Aliens, Angels & Deception: A Biblical Response to Modern Spiritual Confusion
Are Aliens Just Angels in Disguise? Here’s A Biblical Take on UFOs, the Divine Council, and Spiritual Deception
Have you ever heard someone ask, “What if angels are just aliens? I mean, technically they’re not from this planet, right?”
It's a wild-sounding question. And yet, it’s a serious one, especially in a world where Ancient Aliens is in its 19th season, UFO disclosure hearings are happening in Congress, and people are increasingly turning to New Age spirituality instead of biblical truth. But behind the question is a worldview battle—and it’s one we need to be ready for.
Recently, I had a spirited exchange with a guy who grew up reading the Bible but was starting to mix it with all sorts of other ideas—chakras, energy frequencies, even a kind of Jesus-meets-Buddha figure. He was trying to make sense of the supernatural and spiritual world, and like a lot of folks today, he was wondering if the aliens people claim to see might actually be biblical beings—angels, maybe.
What followed was a crash course in how to think biblically and presuppositionally about spiritual experiences, deceptive messages, and what it means to be made in the image of God. Here’s how I walked through it.
Angels vs. Aliens: Defining the Terms
Let’s start with the alien question.
The Bible talks about all kinds of spiritual beings. Sometimes they’re called malakim in Hebrew or angelos in Greek—both mean “messenger.” Other times they’re called cherubim, seraphim, or “living creatures.” There’s also the divine council mentioned in places like Psalm 82. These are real spiritual beings, and they exist in a hierarchy. For example, Psalm 8 says God made man “a little lower than the angels” (Psalm 8:5), and 1 Corinthians 6:3 tells us that one day, believers will judge angels.
But here’s the thing: when most people say “alien,” they mean something totally different. They’re usually thinking about a physical being, possibly from another planet or dimension, who has some kind of body—maybe gray skin and big eyes—and flies around in high-tech ships. Some people even think they’re here to help us “evolve” or reach “enlightenment.”
That is not how the Bible describes angels. And more importantly, when people claim to encounter beings like this, often with spiritual messages that contradict the Bible, we need to be very clear: we are not dealing with extraterrestrials. We’re dealing with spiritual impostors—what the Bible calls demons.
Test the Spirits—Don't Trust the Vibes
So how do you know what kind of being you’re encountering?
This is where God’s Word comes in. 1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” How do we test them? Not by the warm fuzzy feelings they give us. Not by whether they look glorious or sound loving. Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
The test is the message.
If a spirit—or an “alien” or “angel” or “ascended master” or whatever—shows up and starts talking about how all religions are basically the same, or how you can reach God through enlightenment, or how Jesus was just a spiritually evolved teacher—you can know immediately: this is not from God.
The gospel is the litmus test.
Jesus Is Not Just Another Spiritual Guide
During the conversation, the guy I was speaking with said something like, “Didn’t Jesus say we’re all gods? Didn’t He come to show us how to empower ourselves?”
That’s a huge misunderstanding, but it’s common, especially when people cherry-pick Bible verses or blend them with Eastern religion. When Jesus quoted Psalm 82 (“I said you are gods”), He wasn’t saying, “Hey, you’re all little deities who just need to activate your potential.” He was quoting a psalm where God is condemning corrupt human rulers—calling them “gods” sarcastically because they were judging unjustly and would die like men (Psalm 82:6-7).
And Jesus wasn’t just another avatar trying to teach people how to “unlock their divinity.” He is God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14), come to save sinners by doing what we never could—living in perfect obedience to the Father, dying for our sins, and rising again to offer eternal life to everyone who believes (Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
The Image of God Isn’t About Superpowers
Another point that came up was the idea that Adam and Eve, before the fall, had superpowers. The claim was that maybe they could live forever, move things with their minds, and had some kind of glowing aura—and that when they sinned, they lost all of that.
Now, I get the impulse here. We imagine Eden as this glowing, magical place, and it probably was amazing. But we have to be careful not to import our own assumptions into Scripture. Just because we think God would have made humans that way doesn’t mean He did.
So what does the Bible actually say?
Genesis 1:26–28 tells us that being made in the image of God means exercising dominion. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion...” It’s not about moving rocks with your mind. It’s about representing God’s authority on earth—ruling under Him, reflecting His character, multiplying His image-bearers across the world.
We’re not gods. We’re creatures. But we were made for something glorious—to reflect the Lord and steward His creation under His rule.
The Problem Isn’t a Lost Glow. It’s Sin.
But of course, Genesis 3 happens.
The first man and woman rebelled. Instead of exercising dominion under God, they listened to the serpent. They tried to become like God on their own terms, and everything fell apart. Sin entered the world. That word—sin—came up in our conversation, and the other guy said something like, “Yeah, but Jesus died for sin, so I don’t think it exists anymore.”
Now hang on.
Yes, Jesus died for sin (1 Peter 3:18). But that doesn’t mean sin has ceased to exist. It means there’s finally a way to deal with it. Without Jesus, we’re still under judgment. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” That’s the problem every human being faces. And the only solution is the cross.
You Can't Get Yourself Right
One of the most telling moments in our talk came when this guy said, “I think people can get themselves right.” That’s where every non-Christian worldview ends up.
Meditate enough. Raise your vibration. Learn about energy fields. Get in tune with your chakras. Do the inner work. Be a good person.
But how do you know when you’ve done enough? When you’re finally “right”?
That path never ends. It’s a spiritual treadmill. And here’s the truth: if the standard is perfection—and it is (Matthew 5:48)—then none of us can ever be “right” on our own.
That’s why Jesus came. To do for us what we could never do. To live the sinless life we failed to live. To die in our place, absorbing the full wrath of God. To rise from the dead and conquer sin and death forever.
And He didn’t leave us guessing. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
That’s not ambiguous. That’s not mystical. That’s grace.
Every Other Religion Blurs the Lines
Every other worldview—every other philosophy, religion, or spiritual system—introduces ambiguity. It says, “Figure it out. Try harder. Be spiritual. Maybe you’ll get there.”
Only the gospel says, “You can’t get there—but Jesus came to you.”
Only Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
So you’ve got a choice. Trust the clear, unchanging Word of God—or trust your own feelings, hunches, and energy vibrations.
Jesus versus you.
Who are you going to trust?
Final Thoughts: Truth vs. Experience
At the end of the day, this is what it comes down to: are we going to interpret spiritual experience through the lens of Scripture, or interpret Scripture through the lens of our spiritual experience?
Because if you go by feelings, or vibes, or personal encounters, you’re going to get led astray. But if you start with God’s Word, you’ve got a firm foundation.
Aliens, angels, New Age spirits, ancient gods—they all claim to offer some kind of enlightenment. But if their message contradicts the gospel of Jesus Christ, they’re not here to help you. They’re here to deceive you.
The only safe path is the one that leads straight to the cross.
👉 Want to see how this conversation unfolded? Watch the full video of my discussion.
📢 Are you a pastor looking to equip your church to defend the faith with clarity and conviction? Bring me in to lead a Defend Your Faith Weekend at your church. Let’s train your people to test the spirits, defend the gospel, and glorify Jesus in every conversation. Go here to learn more.