Communion With Demons; Devils
Paul's Warning Against Demonic Fellowship
The most direct biblical reference to communion with demons comes from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Addressing whether Christians could participate in pagan temple meals, Paul wrote: "I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons" (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Paul's argument was that behind every idol stood a demonic reality. While the idol itself was nothing (1 Corinthians 8:4), the worship system it represented brought people into genuine spiritual contact with malevolent powers.
Paul drew a deliberate parallel between the Lord's Supper and pagan sacrificial meals. Just as the bread and cup created fellowship with Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16), participation in idol feasts created fellowship with demons. This teaching did not mean that demons physically inhabited statues, but that the spiritual transaction of worship directed toward false gods placed the worshiper in the domain of darkness. The incompatibility was absolute: one could not serve both tables.
The Old Testament Prohibition of Sorcery and Necromancy
The Old Testament consistently and forcefully prohibits all attempts to contact spirits. The Mosaic Law declared: "Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them" (Leviticus 19:31). The penalty for practicing mediumship was death (Leviticus 20:27). Deuteronomy 18:10-12 provides the most comprehensive prohibition, listing divination, fortune-telling, interpreting omens, sorcery, casting spells, consulting mediums, and inquiring of the dead as practices that are "an abomination to the LORD."
These prohibitions were not merely ritual regulations but theological statements. Seeking information from spirits other than God was a fundamental breach of the first commandment. It implied that God was insufficient as a guide and that other spiritual powers could provide what He would not. Moses contrasted these forbidden practices with the legitimate source of divine communication: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you" (Deuteronomy 18:15).
The Witch of Endor
The most detailed Old Testament account of attempted spirit communication is Saul's visit to the medium at Endor (1 Samuel 28:3-25). Saul, desperate and abandoned by God, sought out a woman who claimed to contact the dead — the very practice he himself had earlier banned (1 Samuel 28:3, 9). When the woman performed her ritual, she saw a figure rising from the earth and was terrified, suggesting that what appeared was not what she normally experienced.
The passage describes the figure as Samuel, who delivered a devastating message of judgment: "The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David... Tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me" (1 Samuel 28:17-19). The text does not explain the mechanics of what occurred. Some interpreters believe God sovereignly permitted Samuel's actual spirit to appear as an exceptional act of judgment. Others argue that a demonic spirit impersonated Samuel. In either case, the narrative does not endorse the practice — Saul's visit to the medium is presented as the final act of a desperate, disobedient king on the eve of his death.
Demonic Oppression in the New Testament
The New Testament consistently presents demon-affected people not as willing participants but as victims. The Gospels describe individuals who were "demonized" — seized, tormented, and controlled by unclean spirits against their will (Mark 5:1-20; Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 8:2). Jesus cast out demons by His own authority, not through rituals or negotiations, demonstrating His absolute power over the spirit world.
The case of the slave girl in Philippi is particularly instructive (Acts 16:16-18). She had a "spirit of divination" that enabled her masters to profit from fortune-telling. Paul, troubled by the spirit's presence, commanded it to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. The girl was treated as a victim to be freed, not a sinner to be punished. The New Testament pattern is clear: demons are real spiritual beings that can oppress humans, but the proper response is deliverance through Christ's authority, not communication or negotiation.
The Biblical Alternative
Scripture's prohibition of spirit contact is matched by its provision of legitimate means of knowing God's will. In the Old Testament, God spoke through prophets, the Urim and Thummim, dreams and visions, and ultimately through His written word. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, providing guidance, conviction, and illumination (John 16:13; Romans 8:14). James encourages believers who lack wisdom simply to ask God, "who gives generously to all without reproach" (James 1:5).
Paul's instruction to the Ephesians provides the framework for spiritual engagement: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). The Christian's posture toward the demonic realm is defensive resistance, not curious exploration. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). The believer's security rests not in knowledge of the spirit world but in relationship with the God who rules over it.
Biblical Context
The topic of communion with demons spans both Testaments. Key Old Testament passages include the prohibitions in Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:10-12; and the narrative of the medium at Endor (1 Samuel 28). In the New Testament, Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 provides the most direct treatment. The Gospels present extensive accounts of demonic oppression and Jesus' authority over unclean spirits (Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39; Matthew 12:22-29). Acts 16:16-18 and Acts 19:18-19 address the issue in the early church.
Theological Significance
The Bible's prohibition of demonic communion rests on the first commandment: God alone is worthy of worship and trust. Seeking spiritual knowledge or power from any source other than God is idolatry, regardless of the method used. The New Testament reveals that behind pagan worship stands a real demonic presence, making syncretism spiritually dangerous. Christ's absolute authority over demons demonstrates that the kingdom of God is infinitely superior to all demonic power, and believers are called to trust in that authority rather than fear or engage the spirit world.
Historical Background
Necromancy, divination, and spirit communication were pervasive throughout the ancient Near East. Mesopotamian texts include extensive rituals for consulting the dead and manipulating spirits. Egyptian funerary practices assumed ongoing interaction between the living and the dead. Greek and Roman culture featured oracles, spirit mediums, and elaborate divination systems. The Israelite prohibition stood in stark contrast to surrounding cultures. Archaeological evidence, including curse tablets and ritual objects found at various Levantine sites, confirms the widespread practice of sorcery in the regions surrounding Israel.