Prior to coming to CIU, I did not particularly believe in the spiritual realm (demons, magic, ghosts, etc). Certainly, I believed in the Holy Spirit and that it was some internal force that told us right and wrong, but other than that, I did not think too much else of it. And perhaps there is no spirit world, but I have come to think to myself: what is Christianity without the spiritual realm? What is the world without the spiritual realm?
There have been many depictions of the spirit world in many stories, mainly mythology and fables, but also in some secular instances — some TV series ("Avatar: The Last Airbender" and its sequel, "The Legend of Korra," being the first that come to my mind) showcase this enchanting side of the world. The world, overrun by science and philosophy, or rather secular thinking in general, the fact that there is even a possibility of having a spiritual realm in the real world is a bit to comprehend.
Personally, I have always thought spirits and demons were fantasy and supernatural, things you only heard or read about in stories. My conclusion — even real life can have its elements of fantasy.
I believe in the Holy Trinity, a spiritual element. I believe in Satan, another element. This is the classic battle of good and evil, and each side has its own minions: God’s being angels and blessings, and Satan’s being his evil demons. Spiritual warfare is part of our reality as Christians, and we should have the courage to acknowledge it. Whether we want to or not, it is there, and it is out to tear us down. Satan and his minions are lurking within our minds, tormenting us with thoughts, and even some are out to harm us physically. It is up to us to figure out how to defend ourselves against these evil forces.
After listening to one of our university professors, Dr. Cashin, speak on the matter of spiritual warfare in my Discovering the Mission of God course, I developed a new perspective on the spiritual realm. I realized that we can fight it with God’s help — His army will protect us, but we must rely on Him with everything we have. To fight against these forces, we must have faith. God always delivers on His promises, thus He will deliver us from evil.
There are, however, ways to manipulate the spirit world by human means, sinful ways that are forbidden for Christians. Many pagan religions, including the ancient religions of the ancient Near East, require action from a shaman or psychic in order to get rid of evil spirits. Through black magic and rituals, prayers and worship of these false gods, the manipulators have the ability to temporarily remove demons from a client’s life. If this is not an “enchanting” element of the world, I am not sure what is. The results, in contrast with Christianity, are temporary. No ritual or black magic spell can get rid of the evil completely, but God can. He is the Creator, all powerful and mighty. Only He can manage the spirit world. No man has the power to communicate with the other realm.
The spirit world is a complex matter, and it certainly is impossible for the human mind to understand it, another reason why it is best that we leave it alone. God, however, is the Creator of both worlds. He understands His people, and He understands His realm. He is Lord of all, the heavens and the Earth. What if, in this statement, heaven refers to the spiritual realm? Does this imply that when we die we really do “move on to the next world," the spirit world? There are many unanswerable questions that arise from this topic; none of which can be answered for sure. In fact, they probably cannot be answered until we meet with God Himself. The spiritual world is definitely enchanting, however, and adds a new level to this complex life God has given us.
