Are Ghosts Real? How About Spirits And Souls? Can Christians Be Possessed?

Did you know that the Bible says that there are ghosts?  Before going on, we need to define a couple of terms associated with ghost. Most dictionaries defines ghost as:

A disembodied spirit or an apparition

of a dead person

that is believed to appear

or become manifest to the living,

typically as a nebulous image.

Furthermore, the Bible goes on to more clearly define that a ghost:

is the spirit of an disembodied individual,

such as a human,

soulish animal

or angel.

I feel the need to stop and define 'soul', because it is quite often confused with the spirit. As a matter of fact, in a recent study, most ministers, priests, elders to the average Christian were found not to be able to differentiate between the two. Quite simply:

A soul is when the spirit combined with a body.

or simply

The combination of the spirit and the body.

To support, this Hebrews 4:12 says,

For the word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the

division of soul and spirit,
joints and marrow,

and discerning the thoughts
and intentions of the heart.

As a side note, when the Bible says that God saved your soul, it means that he has ensured the coexistence of your body and spirit, to be in his presence, in eternity.

So, are there ghosts? The Bible says, yes. However, do these ghosts haunt or visit us? Well, again, that depends. The ghosts of human beings do not. Job 7:9 tells us:

As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
    so one who goes down to the grave

does not return.

But, there are non-human spirits that can make themselves known to and even speak to you. As a mater of fact, the spirits, that try to communicate or the spirits, that you actually are able to communicate with, are evil spirits or demons trying to cause you harm physically or spiritually or even possess you. This is the reason why Isaiah 8:19-20 tells us not to engage with mediums or spiritualists.

And when someone says to you,

‘Consult the mediums and the spiritualists
who whisper and mutter.’

Should not a people consult their God?

Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

To the law and to the testimony,

if they speak not according to this word,

it is because there is no light in them.

Now, a quick comment on possession. Can Christians be possessed? Most, in Christian leadership, will tell you, absolutely not. They will go on to tell you that the Holy Spirit and an evil spirit cannot dwell within the same person. Unfortunately, there is no Biblical support for that position. Check it out for yourself. If you are a Christian and you open the door to an evil spirit, God gives in to your free will. However, God does protect you by giving you a warning and the power to get rid of it. But, if you continue down the path of evoking the evil spirit, God allows you to have your way.

I must reiterate that we must first seek out mediums, such as spiritualist, tarot cards, séances, ouija boards, etc., before we are open to possession. It cannot just happen.

Final Warnings!!!

Any spirit that is not of God is not to be trifled with.

The Bible repeatedly and firmly condemns seeking out the dead.

Diabolical spirits can and do take on kindly appearances. This can mean looking like angelic beings or, perhaps, deceased loved ones.

All spirits are to be tested against what we know from Scripture. That's why it is important to know what the scriptures say. Get into the Word and check it out for yourself.

...and that's what you'll find, When You Search For The Truth.