From the book: DELIVERANCE
MINISTRY
International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services
Doctrinal Commission May
2017
3 Theological
Context
The reason the Son of God appeared
was to destroy the works of the devil.
1
John 3:8
In recent decades, there has been a
great deal of theological and pastoral reflection on exorcism, but relatively
little on deliverance. Yet the remarkable expansion of this ministry in the
last half century calls for ongoing reflection in light of Christian faith. How
is it that evil spirits are able to influence and oppress human beings? What
does their activity have to do with sin? What is deliverance, and how does it
relate to God's overall work of salvation? To address these questions requires
embracing both of the aims of Vatican Council II: ressourcement (a
rediscovery of the ancient sources of faith, especially the Scriptures, the
liturgy, and the Fathers of the Church) and aggiornamento (presenting
the Christian faith in the most effective way for the present-day context).
This
chapter offers some brief theological reflections on deliverance, without
claiming to speak the final word. There is need for continuing study and
reflection to discern what God is doing today and to integrate it within the
living tradition of the Church.
3.1 Deliverance in a Wider
Perspective
Deliverance
from evil spirits must be understood in the wider context of Christ's whole saving
work made present and operative through the Church. Deliverance is
intrinsically linked to salvation from sin. It is a sign of God's saving power
that gives great effectiveness to evangelization, and it is a gift of God's
mercy leading toward the full freedom and happiness he wishes for all human
beings.
3.1.1
Deliverance in
God's Work a/Salvation
We
are created for communion with the triune God through our conformation to
Christ, already in this life and fully in everlasting life-and this embraces
communion with others as well. Eternal life is an exchange of love: receiving
God's love and loving him in return. But we are acutely aware of the obstacles
to this design: sin, structures of sin, physical woes and sufferings, inner
wounds, and demonic forces. Salvation thus has two dimensions: a
"negative" one, which entails being freed from the evils that hinder
our communion with God and with others, and a "positive" one, which
entails being transformed in Christ and raised up to share in God's own life.
The latter is the fullness of God's plan, while the first is a means toward
that end. We are freed from evil to be free for love and eternal
life.
Among the
kinds of evil from which we need to be liberated, sin is the most serious
because it is a refusal of God's love and disobedience to his will, made with
the full weight of our free choice and personal responsibility. The core of
liberation is thus conversion and the forgiveness of sins. Deliverance from
evil spirits is another aspect of the "negative" dimension of
salvation, one that is closely linked to deliverance from sin. Sometimes
demonic bondage -for instance, an inability to trust God, or a deep-seated
insecurity-leads us to sin, or directly hinders us from growing in a loving
relationship with God or others. In this case, deliverance is part of the
process of being freed from sin and fighting against it. Deliverance is not
only about our own well-being but also about our communion with God and others.
Two
extremes should thus be avoided in assessing the place of deliverance. On the
one hand, one must take care not to overemphasize its importance. One of the
devil's tactics is to present himself as more dangerous and more important than
he is.1 The focus should always be the Savior and our destiny of
eternal life with him (cf. Lk 10:20). On the other hand, one must not
limit God's design and his desire for all his children to receive the fullness
of salvation, which includes liberation from evil. "If the Son makes you
free, you will be free indeed" (Jn 8:36; cf. Lk 4:18). The
liberation that we will enjoy fully in eternal life begins already in this
life.
3.1.2 Deliverance and the Sacraments
Our
liberation from evil is the work of God, who "wills that all men be saved
and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:4). "In many
and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets" (Heb
1:1), and when the fullness of time had come he sent his Son to redeem us
and to adopt us as his sons and daughters (see Gal 1:4; 4:4-5). As
Christ was sent forth by his Father in the power of the Holy Spirit, so he sent
out his apostles: This He did that, by preaching the gospel to every creature (Mk
16:15), they might proclaim that the Son of God, by His death and
resurrection, had freed us from the power of Satan (Acts 26:18)
and from death, and brought us into the kingdom of His Father. His
purpose also was that they might accomplish the work of salvation which they
had proclaimed, by means of sacrifice and sacraments.2
The
Church continues to proclaim the good news of salvation accomplished in
Christ's paschal mystery and to celebrate it in the liturgy and in the
sacraments, which communicate his saving power. All the sacraments have a role
in imparting the life of God to us and delivering us from evil, but three are
especially efficacious against the devil: Baptism, Reconciliation, and the
Eucharist
Baptism
saves us by plunging us into the passion and resurrection of Christ. Through
Baptism ~e are liberated "from sin and from its instigator the “devil"
(CCC 1237) and are reborn as sons and
daughters of God. We become, members of Christ's body and temples of the Holy
Spirit (CCC 1213, 1265), able to
exercise the common priesthood by which we can offer our lives as a living
sacrifice to God (cf. Rom 12:1). Baptism thus lays the foundation for all
resistance to Satan during our pilgrimage in this life.
