Exorcism

ear Rose,

Here’s what I can come up with for the Biblical instructions on dealing with unclean spirits – First I’ll talk about what an unclean spirit is, and then also how the Bible says to deal with them.

The Bible only uses that term once in the Old Testament, that being Zechariah 13:2, where Yah promises to take the idols out of the country: “I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.” (Zech 13:2) Most of our information comes from the New Testament, but as we understand that these are the spirits of idols, and therefore demonic, they are comparable to the term “familiar spirits” which is found more often in the Old. They, like unclean spirits, are linked to idols in such verses as 2Kings 23:24 and Isa 19:3.

We find therefore that these demonic spirits can be linked to wizards and pagan forms of worship: Lev 20:6, 2Kings 21:6 and Isa 8:19. Their purpose is to confuse, frighten and if possible mislead those who come into contact with them, as the situation with king Saul dramatically illustrates.

Some have said that the apparition that appeared to Saul in 1 Samuel was actually the ghost of the prophet, citing such verses as: “Then said Samuel, ‘Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?’” (1Sam 28:16) However, we do know a few things about that encounter. First, this was a medium, a woman known to speak with “familiar spirits.” (1Sam 28:7) Second, the spirit claiming to be Samuel came “out of the earth.” (1Sam 28:13) Isaiah writes that it is not ghosts of the departed, but these same ‘familiar spirits’ that come from that place – “and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.” (Isa 29:4b)

Thirdly, Saul never saw the being, for he had to ask the woman, “Be not afraid: for what sawest thou?” (1Sam 28:13) Some have said that it was truly Samuel, because the woman was afraid – but an actual demonic manifestation would have had the same effect, if it was truly as dramatic as the woman described it. Moreover, it was not until the woman replied, “An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle,” that Saul “perceived” (not saw) that it was Samuel. (28:14) It is significant that he did not believe it was Samuel until after he heard the apparition was wearing a mantle, which Saul would have had a distinct memory of – he tore the mantle of Samuel in desperation when he heard he would lose the kingdom. “And as Samuel turned about to go away, [Saul] laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.” (1Sam 15:27)

The Bible says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Mat 7:20) What were the effects of the spirit saying to Saul that Yahweh had become his enemy? The Scriptures record, “So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together.” (1Sam 31:6) The most convincing evidence comes from the Chronicler’s understanding of the events, for he wrote, “So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire of it.” (1Ch 10:13)

Notice the words in the squared bracket. This indicates that the original Hebrew did not contain that phrase, and a look at the Textus Receptus copies we have confirms this. The Chronicler actually says that Saul’s transgression was not in going to the woman of Endor so much as accepting the words of a demon – not Samuel, but a “familiar spirit,” to enquire, not of her, (the woman) or him, (Samuel) but IT, the demonic impersonator.

I go through that long example to make the point plain: the purpose of familiar and unclean spirits is to confuse; some of the confusion about events that took place all those centuries ago still causes debate in Christendom concerning the state of the dead, and the matter of “ghosts.” I hope the verses I have supplied at least give you the Biblical evidence of what actually occurred that night.

Moving on to the New Testament, we find that the spirits have refined their attack somewhat, actually possessing living beings. An example of this being: “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying...” (Acts 16:16) Just as the Holy Spirit of God manifests Itself in various gifts to Its recipients, so unclean spirits may bestow counterfeit gifts on those who host them.

Of course, Christ had authority over these beings (Mat 8:16) and so do His followers (Mark 6:7), but we’ll cover that shortly in the second section.

We learn something interesting from a particular exorcism done by the Messiah. Here is the passage: “And when He went forth to land, there met Him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, ‘What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.’ (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) And Jesus asked him, saying, ‘What is thy name?’ And he said, ‘Legion:’ because many devils were entered into him. And they besought Him that He would not command them to go out into the deep. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought Him that He would suffer them to enter into them. And He suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.’” (Luke 8:27-35)

We could go into why the people were afraid, and how Christ’s actions were a rebuke to them for raising those particular animals for food... but that’s another letter :) For now, let’s consider some interesting facts. First, a person can be possessed by more than one demon at a time; this one, Legion, called his faction thus because in those days, a legion consisted of 12,000 Roman solders. Whether that was an accurate count of his subordinate spirits, we know assuredly that there were “many.”

Second, the effects of this state are that a person will often show signs of being what is today called schizophrenic, manic, or suffering from any one (or more) of a host of other mental disorders. This is especially true if the demoniac was possessed against his will. That’s also a slightly different subject, because some possessions are done at the humans’ requests for various reasons. In this case, it was a forceful possession, for the demons spoke independently of the human’s will, and when they left he was “in his right mind” once again.

