The promise of one more conversation with a deceased loved one can make a medium’s invitation difficult to resist. Then comes a private family detail, a familiar phrase or information that seems impossible for a stranger to know.
Deliverance minister Isaiah Saldivar warns that those convincing details can be the very things that draw someone into spiritual danger.
In a recent teaching video, Saldivar examines biblical warnings about mediums and demonic spirits, explaining why Christians must look beyond whether a supernatural message sounds believable.
“Not everything supernatural comes from God,” he says. “There is a counterfeit spiritual realm.”
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His teaching centers on five warnings:
- Familiar spirits can imitate someone you love. Saldivar describes familiar spirits as demons that use their knowledge of people to impersonate deceased relatives. A recognizable voice or personal detail, he says, can make the encounter feel authentic while concealing its source.“A familiar spirit, a demon that was familiar with them might come to you, might impersonate them and might tell you things about them,” Saldivar says. He connects that warning to Leviticus 19:31, which forbids seeking mediums and familiar spirits. His concern is that affection for a loved one can become an opening for trusting a spirit.
- A correct answer can come from a dangerous source. A psychic’s accuracy may impress someone seeking answers. Saldivar points to Acts 16 to explain why accuracy alone is a poor test of spiritual legitimacy. The passage describes a slave girl with a spirit of divination who identified Paul and his companions as servants of God proclaiming salvation. Her words were true, but the spirit behind them was demonic.“Accurate information does not always mean a godly source,” Saldivar says.His warning reaches beyond obvious falsehoods: Truthful details can help establish trust in a source Christians should reject.
- Demons have knowledge, but God alone knows everything. Saldivar cautions Christians against giving evil spirits attributes that belong to God. He cites Acts 19:15, where an evil spirit recognizes Jesus and Paul, as evidence of spiritual awareness.“Demons are not omniscient. They don’t know everything. They’re not God,” he says. Saldivar teaches that familiar spirits gather information by observing people and families. Their knowledge, he emphasizes, has limits.
- Grief can make forbidden guidance feel irresistible. The longing for another conversation can push someone toward a séance or psychic reading, Saldivar warns.“Grief can make you vulnerable because you miss them because you haven’t talked to them,” he says. He points to King Saul’s consultation with the medium at Endor. Afraid and desperate for direction, Saul sought answers through a practice God had forbidden. Saldivar cites 1 Chronicles 10:13, which identifies consulting a medium as part of Saul’s unfaithfulness.
- Christians must test spirits and seek God. Saldivar points to the instruction in 1 John 4:1 to test whether spirits are from God. Discernment requires examining the source of an encounter through Scripture, even when its message feels personal or persuasive.“Why would you go to a psychic? Why would you go to a medium when you can go to God?” Saldivar asks.
The desire for comfort or direction runs through Saldivar’s warnings. A grieving person wants another conversation. A frightened king wants an answer. In each case, he urges Christians to bring that need to God rather than pursue forbidden spiritual contact.
“Why would someone who has access to God try to gain revelation from another source?” Saldivar asks.
So let us all pay attention to his biblical warning and seek God, heed Scripture and practice discernment before a convincing encounter becomes a trusted voice.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
