Satan’s Web

This is the fifth in a series of spiritual warfare against the Devil.

 Satan like a great spider lures people into the clutches of demons with promises of supernatural aid. When we’re fearful and uncertain, desperate to make choices that will help and not harm us, Satan lures us with offers of insight into the future. This web is spread widely, and has great appeal even to Christians. One key to successful spiritual warfare is to take a firm hold on truths that remind us that we walk by faith, not by sight.

An event recorded in Acts reminds us of how tempting the idea that we gain knowledge of the future can be. Paul and his companions in Philippi are being followed around by a slave girl who is clairvoyant. The girl keeps on identifying the missionaries as servants of the Most High God who “is showing you the way of salvation.” Finally Paul turns to her, and expels the evil spirit that has possessed her and given her her ability to foretell events. With the demon exorcised, the girl has no ability to predict anything accurately. Her owners, furious at the loss of the considerable income she’s generated for them, incite the citizens and the ensuing riot leads to the Apostle’s imprisonment.

The incident confirms something that the ancients firmly believed: It is possible to gain some knowledge of the future through occult means. The incident also conveys a warning. The beings who provide that special knowledge are demons.

Oracles and Omens

Two major sources relied on by the ancients were oracles and omens. One of the most famous of ancient oracles was at Delphi. There a girl breathed fumes rising from the ground and in the induced trance uttered words and sounds that were interpreted by priests. The messages delivered by oracles were typically obscure and required interpretation. One of the most famous pronouncements was provided to a ruler contemplating invasion of a neighbor. The oracle assured the ruler, “If you invade, a great nation will be destroyed.” Emboldened by the pronouncement the ruler launched his invasion. He was defeated, and the great nation that was destroyed was his own.

It was typical in the ancient world that before any significant action was taken omens were consulted. Books were written on the interpretation of omens, from the reading of the entrails of a sacrificial animal to the direction taken by birds when they rose into the air. “Good” omens were considered confirmation by the gods that the action to be taken would have a positive result, while “bad” omens frequently required a change in plans.

The reliance on oracles and omens reflected human beings awareness of life’s uncertainties, and a search for some source of information that would guide human choices and provide a better chance for a positive outcome of the decisions life demands from every individual and nation.

Horoscopes and ouija boards

Today our Senate, unlike the Roman senate, opens its important meetings without taking the omens. But many individuals are just as uncertain about the ancients concerning the course of their own lives. And so today as in ancient times a surprising percentage of our population look to occult sources for personal guidance.

It’s no wonder, then, that we can go on the Internet to sources like “Paranormal Phenomenon” on About.com and find how-to articles on seeking guidance through divination (17), ouija boards (32), scrying (5), and automatic writing (8). It’s also no surprise that there are some 31 how-to articles on channeling (contacting a person who has died or other disembodied beibg), something that modern spiritists claim to do. Nor is the explosion of interest in spirit guides to take over decision making [see earlier posts on Spirit Guides]. seeking advice from Palmists, tea leaf readers, tarot card readers, and a variety of othera claiming to access supernatural sources who will provide information individuals seem desperate to gain. And despite the utterly insipid “advice” provided in horoscopes, should a newspaper drop this feature an overwhelming number of complaints would be generated.

Foolishness?

It’s easy for us to dismiss these so-called sources of occult knowledge as plain foolishness. In our society, we rational individuals know better than expect help from such practices. Unlike the people of the ancient world, we don’t believe in oracles or in clairvoyants who can provide information not available from natural sources.

The problem is, of course, that the clairvoyant girl of Acts actually did provide such knowledge to her owners’ clients. And the source of that knowledge was an evil spirit. This, plus the command in Deuteronomy 18 to reject every form of the occult, reminds us that there are supernatural beings who actually may communicate through these channels. But the beings who communicate are hardly friends. Rather they are hostile spirits, dedicated to harm those who contact them. It’s clear not only from Scripture but from experience that any such contact may make a person vulnerable to influence or control by demons. In essence, taking the initiative to contact supernatural beings gives demons a “right” to be present and active in a person’s life.

One of the first things that a person seeking to help a potentially demonized individual needs to do is to find out if there has been past involvement in the occult, and understand the right the demon may claim to be present. Dealing with the basis for the demonic presence is frequently a vital step in deliverance.

The Christian defense

As always, in warfare against the demonic our relianced must be on truth. Too often untaught believers may become panicked when things seem to be going wrong. Fearful and uncertain, the believer may grasp at any straw for a way out of what seems to be an impossible situation.

