For many people raised in Chinese culture, "ghosts" are an almost unavoidable topic — the seventh lunar month, feng shui, the realm of the dead, ritual offerings, the fear of ill omens... This article honestly answers three questions: Does the Bible acknowledge a real spirit world? Is the folk understanding of "ghosts" the same as what the Bible describes? And what exactly is the relationship between evil spirits and God? The answers are profoundly liberating: evil spirits are real, but they are not a power equal and opposite to God. They are created beings that have fallen — and have already been defeated at the cross. Those who are in Christ need not spend their lives in fear of demons.
Speaker: Pastor Bond · Scripture: 申18:10-12;可1:24;路8:28-33;路10:17-20;路16:22-26;徒19:15;弗6:12;西2:15;来2:14-15;来9:27;雅2:19;约一3:8;约一4:4
"Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death... and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Heb. 2:14-15)
For many Chinese people, "ghosts" are not an abstract topic — they are a deeply ingrained reality absorbed from childhood.
The seventh lunar month (Ghost Month) is not a time for weddings, moving house, or wandering about at night. Elders warn: don't step on doorsteps, don't look in mirrors at midnight, don't call out certain names. Every home should check the feng shui and choose auspicious dates; when trouble comes, make offerings and burn paper. Most people have heard countless stories of "running into something bad," sleep paralysis blamed on ghosts, or ancestral graves with poor geomancy. Even well-educated people who say "I don't believe any of that" will, when something inexplicable happens, find themselves thinking: better safe than sorry — and feel a quiet unease they cannot quite shake.
So when a Chinese person begins to encounter the Christian faith, they often ask, quite sincerely:
Does the Bible actually believe in ghosts? If it does, what are they? And what is their relationship to the God you talk about? If I believe in Jesus, do I still need to be afraid of ghosts?
These are excellent and very practical questions. The Bible does not dodge them, nor does it mock them. It gives an answer that is both clear-eyed and profoundly liberating. Let us look at this in three steps.
First, let us be clear: the Bible never dismisses the spirit world as mere superstition. Quite the opposite — Scripture treats it with complete seriousness, telling us that beyond the visible, material world, there is a real spiritual dimension.
This spirit world contains angels — beings created by God who faithfully serve him (Heb. 1:14). It also contains beings who were once angels but rebelled against God and fell into evil — the Bible calls them "the devil," "unclean spirits," and "evil spirits," and their leader is Satan (also called the devil).
"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6:12)
The attitude that says "we're so scientific now — who still believes in spirits?" is, from the Bible's perspective, actually naïve. Within Scripture's worldview, behind the physical world lies a genuine spiritual dimension — one that includes both holy angels and malevolent evil spirits. To flatly deny the spirit world is, in effect, to close one's eyes to half of reality.
But — acknowledging the existence of evil spirits is quite different from what folk tradition means by "ghosts." This brings us to the second step.
The core idea at the heart of folk beliefs about ghosts is this: when a person dies, they become a ghost that wanders the underworld or the human world, possibly returning to find relatives — to repay kindness or exact revenge — and must be appeased and worshipped. The "opening of the ghost gate" in the seventh lunar month, burning paper money for ancestors, and the fear of "wandering, homeless spirits" all flow from this logic.
But the Bible presents a completely different picture of what happens after death:
"Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment." (Heb. 9:27)
After death, people do not become wandering spirits — they enter a fixed destination and await God's judgment. Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus: the rich man who had died wanted to return to the world of the living to warn his family, but was clearly told he could not — between his side and the other there was "a great gulf fixed," and "those who want to pass from here to you are not able" (Luke 16:26). In other words, according to the Bible, deceased loved ones do not become roaming spirits who return to our side.