The sacrament
of Reconciliation renews the gift of Baptism. By absolving us of sin, it
destroys one of the main avenues by which Satan tempts us and frightens us. By
reconciling us with God and the Church, it strengthens us spiritually and
offers us the support of the communion of saints. Frequent use of this
sacrament helps us to keep locked those entryways by which the evil one has
deceived and ensnared us.
Finally,
the Eucharist has preeminence as "the supreme source of healing and
liberation. Just as the sun dispels the darkness of night through the full
force of its blazing light, Christ Jesus unfolds in the Eucharistic mystery all
his power of life and victory over evil."3 The Eucharist makes present the
sacrifice by which Christ won victory over the devil: "As often as the
sacrifice of the cross in which Christ our Passover was sacrificed, is
celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried on."4
It gives us the means for our daily spiritual combat by renewing and
strengthening the grace received at Baptism, by purifying us and protecting us
from sin, and by uniting us to Christ.
3.1.3 Deliverance and Evangelization
Deliverance
from evil spirits finds its meaning not only as a part of God's work of
salvation, but also as a sign of that salvation (d. Mk 16:17). This is particularly true in the context of
evangelization, which is the heart of the Church's mission.5
Deliverance manifests the reality and efficacy of the good news as a saving
power. Evangelization is not only about preaching the word of God but also
about demonstrating that which the word announces: Christ has come to save us
and is victorious over all evil. Throughout the New Testament, deliverance is
one of the mighty deeds worked by Jesus and his disciples that bear witness to
the gospel (d. Lk 7:2021; Acts
8:6-7). This is why Jesus sends his disciples out not only to preach, but
also to heal and cast out demons (Lk 9: 12; 10:1,9,17-19).
Just
as some of Christ's healings are signs of his power to forgive (cf. Mk
2:1-12), so deliverance testifies to the heart of the gospel, "the
beauty of the saving love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ who died and
rose from the dead."6 In this case, what shines forth is God's
power to liberate us and restore us to wholeness. Because deliverance is often
intimate and hidden, it is mainly a sign for the person who receives it: it
helps the delivered person believe in Christ's mercy and his authority over the
forces of evil. But often it is a sign for chose
who witness it as well.
Deliverance
is an eschatological sign: it reveals the kingdom of God, which is already
present in a hidden way but still to come in its fullness. Being liberated from
demonic power is an anticipation or foretaste of God's final victory over evil
and the fullness of his sovereignty over all mankind, when Christ will have
destroyed "every rule and every authority and every power" and God
"will be all in all" (1 Cor 15:24, 28).
Deliverance
thus plays a major role in the Church's primary mission of proclaiming the
gospel. Already in parts of Africa and other regions of the world, deliverance
ministry is central to Catholic evangelization. As a sign, deliverance finds
its meaning in the wider context of witnessing to God's love and saving power.
3.2 Understanding
Spiritual Bondage
To
understand deliverance it is necessary to explain what we mean by spiritual
bondage and oppression. This section and the next will address spiritual
bondage; oppression will be treated in Section 3.4.
Most
Christians have struggled at some moment in their lives, or maybe even quite
frequently, with a difficulty that the regular practices of Christian
life-confession and the Eucharist, a life of prayer, spiritual direction are
not able to alleviate. This difficulty may be, for instance, a repetitive sin,
a strong negative emotion that wells up in certain situations, or a pattern of
thought that becomes obsessive. However much we apply our will, these behaviors
are almost impossible to resist and control. They are our first reaction and
are so deeply ingrained that we might not even perceive them: we need a crisis
or the help of others or the light of the Holy Spirit to do so.
Catholic
tradition has developed a rich teaching on the ways in which demons can
influence human beings, and how to combat them. Some authors, like the fifth-century
monk St. John Cassian, speak about evil spirits taking "possession"
of a person's mind and thoughts:
It is clear
then that unclean spirits cannot make their way into those whose bodies they
are going to seize upon, in any other way than by first taking possession of
their minds and thoughts .... It is a fact that those people are more
grievously and severely troubled who, while they seem to be very little
affected by them in the body, are yet possessed in spirit in a far worse way,
as they are entangled in their sins and lusts. For as the apostle says,
"whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved" (2 Pet 2:19).
Only in this respect they are more dangerously ill, because though they are the
demons' slaves, yet they do not know that
they are assaulted by them, and under their dominion.7
For the desert Fathers, when a person gives in to temptation a process is
set in motion that leads to "enslavement" or "captivity"
of the soul. The seventh-century monk St. John Climacus explains:
The discerning Fathers draw a distinction between attraction, liaison,
consent, captivity, struggle, and what is called a passion of the soul.. ..
Captivity is a forceful and involuntary abduction of the heart, or a permanent
attachment to the object in question that destroys the good order of our soul..
