n
revealing the symptoms of the psychotic and
neurotic,
we establish the effects of demonic
affliction. In the case of psychopathy the personality is seriously
defective. There is no mental or emotional stability and they
cannot adjust to society. The psychotic often builds castles in the
sky and lives in them, while the neurotic is a person who has mental
or emotional disturbances conditioned from past experiences. The
neurotic often fantasizes; they have vain imaginations and
preconceived ideas. He is apt to daydream and build castles in the
sky but he doesn't live in them.
ANXIETY
STATES
EXPRESSION OF PSYCHOSES
Prolonged
depression or melancholia
Resignation to failure or misfortune
Habitual
gloominess, morbidity and negativeness
Apathy -
boredom and indifference
Introversion - persons spending a long time alone
Self-accusation of sins they may or may not commit
Contemplation of suicide
Living in
a fantasy world
A
continual flight of ideas
Attitudes
are irresponsible, unpredictable, undependable and unreasonable
Delusions
and hallucinations
Moods
change quickly and frequently
Emotions
may be violent and aggressive
a. Hate
b. rage c. resentment d. jealousy e. suspicion
f. envy
g. malice
The
extreme may occur, this is characteristic of the manic-depressive
psychotic
a. Joy
b. Happiness c. Exhilaration d. Optimism
EXPRESSIONS OF PSYCHONEUROSIS
Chronic
fear or dread
A
condition of morbid anxiety
Apprehension - viewing the future with dread
Consternation - amazed dismay and confusion
Panic -
sudden fright
Hysteria
- a nervous loss of emotional control
Strong
nervous tension
A person
living and working as a frenzied pace
Insomnia
- prolonged or abnormal sleeplessness
Difficulty in making decisions
Feelings
of inadequacy or immaturity
May have
the fear of failure or success
Hypersensitivity - excessive or abnormal sensitivity
Irritability or impatience
Ill
humored, argumentative, defiant, negative, always defensive and
critical of others
Self pity
and desire for attention
Hypochondria - depression of mind usually centered on imaginary
illness
Feeling
mistreated, misunderstood, misrepresented and disliked by others
Self-centeredness or self-love, narcissism
These
individuals are difficult to counsel because they may lose
attention, or the spirits closely identify with the individuals, and
it is hard to differentiate between the personality and the spirit.
Compulsive thoughts and behavior
Phobias -
an irrational persistent fear or dread
Obsession
- preoccupation with a feeling or idea
Lying,
deception, arson, infidelity, kleptomania
Preoccupation with peculiar and strange ideas
Anxiety
states of the psychic realms caused by the demonic
Extreme
bed wetting
Self will
Sexual
perversion or lack or restraint
Fits of
temper
Gossip
Blasphemous thoughts
Feeling
of revenge
Sleep
walking
Suicidal
thoughts
Quarreling
Addiction
Nightmares
Alcoholism
Unforgiveness
Hallucination
SIMILARITIES OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND DEMONIC AFFLICTION
Characteristics Of Demonically Afflicted And Oppressed In Contrast
To The Mentally Ill
1.
Demonized persons do not refer to oppression. They are usually
ignorant of any Satanic influence. The individuals may be aware or
indulge spiritual influences but do not consider them evil.
2.
They often speak several languages, possess special knowledge, and
super-human strength.
3.
They avoid Christian contact, prayer, Bible reading, and
fellowship. They curse God or Christian symbols and
have a
compulsion to disturb Christian meetings.
4.
Mental illness is likely when there has been no direct occult
involvement, association with a cult, or a long term commitment to
obvious sin.
5.
The mental ill and spiritually afflicted both hear voices and speak
to strange beings:
a. The demonic opposes anything Christian
b. They encourage moral living but assert it is not necessary to
trust in God, prayer or the Word.
c. They scoff at forgiveness and the plan of salvation
6.
The
mentally ill express their thoughts fervently, the oppressed has to
be urged.
7.
The mentally ill is always ill while the spiritually afflicted are
not. The demonically oppressed may have occasional signs of mental
and emotional abnormality.
8.
The mentally ill will speak in extravagant tones about the demon.
The oppressed avoid mention unless someone approaches on a spiritual
level.
9.
The oppressed resists Christ and repentance. The mentally ill may
involve themselves in the subject.
Suicidal
Tendency
1. A
person may be prompted to suicide as a result of mental depression
and confusion built up over a long period of time.
2.
Demonic influence is sometimes direct and obvious:
a. Suicides are generally sudden and with no apparent reason for
them. Depression is not even present.
b. May be the result of occult involvement causing resistance to the
gospel and salvation.
c. A person may be plagued with thoughts of self-destruction and
place themselves in constant danger.
Psychological Blasphemy
1.