In the fifth book of the Invisible War series, tentatively titled Possessed, the wife of a demonized husband desperate to know what to do to protect herself and her son, seeks a spirit guide. The spirit guide does contact her, and leads her through the maze of decisions that bring about a divorce in which she and her son are supposedly protected from the husband’s eratic behavior. This depiction is based on the experience of many who have sought supernatural aid from occult sources and believe they have received positive help. But that “help” fosters a dependence on the demonic which leds to significant deterioration of the woman’s relationship with God, and increasing emotional and spiritual trauma. Such “aid” comes at a price that is far to high.

What truths does a believer need to understand and appropriate when facing “impossible” choices that generate fear and uncertainty.

> God is a Father who loves us.Matthew 6:25-34 assures us that he does and that he will care for us. As we see him in his nature as Father, our anxiety can be trasnformed into trust.

> God is Soverign, with full knowledge of and in control of the future.Isaiah 46:9-11 affirms God’s soverign control of events. 40:25-41 reminds us of how focusing on this truth provides the strength we need to meet every situation of life.

> The same Isaiah passages remind us that while we do not know the future, God does. And Jeremiah’s 29:11’s words reflecting God’s commitment to his Old Testament people have direct application to us as well. Our God “knows the plans that I have for [each of] you . . . plans to give you a hope and a future.”

These are truths that each of us can . . . and is to . . . rely on. God is our Father. He is committed to care for us. God, the sovereign ruler of the universe, who knows and who controls the future,intends to do us good, so we have a hope, and a future.

No one who takes a stand on these wonderful truths will be shaken by life’s uncertainities. Oh, we’re human and there will be moments of anxiety. But with these truths as an anchor we will never be driven to seek guidance from occult sources. The truth will protect us from falling into this trap of the enemy.

Healing by Deliverance

This is the fourth in the spiritual warfare vs the Devil series.

Demons and sickness

Take it from the New Testament. Demons may very well play a role in human sickness. Questions that we need to address include, How do we tell that a particular illness may have a demonic dimension? And, if so, how do we go about dealing with the demons.

The best book that I’m aware of on the subject, and the most balanced, is the second of Peter Horrobin’s Healing Through Deliverance: The Practical Ministry. [I reviewed the first book exploring biblical evidence of demonic influence earlier on Demmondope.] Horrobin goes into a variety of issue:

     > Observable symptoms of possible demonization
     > Demonic entry points
     > Preparing a person for healing through deliverance
     > The process
     > Staying free

There’s no way that I can reproduce all the helpful insights Horrobin shares in this blog. If you are interested, or involved in counseling, I suggest you get the book. I’m confident you’ll glean more than one truly helpful guideline from it.

Helpful guidelines

Don’t oversimplify. We humans are complex but whole beings. Our physical health is intimately linked to our spiritual and psychological health. Before attempting deliverance its important to do an assessment of spiritual and psychological factors that may be causative factors in the illness. Here Horrobin provides a helpful survey of truths that a person needs to understand and apply. For instance, realizing that we are loved and accepted by God is vital. And riding ourselves of bitterness and anger through forgiveness is often a necessity for healing.

Don’t neglect demonic entry points. In most causes of demonization, if not all, the individual gives tacit if not explicit permission for the demon to enter and to stay in the personality. Most who have had experience with exorcism note that demons seem to be highly legalistic: E.orcism frequently involves discovering what the demon claims to be his “right” to be in the person. That “right” can then be challenged, and the individual helped to repent of and reject any tacit permission he or she has given the demon(s).

Don’t dismiss discernment. Horrobin’s list of possible symptoms of demonic involvement is extensive. Reading it one gets the impression that almost anything can be symptomatic of demonization. The question is complicated by the fact that there may also be natural physical or psychological causes for every symptom! Thus just looking for possible symptoms without discernment provided by the Holy Spirit is almost a useless exercise. At the same time Horrobin points out that when symptoms are associated with such things as earlier occult involvement, a distorted understanding of God and of Christ’s work, a counselor’s sense of demonic involvement will have confirming evidence.

Don’t jump in without preparation. That preparation involves preliminary prayer and–something Horrobin emphasizes–the involvement of at least two persons in the deliverance process. Horrobin’s own ministry uses a questionnaire to aid in this assessment. While the questionnaire is not reproduced in the book, the book does tell how to obtain a copy.

