Why The Bible Condemns The Practice Of Spiritism

If you have been taught that some forms of spiritism are means of contacting good spirits, you may be surprised to learn what the Bible says about spiritism. Jehovah's people were warned. "Do not turn yourselves to the spirit mediums, and do not consult professional foretellers of events, so as to become unclean by them." (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27) The Bible book of Revelation gives the warning that "those practicing spiritism" will end up in "the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This means the second [everlasting]death." (Revelation 21:8; 22:15) All forms of spiritism are disapproved by Jehovah God. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) Why is that the case?

Jehovah sent good spirits, or righteous angels to communicate with some humans before the Bible was completed. Since its completion, God's Word has provided the guidance humans need to serve Jehovah acceptably. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Hebrews 1:1,2) He does not bypass his holy word by giving messages to mediums. All such present-day messages from the spirit world come from wicked spirits. The practice of spiritism can lead to demon harassment or even possession by wicked spirits. Therefore, God lovingly warns us not to get involved in any spiritistic practices. (Deuteronomy 18:14; Galatians 5:19-21) Moreover, if we continue to practice spiritism after knowing Jehovah's view of it, we would be siding with the rebellious wicked spirits and would be enemies of God. - I Samuel 15:23; I Chronicles 10:13, 14; Psalm 5:4.

One popular form of spiritism is divination - at- attempting to find out about the future or the unknown with the help of spirits. Some forms of divination are astrology, crystal-ball gazing, interpretation of dreams, palmistry, and fortune-telling with the use of tarot cards. Many view divination as harmless fun, but the Bible shows that fortune-tellers and wicked spirits go hand in hand. For example, Acts 16:16-19 mentions "a demon of divination" that enabled a certain girl to practice "the art of prediction." However, her abilty to foretell the future was lost when the demon was expelled. Clearly, divination is a bait used by the demons to lure people into their trap.

If you are grieving over the death of a beloved family member or a close friend, you could easily be enticed by another bait. A spirit medium may give you special information or may speak in a voice that seems to be that of the dead person. Beware! Attempts to communicate with the dead lead into a trap. Why? Because the dead cannot speak. As you no doubt recall, God's Word plainly says that at death a person "goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish." The dead "are conscious of nothing at all." (Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5,10) Moreover, it is actually the demons who have been known to imitate the voice of the deceased and give a spirit medium information about the one who has died. (I Samuel 28:3-19) So "anyone who inquires of the dead" is being entrapped by wicked spirits and is acting contrary to the will of Jehovah God. _ Deuteronomy 18:11,12; Isaiah 8:19.

From Attracting To Attacking

When you comply with the counsel of God's Word regarding spiritism, you spurn the bait of the demons. (Compare Psalm 141:9,10; Romans 12:9) Does this mean that wicked spirits will stop trying to capture you? By no means! After tempting Jesus three times, Satan "retired from him until another convenient time." (Luke 4:13) Similarly, obstinate spirits not only attract people but also attact them.

Recall our earlier consideration of Satan's attack on God's servant Job. The Devil caused the loss of his livestock and the death of most of his servants. Satan even killed Job's children. Next, he struck Job himself with a painful disease. But Job kept his integrity to God and was greatly blessed. (Job 1:7-19; 2:7,8; 42:12) Since then, the demons have made some people speechless or blind and have continued to revel in the suffering of humans. (Matthew 9:32,33; 12:22; Mark 5:2-5) Today, reports show that demons sexually harass some and drive others to insanity. They incite still others to murder and suicide, which are sins against God. (Deuteronomy 5:17; I John 3:15) Nonetheless, thousands of people once ensnared by these wicked spirits have been able to break free. How has this been possible for them? They have done so by taking vital steps.

Next Time: How To Resist Wicked Spirits