The Protestant How-To Guide on Conducting an Exorcism PART II

Let's stop being hypothetical. Do what you are told to do. Cast out demons.

The first step in any true deliverance is knowing who or what you are facing. Not every disturbed mind is a demon, and not every disorder is possession. The Bible distinguishes between sickness, sin, and spirits, though they sometimes overlap. Jesus healed the sick, forgave sinners, and cast out demons, and He did not confuse one for another. The Church should show the same discernment. There are those whose torment comes from the body, those whose torment comes from guilt, and those whose torment comes from something invisible. The last is the rarest, but it is also the most desperate.

The signs of true possession are rarely subtle. There is often a hatred of the name of Christ, a violent reaction to prayer, or an inexplicable resistance to Scripture. Sometimes there is a sudden strength, or speech in voices that are not the person’s own. Despite being a Hollywood cliche, this is very true and I’ve seen it many times.

THE FIRST ONE

The first exorcism I personally conducted, was for a woman who had been visiting our church and would take part in worship but fall asleep as soon as the sermon started, or immediately leave. She was known to attempt suic!de in the pond out back of her house, but within site of town, and engage in other acts of self-harm. I felt her to be possessed early on, but when she slit her wrists out in front of the church sign, I decided to intervene. Leaving our kids with two elderly deacons and their wives at the church, Mandy and I went to her home to confront the spirits.

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