What are demons? According to the Bible, demons are fallen angels. Lucifer (a.k.a. Morningstar), was the most beautiful Archangel (or chief of the angels) God created. Lucifer became prideful and decided HE should be worshipped, so he got his butt (that's a figurative of speech, I don't believe angels have derrieres) cast out of heaven along with a third of the angels (now called demons) who also rebelled. Lucifer's named was changed to Satan.

I grew up believing that the Bible is the Truth, yet I always assumed that angels and demons weren't real -- you know, that they were just figurative language. However, that all changed when I attended a Christian retreat as a senior in high school.

The abbreviated version of my story is this: about 20 of us campers were sitting around in a circle in the middle of a large lodge one night talking about the occult when we all felt the presence of something VERY evil suddenly enter the room. The presence was overwhelmingly evil (I lack the words to describe just how saturated the vile feeling of was). No one could see it (as far as I know), but judging by the expressions on everyone's face, we all knew everyone felt it. We didn't NEED to say anything. Our two counselors instructed us to start praying -- they recognized our group was under spiritual attack.

I remember two of the freshman (one of them a boy) crying because they were so scared. Now did I actually see anything? No. But there was such a vividly pure evil feel about the presence, that it might as well have been physically tangible.

What changed my faith from believing God is real to KNOWING He is, was something physical (and spiritual) that happened that night. I desperately prayed, "God, please make this go away." Immediately, I felt the physical manifestation of a cool soothing breath in my face accompanied with an incredible peace that I can't possibly even begin to describe. After receiving relief, I felt "the bad feeling" crawling up on me again so again I asked God to make it go away. Once more I felt the soothing breeze in my face and the undescrible sense of peace wash over me. (Years later I told my pastor about this experience. He smiled and told me that the name "Holy Spirit" literally translates from Hebrew and Greek as "breath" and "wind.")

I'd like to briefly touch on something someone said here in this thread. It's biblical (and I believe it as well -- sorry John Edward) that there are no ghosts, but rather demons. Demons can impersonate the deceased. It may seem all fun and games, but God forbids this. Besides being dangerous, it can misplace your focus. Why turn to God for comfort during your grief if you can receive consolation from “those who have crossed over”?

About the church and the spirit world. I belong to a “regular” conservative Baptist congregation, yet I have participated in a few “deliverance sessions” where with the pastor, we pray over a person who was suffering from spiritual oppression. In our church, these prayer sessions are on the down-low since it would probably freak out many fellow believers in our congregation seeing or even knowing what we see. Such things as super-human strength, a growling voice coming out of a person speaking Latin (note, this person didn’t even know Latin!), cloudy eyes wolf-like eyes (YES, like in the horror films), vomiting up the “invisible venom”…anyways.

And about actually seeing spirits. Well, biblically, every believer has at least one spiritual gift. Many have the gift of discerning of spirits. My husband and I both have that. (And it truly is a spiritual gift for me because I completely lack the natural “knack” of knowing when someone has a hidden agenda. My husband says it’s because I’m too trusting.) Well, I’m just going to throw this out there…I can see demons in a persons eyes if they (the evil spirits) get agitated; whereas, a very good friend of ours whom also has the gift of discerning of spirits actually sees demons and angels. Literally. (This has been confirmed by a couple of very trustworthy people.) And no “John” has never done drugs, or suffered a concussion or from mental illness. He says the demons appear blacker than black, like a void of nothingness. They “zip” (spirit speed “John” calls it) and have piercing eyes. When the spirit sees that “John” sees it, it flees.

The angels he has seen are about 10’ tall and radiant a whiter than white glow. “John” says that he typically sees Christians with a bluish glow around their head. But sometimes he’ll see a twisting gray cloudy form over someone’s head which he sees as a demon of confusion. Back in high school (yes, he was popular and into sports), “John” would see “demons with their legs wrapped around a person’s neck and their fingers stuck in the person’s skull.” Another time at school he witnessed a demon fly up to a guy and whisper something in his ear and then zip off. Within a few seconds, the boy passed some other kid and knocked the books out of his arms. Seeing all of this was really difficult for “John”, but he had a strong Christian friend base at church. “John” thinks God has a sense of humor too because almost a year to the day “John” challenged God with “if you’re real God, show me!” he started seeing the spirits.

Wow this is long. (Hmm, I doubt if anyone even reads this post!) I know none of you know me from Adam (or from Eve would be more appropriate), but as a Christian, I promise you that everything I have written about here is true. (Hmm, why would you trust a stranger right?) But please trust me when I say that God is very real, the spirit world is very real, and Jesus truly is God’s son and our Savior. Ask Him to reveal himself to you, and He will.

God’s blessings to you,

Jennifer