Good or bad spirits? That is the question

[Guest man]

The only Gifts that are permanent and reside in you are the Gifts in Romans 12. These are creational Gifts from the Father and have been given to all including non Christians.

Romans 12

4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,

5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;

7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;

8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

There is no reference to "non-christians" in any of these verses.

[dcampsart]

Now, I agree with the Irish's. An Angle is a spirit, a messenger from God, but His messenger never comes in a haunting manner. Any spirit that does come in a haunting manner, comes from Satan. There is no scriptural backing of any kind concerning a human spirit sticking around any place or person after passing. RigMedic gave scripture to back this.

From the start, I'd like to say that I've never believed in ghosts and that disembodied spirits can hang out in some sort of plane or other dimension. I believe if someone has any sort of experience with "spiritual" activity of a ghostly nature, they are really bordering on involving themselves with demonic spirits who wish to invite themselves into a person's life through masquerading as dead figures who may be "familiar" to the potential victim - thus the foolish attraction or interest on the part of the uninformed. When I think of the verse where the Lord declares in Matthew 12:43

[Chiquita]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I do believe in the gift of discerment, The Lord has given me this gift since I was a child, and it does come stronger at times more than others, for instance the demon in the image of a small boy that has followed my mother around for years is a very deceptive devil. My mother is a christian woman but is decieved in many areas of spirituality, believing this child is just a innocent lost soul is one example. The Holy Spirit told me years ago that this demon was a cause of alot of strife and deception in her spiritual walk. I told her this and as my mother said she told me "oh fiddlesticks".

Now concerning the small things that have happened in my new home do I ignore it or what? It isn't anything major just small things. I'm not afraid of it, I refuse to live inh a spirit of fear, for God has given me a spirit of power and boldness.

Don't be afraid, they are afraid of us Christians as we have authority in the name of Jesus. Just say the name of Jesus and they quiver with fear. Just bless the house with holy water or oil and claim it in the name of Jesus and command any and all unclean spirits out. Here is a prayer that was given to me by a deliverance minister:

TAKING AUTHORITY

Over a place

In the name of Jesus whose blood atones for my sins; I take authority over _________ and loose all spirits from their assignments and I bind and rebuke every gate keeper, door keeper spirit, every spirit of the air, every power and principality of darkness, every demon, imp strongman, fallen angel, entity and beast of witchcraft, Fear, Leviathan, Behemoth and Jezebel. I bind and rebuke you all. I seal this in the blood of Jesus.

Say this over every door of a room and bless it with the oil or holy water. Don't forget the closets!!!

[mead]

we have to know who we are dealing with, we have to be ready to deal with them and the only way to be prepared is by staying in the Word, praying and fasting..... spiritual warefare is not a game as some think....

mike

Nice, I agree.

[cafferni]

Basically there is no reason for spirits (Holy spirit excluded) to contact you. If you made contact with one be careful, ask him (or her) if Jesus came in the flesh. If the answer is a strong yes, start praying hard.

[Hisclay]

Scripture speaks repeatedly of good and bad angels moving about unseen (Daniel 10:1-21), but also as interacting with living people at different times, even to the point of evil spirits actual possessing people (dwelling within them and controlling them (see Mark 5:1-20, for example). Good angels, on occasion, appear to people as well (Acts 5:17-20; 12:3-11). The four Gospels and the Book of Acts are filled with many incidents of demon possession and of good angels appearing and aiding believers. Angels, both good and bad, can cause unusual natural and supernatural phenomenon to occur (Job 1-2, Revelation 7:1; 8:5; 15:1; 16).

[Steven Benjamin]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I do believe in the gift of discerment, The Lord has given me this gift since I was a child, and it does come stronger at times more than others, for instance the demon in the image of a small boy that has followed my mother around for years is a very deceptive devil. My mother is a christian woman but is decieved in many areas of spirituality, believing this child is just a innocent lost soul is one example. The Holy Spirit told me years ago that this demon was a cause of alot of strife and deception in her spiritual walk. I told her this and as my mother said she told me "oh fiddlesticks".

