Mental Illness or Demonic Oppression

Now the snake was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made.  (Gen 3:1)

Richard Gallagher, a board-certified psychiatrist and professor of clinical psychiatry at New York Medical College, recently commented on how many patients who suffer from mental illness are likely suffering from demonic possession.  I agree the role of demonic influence in our society is greatly underestimated, but the actual occurrences of full possession are quite limited.  Demonic oppression, on the other hand, is extremely common.

Demonic oppression is exactly what it sounds like; i.e., an evil spirit oppresses the person.  There are two very clear examples of this in the Bible.  The first example is the temptation of Eve, in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:1-24), and second is the three temptations of Jesus in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11).  Eve fell to the temptation of the evil spirit and came into spiritual bondage.  Conversely, Jesus was able to renounce the evil spirit and therefore gain spiritual deliverance (i.e., freedom).  

Demonic oppression can be the root cause of a number of many mental/psychological issues, including: depression, codependency, anger, anxiety, rebellion, compulsion, and addiction, as well as a variety of sinful behaviors.  It can even lead to physical ailments and disease.  It is often characterized as a heaviness on the heart, feelings of being distant to God, and otherwise feeling spiritually dead.

The good news is that we can renounce the evil spirits, similar to the way Jesus did in the wilderness.  We will discuss renouncing evil spirits in more detail as part of future posts.  In the meantime, it is helpful to understand how we leave ourselves open for demonic oppression and can even put ourselves at risk for full possession.

According to Neal Lozano, these are the most common entry points used by evils spirits for the purpose of oppression:

·         Unconfessed / Repeated Sin

·         Curses

·         Trauma

·         Family Sin

·         Occult Activities

·         Rebellion/Disobedience

·         Lies/Denial

·         Sexual Intercourse Outside Marriage

In future posts, we will discuss how each of these entry points items are used by evil spirits as well as some spiritual tools at our disposal to ensure these entry points are no longer exploited by the evil spirits. 

Bear in mind that evil spirits are cunning and baffling, just as we saw in the Garden of Eden with the temptation of Eve.  Doubt and denial are among their most powerful weapons.  They plant seeds of doubt that cloud judgement of yourself, of your faith, and (worst of all) of God.  Meanwhile, they sew a veil of denial that can lead to a life of self-deception, spiritual blindness, and pride.  This is where a good spiritual director, or other trusted spiritual advisor/companion, can help to encourage you through the moments of doubt and cut through the denial that shade you from the full Light and Truth of Christ. 

Once we accept that spiritual oppression is a very real and a very common factor in our lives, we can begin to understand how spiritual influences are made manifest in our lives.  Based on this understanding, we can then begin to identify and renounce the associated evil spirits and make the necessary changes to prevent further influence.  In short, we can achieve true freedom in Christ!