So what accounts for the "paranormal" phenomena people encounter and fear? Scripture points more toward fallen evil spirits. These are master deceivers, fully capable of disguising themselves and impersonating others — exploiting our longing for the dead and our fear of the unknown to gain a grip on human hearts. Think of them as a highly sophisticated fraud operation. This is precisely why Scripture so firmly forbids divination, contacting spirits, and consulting the dead:
"There shall not be found with you anyone who... uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh your God." (Deut. 18:10-12)
God forbids these things not because he is stingy, but because he knows: once those doors are opened, what people encounter is not "ancestral protection" but evil spirits that deceive and enslave. God loves us — and so he does not want us to fall into that bondage.
This is the most crucial point in the entire discussion — and the one most capable of bringing genuine freedom.
Many people carry a "good-and-evil dualist" picture in their minds: as though the universe contains a god of good and a god of evil, evenly matched, locked in an endless struggle with the outcome still uncertain — so one must tiptoe carefully, wary of offending either side.
But the Bible paints a completely different picture.
In Scripture, God and Satan are not in the same league at all. God is the self-existent, eternal, one true God who created everything that exists. Satan and all evil spirits are merely created beings — fallen angels. How can a creature be compared with the One who made it? It is like a mutinous servant: no matter how fierce, that servant can never stand as an equal to the master.
More importantly, Scripture repeatedly declares that Satan is already a defeated enemy.
"The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: that he might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
"Having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Col. 2:15)
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus publicly and decisively defeated Satan and all his powers. Satan today is more like a convicted criminal already sentenced, kept on a chain while awaiting final execution: he can still bark, still frighten, still cause harm within the limits permitted to him — but his fate is sealed, his authority is constrained, and he cannot cross the boundaries God has set.
Once we grasp the vast difference in standing between God and evil spirits, we notice something in the Gospels that is deeply striking: in every encounter with Jesus, the figure trembling, begging for mercy, in a panic — is never a person. It is always the demons.
Think of it this way: the residents of a neighborhood may be afraid of a local gang — they seem fierce, ruthless, untouchable. But no matter how tough that gang is, their knees go weak when the police show up. Ordinary people fear the gang; the gang fears the police. So if one day a police officer moved in next door to you, would you still need to spend every day in terror of those criminals? — The relationship between evil spirits and God is something like this. Of course, God is far more than a "police officer" — he is the sovereign Creator who made and governs all things. But this comparison at least helps us feel the weight of that difference in authority.
In the region of the Gerasenes, there was a man who had been possessed by many demons for years — chains could not hold him, and everyone feared him. Yet when Jesus arrived, the demons immediately fell down before him and cried out:
"What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torment me!" (Luke 8:28)
Notice: the most terrified figure in that scene was not a person. It was the demons. They begged Jesus not to throw them into the abyss, willing even to be sent into a herd of pigs (Luke 8:31-33). The scene is almost darkly comic: the most fearsome force in the human world became a group of petitioners the moment Jesus appeared.
This is not a lone example. In the synagogue at Capernaum, a man with an unclean spirit cried out: "Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!" (Mark 1:24) The evil spirit's first response upon seeing Jesus was not defiance — it was exposure, trembling, and surrender.
The book of Acts records another telling incident: some men who thought themselves clever tried to use Jesus' name to drive out demons without truly knowing him. The evil spirit answered: "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" (Acts 19:15) — and then the possessed man attacked them and drove them away. This episode demonstrates two things at once: first, evil spirits hold both Jesus and his true disciples in genuine fear; second, this authority cannot be borrowed — it belongs to those who are in a real relationship with Christ.
James captures it with memorable vividness: "You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder." (James 2:19) See — it is the demons who tremble before God, not us.
So the full picture Scripture presents is this: the world fears demons; demons fear God; and the God before whom even demons tremble lives inside every person who belongs to him. That is why John could write those astonishing words: "Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)
With all of this in mind, Christians facing the topic of "demons" should avoid falling into two opposite ditches.