Now concerning the small things that have happened in my new home do I ignore it or what? It isn't anything major just small things. I'm not afraid of it, I refuse to live inh a spirit of fear, for God has given me a spirit of power and boldness.

Please dont take this reply as unkind in it's open, for it is not meant to be so.

You state in the open of this thread a paradox, well moreso a contradiction... You cite:

"Years ago I told her it was not some harmless innocent but a demonic presence. I know that is what the Holy Spirit had told me yrs. ago and I hold firm to that conviction. So can anyone enlighten me about these things and what they really are?"

You assert to already know the answer to your question, to have it as conviction you hold firm too, yet you ask for enlightenment as to "WHAT THEY REALLY ARE?"

IT seems there something unanswered in your stance of many years ago. Else why pose this question?

MORE Importantly, why do you still have the nagging feeling there is something more?

I think one response offered proper council that these things could serve a distraction. But I lean more towards that which is offered here my "Mr. And Mrs. Mike"

ANGELS are spirits, as are we. Scripture notes that we walk amongst angels unaware. This could be taken many ways.

More importantly though, I think you already know whatever you are encountering is a Spirital manifestation, tangible in measure, but not in prescence by physical conventions. Acknowleging that, is important that you not choose ignorance.

NEXT, no matter what the alignment of this entity, we must be very careful in offering any form of criticism...we are warned in Scripture not to make Railing accusations against the Devil. WE are also taught that one form of Blashphemy is to contribute the works of the Holy Spirit to being the works of the Devil.

If you don't know what it is as to GOOD or BAD, ANGEL or DEMON, it may well be best simply to remain silent so long as no harm comes of it's prescence, and focus your mind to dwell on other things so as not to be distracted.

As for SPIRITS OF THE DEAD on this earth being demons, well, scripture notes the Dead will walk the earth. There are some groups of Post-Trib Rapturalists who believe the seals of Revelation are not GOING TO BE OPENED, rather they believe THEY ARE ALREADY BEING OPENED, some placing us in the 5th seal, some the 6th depending on the group.

Benny Hinn actually seemed to whisper at the truth a few years back in noting the events of Revelations, many of them, were/are not going to occur on a GLOBAL scale, rather much will occur in Europe. If any of these groups holding that certain seals have been opened, it may well account for some of these "SPIRITS" of the dead walking the earth again.

They may well be the source of the "VOICES" which are unleashed upon the earth with opening of at least 2 of the 7 seals of revelations.

People actually don't go to hell...FOREVER, as HELL is recorded in scripture to eventually give the Dead which are in her, for the time of judgement.

There is more than one occasion in scripture in which Angels have manifested themselves to Mankind. Some of these visitations were very visible to the naked eye of those visited, some were not. Such is the case with Baalam and his Donkey. Baalam is on his way to Balak with two of servants, knowing in his heart he was not to go. And his donkey reacts to the prescence of the Angel of the Lord, invisible to all the humans. The Angel is actually trying to HELP Baalam, not hurt him, and doing so by standing in the way of his Donkey who yields. Balaam CAN"T understand what is wrong with his animal. THIS STRANGE occurance, angers Baalam and he beats his donkey who is miraculously given power to speak to Baalam in protest of this treatment, and ONLY then is Baalam's eyes opened to see the Angel. The angel announces to Balaam that the Only reason GOD did not slay him, was because of his Donkey. DO you get that, the righteousness of an animal, sparing his master? I whole heartedly believe my dogs pray, and that learned the practice from me quite possibly, if not possessing it from birth. I can't prove that, but I can prove that a donkey once talked to a man. But this man experienced a strange event prior, one he did understand and blamed his donkey for.

Is it so far out of the realm of possiblity to think the angel of the Lord would use a strange event to get your cat or dog, or my dogs or Iguana to act strangely, to use thier actions to stop us in ours, to alter our courses when we are on a collision course to perform that which God would not have us do? Even something as mundane as stopping us from ordering a Pizza? Sure, nothing wrong with that, right? Well, what one is morbidly obese? Still out of the realm of possiblility?

