Demon-Expelling: Truths and
Confusions
By Julio
Severo
Demon-expelling, with healings, is a
prominent part of the Gospels, because the ministry of Jesus Christ gave, in
the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, a prominent part for
people’s deliverance.
However, the prominence of demon-
expelling today, called “exorcism” in popular movies, especially horror movies,
is confined to the Catholic Church, as if only priests could deal with demonic
problems, treated as “paranormal phenomena.”
Priests in and out of movies face numerous
difficulties when called upon to help people affected by such “phenomena.” But
the incredible thing is that Hollywood insists on presenting such priests as
the only reliable experts to deal with the “paranormal” — which is demonism.
Joseph Farah, the WND (WorldNetDaily) chief, was the first to notice
the religious exclusivity Hollywood gives priests on demonic possession.
Hollywood omits the very successful
activity of evangelical churches that help people oppressed or even possessed
by demons. And it does not touch the many demonstrations of Jesus casting out
devils.
The Bible leaves no doubt that Jesus took
demonic possession very seriously and he acted seriously casting out devils —
and gave his followers the same power and authority to act. The Bible says:
“As
they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to
him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds
marveled, saying, ‘Never was anything like this seen in Israel.’” (Matthew
9:32-33 ESV)
“Then
a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed
him, so that the man spoke and saw.” (Matthew 12:22 ESV)
“And
when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him,
said, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers
terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I
brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.’ And Jesus
answered, ‘O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you?
How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.’ And Jesus rebuked him,
and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.” (Matthew
17:14-18 ESV)
“And
immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he
cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to
destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.’” (Mark 1:23-24 ESV)
“Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be
condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they
will cast out demons…” (Mark 16:16-17 ESV)
Demonic oppression or possession is a
serious problem, which with the emergence of psychologists, psychiatrists and
other ostensible “mental health specialists” has been significantly
misdiagnosed, so that symptoms are often treated as the very causes of ills
that are in the depths of the spiritual world — a world that the so-called
experts do not see or understand.
Hollywood, which is the largest propaganda
machine in history, brings much more confusion by presenting only two versions
of demonic possession:
* The version of exorcist priests, where
they are the only spiritual and religious solution for spiritually disturbed
people.
* The version of so-called “mental health
specialists,” where psychologists and psychiatrists are the only “medical”
solution for psychologically disturbed people.
It is strange that Hollywood chooses to
exalt Catholic priests as the only reliable reference in spiritual deliverance
when in the vast majority of other cases Hollywood prefers to portray priests
as pedophiles and perverts.
I have not yet seen a movie showing a
priest exercising the authority of Jesus’ name to cast out devils. The few
cases I have seen of priests doing this, outside of movies, were of priests
involved in the charismatic Catholic renewal — a movement begun in the U.S. under
the influence of an Assemblies of God minister called David Wilkerson.
Why does not Hollywood highlight
charismatic priests?
Although many Pentecostal and charismatic
churches cast out demons, one of the most balanced examples provided today in
this area comes from charismatic Lutheran and Calvinist churches. John Wimber,
who was a Calvinist, even wrote a healing handbook, entitled “Power Healing,”
which included instructions on casting out demons.
Before I had this handbook, I would sweat
blood to cast out devils. Afterwards, it seemed that demons were under my
control, because it became so easy to deal with them by just using the name of
Jesus. Quite different from Hollywood priests who seem almost equal to
paranormal phenomena. Quite also different from radical and uncontrolled
charismatic churches. Quite also different from psychologists, psychiatrists
and other so-called “mental health specialists” who complicate cases that are
already complicated.
Jesus’s focus was to deliver people from
demonic oppression and possession.
Hollywood’s focus is to divert people from Jesus’s
original focus.
The focus of psychologists, psychiatrists
and other so-called “mental health specialists” is to divert people from
Jesus’s original focus.
Your focus today should be to rescue
Jesus’s focus.
Forget everything Hollywood teaches you as
if only priests or psychologists could deal with demons.
If Jesus gave so much focus to delivering
people from demonic oppression and possession within the proclamation of the
Gospel, you should restore that focus to your proclamation of the Gospel.
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