Thirdly, look at what they begged the Messiah for: “they besought Him that He would not command them to go out into the deep.” To them, the passage says, that would have been “torment.” That word translated “the deep” is the same word, “abussos,” which is translated as “bottomless pit” in the book of Revelation (9:1,2,11; 11:7,8; 20:1,3) We gain further insight by seeing how the statement is recorded in Mark’s Gospel: “And he besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country.” (Mark 5:10) The word there for “country” is the Greek “chora,” which means not merely country as we understand it, but “the space lying between two places or limits,” according to Strong’s Concordance, and is derived from the word for “an empty expanse.”

In modern English, we would most likely translate this concept into the word “abyss,” which is true to not only the parallel “abussos,” but also the idea of a vast emptiness between two distinct markers. What does this mean? It means that demons, as we understand their characteristics in the setting of the great spiritual war, (2Cor 10:4, 1Tim 1:18) are perpetually involved in tempting people. In fact, without an individual to tempt from either the inside or the outside, they are in “the void” or emptiness, which is intolerable (a “torment”) to their supernaturally brilliant, yet irreversibly twisted minds. We see this illustrated in their request: if they were to be cast out of this person, they would rather inhabit the minds of swine than be simply set free to wander.

In the Bible it is specifically written: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, ‘I will return unto my house whence I came out.’ And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” (Luke 11:24-26) Look at how the Bible describes being without a host or target feels to a demon: it is a “dry” place, and without rest – the exact opposite of the state of a converted Christian, who has drunk from the Living Water to thirst no more (John 4:14), and has entered into the true Rest of the Lord. (Mat 11:28, Heb 4:9-11) Their condition is a spiritual desert, an abyss.

This brings us smoothly into our second section: how to deal with unclean spirits.

As we already saw, Christ had full authority over these beings. He did not use recited prayers, crucifixes or holy water to cast them out, and neither did His disciples. This is the way He did it, in the words of witnesses: “And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, ‘What a word is this! For with authority and power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.” (Luke 4:36) And His disciples? We looked at the example of the young fortune teller above. We find that she followed Paul, Luke and the others around for some time, “And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And he came out the same hour.” (Acts 16:18)

Notice the two elements: the spoken Word, and the name of Yahshua the Christ. Now, the Messiah Himself had no need to call on His own name, for He had authority given to Him directly by the Father, but we His followers must do all things “in His name.” (Acts 3:6 for one example)

The same Word that created the Heavens and the Earth (Gen 1:3, John 1:1-3), and that re-creates a sinner in the Image of God (Rom 10:8-11) drives out the unclean spirits when it is spoken by a true believer. This is the Scriptural directive for dealing with them. Within the very words “Depart,” or “come out,” or anything like it spoken by a follower of Christ as if it were Him speaking it Himself, (Isa 50:4, 59:21) is the power to command every being, for “By the word of Yahweh were the Heavens made; and all the Host of them by the breath of His mouth.” (Psa 33:6) The very Word that saves those who repent will condemn those who do not – humans who will be lost, and fallen angels (the same unclean spirits we have been discussing). Faith in this Word, spoken with our mouths, is the heart of the matter.

We don’t need any physical relics or paraphernalia, or any written formula, “For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.” (Luke 12:12) We need trust in Christ, our High Priest, and absolute faith in the authority He had given to us for this purpose. (Mark 16:17) Unto the Body of Christ (the Church) is given the ministry of healing from both physical and spiritual ailments by the power of the Spirit (1Cor 12:8-11), but so powerful is this authority, that it works even for those who don’t have all the bugs worked out of their doctrine!

We have this incident spoken of: “And John answered Him, saying, ‘Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.’” (Mark 9:38-40)

A word of warning, by way of conclusion:

We must guard against presumption in this, lest we end up like the sons of the Jewish priest Sceva: “Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.’ And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?’ And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” (Acts 19:13-16)

If we are doing the ministry of exorcism (adjuration) for any “vagabond” reason: for pay, for personal glory, for respect, and not with a spirit of love for Satan’s captives, we cannot exercise the authority that springs forth from the Spirit of Love, and we will not only fail to help the victim/host, but we ourselves can be overcome. Fortunately, true followers have Christ dwelling in them (Gal 2:20) and need never fear this eventuality. As with every miracle, the gift of authority over unclean spirits is given to demonstrate the mercy of our Father, for it is written that even “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance,” (Rom 2:4) and we must never fail to appreciate the true blessing, the true gift: a relationship with the Creator through the infinite sacrifice of Christ. We are thereby invited to enter into this saving relationship and overcome sin and temptations even as He did, and all His true followers have consistently done. (Gal 5:16,25) It is only because of this relationship that we truly have any power at all.

When we are called to the Father through the Son, and drink of that living water – when we enter into that spiritual rest ourselves, then we do have the power over those who are in the “dry places,” the demons who find their only fulfillment in the desperate war for human souls. When we understand this, the words of Christ can be fulfilled in us, who can others free from the grasp of Satan’s minions: “And [Yahshua] said unto [His disciples], ‘I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and NOTHING shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.’” (Luke 10:19,20)

David.