Is a ghost-sighting considered as demonic? (Genesis 3:19) It could be. But there are no such things as ghosts.

Is there such a thing as ghosts? The answer to this question depends on what precisely is meant by the term “ghosts.” If the term means “spirit beings,” the answer is a qualified “yes.” If the term means “spirits of people who have died,” the answer is “no.” The Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are spirit beings, both good and evil. But the Bible negates the idea that the spirits of deceased human beings can remain on earth and “haunt” the living.

The word ghost refers to the spirit of a deceased human being who wanders the earth, either to help people, bring messages, has unfinished business, or, needs help crossing over. All of that is untrue. Religions that teach that belief are of new age, spiritism, spiritualism, wicca, satanic cults, devil worship, or are taught by psychics, mediums, tarot readers etc. When a person dies, their spirit goes to one of two locations--heaven or hell--that's it. They do not reincarnate, become an angel, a star, or a ghost. There is also no such things as spirit guides, past lives, twin flames, ufo's, and the like. All of these things are beliefs of the occult, and are guises by demons pretending to be such things.

Hebrews 9:27 declares, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” That is what happens to a person’s soul-spirit after death—judgment. The result of this judgment is heaven for the believer (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23) and hell for the unbeliever (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:22-24). There is no in-between. There is no possibility of remaining on earth in spirit form as a “ghost.” If there are such things as ghosts, according to the Bible, they absolutely cannot be the disembodied spirits of deceased human beings.

The Bible teaches very clearly that there are indeed spirit beings who can connect with and appear in our physical world. The Bible identifies these beings as angels and demons. Angels are spirit beings who are faithful in serving God. Angels are righteous, good, and holy. Demons are fallen angels, angels who rebelled against God. Demons are evil, deceptive, and destructive. According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, demons masquerade as “angels of light” and as “servants of righteousness.” Appearing as a “ghost” and impersonating a deceased human being definitely seem to be within the power and abilities that demons possess.

Many people have the gift to be able to see into the spiritual realm. This encompasses both realms, the heavenly and the demonic, or, one or the other. Our God gives each person specific gifts, and we are to ask HIM how we are to use our gifts. We're not meant to do what we want with it, or, to use them according to worldly beliefs. Worldly beliefs are not biblical and do not include God only. They serve satan, who is the god of this world, which steers people away from God, by making people believe in a host of false things. So if a person sees a spirit, they must decipher whether it is a heavenly angel (who serves God), or an evil angel (who serves satan).

The closest biblical example of a “haunting” is found in Mark 5:1-20. A legion of demons possessed a man and used the man to haunt a graveyard. There were no ghosts involved. It was a case of a normal person being controlled by demons to terrorize the people of that area. Demons only seek to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10). They will do anything within their power to deceive people, to lead people away from God. This is very likely the explanation of “ghostly” activity today. Whether it is called a ghost, a ghoul, or a poltergeist, if there is genuine evil spiritual activity occurring, it is the work of demons.

What about instances in which “ghosts” act in “positive” ways? What about psychics who claim to summon the deceased and gain true and useful information from them? Again, it is crucial to remember that the goal of demons is to deceive. If the result is that people trust in a psychic instead of God, a demon will be more than willing to reveal true information. Even good and true information, if from a source with evil motives, can be used to mislead, corrupt, and destroy.

If they are seeing demonic spirits, it could be associated to how they are living their life and if they have a personal attachment, or experiencing demonic occurances. It could be due to family history, personal situations, living ungodly, being a part of false religions or experimenting in occult activities. Whether they see good spirits or bad, they should claim salvation and become born again by asking Jesus into their life.

Interest in the paranormal is becoming increasingly common. There are individuals and businesses that claim to be “ghost-hunters,” who for a price will rid your home of ghosts. Psychics, séances, tarot cards, and mediums are increasingly considered normal. Human beings are innately aware of the spiritual world. Sadly, instead of seeking the truth about the spirit world by communing with God and studying His Word, many people allow themselves to be led astray by the spirit world. The demons surely laugh at the spiritual mass-deception that exists in the world today.