This post is written by Katie Orr as a companion for Unit 21, Session 2 of The Gospel Project for Adults, Volume 7: From Heaven to Earth (Spring 2023).

I’m not one for scary movies. Growing up, my best friend loved watching horror flicks, so I viewed my fair share of them—often with a pillow over my head. This was much to my teenage, bad-dream-filled dismay. Movies like Chucky and Gremlins have forever changed my comfort level in a room filled with stuffed dolls. (Though not scary, the famous E.T. the Extra Terrestrial scene where E.T. hides in the closet among all the stuffed animals doesn’t help!)

Then there were the videos that were even more uncomfortable, filled with demons and exorcisms, evil plans and deeds. Those hair-raising films brought a new awareness to my teenage mind of what might actually be out there, lurking in the shadows. There are numerous unwanted side-effects of scary shows. Many of us don’t enjoy these thrillers as they often expose a dark, spiritual reality of the demonic, evil forces around us. Of course, as believers, we ought not revel in and enjoy the realm of the evil one, but pretending it doesn’t exist isn’t the right practice either.

As we observe the life of Christ, we see He had numerous encounters with demonic spiritual forces. In Luke 4:31-35, we see that a man possessed by a demon verbally attacked Jesus while in the Capernaum synagogue. Jesus rebuked the demon, forcing him out of the man “without hurting him at all.” Not much later, in Luke 4:41, many more demons emerged from individuals as Jesus was bringing healing to the people. The Christ rebuked and silenced the demonic, spiritual parasites. Throughout Scripture there are records of man, woman, and child afflicted by Satan’s pawns. Some brought sickness, others muted, made lame, or caused convulsions.

Let’s not ignore the obvious: Satan is alive and working out his evil plans. Real people experience real afflictions from real spiritual forces, even today. As long as he can continue to lurk in the shadows and secret places, his work will continue. But exposing his deeds for what they are often brings a new and right awareness of the danger and evil he possesses. Christians ultimately have nothing to fear from Satan because the presence of God is with us and the power of God within us. Scary stories can be redeemed and used to fuel gospel conversations. There are many who are fascinated with the realm of the afterlife, and the Bible has much to say about life after death, the work of Satan, and the activity of his minions. As new movies come out and conversations come up, even without viewing the movies, we can engage our friends and family with discussion around spiritual truths. Most importantly, we can shed gospel light upon the oppression and darkness people experience. After all, God has already rescued us from Satan’s rule. He has saved us from our sin and has left us on this earth “so that [we] may proclaim the praises of the one who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). God’s power is ultimate, and His grace can penetrate even the darkest of places.

Katie Orr is the author of Secrets of the Happy Soul, seven FOCUSed15 Bible studies, and is the creator of the Bible Study Hub community, where women can receive training, encouragement, and accountability to enjoy God’s Word. Katie holds an MA in Discipleship from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She and her husband, Chris, along with their three children, live in central Florida.