Ghosts, Shapeshifters & Demons: What Does the Bible Say About Them?
A few years ago, my wife, Loretta, and I were traveling through Arkansas and needed a place to stay for the night, so we stopped at a hotel in Eureka Springs. It was an older hotel, but it was obvious it had been upgraded, although it still had its quaint look.
Upon entering our room after checking in, I could hear a commotion in the hallway. On my investigation, I found a camera crew and someone who appeared to be a journalist with a microphone. When I inquired, they told me they were from the Syfy Channel and were doing a documentary on the most haunted hotels in America. It seems that this hotel in a past century was a treatment facility for cancer and other ailments and several people had mysteriously died there.
After leaving the hotel, I researched and discovered that the hotel also had what they called “ghost tours.” This brings us to the questions: Do ghosts actually exist and what does the Bible say on this subject?
First, let’s define what is meant by the word ghosts. The definition and terminology used today would imply that a ghost is a disembodied spirit, the slightly visible transparent image of a human who has lived and died, and for some reason is restricted to this physical earthly plane to complete a task or communicate a message to someone still living.
Biblically speaking, a ghost of this terminology does not exist. However, a scripture used by ghost theorists is Matthew 14:26. This is when Jesus told His disciples (who saw Him walking on the water) that He was not a “ghost” as they had feared. Since He did not rebuke them for saying they thought He was a ghost, many have used this scripture as proof that ghosts actually exist.
However, in the original Greek language of the New Testament, the word ghost and spirit are synonymous. The Greek word is pneuma. That is why you will find that some versions of the Bible say the Holy Ghost while other versions say the Holy Spirit when talking about the third member of the Trinity.
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:25-27).
Angels are spirits, so it would be appropriate for the disciples to think they saw an angelic being walking on the water, which could have brought them fear. That could be why Jesus did not rebuke them.
The Bible clearly tells us that when a person physically dies, their spirit either goes to Hades or to Paradise, also known as the Bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:22-23). Nowhere in the Bible is it found that the spirit of a human, which modern terminology would define as a ghost, lingers on the earth.
Which brings another question. What is it that people see when they observe something that they perceive to be a ghost? Obviously, they are seeing something, but what is it they are seeing?
Most likely they are seeing demonic beings who are on the earth because they were cast down to the earth with Satan at his rebellion. There is also the possibility that a non-believer could see an angel of God and become fearful and perceive it as a ghost simply because of their lack of spiritual discernment.
So why would the disciples be fearful if they saw an angel of God walking on the water? Why would they be afraid? Much like the shepherds were told not to be fearful when the angelic host appeared to them at the birth of Jesus, the disciples had to be told, “Do not be afraid.” Why? Probably because of the overwhelming appearance and magnificence of the angels.
But on the other hand, if they saw a demonic spirit (the spirit of a fallen angel), of course they would be afraid. Demonic spirits would be distorted and hideous and operate in the realm of fear. The bottom line is this: Ghosts, as defined in current vernacular through theater, movies, and novels, do not exist. But angels, both of God and fallen, do exist and there are many biblical accounts of them being seen by natural eyes.
Any time a spirit brings fear by appearing as a haunted or grotesque image, it is from the enemy and not of God, but it also is not a disembodied human spirit left wandering on the earth. Beings appearing as ghosts are spirits, but not human spirits. Ghosts are NEVER human spirits. Christians are warned to NEVER participate in any activity (séance) that would attempt to conjure up a spirit from the dead. Some do this as seemingly innocent entertainment, but it can bring deadly results.
Inviting Demons to Church
Many years ago, after attending a Christian university and majoring in theology, my wife and I joined a small denominational church of about 300 members. Even though I was quite young at the time, I was asked to become the leader of the men’s fellowship within the church. I was honored, so I accepted.
I thought that I had been asked because of my vast knowledge of the Bible. After all, I had been a Bible student at a Christian university. However, I later found out that they had asked most of the men in the church and they had all declined. I was their last resort. It was a humbling discovery.
Anyway, as director of the men’s fellowship, I was automatically put on the church planning committee, and I anxiously awaited the first planning meeting.
The meeting was in the basement of the parsonage. The committee consisted of the Women’s Missionary Union leader, the Sunday School superintendent, the chairman of the board of deacons, the pastor’s wife, and me.
The pastor’s wife was the committee chairman who opened the meeting by asking what progress had been made concerning the Halloween party for the youth of the church. Several suggestions were discussed, but after each suggestion the pastor’s wife would make the same comment, “Last year the party was so good. How can we top it this year?” It seemed as though every recommendation made did not measure up to the previous year’s party.
