What to do if you hear noises in the attic

It looks like the set of The Adams Family, and the similarity doesn't end there. Because this house in Gardener, Massachusetts, USA—which has been popping up all over social media in the last few weeks—is claimed to be one of America's most haunted house. It has featured on several ghost-hunter TV shows and has a history of deaths and alleged ghost sightings going back decades. Ownership has passed through several hands, as families have moved in, got spooked out, and left.

How do we react to these kinds of stories in the news? What answer do we have for those who go to see the latest horror offering about poltergeists at the cinema this week? What has caused the Roman Catholic church to vastly increase the numbers of priests it trains in exorcism, because of the increased requests from people to have their "demon problems" sorted out?

Many people will dismiss much of what is claimed as either the work of an overactive imagination, or marketing hype. But while this is true, Christians will want to take seriously what lies behind these phenomena. We believe the devil is real, dangerous, and an expert in deception. But we also believe he is defeated.

So what should we do if we encounter something like this?
Here's some great advice from Mike McKinley in his book Did the Devil Make me Do it? – part of our Questions Christians Ask series:

Scenes from Hollywood movies may conjure up images of epic battles between specially trained exorcists representing God, and split-pea-soup-spewing demoniacs, but reality is usually much different.

People who claim to have seen or experienced demonic activity describe everything from supernatural activities (inanimate objects flying across a room) to strange voices to physical sensations to an intense personal sense that evil is present. But what should you do if you suspect that there is demonic activity around you?

First, even though it may be frightening (or at least pretty creepy), we should not think that this experience is terribly unusual. In the New Testament we see different kinds of people encountering demonic forces. At different points the Lord Jesus, the twelve apostles, the seventy, and even some non-apostles all engage in direct conflict with demons. The authors of Scripture seem to think that it’s the kind of thing that happens.

Now, the Bible doesn’t give us a step-by-step manual for handling these kinds of situations. But here are a few suggestions that may prove helpful:

• Don’t freak out. Whatever is happening, you are still living in God’s universe. You can trust that he is in control of the situation. We don’t have a spirit of timidity (2 Timothy 1 v 7).
• Pray. Our hope is ultimately in God, so the place to begin is by asking for his help. It may also be useful to ask other Christians to join you in prayer as well.
• Read Scripture. The word of God is called “the sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6 v 17. It is a deadly weapon when wielded in humble faith. It may be particularly useful to read passages that teach about Christ’s victory over the evil one (eg: 1 John 3 v 8).
• Remember that Jesus is the most powerful person in the room. Since there’s no reason to think that demons can read our minds, it may be useful to audibly assert to the demon your faith in Jesus and his power.

Scripture doesn’t encourage Christians to go around looking for conflicts with evil spirits. But it does teach us to anticipate that such encounters may occur. And so we should be spiritually vigilant, avoiding sins that leave our souls sluggish, and daily renewing our confidence in the Lord’s power. If as a follower of Christ we encounter demonic activity, we can trust that the Lord will guide and protect us.

Did the Devil make me do it? And other questions about Satan, demons and evil spirits is available now from TGBC website.