Even though America is often presented as a secular, postmodern nation, belief in spiritual realities is still very much alive. Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) believe in spiritual beings that exist beyond the natural world, according to our 2026 State of the Bible research. These aren’t just Christians or those who follow other religions. One in three of those who claim no religion—we call them the Nones—believe in spiritual beings. And one in five Nones say they believe in God.
Angels and Demons
Americans are more likely to believe in God, heaven, and angels than in Satan, hell, and demons.
Benevolent supernatural beings and life after death offer comfort while malevolent supernatural beings and eternal punishment are harder to reckon with. It’s easier to disbelieve them than to wrestle with what it means if they are real.
The Nones are more likely to answer “not sure” to questions about the supernatural. Making a truth claim about a spiritual reality is difficult outside of a religious framework. Hell and Satan prove especially unpopular among Nones, with over half of Nones saying they don’t believe in either. This correlates with the broader trend: Americans lean more toward belief in positive supernatural realities than negative ones.
Engaging with Scripture informs our understanding of the supernatural world.
Americans who are Scripture Engaged show the highest levels of belief in each of these six categories, with 91 percent believing in demons and 98 percent believing in angels. With its stories in which Jesus heals people from demons and its teachings about spiritual forces, the Bible provides guidance and authority for Christians navigating supernatural realities.
Miracles
What about miraculous answers to prayer or divine healings? Nearly half of Americans agree that they have received a miraculous answer to prayer (48%) and one third say they have witnessed or experienced a divine healing (35%).
Evangelical Protestants are the most likely to report they have prayed for something that was answered in a miraculous way (76%), followed closely by Historically Black Protestants (65%). These two groups are also the most likely to say they’ve witnessed or experienced a divine healing or miracle.
Looking at it from another angle, Faith Participation Level, we find that nine in ten Practicing Christians (from all traditions) agree they have prayed for something that was answered in a miraculous way. The majority of Practicing Christians (69%) also affirm they have directly witnessed or experienced a miracle or healing.
Spiritual Attack
Practicing Christians are also the most likely to report that they have personally experienced a spiritual attack (58%). This is compared to 28 percent of Casual Christians and fewer still among Nominal Christians and Non-Christians. Responses are influenced by whether people believe a spiritual attack is possible and what they perceive to be a spiritual attack.
For the quarter of Americans (26%) who have experienced a spiritual attack, prayer is their go-to response. When asked, “What have you found most helpful in times of spiritual attack?,” 74% selected “Praying.”
The second most popular response was, “Declaring the authority of Christ over the attack,” (36%). About one in four finds relief by listening to worship music to calm their spirit or increase their faith. Only 15% reported meditating on or quoting Scripture. This is surprisingly low given that participants could select more than one option.
Now What?
As you navigate a landscape where neighbors remain remarkably open to belief in the supernatural, it may help to focus on where people turn when they encounter spiritual darkness. Here are two ways you can equip the people in your congregation to navigate the supernatural:
- Build your congregation’s familiarity with the Bible to connect them with truths about the supernatural.
- Teach your congregation to prepare themselves for trials through Bible reading and memorization.
God’s Word is a comfort, a guide—and a weapon. When people need help in spiritual battles, what better support can we offer than the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God? (Ephesians 6:17)
“The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out”
(John 1:4–5 GNT).