.. They define passion in the proper sense as that which lurks disquietingly
in the soul for a long time and through its intimacy with the soul brings it
finally to what amounts to a habit, until the soul of its own accord clings to
it with affection.
Although one can fall into this state in the first place only if there is
consent, the will becomes wounded and thus less able to resist temptation.9
The conscience becomes dulled so it is quite difficult to recognize that a
demon is at work.
The patristic teaching on spiritual combat is taken up and
refined in the spiritual and mystical traditions of the Church. Dominican
spirituality, for instance, following St. Thomas Aquinas,10 has
studied the ways demons can influence our imagination and thoughts. Ignatian
spirituality offers wisdom on the ways the enemy harasses, tempts and deceives
us, and on how to discern whether an interior movement comes from the enemy or
from "the good spirit."11 The Carmelite tradition and St. Francis de Sales
describe how giving in to temptation produces a form of enslavement of the
will.12
Spiritual
bondage refers precisely to the kind of situation in which our will is to some
degree bound or constrained, such that our conscience may not even perceive
that something is amiss. The will is not fully destroyed, since it may be free
in most situations. But it is impeded in some circumstances, so that its range
of action is limited. For example, a woman may be peaceful and self-controlled
most of the time, but underneath she is carrying deep-seated rage toward her
mother, so that when she is with her mother she often loses control and ends up
in a heated argument. In such a case, the will is present but unable to act; it
is like a limb that is paralyzed but not amputated.
To
understand what has just been described on a theological level, it is useful
to compare spiritual bondage with other dimensions of evil related to our will,
namely, sin and demon-possession. Seeing how it differs from these but also
intersects with them will help us specify what spiritual bondage is,
especially as the latter has been much less developed by theology. Two
questions are at stake. First, what are the differences in the way the will is
affected? Second, to what extent and in what way is there a demonic influence?
3.2.1 Spiritual Bondage in Relation to Sin
Human
free will means that we are responsible for our acts, whether good or evil. Our
will cannot be forced.13 Even if a part of me does not want to
commit a sin, if I do commit it, that means that on some level I did want it.
Because of original sin, our will is weakened and inclined to evil; rather
than being wholly set on what is good, it is
often divided (cf. Ps 119:113).14
Sin and spiritual bondage seem quite similar, in
that both involve the will. However, in the case of sin the will is divided, whereas
with bondage the will is constrained.
A
divided will truly wants the sin it is committing, which is why the sinner is
still to some extent free and responsible; but it also truly wants not to do it, which
is why the person can fight against the sin. A constrained will, on the other
hand, is practically unable to fight.
Spiritual bondage is very close to what traditional moral
theology calls a "vice," a habit of sin created by repeating a
particular sin. This strong tendency becomes extremely difficult to resist, as
if the side of the divided will that inclines to the sin is so reinforced that
the other side is almost helpless. "Everyone who commits sin is a slave to
sin" (Jn 8:34). Although a vice is not the same as spiritual
bondage, it would be a mistake to make too sharp a distinction between them,
since in real life they overlap and reinforce each other.
What is the influence of the devil and demons in regard to
sin? First, they are at the origin of some sins, since Genesis presents the
serpent as the Tempter (Gen 3:1-6), at the source of original sin and
thus indirectly of all sin. Some sins, even smaller sins, are the result of
direct demonic temptation. However, temptation is only temptation: demons do
not and cannot cause sin. Most
theologians agree that they cannot directly influence our mind and will, but
only our imagination, emotions, the material world around us, or in some
cases, our bodies. They scare or deceive or temp us into a choice, but this
choice is ours. Moreover, direct demonic temptation
is not a factor in every sin: the pull of disordered desires, the temptations
of the flesh and the world are enough in many cases (cf. 1 Jn 2:16).15
But
it is also true that sin always puts us under the dominion of the devil (CCC
407). Enslavement of the will is very often associated in Scripture with the
influence of a demonic power: Jesus heals and frees those who are "under
the authority of Satan" (Acts 26:18) or in the "snares"
of the devil (2 Tim 2:26). In the same discourse in which Jesus speaks
about being a slave to sin, he adds, "You are of your father the devil,
and your will is to do your father's desires" Jn 8:44). The
presence of an exorcism during the rite of baptism testifies to the Church's
conviction from ancient times that liberation from sin also means liberation
from the devil. Nevertheless, in most cases the devil's dominion is only an
exterior dominion. As sinners we do the devil's work (see Jn 8:41,44)
and thus conform ourselves to him, but his influence remains a moral influence.16
3.2.2 Spiritual Bondage in Relation to Possession
In
some cases, however, the dominion is deeper. The New Testament describes
persons who are possessed, or literally, "demonized" (daimonizomenos),
which means they act under the influence of a demon. The person has lent
himself, consciously or unconsciously, to an inner control that goes beyond
the normal capacity of the forces of evil. The person has given demons a right
that they do not possess in themselves. This is what happens in the case of
what is traditionally called possession.
