Former Satanist John Ramirez shared a dire warning with Pastor Vlad Savchuk about the snare creeping into the body of Christ: the occult is intentionally imitating Christian practices—and millions of believers don’t even recognize the counterfeit.
According to Ramirez, who once operated deep inside the occult, nothing in the demonic realm is original. “We copy everything in the church,” he says. “We fast, we pray, we put hands on people, we speak in tongues. The only thing witches don’t have is the presence of God.”
He further explains that demonic power is real, but it’s conditional—built on fear, manipulation and spiritual contracts. However, the structure, rituals and vocabulary are all designed to mirror Christianity while drawing people away from it.
1. Witches Fast—But Not for God
Just as believers fast to align themselves with the Holy Spirit, Ramirez says witches fast to become more sensitive to demonic instruction.
“Witches fast to hear demons clearly,” he reveals. “They fast to sharpen their spiritual senses and increase the power of their rituals.”
These fasts imitate biblical discipline but are powered by darkness, not surrender to the Lord.
2. They Lay Hands on People
Ramirez explains that witches also “lay hands” on individuals—but instead of imparting the Holy Spirit, they impart spiritual attack.
“When I would lay hands on someone, I was sending demons into their mind, their body, their home,” he says. “Just like in church, where the pastor imparts blessing—witches impart bondage.”
3. They Speak in Tongues
Perhaps most shocking of all, Ramirez notes that the demonic realm even counterfeits the gift of tongues.
“Demons have their own tongues,” he states. “It sounds spiritual. It feels supernatural. But it’s not from God. It’s a language that summons spirits.”
He warns believers not to assume that supernatural activity is automatically holy. “If there’s no presence of God—run.”
4. Witchcraft Manipulates Atmospheres
Ramirez also describes how witches intentionally shift atmospheres—something Christians often talk about without understanding the warfare behind it.
“We would walk into a place and change the atmosphere instantly,” he says. “People would feel anxiety, fear, sickness, confusion—and they had no idea it was spiritual.”
According to him, many Christians mistake these attacks as random emotions rather than signs of spiritual influence.
5. The Deception of Manifesting: “It’s Witchcraft With Christian Language”
While Ramirez also exposed the rituals of witches, he explained how one deception is now more dangerous than all the rest: manifesting.
“Manifesting is witchcraft wrapped in positive thinking,” he warns. “Witches call it ‘speaking your reality.’ Christians call it ‘manifesting your future.’ It’s the same thing.”
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He explains that in the occult, practitioners use words, visualization and emotion to create desired outcomes—exactly what secular culture now promotes as harmless self‑empowerment.
“You’re not manifesting anything,” he says. “You’re giving demons permission to manipulate circumstances to look like the outcome you asked for.”
He stresses the difference between biblical faith and demonic manifestation:
- Faith trusts God’s will.
- Manifesting forces your own will.
- Faith leads to surrender.
- Manifesting leads to spiritual control.
“What people don’t understand is that manifesting is a contract,” Ramirez says. “You declare something into the atmosphere without God, and the enemy answers it.”
He adds that even Christians fall into this trap when they begin using New Age language—affirmations, vision boards centered on self, “speaking reality,” or attempting to attract blessings through energy.
“Any time you try to create outcomes without the Holy Spirit, you’re stepping into witchcraft,” he cautions.
This warning is a call for believers to return to one simple truth: spiritual authority is absolute, and not everything that sounds spiritual is from the Spirit of God.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
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