Many people believe that ghosts exist and are the restless spirits of the dead who remain on Earth to haunt places or people, eerily manifest as apparitions of their former selves, seek revenge or closure on something, watch over their living loved ones, or are wandering souls who cannot “cross over to the afterlife.”
However, the Bible states that the spirits (souls) of those who have died do not linger on Earth for any amount of time but are immediately present in one of two places: Heaven or Hell. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” (Click here for verses about believers entering Heaven upon their death and click here for verses about unbelievers entering Hell upon their death.)
Given this fact, deceased people do not (and cannot) haunt places or people, manifest as apparitions of their former selves, seek revenge on anyone, obtain closure on anything, nor can they watch over their loved ones on Earth. Additionally, there are no “wandering souls who cannot cross over to the afterlife.”
However, the Earth is home to a host of wicked, demonic spirits (i.e., fallen angels) who are led by Satan, and whose objective is to lead people away from God and the truth of His Word. Their ultimate goal is to destroy people spiritually by misleading, deceiving, and lying to them, evoking fear within them, and convincing them that the spirits of deceased people do not immediately go to Heaven or Hell but are free to roam and haunt the Earth in various capacities.
Demons are described in Scripture as evil spirits who masquerade as “angels of light” (see 2 Corinthians 11:14). They can also speak or manifest themselves through occultic people and practices (see Deuteronomy 18:10-11), cause supernatural phenomenon to occur (see Job chapters 1 and 2 and Revelation 13:11-13), impact or influence the weather (see Job 1:16-19 and Luke 8:22-25 in relation to 8:26-39), inflict diseases or infirmities on people (see Job 2:3-7 and Luke 13:10-13), possess individuals (see Matthew 12:43-45, Luke 8:27, Mark 9:17-18, Acts 8:7, and Luke 8:32-33), and conjure up demonically-inspired deceptions.
Scripture also describes Satan and his evil army as wicked, powerful rulers of darkness in heavenly places (see Galatians 6:12), and that Satan is a “roaring lion” intent on killing (see 1 Peter 5:8), a thief and a destroyer (see John 10:10), a murderer and a liar (see John 8:44), an imposter (see 2 Corinthians 11:14), a deceiver (see 2 Corinthians 4:4, 11:3, and Revelation 12:9), and a schemer, to name a few (see Revelation 6:11). Therefore, if any paranormal activities or hauntings exist, or ghostly apparitions appear in the world, Satan and his demonic forces are behind it.
I hope this information helps you understand the truth behind “ghosts” and paranormal activities, and equips you to share it with others as needed.