Spiritual bondage can best be understood as a milder form
of this inner hold: an influence
rather
than control. Though there are
degrees of both possession and spiritual bondage, and it is hard to draw a
clear border between them, it is possible to distinguish between a form of
control that touches the whole of the person and a partial influence, where the
mind or will is impeded only in certain situations.
Just as demonic temptation is not a factor in all sins,
but neither is it limited only to the most serious sins, so spiritual bondage
should not be imagined to be everywhere, but neither should it be reserved to
exceptional situations. Possession is a rare and extreme situation, while
spiritual bondage, especially in its milder forms, may touch every aspect of
life. This is why many traditions of Christian spirituality stress the
spiritual combat, including the protection of guardian angels, the need to
guard ourselves against the activity of demons, and the importance of discernment
of spirits.
The way the devil works is multifaceted. We should approach
these realities with humility, aware that they surpass our full comprehension.
However, we believe that it is helpful to differentiate with more clarity these
two different forms of demonic influence-spiritual bondage and possession-and
thus help the Church in its pastoral care of souls. The better an enemy is
known, the easier it is to fight it: "Put on the
whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the
principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present
darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly
places" (Eph 6:11-12).
3.2.3 Types of spiritual bondage
Without
seeking to be exhaustive, it may be helpful to specify some types of spiritual
bondage.
A
first type of bondage is that of overwhelming negative emotions such as guilt,
fear, jealousy, despair, resentment, deep anger, rage, or hatred-sometimes directed
toward a particular category of people, such as men or women, or authority
figures.
Another type
concerns repetitive and obsessive thought patterns. For instance, there may be
an attraction to death or a habit of legalism, or a habit of interpreting the
actions of others as an attack on oneself. This is sometimes related to a very
specific sentence or word spoken to us in the past that has an
inordinate amount of influence and power in our minds.
A
third kind of bondage is behavioral: for instance, an irresistible urge to
isolate oneself in difficult moments, or a constant need to control situations
or people. Repetitive sins and compulsory temptations, as pornography or
gambling or even lying, may fall into this category as well. In some cases, addictions
can be accompanied by a demonic influence.
Bondage
may also be a possessive or unhealthy relationship to a person: one of our
parents or siblings, a healer or seer, someone we are involved in a sinful
activity with or have suffered from. In some cases, the link exists with someone
who is deceased.
An
unhealthy or idolatrous relation to objects can be similar, whether because the
object relates us to someone, or is particularly precious, or leads to
obsessive behavior, or has an occult dimension.
In many cases, bondage comes in clusters, for instance,
jealousy, envy, suspicion and fear can open the door to and feed each other.
3.3 The
Origin of Spiritual Bondage
Understanding the origin of a spiritual bondage helps the
process of deliverance immensely. In most cases, there is a combination of two
factors. First there is a trauma or wound, or a psychological disorder, which
gives a doorway or foothold to an evil spirit (d. Eph 4:27). Second, there
is a consent given by the person, which opens the door or allows the foothold
to be used. Consent means that the person has on some level agreed to the
demonic influence, even without doing so consciously. The fact that there is
consent raises questions about the culpability of a demonized person, the
possibility of "taking back" consent, .and to what extent there can
be consent in the case of small children or groups of people. These will be
discussed below.
3.3.1 What Gives a Foothold to Demons
The point of
entrance for evil spirits can be specified in three types, on a scale of
increasing severity.
The lowest degree is wounds and traumas. These can be a
painful event or series of events (such as a negative judgment by a parent or
teacher), especially in the earlier years of life when a person is the most
sensitive and prone to be influenced. Even the circumstances of conception and
birth may have powerful effects, especially in the case of a rape or an extramarital relationship, when
the child is not wanted or when the mother has experienced great fear.
Sometimes a wound does not come from a specific event but from a familial or
social environment-for example, a violent or distrustful family, a country at
war, or a country that has experienced political oppression, apartheid, or
tyranny. For the most part, the real difficulty is not the circumstances
themselves but the way they are experienced and understood. People may experience
the same ordinary or extremely severe situations and yet react very
differently; some are traumatized, while others are not. The inner wound
created in this way leads the person to seek protection, consolation, or
compensation. For instance, when one has suffered violence, one may respond
with isolation or with violence in return. These emotional and behavioral
patterns offer an entryway or demons, which infest the weakness by inflaming
it. A spirit can reinforce the pattern, and in doing so, it takes hold of that
area of the person's inner life.
A
second type of foothold for demonic forces is sins. Repeated sins-especially
unrepented ones-create a habit of sin and weaken the will in that specific
area, to the point that it can more easily be taken over by an evil spirit.