The demonized do not repent, there is no sorrow or weeping for sins.
2.
The mentally ill has regret or remorse. They are normally
obsessive/compulsive.
3.
If one expresses regret, its reason is to dismiss oppression
4.
The
mentally ill will attribute the problem to demons
The
Problem Of Epilepsy
Some Christians have tried to attribute epilepsy to the demonic. It
is true that a demonic person can express themselves by an epileptic
type seizure. However true epilepsy is a neurological problem.
There is a consistent abnormal brain wave pattern revealed when
tested. The distinction between the epileptic and oppressed can
easily be seen in the following scripture: 'Then His fame went
throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who
were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who
were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed
them.’ -- Matthew 4:24
This new testament verse clearly classifies epileptics separately.
These people need the expert advice of a Christian psychiatrist and
neurologist to determine the root cause of their problems. As a lay
person, it is in the best interest of the person to refer them to a
professional. The Lord is willing to heal anyone and He is able to
perform all that we ask and more.
The
Problem Of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder. A splitting in the personality
marks its affliction by the loss of contact with reality,
personality disintegration, and often hallucination. The person who
is schizoid will develop an ever increasing number of manias and
delusions. There is a gradual deterioration. The demonic is
oppressed and will experience some visual and auditory
hallucinations.
There is also a problem of counselors who have not surrendered their
lives to the Lord. There are those who want to jump in without the
leading of the Holy Spirit. In the church, as in the world, there
are rebels, avoid them. For any counselors, the best advice is to
get some form of medical training or attend classes on counseling.
We need to make use of every talent. This includes reasoning,
common sense, past experience, and most of all a heart that is born
again or filled with the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, there will be
problems for the people that we minister to and those who minister
to them without the Lord’s direction.
When a person is counseling, there is a possibility of coming in
contact with people who are unable to exercise their own free will.
This does not mean a sure case for possession, oppression, or
spiritual affliction. There are other reasons for a person to be
unable to exercise free will. We have to be responsible. They need
to be diagnosed by professionals of the medical field. The
condition may be due to an organic, functional, mental or emotional
disorder. In any case we can still pray for them and ask the Lord
to step into their lives to heal them. When we are sure a person is
in spiritual bondage through the confirmation of the Holy Spirit, we
need to pray for ourselves, and then let Him lead us in our prayers.
The
following symptoms of spiritual deterioration call to Christians to
help others in their extreme need for understanding, compassion, a
listening ear, prayer, and teaching. The basic symptoms of spiritual
oppression are:
1)
Indifference against one’s will to the Word of God, prayer, praise,
worship and spiritual matters in general. A person may lose a sense
of value from spiritual oppression, they may lack concentration in
relation to the Holy Bible, and avoid Christian fellowship.
2) A
person may have persistent doubts concerning scripture. This will
make it difficult to exercise faith. This type of doubt will often
lead to fear and bondage. It will be difficult for them to overcome
the fear and they may need intercessory prayer to set them free.
3)
Delusions, heresies, and religious errors will accompany people whose
lives held a good foundation in Jesus as their own personal Lord and
Savior. The symptoms of these oppressed people are fanaticism,
hardness of heart, or cynicism, and opposition to authority in the
church.
4) A
recurring inability to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when elders
lay hands upon a person. It is a misconception if we believe a person
who doesn't immediately receive the gift of tongues has not received
the gift of the Holy Spirit. There is a difference between the gift
and the baptism. The Scriptures reveal this:
Then Jesus
said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also
send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to
them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. ‘If you forgive the sins of any, they
are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
--John 20:21-23
And being
assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from
Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He
said, ‘you have heard from Me; ‘for John truly baptized with water,
but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from
now.’ -- Acts 1:4-5
‘But you
shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you
shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.’ -- Acts 1:8
Now when
the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in
one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a
rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were
sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and
one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them
utterance. -- Acts 2:1-4
Those of us who do not manifest this gift of the Holy Spirit should
not be concerned or alarmed. When a person comes to the Lord they
only need to reveal the fruits of the Spirit by their testimony of an
inward change of heart. The importance is that there is a change in
their value system from a carnal viewpoint to a spiritual one. The
Holy Spirit will add on the gift when He knows they are ready to use
it.
5) A
resistance to the reality of the occult and spiritual realm. The
usual cause of this symptom is a lack of knowledge. A person knows
the Scriptural basis and deception blinds them into believing there
are no demons. Deal with the deception by exposing the reality of
spiritual beings working in there lives. Another way is for them to
renounce any form of occult involvement. When they do repent, the
release they experience from the anxiety of not worshipping the Lord
will convince them.
The love of God revealed through Jesus Christ has again provided for
the healing of our spirits too. Our healing begins with prayer and
supplication through the intercessory prayers and the leading of the
Holy Spirit. Forming a prayer chain can help accomplish this step.
