Ghost Story

Do you believe in ghosts? A friend of mine was telling me of a story that she was involved in. Her family was staying the night at a “haunted” hotel. During the night, as she slept, she was awakened to the sensation that something was holding down her legs at the ankles. When she squirmed to free herself, the sensation stopped. However, moments afterwards something “bumped” her bed as “it” left her room. I told her about a story that had happened to me as a child where my brother and I saw a “shadow” move past a closed door. It was not either of us as we were the only two home at the time. Later on I recall seeing a “face” in the pattern of our front door that over time dissipated. Both of my experiences I attributed to being the “ghost” of my grandmother who had recently passed away. As I have aged and come to know the Lord, I no longer believe in ghosts, if by ghost you mean the spirit of a dead person trapped somewhere between this world and the next. The Bible says, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27).” When a person dies, their spirit goes directly into eternity where they will either spend it with the Lord or apart from Him based on what they did with Jesus Christ. There are no “disembodied” spirits or ghosts roaming around between this life and the next going “bump in the night” or grabbing ankles. However, what I do believe in is demons or fallen angels. One can hardly read through scripture without noticing all the demons running around. In the Gospels alone, we see where Jesus was rebuking demons, casting demons from people and even speaking with them. There is even a part in scripture where demons say they know Jesus and Paul just before attacking a person. Therefore, I do not think it strange when someone says their ankles were grabbed and their bed was bumped by an unseen force. I just don’t believe it was the spirit of a dead person involved in the act. 

There is something we must take from this other than an interesting story to tell. “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).” When I thought that it was my dead grandmother’s ghost roaming the house, I was not really afraid. After all, it was grandma, right? She loved me and I loved her. However, if what I saw was something otherworldly I now believe it to be a demon. Why? Scripture says that demons “disguise themselves,” so why wouldn’t they pass themselves off as “friendly ghosts” if you will? The agenda of Satan is to deceive people and lie to them. What greater lie than to think that our loved ones are still “walking” among us and perhaps “interacting” with us on occasion? It keeps us focused on things like ghosts and the darkness they supposedly come from and off of Jesus Christ and the truth about the afterlife and the judgment that awaits those who have died. Satan must love it when we get caught up believing in ghosts and trying to figure out where they come from and what they are doing here. While we are off telling ghost stories, playing ghost hunter, conducting séances and playing with Ouija boards getting deeper and deeper into the darkness where Satan resides, we are at the same time moving further away from the light and the truth of Jesus Christ and the salvation only offered through faith in Him. The Bible tells us that the demons end will correspond with their deeds. In other words, they are destined for Hell. God never created Hell for man, but if a person doesn’t accept Jesus Christ as their savior, God has not made any other place to put a person. Thus, Satan and his angels are seeking to have as much company as possible. Next time the subject of ghosts arises, change the subject to the Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ, not Satan and his minions.