Ghosts

[Anglic6783]

Hi all
Up until recently I rejected the notion of ghosts but today I was in a pub and my glass looked as if it was swiped off the table onto the ground. I'm not talking like someone knocking it over as I looked away for a second as it looked like someone had intentionally swiped it off the table with some force into he ground. In not the only one in my family to see ghosts/spirits as my mother saw some when she was younger and my father had an icon on a door in his childhood home and frequency heard hooves galloping near it.
I guess I'm just asking if ghosts/spirits exist within the Bible and what they mean to a Christian
Thanks

 

[tim-from-pa]

Welcome. I see this is your first post. I'm not sure if this is real or just a test question, but what I have to say needs to be heard by all people, so it's a good question to bring up.

Human spirits, no. People sleep until the resurrection as they are dead and without life. But the scriptures teach the Lord will resurrect every person be it unto eternal life or damnation where they perish in the future lake of fire. I won't get into the nature of the resurrections where some are spiritual bodies and some are physical (which are burnt up) but the crux of it is that such activity is not so-called human spirits.

If indeed what you said is true, the action is that of a poltergeist. That's demonic. Actually the bible says a lot about such beings in what I call the "Genesis 6 incident". In a nutshell, these spirit beings from the offspring (or the offspring itself) explains many things quite well, such as ancient Greek mythology about giants, big-foot, aliens, poltergeists, demonic possessions and the like, some of these are not actually alien, but partly human actually.

Generally, they are fearful of the Lord, and those who follow his ways, although they can oppress them when they fall out of fellowship with the Lord. Don't confuse demons with Satan and his angels which are actually beautiful beings that pretend to be beings of light, like the Lord himself. The Christian has the Power of God (His Holy Spirit) and as such are superior over these creatures but the caveat is that one must walk with the Lord and don't try to take them on with human power alone.

Don't entertain or even acknowledge them. Quote scripture aloud, pray in the Spirit: anything they hate. As the bible says "Resist the Devil and he will flee".

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Hi all
Up until recently I rejected the notion of ghosts but today I was in a pub and my glass looked as if it was swiped off the table onto the ground. I'm not talking like someone knocking it over as I looked away for a second as it looked like someone had intentionally swiped it off the table with some force into he ground. In not the only one in my family to see ghosts/spirits as my mother saw some when she was younger and my father had an icon on a door in his childhood home and frequency heard hooves galloping near it.
I guess I'm just asking if ghosts/spirits exist within the Bible and what they mean to a Christian
Thanks

In general these are deemed to be evil spirits and we have authority over them. They are not dead people although those spirits masquerade as such if that’s useful.

 

[for_his_glory]

Hi Anglic6783 and welcome to CF

When that glass fell of the table did you notice a water trail behind it as sometimes the condensation under the glass can cause it to move as I have seen before.

I wouldn't call these apparitions ghost, but demons that can be sent to torment us, but greater is He (Jesus) that is in us then he (Satan) that is in the world. Here is a study I found years ago that helps to explain demons and hope it helps.

Mark 5:1-20 is the definitive passage on demon possession and its effects in the Bible. Some of the details about demons the Bible reveals in this passage are:

1. Devils want to be near dead human bodies or tombs (vs. 2, 3, 5).
2. They can cause unusual strength (vs. 3-4).
3. They can make a person unreasonable or immune to sensible persuasion (vs. 4).
4. They cause excessive crying (vs. 5).
5. They cause sadistic and masochistic behavior (vs. 5).
6. They have an affinity for heights (vs. 5).
7. They recognize Christ as "the Son of God" and appeal to Him (vs. 6-7).
8. They know they deserve torment and dread it (vs. 6-7).
9. They have names (vs. 9).
10. More than one can possess the same body (vs. 9).
11. They desire to stay in the same geographical region or "country" (vs. 10).
12. They would rather indwell an animal body than none at all (vs. 12).
13. They can cause animals to kill themselves (vs. 13).
14. They desire to be in a body when it dies (vs. 13).
15. They have a desire for water (vs. 13).

Mark 9:17-29 gives us even more details about devils:

16. They can cause dumbness and deafness (vs. 17, 25).
17. They cause rabid animal like behavior (vs. 18).
18. They can indwell from childhood (vs. 21).
19. They cause suicidal behavior (vs. 22).
20. They resist leaving a body and violently "rent" it while leaving (vs. 26).
21. There are different kinds of devils. Some have more power than others (vs. 29).
22. Some can only be removed by prayer and fasting of believer (vs. 29).

Ephesians 6:12 states Satan has a hierarchy of "devils" in his kingdom, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Thus some devils have more power and authority than others.

In Daniel 10:13 (as well as Mark 9:29) there is an example of this. "The prince of the kingdom of Persia" withstood the angel sent to explain Daniel's vision to him for 21 days. He could only break free when the angel Michael came and helped him overcome the powerful "prince." The "prince" may have been Satan, but more likely he was a very powerful devil.

Spiritually born again Christians who are indwelled with the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19, could never have a demon possess them, but one can oppress them like that of Paul's thorn in the flesh. The Holy Spirit would not allow a demon to possess the same person He is dwelling in.

1 Peter 1:13-25; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, God would not allow a demon to enter into one of His own as we are a new creation in Christ covered by His blood. We wage war with Satan and his demons on a daily basis, but not from within ourselves as we are of God and through Christ we have overcome them because greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world, 1 John 4:4.

Ephesians 6:10-20 we put on the full armour of God everyday in order to stand against the evil one and his demons. The believer has overcome the world of demons and nowhere in scripture does it say that one of God's own can be demon possessed

 

[D-D-W]

Angelic - what you have described is called in popular culture a poltergeist. They are demonic spirits and can cause all kinds of physical havoc, including things like the incident with the glass. The good news is you have authority over all the works of the devil and his minions thru the Name of Jesus.

So kick the thing out of that house in the name of Jesus.