This is a group of people who will let the Holy Spirit lead them into
battle so to overcome the lies of the enemy. We do this to show them
the Scriptural basis for receiving the promises of God, and to reveal
the errors preventing restoration. If a person is not in direct
opposition to God, the prayers will easily set them free. Then with
their lives balanced through the Word of God they can receive
direction from the Holy Spirit and resume where they left off on the
stairway to heaven.
While Jesus Christ can set us free, we need to remember it is by the
grace of God that we have deliverance from the enemy. When Jesus died
on the cross, God gave Him the authority and took away the keys of
death and hell from the enemy. We are free from the power of death,
that is the power of sin, to walk according to the leading of the Holy
Spirit. This is the only way to please God.
Fortunately, God the Father accepts Jesus’ death as an atonement for
all of our sins -- past, present and future. He knows that we are
only human and will not always resist the temptations before us. For
He so loves us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive
us of all unrighteousness. But if we continue to sin, we can expect to
be disciplined.
God requires us to hold fast to our profession of faith by remaining
in His Word, faithful to His Spirit, and by showing love for the
brethren. As a witness to this covenant, He has sent the Holy Spirit,
the Spirit of adoption, into our lives as a deposit until He redeems
us totally. He is the very same supreme being that gave Jesus the
power of His resurrection, and is in us waiting for the trumpet call
of God to change us in a flash-in the twinkling of an eye-to be with
the Lord forevermore. Amen!
Before we can truly come to maturity, we all have to come to the
understanding and know in our own hearts that we are no longer slaves
to sin. To help us comprehend what it means to become a son or
daughter of God and an heir to the promises found in the Holy Bible,
please, take to heart the following godly advice:
Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace
with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish
and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a
servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to
teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if
God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the
truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of
the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. --2 Ti
2:22-26
Examples Of
Progressive Spiritual Deterioration
Oppression over a long period of time can result in depression when a
person yields through this weakening process to temptation and
continues to sin. For this reason we must consider oppression to be
as dangerous as depression.
As a precaution within any fellowship we need to extend the arms of
warmth and friendship. Our love for one another is lived out by
giving unselfishly to each other for the strengthening of the body.
To be more hospitable and take care of each other is not spiritual; it
is only what we can see in the world. As my pastor would say it, 'We
need to become vulnerable.' Then we will find our place in the body
where we are usable, and our local church will become our 'Home Sweet
Home'.
When trials and tribulations come our way, depression can follow and
we become useless to the body. There is a trend to regress if we
don't understand that the problems of life are there to get us to move
on, to grow, or, to change. They are not a punishment from God. Some
people believe this, but they are wrong.
My
brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing
that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience
have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking
nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to
all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. --
James 1:2-5.
We don't really have an option when trials come our way. God knows
what we need and He loves us enough to take us all the way through any
problem we may face. If we understand this we can walk with our hand
in His and overcome any obstacle in life. If we resist we will only
have to face the problem later on. Until then, we can expect to
continue going around the mountain again and again. Get the point!
When a person becomes unteachable and they continue to go through the
valley, life can be pretty depressing. In this weakened condition the
enemy can begin the attack again and continue dragging them through
the mud. To intercede for them we need to pray through for them.
This means to continue in prayer until the Holy Spirit gives us a
release in our own spirits. To correct the situation, we need to lift
the person up in prayer and stay the course. If we have genuine
concern, we will lay our life down, pick up our cross and pray until
their is a confidence
in our
heart that God is intervening for them.
Experience is always the best teacher, but a wise person learns from
others' experiences. From the scriptures we have an innumerable
amount of such testimonies of how God can give us wisdom through other
peoples' trials and tribulations. The following study will deal with
these occurrences of people who suffered some form of spiritual
deterioration:
Now
Judas Iscariot walked with Jesus and the apostles; even with his
knowledge of the Lord and witnessing of the miracles, he betrayed our
Savior. Judas did not submit his life to God and become obedient, but
remained a thief. He continued to walk in sin and Satan possessed
him. This is very evident in the word of God:
Then Mary
took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of
Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with
the fragrance of the oil. Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot,
Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, ‘Why was this fragrant oil
not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ This he
said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and
had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. -- John
12:3-6
And supper
being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas
Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, -- John 13:2
When Jesus
had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and
said, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.’ --
John 13:21
Then,
leaning back on Jesus' breast, he said to Him, ‘Lord, who is it?’
Jesus answered, ‘It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I
have dipped it.’ And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas
Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan
entered him. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What you do, do quickly.’ --
John 13:25-27
Satan deceived Judas because of his unyielded heart. It was through
his unbelief and constant willful sin. He lived according to his
corrupt nature. Therein, the father of lies took possession of Judas'
soul. The devil had the right because he was serving him until the
end.
