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.  Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.  Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.  Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 

The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.  The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 

The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.  And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.  And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 

The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.  And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:  And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

God goes on in the rest of this chapter to pronounce further curses as a result of continued disobedience, but I think by now, you should get the picture as to how God Almighty responds to sin and disobedience.

(Jer.11:3-4) “And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God.” 

This has validity today as well.  Egypt is symbolic of the world, which Jesus redeemed us from like the Father brought Israel out from with a mighty hand.  We are not to go back into the world and have fellowship with darkness again.  (II Cor.6:14) “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” 

It goes on to talk about fellowship with idols and satanic fellowship that a christian should not do these things.  In the old covenant, we see that curses resulted from such practices.  When we engage in pagan practices, it obliges God to curse us for it.  (Mal.1:14) “But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.”  

God’s ministers are warned to give God the glory and if He does not receive it, the priests will be under a curse.  In the following passage, the priests were stealing the daily sacrifices and selling them for money.  As a result, the people no longer went to the temple to fellowship with God and God was robbed of that fellowship.  It is the same way in our generation as well.  Many ministers have corrupted their purpose for money and many have stopped going to church because of it and God is robbed of glory.

  (Mal.2:1-4) “And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.  If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. 

Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.  And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.”   (Mal.3:9) “Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.”  God punished their greed and deception by sending the Messiah to cleanse the temple.

Those that are still trying to perform the works of the law whether willingly of ignorantly are putting themselves into subjection of a curse. (Gal.3:10,13) “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” 

Jesus became our curse to free us from the curse of the law.  To go back into the practices of the old covenant, is to bring yourself back under the curses of the law.  This is what the crown of thorns symbolized when it was placed on Jesus.  (Gen.3:18) “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.”  His blood broke the curse of sin, the law, death, the power of Satan and everything else.

When we turn back to God, He will curse our enemies. (Deut.30:7) “And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.”  When Israel (the church) turns back to God, He will curse our enemies.

The good thing about curses from God is that they can be broken by simple repentance.  (Deut.30:2-5) “  And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;

That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.  If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.” 

(Is.1:18-20) “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

(Rom.8:1-2) “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Generational Curses

 (Ex.20:5-6) “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”  A generational curse is a curse where a certain person from a previous generation has sinned and the result of that sin is a judgment or a curse from God up to four generations. 

In this verse, it is related to idolatry.  It was demonic worship to idols and God hates that and curses it up to four generations.  But, at the end of the verse He does state that He shows mercy to thousands of generations.  This is because His judgment is limited but His mercy is not.  (Ex.34:7) “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”  

Many in witchcraft and Satanism have been initiated from birth, as their parents before them were.  Many grow up having gone through horrible atrocities too horrible to imagine.  They have been under a curse of witchcraft from many generations.  It is only by God’s power that such a curse can be broken.  God is the only one who can merit a generational curse.  But it is a curse as a result of disobedience to God.

A generational curse is effective as a result of blatant disregard for God and His holiness, majesty and sovereignty.  The ultimate act of defiance to God is to go into the occult such as Witchcraft. (I Sam.15:23) “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”  God cursed His own people for going into idolatry so it is possible for a Christian to be put under a generational curse as a result of going away from God and His ways and going into the realm of the demonic. 

Other than this, a Christian is generally safe from a generational curse from God. In the above scripture it states that they are cursed to the fourth generation of them that hate me.  If a person belonging to God goes into idolatry as they did, it is a major insult to God and he will curse that generation.

A non-believer may come under a curse from witchcraft as a result of not being redeemed from the curse of the law.  They have no covering for their sins so the enemy can have free reign in their lives.  (It is not to say that they do not have limitations.  God will only allow so much according to what the person does who is under demonic control or bondage.) 

Demons never have complete freedom to do whatever they please.  God has placed regulations on them to keep them from destroying everything. The only way a non-believer can be freed from a generational curse is by salvation through Christ.   Trying to break a curse off of someone who is not redeemed by the blood of Christ as his covering is useless.  Remember that a curse will only be allowed to be upon someone if they deserve it. 

A believer that is saved by Christ is not deserving of a curse.  But, an unbeliever lost in sin is deserving of it.  We must remove the reason by which the curse has power over the person.  Then we can attempt to remove the curse.  God is the instigator of a generational curse, and He is the one who will break it as a result of salvation.

A person that is dedicated to the devil in Satanism or witchcraft is under a generational curse until the curse is broken by God through salvation.  It is possible that the curse of witchcraft will continue indefinitely if there is no intervention by God. 

If there are occult issues, they must be renounced and given up even after salvation.  Any ties to demons must be broken and put under the blood of Jesus.  There is no way to break this type of curse except through salvation.  It is God who breaks it not our prayers or fastings or any other Christian right.  It is repentance and salvation that breaks this type of curse.