I gather I am probably referencing doctrine which is beyond the experience or exposure of many who would visit this room, but a lack of exposure, does not preclude them from necessarily being true, and there are too many details which would vere off topic to discuss them here in this post.

But consider, as Christians, we don't believe in witch-craft, but does this mean it does not work? NO! Of course not,

scripture actually records an account of such, in which the spirit of a dead man was summoned to earth. The account I reference of course was with the PROPHET, summoned by the Witch of ENDOR at the request of King Saul. This would be Saul's ultimate undoing, as judgement would be passed upon him, as A DEAD prophet, albeit a LIVE Spirit summoned to this world prophecied against Saul, giving judgement.

So, was that Spirit...that ghost of a dead one disturbed from his rest, was That Spirit A DEMON?

I think it would serve you better, rather than focus upon this entity you encounter, to ask your churches hierarchy over for a prayer meeting to annoint your home and to pray that God would cast out ANY unclean spirits, not casting judgement upon an entity you are unsure of. It may well be that as the saints of God are encamped round about by angels, one camping around you may well feel the need to assert their prescence. And I am not suggesting your particular situation is the result of an angel, or angels, any more than I am that such is the result of a demon, or demons.

YOU can sin by making Railing accusations against even the Devil.

YOU Can commit Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

And you can offend an Angel, given charge over you to guide your steps and protect you, from even yourself.

A better question than "WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?" may well be, "WHY AM I BEING EXPOSED TO THESE THINGS?"

What I am saying, is sometimes, we are reminded that there is more under the Sun than may be explained, and we should be mindful not to offer railing accusations, to satisfy or settle our minds.

[Steven Benjamin]

Samuel said to Saul; was it truly the spirit of Samuel that spoke or a "familiar spirit?" What really sticks out to me also is how all the prophecy that Samuel gave to Saul came to pass - especially how he told Saul that he and his sons would be with him!

Again... I'm not saying either way. I would like to know your thoughts. The ghost of Samuel or a demonic spirit masquerading as Samuel?

Right, I just read your answer after I replied. I did read some of the other answers before replying, I think you pose a very good closing question.

[Gauntlet]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I do believe in the gift of discerment, The Lord has given me this gift since I was a child, and it does come stronger at times more than others, for instance the demon in the image of a small boy that has followed my mother around for years is a very deceptive devil. My mother is a christian woman but is decieved in many areas of spirituality, believing this child is just a innocent lost soul is one example. The Holy Spirit told me years ago that this demon was a cause of alot of strife and deception in her spiritual walk. I told her this and as my mother said she told me "oh fiddlesticks".

Now concerning the small things that have happened in my new home do I ignore it or what? It isn't anything major just small things. I'm not afraid of it, I refuse to live inh a spirit of fear, for God has given me a spirit of power and boldness.

Don't be afraid, they are afraid of us Christians as we have authority in the name of Jesus. Just say the name of Jesus and they quiver with fear. Just bless the house with holy water or oil and claim it in the name of Jesus and command any and all unclean spirits out. Here is a prayer that was given to me by a deliverance minister:

TAKING AUTHORITY

Over a place

In the name of Jesus whose blood atones for my sins; I take authority over _________ and loose all spirits from their assignments and I bind and rebuke every gate keeper, door keeper spirit, every spirit of the air, every power and principality of darkness, every demon, imp strongman, fallen angel, entity and beast of witchcraft, Fear, Leviathan, Behemoth and Jezebel. I bind and rebuke you all. I seal this in the blood of Jesus.

Say this over every door of a room and bless it with the oil or holy water. Don't forget the closets!!!

How does the average layperson get hold of holy water?

Can we bless it ourselves?

[Guest Meggawatt]

Remember that Satan can appear as an angel of light. I will find the scriptur to back this. These "small things" happening in your house, can they be explained away? If you feel they can't and are demonic, I would talk to your Pastor!