Since this was my first committee meeting, I wanted to keep quiet, but my curiosity got the best of me. I asked, “What did the church do last year that is so difficult to top?”
The pastor’s wife leaned over and placing her hand on my arm said, “Last year we got a large round table and brought it down here to the parsonage basement. We covered it with a white tablecloth, lit candles, brought in all the teenagers in the church and had a séance. It was great!”
I couldn’t believe my ears. It was my first and my last committee meeting.
How can we truly believe the Word of God and knowingly worship Satan? What an abomination!
Apparently, some Christians see nothing wrong with Halloween parties in the church or allowing children to dress and imitate witches, vampires, and demonic beings. Has the modern church become so humanistic that it sees nothing wrong with demon worship? Children should be taught to imitate and emulate God—not the world of the occult.
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God (3 John 11).
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children (Ephesians 5:1).
Satanic Con Game
When people gather for a séance in order to speak to a departed person through a medium who is channeling their communication through a distorted voice, what is actually occurring? The spirit and voice are not from a departed human. It is either from the trickery of man to deceive and manipulate the living, or it is demonic. It is a type of satanic con game. The Bible teaches us that human spirits that have passed into Paradise or Hades are restricted, and unable to communicate with the living (Luke 16:26).
What is a “familiar spirit”? It is a demonic spirit that observes the living and has obtained knowledge that can be revealed or channeled through a witch or medium giving the illusion that they are the spirit of someone who has died. For this reason, the Bible says that contacting a medium to conjure up the dead is strictly forbidden, and the consequences of doing this were fatal. To speak to a familiar spirit that is pretending to be the spirit of someone departed brings confusion, deception, and destruction.
What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts?
To become obsessed with ghosts and paranormal manifestations is another distraction from the enemy. For a Christian who is seeking answers from the spirit world, their only Source is the Holy Spirit who will guide them in all truth and reveal things to come (John 16:13). A Christian should NEVER seek the kingdom of darkness for answers.
Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19:31).
And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people (Leviticus 20:6).
So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance (1 Chronicles 10:13).
Shapeshifters
A favorite character in modern fantasy and science fiction movies is shapeshifters. The concept of shapeshifting is based in mythology, folklore, and speculative fiction. It is the ability to physically transform its appearance into another being or object. These fictional beings have the ability to change their physical appearance so dramatically that they appear as completely different entities.
An example would be that a shapeshifter might appear as a bear, then moments later appear as a giraffe or a human. While these stories are definitely drawn from fantasy, the question we may ask is this: Is it a reality that a being can change its appearance and appear as something completely different from what it actually is?
Biblically speaking, there are beings recorded in the Bible that can change their appearance. We could call them a type of spiritual shapeshifter. While shapeshifters as portrayed in modern science fiction media are bizarre and extreme, it does reflect a spiritual truth that some spirit beings can change their appearance.
It’s interesting that Satan himself has several different appearances described in Scripture. First, he was a cherub in heaven—powerful and beautiful (Ezekiel 28:14). After being expelled from heaven, he appeared as a serpent in the Garden of Eden when he spoke to Eve (Genesis 3:1). In the book of Revelation, it reveals that he was a dragon and a devil (Revelation 12:9). Second Corinthians 11:14 says that sometimes he even transforms himself into an angel of light. However, regardless of his appearance, he is still Satan and only appears to be something else.
Remember, Satan is a fallen angel, so if he has the ability to change his appearance, how much more is it possible for the angels of God (who obviously have greater power than fallen angels) to change their appearance? We know from Scripture that angels appeared in the heavens as glorious, heavenly beings when announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. But as discussed earlier in this book, angels also appeared as men when they traveled to Lot’s house in Sodom. But to the 185,000 Assyrians who were killed in one night by one angel, the angel must have appeared as a warrior (2 Kings 19:35).
When Jesus returns to catch away the church, Christians will go through a type of change as our resurrected bodies are transformed. At that point, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we will be changed and receive our glorified bodies that are no longer restricted by the earthly rule of physics. This is a permanent change by God Himself and is not shapeshifting.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:52-53).
The Bible teaches that at our transformation in the catching away of the church, we will be like Jesus is (1 John 3:2). We do not become gods, but we take our rightful place, which was God’s intention from the beginning when He created us in His likeness and image. In Bible terms, we are transformed into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