Don’t treat deliverance as if it were a magic bullet. While believers have authority over demons deliverance efforts can fail unless the patient deals with the initial incident that provided the demon with access.  It would seem that no believer is delivered permanently without his or her rejection of the demon, and without dealing with the issue that provided the demon with his right to be present in the life.
Let’s get theological

It’s common for “faith healers,” who rely on their supposed gift of healing and conduct mass crusades to argue that “healing is in the atonement.” They typically rely on Isaiah 53 to proof text this theology, pointing out that this powerful passage about the work of the Messiah claims that since by Christ’s “stripes we are healed,” all a believer needs to do is claim healing by faith.

I’m not about to reject the conviction that God can and does heal supernaturally. The problem lies in the assumption that healing is guaranteed, now, depending on one’s faith. Ultimately healing of all our infirmities will take place in the resurrection, fulfilling the promising of complete healing. But guaranteed healing in this life, here and now? If that were really the case the Apostle Paul would have told Epaphroditus “believer, brother,” and that worthy mentioned in Philippians 2 would have jumped up rather than almost dying. And Paul himself, who can’t be faulted for lack of faith, would simply have claimed healing rather than praying three times for a deliverance God choose not to provide.

Physical healing simply isn’t a “right” that can be claimed by any Christian at any time.

At the same time there is evidence in the Gospels that some illness is either caused by or exacerbated by demons. And in such cases Christians do have authority to drive out the demons, and to heal through deliverance.

“Help Me!” contest

I mentioned earlier that I’m offering a seminar on the Invisible War. I don’t know just what to title it, so I’m launching a contest. The best suggested name for the seminar gets you the very first copies of Books 1 and 2 of the Invisible War series as soon as I receive them.

To help you out, let me describe the contents and the flow.

   1. People in the ancient world were terrified of demons.
   2. In today’s world demons and angels are curiosities about which people know little.
      But trends in our society reveal the need for an biblical understanding of demonology.
      There’s a growing interest in the occult
         evidence: 120,000 active students enrolled in Witch School
                 : the growth of neopagan religions like Wicca
                 : fascination with the occult [34 current TV shows, new movies]
                 : people are inviting “spirit guides” into their lives.
   3. Why is this serious? Because demons do today what they did in Jesus’ day.
      Today as in Christ’s day demonic influences can                  
                 : drive people to violence, as in the Virginia Tech massacre
                 : cause or exacerbate illness
                 : provide false guidance [tea leaves, spiritists, spirit guides, etc.
                 : blind people to Truth and the Gospel
                 : corrupt government
   4. How can we understand and combat evil spiritual forces today
                 : rely on the power of Christ, who cast out demons in his day
                 : develop a biblical understanding of demons, correcting false
                     ideas current in our culture
   5. Participants are invited to ask questions
   6. Sources of information
                 : the Invisible War novels
                 : invite people to register at www.demondope.com
                   [information, and reviews of reliable resources, alerts to new posts]

I may or may not make Invisible War novel(s) currently released available, as the sponsoring group wishes.

I’m offering this for adult SS classes, Christan men’s and women’s organizations, church evening services, Christian high schools and colleges, youth groups, Christian bookstores, etc.

So please send in your title suggestions. I really need a good one.

More DID

Dr. Doug McGeachie comments on my recent post on Tom Hawkins’ book on DID. “MY wife and I attended many courses with Dr. Tom Hawkins and we have been counseling people with
DID for the past eight years. I wrote my doctoral thesis on understanding dissociation/DID. Through prayer healing and dealing with the parts, 100% of traumatized people can receive full healing from the Lord Jesus Christ (Jer. 33:3 and 6. There is freedom from trauma and Jesus is the only One who can do it as He came to bind up up the brokenhearted. Tom Hawkins is awesome and we fully back his teachings and methods.”

By the way, you can check out Doug’s own fruitful ministry in London, Ontario, Canida at www.RevelationoftruthMinistries.ca

Also, don’t miss the two comments on the initial DID article, below.

Demons, or Multiple Personalities?

They used to call it Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). The helping professionals now label it more accurately Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Much more is understood about this disorder, which is typically rooted in ongoing childhood trauma.

I’ve just been reading a fascinating book, written by Tom R. Hawkins with his wife Diane, that brings together the latest research and his own insights into this disorder which affects an estimated 1-4% of the normal population, and as much as 50% of those who are in-patients in metal facilities. Tom’s book, Dissociative Identity Disorder,  is important reading for anyone who counsels, for the disorder may not be easy to diagnose.

