Angels and demons—I know I believe in them, but I’m not entirely certain what I believe. God’s Word is clear in some areas, but silent in so many more.
But what if we explored the real-world possibilities of these supernatural beings based upon the facts we read in Genesis, the Gospels, and Acts? What if we played around with the truth found in Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
I love reading short stories, but in this ongoing series dubbed “Before I Wake,” I have written some of my own to explore some of these What Ifs.
The Premise
The premise for my stories is simple: God’s angels can inhabit the bodies of recently-deceased believers to accomplish some task He’s assigned them. Demons likewise can inhabit the bodies of unbelievers, promoting the wicked cause of the Prince of Darkness.
The Guardrails
Two important guardrails exist in this fictional world. First, neither spirit can remain in these bodies long—a day or two at most—due to natural decomposition, so the clock is always ticking. Second, demons cannot inhabit even the shells of departed believers, because demons would always and opportunistically abuse that person’s testimony in the moments following death. God would never permit it.
The Purpose
As you read these stories, I encourage you to peek into that other, very real dimension which surrounds you and to ask yourself a very important question: “Whose side am I on?”
The Stories
I will post a new story on the final Friday of each month for the foreseeable future. See the first installment here:
©2026 E.T.
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[A version of this article originally appeared on my hobby site hobbieswithelliot on January 22, 2021]