“Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”
You may recall that iconic line from the 1989 Batman movie. I don't know if screenwriters intended any real meaning to the phrase. I do know what comes to my mind when I hear it. The same thing comes to my mind when I read about the exorcism of Mary Magdalene in the Gospel.
While demonic possession is extremely rare (praise God), other forms of demonic influence are far more common. Let's face it, it doesn't take an exorcist to see the effects of the demonic all around us, certainly in our culture, our society, and our politics, but perhaps also in the life of someone close to us.
According to Saint Augustine, a demon can influence a person’s cognitive abilities, influencing their sensory powers. The demon “creeps stealthily through all the avenues of the senses,” impacting their perception of the people, places, and things in their lives. This is what we refer to as demonic obsession.
Demonic obsession can often appear as a mental or psychological disorder. To be clear, demons are not the cause of these disorders; however, they work feverishly to make sure the conditions do not improve, in spite of psychological or psychiatric care.
When I meet with someone I suspect might be suffering from demonic obsession I lead them into a guided mediation based on their primary negative emotion. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal a memory associated with the emotion. Very often, the Holy Spirit reveals a traumatic event from their past. We tend to not deal with the traumatic events in a healthy way. Some of us would rather sweep them under the proverbial rug and pretend they never happened. But demons love to use those events as a foothold to influence us. This is what we call an entry point. It isn't until we bring the light of Christ into the memory in order for Jesus to heal the wound and fill their mind with His truth, that the demon loses its foothold and the person is freed of the spiritual bondage.
Other entry points include contact with the occult (no matter how innocent it may have seemed at the time), religious cults (particularly Freemasonry organizations, such as the the Shriners), oaths, resentments, rebellion (especially against the teachings of the Church), and sexual sin.
Once upon a time, I danced with the devil in the pale moonlight, but I was delivered. Too many others are still suffering. If you feel someone you know is currently dancing in the pale moonlight of spiritual bondage, there are helpful resources available. I'd be happy to connect you with them.
All that said, it is extremely important to remember, we have nothing to fear from the demonic presence in our midst. If we are truly living out our baptismal authority through the sacramental life of the Catholic Church, then we have nothing to be afraid of. The fact of the matter is the demons fear you as a sacramentally active member of the Body of Christ.
As Pope Saint John Paul II once said, “The Church, expert teacher of humanity and holiness, shows us ancient and ever new instruments for the daily combat against evil: prayer, the sacraments, penance, careful attention to the Word of God, vigilance and fasting.”
Brothers and sisters, continue to truly live the sacramental life of the Church. Persevere always be in a state of grace. Be victorious in the spiritual battle.
Thanks be to God!
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