Roots of the disorder

Typically the disorder originates in childhood abuse prior to age 7. The abuse creates such 
trauma that in order to deal with it the child dissociates. That is, the child creates an area in his memory where the trauma experiences are stored that is isolated from his primary personality. This coping mechanism enables the child to deal with the abuse without developing other mental illnesses which are even more devastating. But in time a separate “identity” which is different from the primary personality may develop. Often such identities are fragmented. But frequently several functioning alternate identities develop, of which neither the person herself or himself nor others may be aware.

While dissociation may serve as a positive coping mechanism initially, the traumatic experiences are stored in the memory, and at later dates may be recovered, often with devastating effects. Tom’s book deals with these effects, and with how a counselor can help a client with DID reintegrate the multiple personalities or deal with them positively.

Two types of causes

The book discusses two basic causes of DID. The first cause is sexual or other abuse by members of the family. The second cause is ritual abuse. Ritual abuse is the intentional creation of dissociative states. It was first recognized as practiced by Satanic cults but now is recognized as caused by practices of other cult-like groups as well.

When practiced by a satanic cult, ritual abuse is often associated with demonic forces that establish a presence in one or more of an individual’s identities.

The demon connection

The link of demonization and ritual abuse creates a significant diagnostic problem for both counselors and exorcists.

On the one hand, counselors must be aware of a possible demonic connection and must be prepared to deal with it. On the other hand exorcists must recognize that the surfacing of a separate identity within an individual does not necessarily indicate demon possession. The identity that surfaces may be a true part of the person being dealt with and not a demonic being at all. Thus an attempt to exorcise the alternate identity by treating it as a demon may do significant harm.

Buy the book

I strongly suggest that anyone who has personally experienced and later recalled childhood abuse, or who has a natural or adopted child who has possibly experienced prolonged abuse, purchase this book. I also strongly urge anyone involved in Christian or pastoral counseling of any kind to buy and to study this book carefully.

Tom not only helps us understand and recognize DID, but also offers effective strategies for resolving DID. You can find the book by clicking on Tom’s website address, www.rcm-usa.org.

Demons causing illness

Spiritual warfare against the Devil (#3)

As we look at the Gospels we see Jesus confronting demons on a number of occasions. On eight of these occasions Jesus spoke to or with the demons. By analyzing these occasions we can develop an initial picture of how demons attack believers today.

Remember the assumptions I stated in the last post.

   > NT descriptions of demonic activity are authentic and accurate.
   > Demons are capable of doing today what they did then.
   > Demonic character hasn’t changed…thus we can expect demons to be doing today
     what they did in NT times.

So, what did demons do in NT times that we can assume they are doing today? The first thing I want to look at is, causing illnesses.

Demon-caused physical “illness”

Luke 13 relates the story of a woman who attended a synagogue where Jesus was teaching on a Sabbath. Luke tells us she was “crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.” Jesus called her to him and free her from the oppressing spirit. When challenged for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus confirmed Luke’s diagnosis, saying, “Should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

Mark 9 relates the story of a child who was the victim of deafness and subject to seizures. The father attributed this to a demon, a diagnosis which Jesus again confirmed when he commanded the “deaf and unclean spirit” to “come out of him and never enter him again.”

In these two cases and others healing was brought about by driving out the demon, and the victim of the demonic attack was set free.

Normal “illness”

While some stories of healing in the NT depict demons as a causative factor, it’s clear that not all sickness should be attributed to demons. The Gospels frequently place Jesus’ healing of the sick and casting out of demons in separate categories, side by side, as in Matthew 4:23-24. At other times healings are described with no mention of demonic involvement, as in Matthew 11:4-6.

Such passages lead us to conclude that while some human illness is caused or exacerbated by demons, other illness has “normal” rather than supernatural causes.

Treatment

Jesus exercised his authority both by healing “normal” illness and by casting out the demons who were the cause of other illnesses. These miracles were not only authenticating signs of Christ’s commission by the Father, but as in the Matthew 11 passage, the fulfillment of prophecies marking Jesus as the promised Messiah (Cf Isaiah 35:5-7).

Jesus also at one time transmitted the exousia, the power or “right” to heal and cast out demons to his disciples. It is interesting that while the apostle Paul did not exercise healing authority, as in the case of Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-30), and did not seek a “healer” when he himself was ill (2 Corinthians 13), Paul did exorcise demons.

Evidence from the Epistles and from the early church fathers indicate that the Christian community recognized demon possession as a reality, and when recognized acted to drive out the demons.

Complications

In his book, Deliverance and Healing,Peter Horrobin relates three types of situations he has dealt with.

