An Undefiled Spirit

“Do not turn to mediums, or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:31).

There couldn’t be a more perfect time of year to see what God says about those who dabble in ghosts and spirits than Halloween. This goes beyond how we decorate our homes. The question is what’s the make-up of our hearts? What and who are we worshiping? If you had asked me about horoscopes, tarot cards, and seeking the advice of mediums 12 years ago, you would have counted me among the defiled. I had no idea what I was inviting into my life, and it frightens me to think of what evil God rescued me from.

Our culture is fascinated with death, communing with spirits, and the supernatural. Consider the popularity of some of today’s television shows that are based on this premise. We’re seeking answers about our future, or longing to reconnect with the deceased, thinking it’s a harmless curiosity and okay to indulge in such activities. Our restless souls demand instant gratification without realizing the dangers we are exposing ourselves to. The voices that speak to us from these channels are not from God. They seek to ensnare not free us.

My spirit was not able to discern this until the Holy Spirit began His work in me. Since my new life in Christ began nearly 10 years ago I am quick to guard my heart (and my home) against Satan’s intruders. Subtle as they are for Lucifer disguises himself as an angel of light, there are movies, books, T.V. programs and praying to “spirit guides” that I avoid like the plague of darkness that they are. They defile us because they point us away from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit--our only true source of counsel and wisdom.

The more we pray to God and bury our eyes in His Scriptures the less tempted we are to go elsewhere. The Lord who gave us the faith to believe in Him will also strengthen our faith in what the future holds. Eventually, patience, trust and obedience replace restlessness, doubt and rebellion. This has been my experience. I no longer listen to those haunting voices of death spiritists and mediums speak with. They’ve been drowned out by the life-giving voice of my Savoir who is always with me in Spirit, and praying for me in heaven. His aim is my good, not my destruction.

As I decorate our home with pumpkins and fill bowls of candy to pass out tonight, it’s not Halloween I’m celebrating. It’s the harvest of the season that comes from my Lord, the one who gathered my wayward defiled spirit and filled it with His Holy and undefiled Spirit. That’s a holiday I can celebrate all year long! “Do not turn to mediums, or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:31).

Your fellow sojourner,

Mary