Ghosts

Provocative title?

Recently, a Christian man who minsters to immigrant children in ATL was told by one of his kids that there was a ghost in their apartment.


This got me thinking about the issue of ghosts and how such a thing relates to our faith.

Something IS going on out there. I know that many things can be naturally explained and written off as psycho-somatic, but there are still many occurrences that can only be attributed to the supernatural.

I have experienced my own things:

- Watching a crucifix shake on the wall upon command at Marine Barracks Washington in 1997
- Being choked by some malevolence in my townhome around 1997 while reading a book on exorcism
- Seeing weird lights at night on the Gettysburg battlefield in 1998 with two other Marines
- Watching a cabinet door open of its own accord in the plantation where I was married, 2005
- Being deeply oppressed in bed one night, just at the moment that there was an attempted murder on my aunt in 2008

I have also had conversations with many people who have told me their own stories of ghosts and such. These are not crackpots, these are people whom I would place solid trust in.

So, I have to say that something is going on. But what?

American society tends to think of ghosts in some new age spiritual mumbo jumbo...people who can't go to the light yet because they have unfinished business here...departed loved ones looking over us...residual life energies...etc.

Of course, the real question is: what does Scripture say on the subject?

To begin with...God told his people in Deut 18:10 that they should not engage in occult practices. That says a few things to me...

- There is a supernatural world of spirits and magick that we can have interaction with
- God does not want those who love him to seek such interaction. I think this is a general principle not solely Mosaic law.

Further confirmation of the possibility of ghosts (in fact, the idea that ghosts are dead people) is found in 1 Samuel 28. Here we see God allow the ghost of Samuel come back to confront Saul thru the sorcery of the Witch of Endor...nothing to do with man-eating Teddy bears btw.

I think that this was a special case, with no other similar record in the Bible. However, I think it lends some credit to folks like my co-worker who says she saw her deceased father in her bedroom shortly after his death. She said he brought a comforting message accompanied by beautiful light in her time of distress.

The Bible is also clear that there are demons. These fallen angels have been cast to our planet with their leader, the great adversary Satan. See Revelation 12 for the backstory. We also know that they have a mission here...1 Peter 5 says that the devil is looking to devour us.

We also know that our enemy is a liar and that he is a master of deception. It seems to me that he has sold most of our nation on the lie that ghosts are interesting topics and benign lost souls. Such beliefs undercut the truth of Scripture that we are appointed only once to death and then to be judged on account of our faith. If an obsession with ghosts distracts one person from the reality of Scripture...the damage is done. Thats why I think that most ghosts (and things like UFOs) are really just demonic ploys to move our gaze from Christ to something else that "fills" the need we have for knowing that something is outside the material world.

At the end of the day, there is not enough scriptural evidence to fully explain what is going on with ghosts and hauntings. I think there is enough to say these things...

- Don't get obsessed with the occult. Watch what you ingest through media...horror movies in particular. Don't invite the entities into your life.

- Stay connected to Christ. Nothing can separate us from him if he has saved us - Romans 8. Pray, read the Word, obey his commands...that's the best defense against ghostly/ demonic incidents.

- If you do have an incident that seems like a family member is watching over you, test the spirits. Ask yourself if what they say (either audibly or thru inner voices) is in line with the Scriptures.

- If confronted with an actual apparition, command it by the power of Jesus Christ to tell you who it serves - 1 John 4. Be sure to do this only if you are truly saved lest you end up as the sons of Sceva in Acts 19.

- If you feel yourself to be under regular demonic attack through some supernatural manifestations...seek a community of believers who will hold to God's word and pray for you. Repent of your sins and look to close open doors in your life. Hold onto the promise of God's grace and mercy in such difficulties and keep praying!

In the case of the young immigrant girl who told the missionary she sees ghosts...I pray that she would be led by him into a deeper love for Christ. I pray that her family would be counted of God's flock and that they would all recognize the existence of spiritual beings and the deceits and lies of the evil one in his attempts to get our attention fixed anywhere but the truth.

I would interested in hearing other's experiences and thoughts on this topic.