Spiritual bondage then reinforces the orientation of the will toward the sin,
to the point where it is incapable of choosing any other: it is not merely
divided but constrained (bound). Even sins of omission, such as the refusal to
forgive, can be in this category. Extreme sins committed against vulnerable
people, such as torture, rape, warfare, abortion-or even milder sins against
the defenseless-also open doors to evil spirits because they dispose the
person to choose evil.
In
some cases, sin is not personal but embedded in social structures, whether
familial (for instance, a pattern of anger, or incest) or ethnic or national
(slavery, racism, colonization, war). People are less culpable for structures
of sin than for personal sins, because there is a lesser degree of voluntary
choice. However, precisely for this reason, structures of sin are more
difficult to recognize as sins and are often less resisted. They may be so
closely knitted into a person's identity that he or she gives them free reign
and absolutely refuses to reject them. So they too offer entry points to evil
spirits.
The
third and most serious kind of foothold for the demonic is occult practices, which have become
alarmingly common, even among Catholics. These range from an occasional
participation in the occult to pacts with the devil.17 In some cases
the contact with the occult comes through the family. Some practices from pagan
religions are also in this category, as are false private revelations and any
form of idolatry. Extreme involvement in an ideology a “cause” (such as radical
political commitments or nationalism or legalism), although not directly
occult, can be idolatrous, because it is an attempt to save the world and
oneself through our own strength. All of these offer the easiest entryways for
demonic forces, because they are explicitly or implicitly related to them
already. This is why Scripture strongly condemns these practices (Dt 18:10-11). Turning to the occult means asking help from evil spirits, and
this relationship invites them into our lives.
In
all three cases, there is a vicious circle. Wounds open the way to spiritual
bondage, but the bondage keeps the wound open and does not allow it to heal.
Paradoxically, the negative emotional or cognitive or behavioral pattern, although
chosen as a protection, actually hurts the person even more. For instance,
isolation or revenge in response to violence cuts the person off from others
even more. Sin opens a door to spiritual bondage, but bondage also generates
the sin by reinforcing it and turning it into a kind of second nature.
All
this means that deliverance is closely related to both inner healing and repentance
from sin. Deliverance, healing and repentance cannot be separated, since it is
useless to renounce and expel an evil spirit if its foothold is still available.
3.3.2 Spiritual
Bondage in Relation to Psychological Troubles
Another
entry point for spiritual bondage can be psychological troubles. This entry
point is different from the others because it is often difficult to distinguish
between spiritual bondage and psychological disorders. Their symptoms can be -
quite similar. Just as grace presupposes nature and manifests itself through
nature, demonic influence affects nature and expresses itself through
psychological, emotional and mental symptoms. Moreover, in some cases there may
be a vicious circle: mental illness can offer a foothold for demonization,
while evil spirits may reinforce the emotional distress or obsessive thoughts
or behavior patterns.
There
is true difference, however, and neither can be reduced to the other.
Psychological disorders are more intertwined with a person's psyche and
identity, and thus are more continuous and lasting. They originate from the
fragility of nature rather than from demonic forces. The Church has a long tradition of distinguishing between demonic
affliction and mental illness. For example, by insisting on discernment before
the rite of exorcism is carried out, the Church testifies to both the outward
similarity and the true difference in nature between them,18 Jesus'
ministry shows that outwardly similar ailments can be of either natural origin
or demonic origin: sometimes the blind, mute or deaf are simply healed (Mt
15:30; 20:29-34; Mk 7:31-37), while in other instances a spirit needs to be
cast out (Mt 9:32-34; 12:22; Mk 9:14-29).
Because of this difference in nature, before doing deliverance
it is essential to discern what type of trouble the person is suffering from,
with the help of a professional when necessary. Treating a psychological
trouble as if it were spiritual may actually open the way for spiritual
bondage, while treating a spiritual bondage as if it were merely psychological
is ineffective and frustrating.
Without claiming to be exhaustive, it is possible
to offer two criteria of discernment. First,
psychological disorders are often more deeply rooted in a person's psyche and
identity; they sometimes affect the structure of the personality, whereas
spiritual bondage tends to effect a more limited area of the person’s life. Second,
spiritual bondage may intensify when a person is turning to God and seeking to
grow in virtue. For instance, a spirit of idolatry will try to turn the person
away from participating in sacraments. Some psychological disorders, on the
other hand, may push the person toward a more active religious life.
Because of the similarity of symptoms and the
interrelation between spiritual bondage and psychological trouble,
distinguishing between them is not always an either/or pro- cess. Additionally, some people refuse the true
nature of their disorder: some resist the fact that they are mentally ill and
develop "demonopathy" -that is, they attribute all ailments to
demons. Others refuse to recognize the existence of the spiritual world.
Discernment requires prudence, wisdom and experience.
