Bible Studies

Understanding Familiar Spirits in the Bible

by Michael Edwards 
11/20/25
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The phrase “familiar spirits” (often called “unfamiliar spirits” in some modern discussions to emphasize spirits that are foreign or opposed to God) appears in older translations like the KJV. In the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the underlying Hebrew terms (ov and yiddeʿoni) are rendered as “mediums,” “spiritists,” or “necromancers.” These refer to demonic spirits that work through human agents to deceive people by pretending to channel the dead, predict the future, or provide hidden knowledge. The Bible consistently condemns any involvement with them as an abomination to the Lord, grouping them with other occult practices like divination, sorcery, and witchcraft.

Scripture portrays these spirits as real demonic entities (not the souls of deceased humans, since the dead cannot be contacted — see Hebrews 9:27; Luke 16:26). They are fallen angels or demons under Satan’s control who exploit human curiosity about the spirit realm and lead people away from dependence on God.

Key Verses Defining and Condemning Familiar Spirits (NASB)

Leviticus 19:31 “Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 20:6 “As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”

Leviticus 20:27 “Now a man or woman who is a medium or a spiritist must be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their bloodguilt is upon them.”

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, a soothsayer, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD…”

1 Samuel 28:7-9 (the witch/medium of Endor) “Then Saul said to his servants, ‘Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.’ … The woman said to him, ‘…whom shall I bring up for you?’”

2 Kings 21:6 (King Manasseh’s sin) “He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.”

2 Kings 23:24 (Josiah’s reform) “Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the household idols and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem…”

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (Saul’s death sentence) “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he committed against the LORD… and also because he asked counsel of a medium… and did not inquire of the LORD.”

2 Chronicles 33:6 (Manasseh again) “He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, dealt with mediums and spiritists…”

Isaiah 8:19 “When they say to you, ‘Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?”

Isaiah 19:3 “Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them… they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.”

These verses clearly define familiar spirits as demonic entities that operate through mediums and spiritists, and God repeatedly commands His people to avoid them entirely.

Can a Believer in Christ Be Possessed by a Familiar Spirit (Demon)?

No. A genuine believer in Christ — one who has been born again by the Holy Spirit — cannot be possessed (owned or controlled from within) by a demon or familiar spirit. The New Testament teaches that the moment a person trusts Christ, the Holy Spirit permanently indwells them, seals them, and guarantees their salvation. Light and darkness cannot cohabit the same temple.

Here are the strongest verses supporting this truth (all NASB):

Romans 8:9 “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

1 Corinthians 3:16“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price…”

2 Corinthians 6:15-16“Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God…”

Ephesians 1:13-14“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance…”

Colossians 1:13“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

1 John 4:4“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

1 John 5:18“We know that no one who is born of God sins to that end; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.”

John 10:28-29 (Jesus speaking)“I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

2 Thessalonians 3:3“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”

James 4:7“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

There is not a single example in the New Testament of a genuine believer being demon-possessed. Every case of demon possession occurs in unbelievers, and when people come to faith, demons are driven out (see Acts 16:18; 19:12). Believers can certainly be attacked, oppressed, deceived, or tempted by demonic spirits from the outside (Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8), and unconfessed sin can give the enemy a foothold (Ephesians 4:27). But possession — indwelling control — is impossible because the Holy Spirit already fully occupies that space.

Conclusion

Familiar spirits (mediums and spiritists in the NASB) are demonic entities that God strictly forbids His people to consult. They are tools of deception designed to pull people away from trusting the living God. For the believer in Christ, the Holy Spirit permanently seals and indwells them, making demonic possession impossible. Greater is He who is in you than any spirit in the world. Stay in Christ, put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), and resist the devil — he must flee.

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