The Invisibile World

Author Anthony
DeStefano offers insights into his new book, The Invisibile World:
Understanding Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us.

Q: The
Invisible World is a book about understanding angels, demons and the
spiritual realities that surround us. In a world that is so visual, why tackle
such a murky subject?      

A: That’s really the
whole point. What I tried to do in this book was attempt to render that
spiritual world a bit less murky and a bit clearer for people. My hope is that,
by doing this, these invisible realities won’t seem so unfamiliar in the
future. And the more familiar they are, the easier it will be to understand
them and to have absolute faith in their existence.

Q: What do you
say to skeptics who believe the invisible spiritual world is just a
superstition?

A: Quite the contrary. To me, the greatest superstition is what Deepak
Chopra calls the “superstition of materialism.” That’s the superstition that
says that everything in life—our ideas, our philosophies, our religions, our
accomplishments, all our notions of honor and love and mercy and hope, all our
art and music, all of the deepest mysteries of science and faith, all the
longings of the human heart—is simply the result of the random dance of
molecules in our brain! Now to me that is superstitious and a denial of logic!

One of the great
things about the invisible realm is that you don’t have to be a “religious
fanatic” or the follower of some cult to believe in it. You can be a
levelheaded pragmatist. You can be a realist. You can even be a cynic. You
certainly don’t have to check your brains at the door before entering this
world. And you don’t have to be afraid that deep thinking is going to nullify
what you learn there. This book is not merely based on warm-hearted anecdotal
evidence. Everything I talk about in this book is based on solid theology,
informed by common sense and logic, and backed up by biblical scholarship and
the universal teaching of the Christian church over the past two thousand
years.

Q: Unseen spiritual
realities are rarely analyzed from a Christian point of view. What is the
reason?

 A: I think there are some Christian books on the market that focus on
invisible realities, but not many of them are written in a way that speaks to
the general public. In other words, there are books on God, the angels, demons,
grace, etc., but unfortunately, most of them are heavy theological works that
are rather long and dull. I think the reason for this is that Christians
sometimes forget that theology can be exciting and compelling and wonderfully
interesting for everyone—not just scholars, academics, and theologians.

Q: You’re not a priest or
pastor; in fact, you’re a writer and businessman. How did you get in touch with
this topic?

 A: I think it is precisely because I am a practical person that I wanted to
write about these topics in a way that everyday people could understand. As a
thinking human being, I’m naturally interested in the ultimate questions
concerning life, death, and the spirit. I think everyone is. After all, we’re
all headed in the same direction down the same river. So I think it’s a very
practical subject to be interested in because it concerns all of us. But as a
practical person—someone involved in business and running organizations and
hard work—I’ve been frustrated by the lack of books on these kinds of spiritual
topics written in a no-nonsense, understandable way. Basically, I try to write
my books in order to fill what I perceive to be a void.

 Q: If we are
going to explore the invisible spiritual realm, how can we tell the phony from
the authentically supernatural? Is there a way to be sure about what is real
and what is superstition or even fraud?

 A: It’s very
difficult because the topic is so subjective. That’s why, in my book, I don’t
indulge in wild speculation or relate hundreds of anecdotes and stories that
may or may not be true. I stick to what has been revealed in Scripture and the
authentic teaching of Christianity over twenty centuries. I feel strongly that,
if I didn’t stay within these parameters, it would be too easy to drift into
the worst kind of make-believe.

Q: The
Invisible World explores the existence of angels. Angels have captured our
imagination in a special way. Why do you think that is?

A: I think part of the fascination is that, while angels are completely
different from us, i.e., they’re pure spiritual beings, they are also right
here with us on Earth, helping us, guiding us, and protecting us. In other
words, we are intrigued by angels because they are powerful and wonderful
creatures, but also because part of their job is to really get involved in
our lives—to really “get their hands dirty,’’ so to speak, in the affairs of
human beings. Angels are
mysterious and strange and invisible, but they’re also our fellow creatures—and
they’re essentially living part of their lives on earth in order to help us. So although
they’re very far away from us, they’re also very close. It’s the proximity that
is fascinating, I think.

 Q: You also
explore the idea of the devil. “The devil made me do it” is a cliché that
people often use with humor. Can it be true? How does the devil actually tempt
us?

 A: Of course it’s
true. The devil does tempt us. And the devil really exists. He is spoken about
many times in Scripture. He’s not a “theological construct,” as some academics
have theorized. He’s a real being. As far as how he goes about tempting us, as
the movie The Exorcist correctly says, “The attack is psychological.”
And moreover, it usually involves deception. Satan, says Scripture, is a liar
and the father of all lies. Understanding lying is the key to understanding the
nature of the Evil One and the nature of spiritual warfare. Think about it. If
God is Truth, and the devil hates everything about God, then naturally the
devil is going to want to mess with the truth. What could be more offensive to
God than to get us to act in a way that completely contradicts God’s identity?
What could be more insulting than for us to be persuaded to act in a way that
is diametrically opposed to everything God stands for? That’s why the devil is
always trying to deceive us. Not only is it an extremely effective tactic for
trapping us, but it also mocks God at the same time. So deception is the
foundation of all demonic strategy—it’s the devil’s modus operandi.

 Q: If the devil
and the demons are so powerful, how can we ever hope to combat them?

A: It’s very
simple. In order to protect yourself from spiritual realities that are harmful
or evil, all you have to do is unite yourself to God. Union with God is the
ultimate and absolute defense mechanism against all spiritual attacks. In the
presence of grace, evil runs, hides, flees. That’s a fundamental spiritual law.

 Q: And how can we invite
positive spiritual forces into our lives?

 A: One of the very best ways is to pray. Prayer puts you in direct contact
with the creator of everything, including the whole spiritual realm. It’s like
being plugged into an electrical generator. Prayer is the great spiritual
conduit. A super-highway to Heaven! Prayers go up to God, and he sends
spiritual graces of all kinds down to us. The best thing he sends to us, of
course, is himself!

 Q: What was the biggest
insight you had during your research for The Invisible World?

 A: The biggest insight for
me was that when you look at the invisible world from the Christian
perspective, it’s actually much more interesting and provocative than when you
look at it from all the fictional and new-age perspectives you see in the
majority of books being published. As everyone knows, there are many books out
there on paranormal activity and ghosts and goblins and all the subjects
Hollywood makes scary movies about. But the simple, age-old Christian teaching
on angels, demons, the devil, grace, God, and what’s going to happen at the end
of the world are so much more exciting and eerie. And what’s more—they are
true. They are not make-believe. And you can really believe them.

 Q: How can faith
in the invisible world help us live our day-to-day lives in the visible
world?

 A: If you only pay
attention to visible realities, i.e., the world of the senses—then you are
doomed to live only half a life. And the half you do lead is bound to be
shallow and meaningless. Why? Because the most important things in life are
invisible: love, honor, trust, faith, emotion, passion, philosophy, God. The
hidden realities of life affect everything you do—whether you know it or not.
They affect how you conduct your business, what kind of person you decide to
marry, how you raise your children, how you look at suffering, how you face
death. The invisible is the lens through which you filter all the experiences
of your life. By learning about the invisible world, your life will become much
fuller and richer and more balanced. Also, if you have a strong faith in
the invisible world, then no amount of suffering—physical, mental, or
emotional—will ever be able to destroy the profound inner sense of peace that you’ll
experience on a daily basis.

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purchase this book.