It has come to my attention today that the reason why Jesus dealt with so many demons and cast demons out of people was because there was so much dabbling in magical arts back in that day.
This... is just something I have honestly never thought about or wondered before, but... did Mary Magdalene once dabble in magic herself, (just to learn her lesson after Jesus cast the demons out) or was it maybe the result of her being in close proximity to someone dabbling in the occult?
There is nothing in scripture that would support that Mary Magdalene practiced magic. I was using peoples involvement in practicing magic arts as one of the reasons why there was so much demon possession. However, it is not the only reason that people could be possessed. A person not having faith and living according to the sinful nature leaves a person open to demonic attack.
The word 'pharmakeia' is translated as 'magic arts, sorcery, etc.' It is defined as follows:
Strong's Concordance
pharmakeia: the use of medicine, drugs or spells
Original Word: φαρμακεία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: pharmakeia
Phonetic Spelling: (far-mak-i'-ah)
Definition: the use of medicine, drugs or spells
Usage: magic, sorcery, enchantment.
HELPS Word-studies
5331 pharmakeía (from
pharmakeuō, "administer drugs") – properly, drug-related sorcery, like the practice of magical-arts, etc.
Below is an example:
"Furthermore, they did not repent of their murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft."
Therefore, the reference to sorcery, is referring to all of those who using drugs recreationally which draws them into spiritual realm and also opens them up for demonic attack. And of course there are those who are purposely using drugs when practicing magic, spells and incantations.