As the weather cools and we prepare for darker, colder days ahead, October brings one of my favorite holidays: Halloween. Besides pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating (passing out candy as much as eating it), I love a safe scare, a good spooky story, and the cathartic feeling of confronting my deepest anxieties about death, mortality, and the afterlife from a comfortable place.
It’s hard to resist the spooky season when it’s all around me. Something about the supernatural, the unknown, and the things that go bump in the night is fascinating. But when fascination edges into fear, David’s words in Psalm 27:1 remind us that we don’t have to be afraid:
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (ESV)
David learned from a lifetime of following God to trust Him with everything and lean into Him instead of his fears.
Understanding the Light of Psalm 27
We cannot determine with certainty when in David’s life Psalm 27 was written. We can, however, get a clear picture of what he was facing at the time of its writing when we read verses 3–4:
“When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.” (ESV)
David was dealing with real life. Reality for him included evil people who wanted to assault him violently, rivals who competed with him, enemies who refused to back down, and armies that wanted to destroy him. He had every reason not only to be afraid but to be terrified! However, in the face of extreme adversity, he declares with confidence that God is:
His light. In this Psalm, light represents protection, guidance, direction, hope, comfort, and clarity. David needed all of these, and he looked to God to provide them.
His salvation. David is most likely referring to God as the one who can save him from his present enemies and troubles. He knows that only God can preserve his life. Later, in Psalm 51, David declares that God can save him from sin and a sinful life.
His stronghold. God is a refuge. He is a fortified place of safety.
David looked to God for both illumination of his path and protection from his enemies.
When David asks, “Whom shall I fear?” and “Of whom shall I be afraid?” he already knows the answer—no one.
This pattern continues in the New Testament when Paul asks in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The answer, of course, is no one.
Maybe we don’t have armies of enemies coming after us, and our battles aren’t physical. Our most difficult and darkest days may be the result of mental challenges, emotional crises, or spiritual warfare. This doesn’t make them any less real or frightening. In moments like these, God reminds us of His protective care:
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” (Nahum 1:7, ESV).
With that truth in mind, like David, we can stand in security, not fear.
Navigating the Paranormal: From Orbs to Folk Tales
After my parents died, I looked for signs that they were okay and that somehow they were still a part of my life. When I saw a few orbs in the pictures I took at my mother’s funeral, I was comforted in thinking that she was still with us in spirit. And when my father was nearing death, I felt a sudden, deep sense of loss just before I knew he had passed, as if he was saying goodbye.
Clinging to these thoughts could have led me down a dark path. Instead, I turned to God’s Word, which led me to a place of peace and comfort beyond understanding. I clung to the words of Psalm 23:4:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
I let go of trying to find comfort from any other source. At this time of year, however, I’m reminded (even encouraged) to consider spiritual beings and mystical creatures, like orbs, goblins, ghosts, and monsters. October has a way of stirring our imaginations, inviting us to explore stories of the strange and the spiritual.
Take orbs, for example. These circles of light—most often seen in photographs—can be a source of both interest and comfort. Scientists and photographers attribute these phenomena to light reflecting off small particles in the air. For some people, however, orbs represent a spiritual presence, which may bring them comfort or fascinate them.
Ghosts, on the other hand, are often portrayed as human souls trapped between this world and the next. The reasons they may be trapped vary as much as the ghosts themselves.
And if ghosts, orbs, and spirits aren’t enough, folklore has contributed a great many monsters—the banshee, the Kraken, the kappa, the chupacabra, as well as goblins, vampires, werewolves, and sasquatch—to keep us afraid. We don’t find these things in the Bible, but we do find reference to a different kind of unseen realm.
In Ephesians 6:12, Paul makes it clear that it’s not the things we can see that we battle with, but the darkness in the spiritual realm that is our biggest threat. Angels and demons do exist. Mythical creatures do not. The Bible clearly warns us not to seek out the dead or spirits in general, because “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14, ESV). We cannot judge correctly those things we cannot see clearly.
Instead, let God be our source of comfort and wonder. Let the light of His Word fill our hearts and minds and give us the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Then we, like David, can say with confidence, God is my light; whom shall I fear?
As October gets underway, remember: The supernatural realm is real, but God’s sovereignty is greater! Goblins and ghosts are for storybooks, and orbs belong in camera lenses, but our souls belong to God.
Closing
Scripture doesn’t leave us guessing about how to face the unseen battles that Paul described in Ephesians 6; instead, it gives us clear instructions:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (v.10-11).
We can find the Armor of God, described piece by piece, in Ephesians 6.
In a season that celebrates shadows, we cling to the God who clothes us in light.
Lord, You are our shield in this ever-present battle of light and darkness. You not only protect us from evil in this world, but You prepare us for the spiritual battle around us. You do not leave us defenseless and afraid, but You’ve provided a way for us to be strong and stand firm. Help us to do our part by fleeing from darkness and taking captive every thought that pulls us away from You. Lord, help us to seek You first in all things.