The first ditch: over-magnifying them and living in constant fear. Some people, even after coming to faith, remain perpetually anxious — attributing every difficulty to "an evil spirit" or "some kind of curse," living more on edge than before they believed. This reflects a failure to truly know the power of our victorious Lord. Remember what Jesus said to his disciples:
"Nevertheless, don't rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (Luke 10:20)
The disciples were exhilarated by their success in casting out demons, and Jesus redirected their attention from "the demons" to "God's salvation." Even when dealing with actual evil spirits, Jesus calls us to keep our focus on him and his salvation — not on the demons. A believer paralyzed by fear, eyes fixed on evil spirits, has fallen right into the enemy's trap.
The second ditch: dismissive denial and total lack of vigilance. Others go to the opposite extreme, treating the spirit world as completely irrelevant, even dabbling out of curiosity in divination, spirit boards, fortune tellers, or mediums. Scripture clearly warns that these are doors God has forbidden — do not open them. We do not need to be afraid, but we do need to be alert and maintain clear boundaries.
What is the right posture? In Christ — neither afraid nor cavalier — standing in the authority of our victorious Lord. Practically speaking:
Best of all: Christ came precisely "to deliver all of them who through fear of death (fear of ghosts, fear of fate) were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (cf. Heb. 2:15). Many people carry a quiet undercurrent of dread through life — fear of bad omens, fear of retribution, fear of ancestral graves, fear of misfortune with no clear cause. The gospel can set people free from this entire web of fears, lifting our eyes to live as unafraid children of the living God.
"You are of God, little children... because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)
At this point, many readers from Chinese backgrounds feel a weighty question rising up: "Does this mean I can no longer honor my ancestors? Isn't that unfilial?"
This question deserves to be handled with gentleness. A fuller treatment belongs in a dedicated article, so here is just a brief response. The Bible takes filial piety — honoring one's parents and elders — with utmost seriousness. "Honor your father and your mother" is one of the Ten Commandments, running through both Old and New Testaments. Therefore, commemorating ancestors, being grateful for the legacy they left, paying respects at gravesites during Qingming season, and carrying forward the good character and values of one's family heritage — none of this conflicts with the faith. In fact, these are things a Christian ought to do.
What needs to be discerned is a different matter: treating deceased ancestors as objects of worship who can bestow blessings or bring curses — praying to them and seeking their intercession. Scripture says that only the God who created and redeemed us is worthy of worship — and only he truly has the power to bless us and our descendants. Redirecting that trust back to God is not unfilial; it is pointing your entire family toward the greatest source of blessing — for the God we believe in is one who "keeps covenant and loving kindness with them who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations" (Deut. 7:9).
So this has never been about "believing in Jesus means abandoning your ancestors." It is: "place your love for your ancestors in its right position; and give the worship that belongs to God alone — only to God."
Dear friend, let us gather the answers to our three questions:
Do evil spirits (demons) exist? Yes — the spirit world is real. Are they the same as what folk tradition imagines? Not quite — the dead do not become wandering spirits; many "paranormal" experiences are the work of deceiving evil spirits. What is their relationship to God? Absolutely not equal and opposite powers — they are created beings that have fallen, already defeated at the cross; God is the one, supreme, victorious Lord.
If you have spent your life living under a quiet shadow of fear — fear of ghosts, fear of fate, fear of various taboos and omens — then I want to bring you this good news today: In Jesus Christ, who has overcome every evil spirit, there is true peace and true freedom. You no longer need to spend your life walking on eggshells, trying to appease unseen forces. You can take refuge in a Lord who is real, present, and genuinely loves you.
If you are willing to know this Lord who sets people free, you might begin by reading the Gospel of John, and see for yourself how Jesus, with authority, releases those who are bound by evil spirits.
Let us pray together:
Lord Jesus, thank you that you are not locked in an uncertain struggle with darkness — you are the victorious Lord who publicly defeated every evil power at the cross. I confess that in my heart there has been so much fear: fear of ghosts, fear of fate, fear of all kinds of taboos and omens. Shine your truth into me, set me free by your great power, so that I no longer live as a slave to fear, but as your child who stands before you without dread. Help me to give the worship that belongs to you alone — back to you. In the name of Jesus, the name above every name, Amen.
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