Ghosts?
I have always been taught through my WELS education that there are no ghosts. When we die we go to heaven or hell. No one comes back to visit the living. But I myself have experienced unexplained events in familiar surroundings that make me question whether there are ghosts or not. How do I answer those who ask me whether I believe in ghosts?
When a person dies, the body and soul are separated and there is immediate judgment by God (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Hebrews 9:27). The lifeless body remains on the earth, while the soul is in heaven or hell (Luke 16:19-31). That last Scripture reference informs us that souls do not leave heaven or hell. Those who have died do not return to this world as ghosts.
Still, what might explain unusual events in this world? We do know that Satan and evil spirits or demons roam the earth (Job 2:2; Matthew 12:43-45; 1 Peter 5:8). Satan’s powers exceed our own natural powers (Ephesians 6:12). Satan uses his powers to lie and try to rob people of spiritual and eternal life (John 8:44). We can attribute paranormal experiences to Satan.
Thankfully for us, Satan is a defeated enemy. Through his redeeming work, Jesus crushed his head (Genesis 3:15). It is a matter of time before Satan is put out of commission entirely (Revelation 20:7-10). Until that time, we arm ourselves for battle against Satan (Ephesians 6:16), and know that we have the upper hand because of the Lord’s power and promises (James 4:7). Hopefully with information like this, you can address your own questions and the questions of others.