3.3.3 Acceptance of a Lie
A foothold is not in itself enough to produce spiritual
bondage. Since no one can directly influence our mind and will other than God
and ourselves, spiritual bondage can only occur insofar as a person gives
consent. Consent opens the entryway that is otherwise inaccessible for any evil
spirit.
Consent is not necessarily a fully conscious process.
Sometimes it simply means the person faces a judgment, however troubling,
because it seems over -bearingly true. After hearing a parent or an authority
figure repeat that you are good for nothing, you will not want it to be true,
but may feel compelled to believe it is true. In most cases, the person is not
consenting directly to the evil spirit but to a behavioral pattern that
protects, comforts, or numbs their pain. Going up the scale of types of demonic
footholds, from wounds to sins to the occult, the act of consent becomes more
explicit and direct.
What is consented to in such
cases is always a lie: the person
agrees to and identifies with a deception. As children of God, we are to
"live by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Mt 4:4),
that is, we live by the truth God reveals to us: we are created "in his
image and likeness" (Gen 1:26-27), we are "precious in [his]
eyes" (Isa 43:4), we are "his work of art" (Eph 2:10).
One of the main titles of Satan, on the other hand, is “father of lies"(Jn
8:44), since his influence is always fueled by a lie. The lie can
be about God's love, kindness and power, about ourselves and our worth, or
about others and their attitude towards us. For example, a child whose father
abandoned the family may feel a sense of rejection and at a deep level may
believe lies such as these: "I am not worthy to be loved. I will always be
rejected. God is remote and unconcerned about me." Or a child who
experienced harsh discipline or an emotional distant parent may believe,
"My value is based on what I achieve. I will always be a failure. I will
never be able to change. God is a hard task-master always focused on what I do
wrong."
We
have, then, the option to believe God's word and form our sense of self
according to his word, or to consent to the lie and allow the lie to bind us
and rob us of inner peace and joy. In the latter case, at a subconscious level
these lies become deeply rooted in our heart, influencing our thoughts and
actions. They become inner "strongholds" (cf. 2 Cor 10:4)-systems
of faulty thinking by which the evil one is able to manipulate and enslave us.
This can be the case even if at a conscious level one has embraced the truth of
the gospel. Instead of thinking and acting out of a deep confidence in God,
one is driven by compulsions that are rooted in these inner wounds and lies.
The
role of consent also raises the question, is it not possible simply to take
back one's consent? In theory, it is possible. However, consent is more than a
fleeting agreement; it always contains an element of permanency: our free will
has a mysterious capacity to promise and commit.19 We not only
choose our present, but to a certain extent our future as well. This ability to
give consent is a beautiful gift-the key to faithful love of God and of
others-but it is fraught with danger, because it can also become the source of
the worst perversions. Because of this, withdrawing our consent normally
requires an explicit and deliberate act of renunciation. Without consent, there can be no bondage, and without renunciation,
there can be no deliverance.
3.3.4 Spiritual Bondage in Children or Groups of People
What
about types of spiritual bondage that seem to take hold without personal
consent, such as those that affect a child or a group of people?
The
case of children who seem to contract spiritual bondage before the age of
reason, which means before they are able to fully exercise free will, derives
from the profound influence that parents and other adults have on the children entrusted to them. Scripture speaks of God
"visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the
fourth generation of those who hate
me" (Ex 20:5). This intergenerational influence is not to be
understood as the parents' guilt being passed on to their children, but rather the consequences of their sins, including
spiritual bondage. The spiritual authority that parents have over their
children is what enables them to say "yes" for them at their baptism,
but conversely, also enables them to open the door to evil influences. Yet
just as God's grace is fully effective only if it is personally ratified, so a
spiritual bondage attains its negative influence only if it is ratified as a
child grows more capable of conscious personal choice. The ties that connect a
child to its family and society open the way for an influence of spiritual
forces on the child's emotions and imagination, and make it more difficult not
to consent, but in the end spiritual bondage always implies there is a form of
consent. The varied responses of children to similar circumstances are a
mystery that involves freedom, grace, temperament, and the natural and
spiritual environment that parents provide.
In some cases, spiritual bondage can touch a group,
whether a family, an ethnic group, or a nation. For instance, one ethnic group
can have a deeply ingrained prejudice against another. For each individual born
into the group, besides the obvious cultural influence, the, deep ties that
bind a group together are also at work to transmit a spiritual influence (in
this case, an evil influence). However, it becomes a spiritual bondage in the
individual only to the degree he or she: personally ratifies it. We know too
well how difficult it is to refuse consent to values and emotions inherited
from our family or nation, but it is possible.
3.4 Understanding Oppression
A lesser form of demonic influence than spiritual bondage, but one that
can still cause great suffering, is oppression.
Though one should not exaggerate the distinction between bondage and
oppression, because they often tend to overlap in real life and the one easily
slides into the other, the most fundamental difference is that oppression does
not necessarily involve consent. This means that it is less interior: it
consists in physical or emotional harassment; or obsessive thoughts, but the
will is not directly constrained.
