Are angels real? Do demons still torment people today? And what do near-death experiences tell us about the unseen world?
These were just a few of the pressing questions Kirk Cameron tackled in his recent TBN interview with bestselling author and journalist Lee Strobel, whose latest book Seeing the Supernatural takes a biblical and investigative dive into the mysteries of the unseen realm.
The Fascination With the Unseen
“This is all the rage today,” Cameron said. “From multiverses to Sasquatch to blurry creatures to all kinds of paranormal exorcist activities.” Strobel agreed, saying, “About eight out of 10 Americans believe that there is something beyond the physical realm that we can see and touch.”
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So why write about it? Strobel explained, “I thought, why not create a bridge from popular culture’s fascination with the paranormal and the supernatural into the biblical perspective of this.”
Angels: Do We Each Have a Guardian?
“There are a couple hundred verses about angels in the Bible,” Strobel said. He pointed to two intriguing passages. One from Matthew: “Do not criticize or demean these little children because their angels see the face of God every day.” The other from Acts, when Peter escaped prison with angelic help, and believers assumed “It must be his angel.”
While acknowledging scholarly debate, Strobel emphasized, “There are plenty of angels to protect us.” He added, “We should not pray to angels, but we can pray to God for the protection of angels.”
He shared a striking missionary account where a tribe surrounded a cottage intending to kill a Christian couple, but later said they saw “hundreds of men in white garments with swords drawn encircling your house that night.”
Demonic Possession Is Real
Strobel didn’t mince words about the darker side of the supernatural. “It is a real phenomenon.” He cited Dr. Richard Gallagher, an Ivy League-trained psychiatrist who became involved in exorcisms.
One eerie account involved Gallagher’s cats viciously attacking each other before the arrival of a self-proclaimed satanic cult priestess. When she arrived, she sneered, “So, how’d you like those cats last night?”
“There are demonic beings,” Strobel said. “People possessed by demons are able to speak in Latin, a language they do not know… levitating off of a bed… picking up a 217-pound Lutheran deacon and throwing him across the room.”
Christians Are Protected
“For a believer of Jesus Christ… you are indwelled by the Holy Spirit,” Strobel affirmed. “You cannot be also indwelled by Satan or demonic spirits.”
Cameron added, “I already know that I’m not fighting for victory over the spiritual realm. I’m fighting from victory and it was accomplished and secured for me and you by Christ.”
Satan’s Influence on Culture
“If you were Satan… maybe what you would do is go to a place, I don’t know, like Hollywood,” Strobel said. “What if I inspired the creation of some really great films that taught horrible values… but they’re funny and people will laugh… I can help inculcate those values into a culture.”
Cameron added, “Satan is a runt pawn. And God is a king… How much authority does that leave for Satan? I think that’s zero.”
The Right Balance
Cameron cautioned against obsession: “I don’t give it much space in my brain because I’m on the offense wanting to advance the good, the true and the beautiful.”
“Satan would like nothing more than to see Kirk Cameron fall morally” Strobel acknowledged, saying the key is to “follow Christ carefully… so I know when something doesn’t smell right.”
The Final Word
“We read about demons and angels,” Cameron said.
“Ephesians tells us to put on the spiritual armor that there is warfare,” agrees Strobel. Yet, he reminded viewers of the assurance in Psalm 91: “Though 10,000 may fall at our side, it shall not come near you.”
Whether you’ve wrestled with unexplained events or simply wondered about the spiritual realm, Strobel’s words are a sobering reminder that “there is a spiritual battle going on,” and the safest place to be is rooted in truth and protected by faith.
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