  > Some people’s chronic or other illness is demonic in origin. Deliverance from the demonic influence results in healing.

  > Some people’s chronic or other illness is contributed to by demons. Deliverance is only one aspect of the healing process, while medical and/or psychological treatment is also required.   

  > Some people’s chronic or other illness has no roots in demonic oppression or possession.
Medical and/or psychological treatment is all that’s required.

It goes without saying that prayer is an important spiritual factor in each of the three situations, but I say it anyway.

The complications arise in discerning which situation we face in dealing with any specific illness. Is this a “normal” illness? Or is there a demonic element?

The medical profession is increasingly aware of the impact of psychological states on recovery and general health. It is generally recognized that depression or other psychological states can significantly impact the effectiveness of medical treatments. Unfortunately, the idea that there can be a demonic dimension to physical and/or psychological illnesses is foreign to medical professionals, psychiatrists, and counselors.

It is a truism, but also the truth, that when the demonic is ruled out a prior medical professionals, psychiatrists, and counselors are most unlikely to identify it. They give no credence to causes which they are not looking for and, worse, which they do not believe can exist.

Tragically, even pastors and Christian counselors seldom even consider demonic influence in those who come to them for help, or who are referred to them by psychiatrists or medical professionals.

Recognizing the demonic

Acknowledging the possibility of demonic influence in human illness raises an obvious question. How do we recognize demonic causation or influence in a person suffering from an illness?

The book I referred to earlier, Horrobin’s Healing Through Deliverance, is his first volume on the subject and provides a biblical and theological framework in which to address the question. I’ve sent for his second volume, which focuses on the practice of healing through deliverance, and documents a number of his experiences.

While his basic answer to the question of how one recognizes the presence of the demonic in a person who is sick is “spiritual discernment,” there seem to be a number of steps a person counseling with a sick or ill person should take.

I’m hopeful that his second book, which I’ve ordered, will provide more practical guidelines. If it does, I’ll report on those guidelines in a forthcoming post. If it doesn’t, I’ll share with you the steps I’ve come up with from reading his first book.

It certainly is correct to say that spiritual discernment is a must in dealing in this area. And that is the providence of God the Spirit, who provides the spiritual gifts individuals and the church needs. At the same time, its important that we understand clues which the spiritually sensitive person will recognize as indicative of possible demonic involvement.

More about that later . . . hopefully, next post.

Ouija boarding

It’s discouraging. There is so much on the Internet about the occult. This morning I looked at one website recommended in a paranormal enewsletter I receive, and I looked at another site promising to provide “the secret” behind “the secret.”

The first site pointed me to a dozen “sworn to be true” stories about Ouija board use. The first was a young woman’s story of her sense of being watched in the house she lived in with her dad. One night when she was alone she heard steps on the stairs, but no one was there. When she heard them again, she threw open a door … and found no one. Wondering if something there wanted to communicate with her she got out an Ouija board, lit candles at its corners, and called out to the spirit she suspected might be in the room. To shorten a long story, the spirit communicated through the Ouija board, identified itself as a young man who had died, and warned her that it wanted to harm her. Later after she moved from that house she learned the next family to move there had a dog that wouldn’t enter her old room, and that when the wife was alone she was often shoved by an invisible presence.

The story is typical of many accounts . . . so typical there’s reason to wonder if its an honest account of an experience or made up by a Steven King wannabe. But what’s troubling is the young woman’s reliance on the ouija board to deal with her fears. We do know from Scripture that reliance on any occult means to contact supernatural beings is both forbidden and dangerous. It’s an invitation to evil spirits to become involved in one’s life. And one thing that seems to true is that there must be some level of cooperation with evil spirits to give them access to a human personality. And that cooperation need not be a conscious intent to invite demons in.

Often in exorcism its necessary to discover what the demon views as its legal basis for its presence an the individual’s life . . .whether its an implicit invitation through the seeking of information through occult means via an ouija board, medium,etc., or perhaps dedication as an infant to dark forces.

I suspect that the view ascribed to Pope Benedict . . . that the increase in demonization and requests for exorcisms witnessed in Europe and the rest of the Catholic world is in part due to the Internet, probably is true. As long as stories like the one above present using Ouija boards and other occult means as a normal means to seek information about paranormal experiences,more and more people will inadvertently come in contact with the demonic.

The other site I looked at offered to explain the workings of the Law of Attraction. This fad, encouraged enthusiastically on Oprah, assumes that the universe is eager to grant the wishes and desires of human beings. All one needs to do is focus on what one wants and “believe.” The universe, apparently delighted that someone is paying attention to it, supposedly showers such a believer with the wealth, love, health, fame, or whatever it is one seeks.    