How can there be a demonic influence without consent?
As noted in Section 3.2.1, though demonic powers cannot directly act on a
person's will, they can touch the body, the emotions and the imagination.20
Through the fear, despair or other emotions induced, thoughts may be generated
and decisions made that may give the impression that the will is controlled,
but in fact it is only indirectly influenced.
3.4.1
Causes of Demonic Oppression
What then explains why some people suffer oppression and
others not? As with suffering in general, we must admit that we are in front of
a mystery and that not all can be understood. As in the case of the fallen
tower of Siloam (Lk 13:4), there is no fault or sin that conveniently
explains the suffering of the innocent. Some people are more exposed to
oppression than others for different reasons: some because of great spiritual
progress and fruitfulness, which the demons would like to obstruct; others
because of psychological fragility (see Section 3.3.2). A culture that stresses
the activity of evil spirits may open the way to oppression through an exaggerated
fear of their power-but, paradoxically, a culture that denies evil spirits will
render people vulnerable as well, because the enemy is not
recognized.
3.4.2 Curses and Spells
Sometimes the origin of oppression is another person, as
in the case of curses or spells.21 These are considered superstition
in some modern cultures, but are seen as obviously real in so many traditional
cultures that they cannot be dismissed without reflection. The Bible contains
a remarkable number of blessings (410) and curses (230).22 Jesus himself cursed
the fig tree (d. Mt 21:19), and St. Paul's letters make it clear that he takes
curses seriously enough to ban them (Rom 12:14). What then allows someone to
direct demonic forces towards a fellow human being in this way?
To understand this, we should consider the numerous ties
through which human beings relate to each other and constantly exert influence
on each other. We usually think of these ties on a psychological and cultural
level, but they may also exist on a deeper, less perceptible, metaphysical
level. This conviction set the framework for the way the Fathers of the Church
understood salvation in Jesus Christ, which spreads out to all through the deep
link Christ has with all .humanity through his incarnation.23 Of
course, God strengthens these bonds and forms a unified people of God, through
which we become one body
in Christ and thus "members of one another" (Rom 12:5; cf. 1 Cor
12:27). Modern thought has brought a great gift by underlining the
importance of the individual, but it is time to retrieve the wealth still
present in traditional cultures, which understand the individual as always
inserted into a greater whole that precedes him or her. These deep ties afford
the background for the power and effectiveness of words. Words not only reflect
reality, but also shape it, for good and for evil 24
The
way all human beings are interwoven with one another allows for the
circulation of grace, but also of evil influences; this is one of the ways of
understanding how original sin was spread from Adam to the rest of humanity.
Demonic forces can also ride on these human ties, so to speak, when someone
puts a curse or spell on someone else. It is sometimes said that curses are
particularly effective when pronounced by a relative: this seems quite
reasonable, because the links between members of a family are even closer than
with the rest of humanity.
We
must not imagine that people invoking evil spirits over others actually have
mastery over these spirits. In fact it is the reverse: whoever has recourse to
evil spirits by pronouncing a curse or casting a spell is progressively taken control
of by those spirits.
After
reflecting on the distinction between oppression and bondage, it is important
to stress once again how easily one can slip into the other. A person may
consent to the emotions and thoughts brought on by demonic harassment, or can
react with other self-protective patterns that lead to bondage, just as in the
case of wounds (see Section 3.3.1). Every believer has a responsibility to
stand firm in faith, to resist and not to submit to the fear aroused by those
who invoke evil spirits (1 Cor 16:13; 1 Pet 5:8-9).
3.5 Understanding Deliverance Ministry
Because
of the differences between sin on the one hand and spiritual bondage and
oppression on the other, the process by which freedom is restored also
differs. Sin requires repentance-a conversion (metanoia) of our will
away from sin and toward God-and forgiveness. Spiritual bondage and oppression,
on the other hand, require deliverance.
The term
"deliverance" is not the only possible term, but it has become
customary and is quite appropriate. It helps us distinguish the process from
major exorcism. It also recalls that deliverance from evil spirits finds its
meaning in relation to the whole of salvation, which is also called
"deliverance." Deliverance from slavery is the foundational salvific
experience of the people of Israel, narrated in Exodus and recalled throughout
the Scriptures. "Deliverance" stresses the fact that we are freed
from a force that constrains and enslaves us. Christ came to "deliver all
those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery" (Heb
2:15; see Col 1:13-14; Ps 107:13).
