4 minute read
Paranormal Powers
By Rev. Tim Pauls
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I’m not making this up.
Back around ninth grade, I spent the evening at youth group learning all about demon possession. I can’t remember too much about it, but my mind had conjured up a lot of scary stuff by the end, complete with flying objects and weird voices out of horror movies. No surprise, but I couldn’t sleep afterwards. So after a restless hour of tossing and turning, I thought, “Music. That’ll help. I’ll listen to some music.”
Here’s where things got creepy. I rolled on my side and reached for the clock radio, and as I stretched out my hand toward it...it went dead. No lights, nothing. Spooky. Staring at the clock, I withdrew my arm, and the clock came back on again. It kept happening. Every time I reached out, off. Every time I pulled back, on. Very, very freaky.
So there I was, looking for a little soothing music, and it appeared that the devil had taken over my radio. What to do? I opted for fervent prayer. I hopped out of bed to kneel and noticed that the clock was on again until I touched the mattress; then it went off. Hmmm. I followed the clock’s cord behind the bed to the outlet, where I found it plugged halfway in. It wasn’t demon possession. Every time I rolled one way on the bed, I pushed the plug into the wall; every time I rolled the other, it fell back out.
The climactic clash between the forces of good and evil was not going to take place in my clock that night. It had already happened on Calvary.
People are fascinated by the paranormal, by supernatural happenings that defy explanation—unexplained lights in the sky, haunted houses, shape-shifters, extra-terrestrials. That’s why M. Night Shyamalan is popular and shows like Unexplained Mysteries are going to last longer on TV than programs called Everyday Events that Any Dope Can Figure Out.
When strange stuff supposedly happens, people want to know why it happens. They also want to know what or who caused it, and the answer often comes down to either aliens or demons. That’s why people can jump quickly from paranormal weirdness to the occult. The next step, though, is definitely frightening. Some believe they can befriend these forces and make use of them. That’s where the Second Commandment gets broken, as they deny God’s name in favor of witchcraft, magic, or other false gods. If you think this doesn’t happen, I’ve had a man tell me I was an idiot for believing in God then seriously state that we exist because aliens placed us here a few millennia ago.
Do paranormal things happen? Sure. Some are staged, and some are just imagined. But supernatural, paranormal, and downright spooky things can occur. Is there a rational explanation? Sometimes. It may not be paranormal at all, and it would be arrogant of us to believe that we understand everything about God’s creation. Sometimes, though, there isn’t an explanation. Remember what St. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6, that we wrestle “against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places...” There’s a bunch of spiritual hosts of wickedness out there, and they have power to do strange things, seeking to distract you away from your Savior, or else to destroy you with fear. In other words, the devil can try to turn you into someone obsessed with things you can’t explain, or so scared that you think ghosts are more real and powerful than Jesus.
So how can you tell the difference between paranormal, normal, and downright demonic? In a lot of instances, you can’t. Paranormal happenings are, by definition, beyond understanding. And while St. Paul mentions these spiritual hosts of wickedness, he only does so in passing; and since the Lord doesn’t elaborate through His apostle, we’d just be guessing if we went any further.
But Jesus has better plans for us. Through St. Paul, He next declares:
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:13–17).
What do truth, righteousness, the Gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word all have in common? Answer: they are all certain for you in Christ Jesus. So what? Consider this: while writing this article, I visited with a woman who shared with me fragments of memories from decades ago. She recalled disturbing things that had left her feeling soiled, but she couldn’t even be sure that the memories were real. The devil loves to trouble people with haunting thoughts. I couldn’t tell her what the memories meant; it was all so unsure. But I could tell her—with absolute certainty—that God saw her spotless and blemish-free because Christ had died for her.
When you hear the Word, you hear the certain truth of Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate. In your Baptism, you are certainly joined to Him, to His death and resurrection; you’ve got His Word on it. When you receive His Supper, you receive Him—His body and blood. And with Him comes His righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation.
Paranormal things attract because they’re so mysterious. That can make for a fun movie or a sickening terror in your gut. Whatever your interest or experience with such things, remember what’s certain for you: you belong to Christ, who died to redeem you, and nothing can ever snatch you out of His hand.
Rev. Tim Pauls is associate pastor and acting school administrator at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School in Boise, Idaho. He is also the Higher Things Interim Executive Editor. His e-mail address is tpauls@goodshepherdboise.org.