It is not enough to serve God's permissive will. Baptism alone does
not save anyone. We are to walk in the way of the Spirit. Being
'born-again' is a process, we have to have knowledge and we have to be
obedient to it. It is a rebirth of water and of Spirit. The Holy
Spirit in our daily walk is the only way we can properly mature. The
baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a matter of believing we have it.
Salvation is an everlasting event that is the start of an intimate
relationship. We know that He is living in our hearts because of the
anointing we continually receive throughout our walks.
Satan deceived two early believers and then they lied to the Holy
Spirit. Their unrepentant sin cost them dearly as we can see:
But a
certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife,
sold a
possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being
aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles'
feet. But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie
to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for
yourself? ‘While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was
sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this
thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’ Then
Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So
great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young
men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Now it
was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what
had happened. And Peter answered her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the
land for so much?’ And she said, ‘Yes, for so much.’ Then Peter said
to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of
the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at
the door, and they will carry you out.’ Then immediately she fell down
at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found
her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. -- Acts
5:1-10
Even being
baptized doesn't free us from the bonds of iniquity if we have
unrepentant sin. Simon believed and was baptized but he had not
received the Holy Spirit. He was still unworthy and unclean because
of his past unrepentant sins.
Then Simon
himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with
Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.
Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when
they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy
Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them,
and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that through the
laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered
them money, saying, ‘Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I
lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’ But Peter said to him, ‘Your
money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could
be purchased with money! ‘You have neither part nor portion in this
matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. ‘Repent
therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought
of your heart may be forgiven you. ‘For I see that you are poisoned by
bitterness and bound by iniquity.’ Then Simon answered and said, ‘Pray
to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may
come upon me.’ -- Acts 8:13-24
Surely, Peter did pray for Simon. Did his heart change? It is for us
to surrender our heart to God as individuals. Simon's mistake was a
common one. Today many people still fail to realize that money or
possessions cannot secure the blessings of God.
God wants to bless us. Remember, He first loved us and this He
revealed by sending His Son to die for us even while creation was in
sin. Jesus will redeem us from sin and give us the power over sin.
All we have to do is ask for a change of heart and ask God for
repentance. Then we will be able to give up our own selfish ambitions
and allow God to transform our lives into the image of His Son. So
when we pray, 'thy will be done', if we would surrender our life to
Him, He will set us free from the worries and fears in the world.
Then we will have the confidence in Him to overcome any trial or
tribulation coming our way.
The obstacles in our path are there so we can lean on God, His Word
and rely on the Holy Spirit. We need to learn to trust God as much as
He wants to trust us. Faith in God is one of the foundation stones of
Christian living. We can lean on our own understanding and that is
just what we will get. Or, we can be obedient to God's word and
receive the blessing. God loves us and will time things perfectly.
Jesus will never allow an obstacle in our life we cannot overcome or a
temptation we cannot resist if we trust in Him to live through us.
Jesus commissioned Saul of Tarsus, whom the Lord renamed Paul, to
preach the gospel to the Gentiles. While he was serving the Lord, God
decided to use Paul for an example of how sufficient His grace is to
take us through any trial. Paul became a model of devotion and praise
because of the things he suffered:
And lest I
should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a
thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me,
lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with
the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me,
‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in
weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I
take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak,
then I am
strong.
-- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
We all have to make the decision to trust in God and walk with Him as
individuals. It is not for us to question or judge the works and ways
of God. He is the creator. God expects us to trust in Him. To help
us, He has given us of His Spirit as a witness to our hope, to wit,
the redemption of our bodies. By the grace of God we have received
the gift of faith. Our faith in God, and the leading of the Spirit,
will take us through any trial or tribulation ahead. Through the word
of God and His leading, He will bring us step by step and glory to
glory, into the everlasting knowledge and kingdom of His Son. As we
mature we will see how God is working all things out for our good as
we learn to walk according to His will and for His
purposes.
At some point in our walk we may suffer from some sort of spiritual
affliction. This may happen because we have hardened our heart. It
happens in a non-believer's heart to break up the fallow ground so
they might receive some of the water of the word and call upon Him.
All these things happen to get us to trust in God again after we stop
walking in the light. He cares and loves those who oppose Him, so
then how much more do you think He will do for us who have called upon
Him. Our God is a God of miracles. He is standing at the doors of
our hearts waiting to miraculously heal us. Whatever the reason is,
the cure is the same, repentance from any sin in our life and breaking
the curse of iniquity. We can all find freedom by making a commitment
to taking up our Cross and by letting our Lord Jesus Christ set us
free to walk with the Holy Spirit.