Question from a reader:

I came across many photos and videos that claim archeological proof for time travel and the existence of aliens. I wanted to share some photos and perhaps get your thoughts. Some even suggest that aliens were Jesus or such. Others show alien-like figures in archaeology as well as on the clothing of religious figures.  Please help, this is affecting my faith which in turn hurts my mental health because I hold Christianity very dear to my heart. This fuels the conspiracy that either Jesus was an alien or that the "elites" either are, or have contact with aliens.

Answer from Stephanie Anderson, EPM staff:

I’m glad to hear you hold Christianity dear to your heart; I hope that also means you have a personal relationship with Jesus, and have accepted His atoning work on your behalf. If you’d like to read more about what that means, you can see what Randy shares here.

Here are my honest thoughts in response to your questions/the images you sent (and yes, I think many of them do look fake/photoshopped). It seems that the enemy of our souls, Satan, uses things like this to distract people from what’s most important. I have known people who fall down “the hole” of reading things like this on the internet or in books, and in my experience, it does not yield any good “fruit” in their lives. It often leads to confusion, distraction, doubting, and obsession with what doesn’t truly matter. These things are not from God. God wants you to know the truth—as given to us in His Word—and for the truth to set you free (John 8:32). He wants you to build your life on Him, the rock, a solid foundation for life (Matthew 7:24-25) and to invest your life in what truly matters for eternity.

Our enemy, on the other hand, is a liar. He wants you to be distracted from knowing and serving God.

The fruit of a relationship with Jesus, and a mind that is set on Him, differs greatly from what the world offers. That fruit is: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). I think “peace” especially applies here to what you are saying. God does unsettle believers at times, but always for the purpose of convicting us of our sin and drawing us closer to Him for ultimate peace and healing. Since the disturbance in your spirit is moving you away from God, you can be sure it is not His Spirit at work.

You can especially know that these things you are reading are not from God because they are distorting the truth about Jesus and who He is (1 John 2:22, 2 John 1:7). He is not an alien; He is the God-man—fully God, and also fully human.

God has not told us in His word whether or not there are other beings in the universe. But He is trustworthy and has told us everything we need to know for life and faith in Him. (You might like to read these thoughts from Randy.) My personal suspicion is that much of what people attribute to extraterrestrial activity is actually demons desiring to distract people from seeking God, so that instead they get caught up in an unhealthy fascination. Scripture tells us that Satan even masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

So where does that leave you? I highly recommend that you stop reading/looking at these images and the sources where you’ve found them. Instead, turn to God’s Word. Read the Bible, and ask Him to reveal Himself through it to you. Also, read good books about faith in Jesus. Randy has many great recommendations here.

I also think there would be great value in pursuing discipleship/mentoring with your pastor or another mature Christian. Do you have a local church you attend? If not, let us know, and we’d be happy to make some recommendations for your area.

God desires that you would experience the peace that only He can give. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (John 14:27).  I’ll leave you with a few verses that would be worth reading and thinking about:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

Photo: Unsplash