Some topics are quite taboo with the church, such as sex, homosexuality, and supernatural encounters. Christian writer Belinda Elliott said whenever people try talking about ghosts or "spirits" during Bible studies, Christian leaders are often at a loss on how to handle the situation.
One time, Elliott led a Bible study wherein people discussed their encounters with "spirits." These Christians believed that deceased relatives were communicating to them. Elliott said their discussion felt more like a New Age seminar rather than a Christian Bible study.
"These were Christian women that I had known for several years. Did they seriously believe that their dead relatives continued to visit them as ghosts?" she shared with CBN News. "How could I lovingly explain that this concept is not biblical?"
Elliott could not argue with these people's experiences, because it's quite clear they experienced something supernatural. However, she believes their encounters were of a demonic nature, or something induced by occult activity. And because these people were highly interested in communicating with the supernatural, Elliott feared they were opening themselves up to Satan's attacks.
Back then, Elliott chose to remain silent. To say that their "relatives" communicating to them were nothing more than demons in disguise would be impolite. But she decided now that a Christian should always stand up for biblical truth.
"Since that night I've been more attuned to how often the topic of the paranormal comes up, even in church settings," she said. "With the enormous amount of interest in the supernatural, perhaps it is time that more Christians, both leaders and lay people, start studying and addressing the issue."
Elliott recommended the book "The Truth Behind Ghosts, Mediums & Psychic Phenomena" by Ron Rhodes, president of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries. She said the book reveals a lot about supernatural happenings in an easy-to-read format.
One of the things she has learned from the book is that not all psychics are fake, contrary to popular opinion. Elliott said these people use powers that are actually very real and dangerous because they've open themselves up to satanic influence. Christians would be well-advised to stay away from them.
Christians who have experienced a deep and painful loss are susceptible to these psychics' powers. Elliott said they must resist communicating with demons who impersonate dead humans.
"Often they will use a person's deep grief at the loss of a loved one to gain their attention. Once the person believes they are hearing from their loved one, and that they can renew contact with him or her through the psychic or medium, they are hooked on the supernatural experience. Satan can then use this to lure them away from God and into a myriad of other occult activities," she warned.
Christians need not be fearful of demonic interference issues, but they should never be ignorant of these things either, Elliott said. A good education on Scripture is needed to combat this ignorance and to proclaim God's truth, she said.
