POLTERGEIST By Frank Hammond Haunted houses?

Do evil spirits sometime inhabit houses and other buildings and manifest their presence with ghostly sounds, apparitions, and bizarre happenings? From experience, I am persuaded that they can and do when something evil has given them a legal right. Poltergeist, from German poltern (to knock) and geist (spirit) is the common designation for such spirits. Webster's definition: "A noisy ghost held to be responsible for mysterious noisy disturbances." Reported manifestations include: the sounds of chains rattling, footsteps, knockings, moans; the sighting of apparitions, lights turning off and on without explanation; the occurrence of the supernatural opening and closing of doors, breaking glass falling and liquid pouring out from invisible sources; the sensation of cold areas and cold breezes in some areas of the house or at certain times. Perhaps the most common disturbance is nightmares. In order for spirits to gain such power to harass and terrorize, there must be some evil activity or object introduced by either a former or current occupant. Evil activities that provide legal rights to poltergeist can be something as conspicuously evil as murder, suicide or a sance; or as seemingly innocuous as a violent or lustful television program allowed to be aired. Objects that commonly invite the poltergeist spirits are idolatrous images and pictures, witchcraft and occult paraphernalia, including literature from cult organizations (e.g. Mormons, Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses). In Deut. 7:26, God's people were warned against bringing idolatrous images into their homes, "Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it; but you shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing". In our travel ministry we encountered a family seriously harassed by poltergeist spirits due to their collection of witchcraft artifacts acquired from their mission field in Africa. Some individuals have a sentimental or financial attachment to idolatrous artifacts. Perhaps a thing which God calls "an abomination" is a cherished gift from a relative or friend, or perhaps it is worth a large sum of money. Certain converts to Christ at Ephesus have set us an example: "Many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver" Act. 19:19. We once met a wealthy man who had accepted Christ who, in obedience to the Word of God, destroyed over a million dollars worth of idolatrous art. Remember Achan. He took that which was devoted to God, and it became an accursed thing. "'Therefore, the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies. God said, "Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you." Josh. 7:12. Any object that invites in a poltergeist spirit must be destroyed.

What must one do to evict poltergeist spirits? The procedure is much the same as for one receiving deliverance from indwelling demons. (1) Recognize the spiritual authority that we have in Christ. We get rid of spirits by speaking in faith with the authority of the Name of Jesus. (2) Disassociate oneself from any grounds (known or unknown) that would have given legal right for the spirits to indwell the property. If it was your own sin that gave ground to the devil, repent and ask God's forgiveness. (3) Destroy everything that would give any right to the devil. If you don't know for certain about any given object, honestly and humbly ask for God's will to be revealed. (4) Anoint the house with oil. Be thorough in anointing walls and furnishings. (5) Command every indwelling demon to leave in the name of Jesus. (6) Dedicate the place and all people associated with it to the Lord. Walk through the property and confess that it belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ and that it is a place devoted to Him for the purposes of His Kingdom. INCUBUS & SUCCUBUS Incubus and succubus spirits are familiar spirits that take on female and male identities in order to engage in sex with humans. Incubus spirits take on male identities, and succubus spirits take on female identities. These definitions can be found in your dictionary. Our deliverance ministry has encountered these spirits many times, and the number of incidences are escalating, undoubtedly due to the increase in pornography and sexual promiscuity. These influences, along with increasing involvement in witchcraft and the occult, are providing opportunity for the incubus and succubus spirits to enter. "And the person who turns after mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people" Lev. 20:6. One case that I recall involved a man from Haiti whose family was deeply involved in voodoo. In his desperate attempt to find relief from these nightly visitations, he had, in his ignorance of the two opposing spiritual kingdoms, consulted a spiritist medium. His problem intensified. The succubus spirit was driving him insane. Through deliverance he was set free. Praise the Lord! Frank Marzullo tells of a woman whose husband died, and in her loneliness she longed to see her deceased husband and to hear his voice. One night she did! A familiar spirit (a spirit familiar with her departed husband) began to visit her and have sex with her nightly until it was too much. Thank God, she was delivered of the incubus spirit masquerading as her husband. How did this spirit gain entrance? Instead of seeking the comfort of the Holy Spirit, she desired to communicate with and be comforted by her departed husband. This opened the door for a familiar incubus spirit to enter her. Many people who have incubus and succubus spirits are also involved in the occult but not all. Sexual abuse and promiscuity have also been found to open doors for these spirits.