I don’t see the current fascination with the supposed Law of Attraction as an avenue for contact with evil spirits. Rather its simply foolishness . . . and a way for those who put up all the websites offering advice, training, and “aids” to make a buck off the gullible.

Overall, its discouraging to surf the net. Personally, I don’t have time for it, and so focus on searching for specific information I want or need. Hope that’s your experience too.

Speaking of the Internet, I hope to soon have an Invisible War website up where folks can learn about the Invisible War novels and interact. In the meanwhile, check Amazon.com. I noticed two reviews on The Blind Prophet up there this morning.

The Devil (2)

This is the second in a series of posts on Spiritual Warfare against the Devil.

The Gospels contain a number of accounts of Jesus casting evil spirits/demons out of individuals. That makes the Gospels a good place to begin our thinking about spiritual warfare against the Devil.

I want to begin with the gospels because these stories seem to me to portray a number of symptoms of demonic oppression or possession. Because biblical demonology is pretty much ignored in most evangelical churches, the Gospel accounts have seldom been studied for the information they provide about signs pointing to possible demonic activity. Certainly few of us outside of some charismatic churches have ever heard sermons exploring biblical angelology or demonology.

Between a Rock and Hard Place

I can certainly understand hesitancy to focus on demonology. Pastors are well aware that people are suggestible. I suspect that any sermon or series of sermons on this subject would create unnecessary fear of evil spirits, or arouse unwarranted suspicions of demon oppression. Can you imagine the harm that assuming a depressed spouse or difficult child is demon possessed might do?  

On the other hand, ignoring the Bible’s teaching on the activities of Satan and demonization undoubtedly has led to the other extreme. Real demonic oppression and possession has gone unrecognized, and been misdiagnosed as physical, psychological, or psychiatric disorders.

This places those responsible for spiritual oversight in a truly difficult position. In a real sense, they are at fault if they do teach on Satan and demons, and at fault if they don’t.

I can’t say that I envy preachers, pastoral counselors, or professional Christian counselors tip-toeing on that tightrope. But at the same time, I can’t excuse those who simply ignore the issue and hope it never comes up in their ministries.

Let’s begin with assumptions

It’s always a good idea to make assumptions clear at the beginning of any teaching. So let me make mine as clear as possible.

1. The Gospel reports of demonic oppression and possession are reliable accounts of what actually happened.

2. Demons are capable to doing today what the Gospel accounts record they did in Jesus’ day.   
3. Demons and evil spirits continue to be hostile to human beings and are eager to do us harm.

If you’re willing to accept the assumptions, several conclusions seem to follow. First, there’s no reason to suppose that demon’s no longer oppress and/or possess human beings. Second, the symptoms of demonic oppression and possession today will be essentially the same as the symptoms described in the Gospels. Third, demonic oppression and/or possession are to be treated today in the same way Jesus treated them, by expelling or exorcising the demon.

We can go even further. If the assumptions stated above are accepted, and the conclusions are reasonable, we must be open to considering demonic causes of similar symptoms seen today. In fact, if we fail to consider demonic causes, if we ignore this supernatural dimension in dealing with similar symptoms, we do believers a terrible disservice and give demons a clear field to ruin Christians’ and others’ lives.

What do I mean by “symptoms”?

I’ve used the word “symptom” a number of times in the above. What do I mean by “symptom?”
What I mean by symptom is the same thing a doctor might mean by “presenting problem.” The Gospels tell of a woman who was held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years before Jesus healed her. The “symptom,” the “presenting problem,” was that she was bent over, unable to straighten up. But the symptom was an indication of her real problem, and the real problem, the cause of her frozen spine, was the presence of an evil spirit in her life.

This case obviously can’t be generalized to everyone with chronic back pain. We would be foolish in the extreme to suppose all chronic back problems are demonic in origin. But we would be remiss if we ignored the possibility of demonic involvement nad ruled it out a priori.

So what I intend to do in future posts is to examine cases in the Gospel where Jesus cast out demons, analyze their symptoms, and suggest how we approach ministering to people today who have the same or similar symptoms.

Hopefully we can develop a balanced approach that neither ignores nor overemphasizes the possibility of demonic involvement in the lives of people today. An approach that shows respect for Scripture’s revelation of reality rather than ignoring it; an approach that shows awareness of but not an overemphasis on spiritual dimensions of the disorders that plague us and our loved ones today.