It
should be noted that deliverance ministry is not always necessary to recover
freedom. Sometimes simply the spiritual growth of the person, his or her
recourse to regular prayer and Scripture reading, participation in the liturgy
and sacraments, and living a good moral life will suffice. The Eucharist and
the sacrament of Reconciliation in particular, because they free us from sins
and renew our communion with God and the Church, are powerful means of being
freed from the devil's influence. This is especially the case when the foothold
for demonic influence is a wound: if there is inner healing and growth in
holiness, the evil spirit loses a place to dwell. A Christian is never alone,
and the support of a Christian community and the mediation of the Church is
invaluable.
3.5.1
Baptismal Authority over the Powers of Evil
Our
capacity to pray for deliverance comes from the authority we have been given
by Christ. It is Christ who has absolute authority over the realm of darkness,
demonstrated during his public ministry by his confrontations with evil spirits
and his exorcisms. This authority is won by his passion and resurrection,
which complete his victory over Satan:
"He
disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing
over them" (Col 2:15). As Christians we share in Christ's
authority over the powers of darkness.
The
theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, given to us by the Holy Spirit
in baptism, confer on us the strength to reject Satan in our lives. Receiving
freedom entails the ability to hold onto that freedom, protect it, and make it
grow (d. Gal 5:1). This fight
is part of our daily life, as expressed by the Lord's Prayer: "deliver us
from the evil one," and by the many New Testament exhortations to stand
fast against the evil one (Eph 6:10-17; James 4:7; 1 Pet 5:9). As noted
in Section 2.4, this authority has also been entrusted to all disciples to help
others (Mk 16:17; Lk 10:17-20).
Practicing deliverance ministry thus does not
imply any new gift or mission, but simply taking hold of and putting into
action the freedom and the authority Christ has given us,
for ourselves and for others. We are already in
the kingdom of God, though its fullness is still to come, and we are to embrace
this reality in full confidence and faith.
Two of the key elements of deliverance are
renunciation and direct commands. It is important to understand why these are
needed and why they are effective through the authority given to us by Christ.
3.5.2 The Efficacy of Renunciation
The
first expression of this freedom and authority Christ has given us is
renouncing the devil, his works, and his footholds in our life. Renunciation
is an important part of deliverance because of the major role played by
consent in contracting spiritual bondage (and the porous boundary between
oppression and spiritual bondage). Renouncing the bondage and the demonic force
behind it closes the door we have opened through our free will. It should be
done explicitly, aloud and with full sincerity, to overturn the commitment we
made in consenting to a lie (whether it was conscious or unconscious).
Renunciation
is truly effective for two reasons: first, simply because of the natural
ability of the will, the same will by which we originally gave consent; second,
and even more so, because of the freedom and authority Christ has given us to
fight the evil one in our own life in his name.
3.5.3 The
Role of Direct Commands
Another
central element of deliverance is to adjure the evil spirit, that is, to
command it in the name of God or Jesus.25
Adjuration is "the invocation of God, or a holy thing, or one of
the saints for the purpose of inducing someone to do or to omit omething."26
In the case of deliverance, this means one invokes the name of Jesus to command
the spirit to stop afflicting the person and to leave. This is part of deliverance
because it is the way Jesus and his disciples cast out demons, and has been
taken up by the Church. It is usually not enough simply to take back our
consent to a lie, because we are not dealing only with ourselves, but with
another being.
Here too, we
are simply putting into action the authority God has given us over evil spirits
in our lives and in the lives of others, which is recognized in Catholic
tradition. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "It is written (Mark 16:17):
'In My name they shall cast out devils.' Now to induce anyone to do a
certain thing for the sake of God's name is to adjure. Therefore it ~ is lawful
to adjure the demons."27 As an exercise of our God-given authority,
adjuration is legitimate and effective.
Commanding
a spirit to leave should generally be done only after the afflicted
person has renounced those things that gave an entryway to demonic influence in
the first place (3.5.2). Otherwise evil spirits still have a right of access to
the person, and the command may bring temporary relief without lasting
freedom.
3.5.4 The
Limitations of Deliverance Ministry
Although
deliverance ministry is truly efficacious, it is important to keep in mind that
it is not a sacrament or a sacramental.28 The Catholic faith holds
that the seven sacraments are efficacious by the very fact of being
celebrated, apart from any human dispositions. "The sacrament is not
wrought by the righteousness of either the celebrant or the recipient, but by
the power of God" (St. Thomas Aquinas quoted in CCC 1128). However, receiving the full fruits of
the sacrament depends on a disposition of faith. In a similar way, sacramentals
are efficacious through the prayers and holiness of the Church, although here
too a disposition of faith is needed.29
Deliverance
ministry is like sacraments and sacramentals in that its ultimate source is
Christ's saving power and overflowing grace available to us through the
Church. But it is unlike sacraments and sacramentals in that the Church does
not commit itself by institutionalizing a practice through a rite. What is most
decisive is the faith and moral integrity of the deliverance minister and (in
cases of spiritual bondage, where there has been consent) the afflicted
person's freely renouncing the demonic hold and choosing to allow Christ to
reign in his life.