Belief in spirits
1. Introduction
In study: ‘Death and the state of the dead’,5,6, we see that the dead are not aware of anything. The dead are unconscious, asleep in the dust of the earth, where they remain until the resurrection, either of the just or of the unjust (see study: ‘Resurrection’,3.2,3.3).
This has implications for the almost universal belief that the dead survive temporal death, which stems from Satan’s original lie (see study: ‘Death and the state of the dead’,2). Satan has a deception prepared for every shade of spirit belief. In this study therefore, we address the various forms of belief in soul survival.
2. Spiritualism
Satan, through his agencies, perpetuates his original lie: ‘you will not surely die’ (Ge 2:17, 3:4). Satan and his angels have always sought to deceive mankind by masquerading as the dead.
However, as we have seen, the Bible teaches that the dead are unconscious. Thus any manifestations of the dead are a deception.
2.1 Modern spiritualism
Modern spiritualism began in 1848 in New York (USA) when two sisters (the Fox sisters) began to experience mysterious rapping noises, which were accepted as being of supernatural origin (see ‘Talking to the Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism’ by Barbara Weisberg).
The sisters began to practice as spirit mediums. From this beginning grew a new religion: Spiritualism. In its numerous forms, Spiritualism is accepted by almost the whole world - it appeals to the human desire to escape death.
Even though many manifestations of modern spiritualism are a hoax, people were (are) only too willing to believe the hoax. Thus Satan was (and is) able to provide what are accepted as genuine manifestations of those who have died.
However, Satan is unable to deceive those who are grounded in Scripture and have a correct understanding of death and the dead. Those who believe the Bible where it says that the dead ‘know not any thing’ (Ec 9:5) cannot be deluded by spirit manifestations.
2.2 Warning against claiming to contact the dead
Claiming to contact the dead is known as necromancy (see the Oxford English Dictionary).
The bible is very clear - necromancy is an abomination to God:
De 18:10-12 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD…
This passage confounds those who hold that life after death is proven in 1Sam 28 (below), in which we see a woman who has a familiar spirit call up what she claims is Samuel:
1Sa 28:3,7,11,12 Now Samuel was dead…
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her…
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: …
As we have seen, all the dead are unconscious. Thus what the woman called up cannot have been Samuel - it was therefore a Satanic manifestation. Clearly Saul believed that Samuel survived death, and Satan was only too willing to oblige.
Any who attempt to contact the dead are necromancers - they perpetuate Satan’s original lie, and thus are an abomination to God.
3. Belief in spirits of the dead
There are many of all religions (including Christianity) whose lives are governed by erroneous beliefs in spirits of the dead. These beliefs range from terror of evil spirits, to believing in the appearance of dead loved ones who supposedly give comfort.
All beliefs based on survival after death are deceptions of Satan. Satan is able to falsify appearances of the dead because those to whom 'the dead' appear want it to be true.
All who believe in soul survival after death have no defence against Satan’s deceptions, which are so all-encompassing that almost the whole world is under Satan’s control.
3.1 The range of Satan’s deceptions
Pagan religions
The terror of the dead experienced by those who are trapped in pagan religions is at one extreme. The lives of such poor souls are governed every moment by having to appease the spirits, otherwise, they believe some dire calamity will befall them. However, in the eyes of Heaven, because of their unfavourable circumstances they are not held wholly culpable, unless they are exposed to the truth and reject it.
‘Christian’ beliefs
The other extreme: the ‘Christian’ belief in soul survival, which encompasses belief in the intervention by dead saints in human affairs, and especially belief in the doctrine of the virgin Mary as co-redemtrix with Christ, is far more insidious because it is seen as good.
Those who hold such beliefs are more culpable in the sight of Heaven because they have ready access to Scripture, but choose to ignore the truth - the truth, for instance, that Mary is asleep in the dust of the earth and awaiting the resurrection to eternal life (there is no record in Scripture that Mary ascended to Heaven).
Many Christians are terrorized into such beliefs by apostate leaders who threaten loss of salvation to those who question their doctrines.
The same deception
Such is Satan’s skill, Christians who believe in soul survival cannot see that they are under the same deception as, for instance, the Voodoo priest.
Satan has a deception prepared for every shade of spirit belief, but the underlying deception is the same in every case.
Christ pities all who are trapped in Satan’s deceptions, and longs to set them free.
4. Freedom in Christ
Christ has prepared His Word of truth (Ps 119:43; Jn 17:17) to set free all who are trapped in Satan’s deception of soul survival.
Jn 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
All who choose to be set free in Christ are released from Satan’s captivity and experience ultimate freedom:
Jn 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
5. Summary
It has always been Satan’s intent to perpetuate his original lie: ‘you will not surely die’ - in this Satan has been enormously successful.
Those who believe mistakenly that the dead survive death are Satan’s captives. Those who claim to contact the dead support Satan in his lie, and are thus an abomination to God.
Scripture is our only safeguard against Satan’s lie. Christ longs to free all who are caught in Satan’s wiles.