This leads me to the other reason that I am hesitant to talk about my experiences. I want to avoid sensationalizing them. The Holy Scriptures are relatively silent on the topic of demons. We know a great deal more about the good angels than we do about the bad ones. And so should it be, lest our curiosity be roused to unbiblical exertions and sacrilege. To God alone be the glory. However, we are given a few clues about the fallen angels and clear instructions as to how to rid ourselves of them. The writings of the Church Fathers and ancient liturgies can help us. I am not so pretentious as to equate my contribution with theirs. To the contrary, I pray that I would stay clear of speaking beyond those things permitted by the Holy Scriptures, distracting a listener from the voice of our dear Lord and mighty Master Jesus Christ. I only hope that I have composed some meaningful thoughts woven together in synchronized conformity with solemn logic, Christian tradition and the Word of God—and that all of them are lacking in originality.
Outside of Roman Catholicism, there is a surprisingly little amount of credible material on the tactical considerations with regards to exorcism and a ministry of deliverance from the wide spectrum of demonic activity to which we are exposed.4 It would appear that the Reformation churches of the sixteenth-century were so busy preserving the priceless jewel of the doctrine of justification—sola fides and solus Christus—that some of the other precious treasures of the Church had become neglected. Lutherans may lack resources, but they add an integral component to the conversation. Namely, belief in the assurance of salvation delivered to believers by Christ through Holy Baptism is an integral prerequisite before engaging in demonic combat, since the devil’s most effective weapon is to cast doubt upon the competencies of our General and Lord and have us question our status as His subordinates and His children. My hope is that my narrative-based introduction to the topic will trigger a desire in exploring and rediscovering—and even, dare I say, developing—material, tools and resources for the Church at large.
Over the years I have come to realize that I have had an unusually high number of encounters with demons. I have witnessed bizarre and disturbing things that I hope never to see again. I share some of them here. Many of my brothers in the ministry have never experienced anything similar. I remember asking a seminary professor why candidates for the holy ministry received so little training on exorcism. It was indicated to me that such encounters for clergy were rare in the developed world. There is some truth in this. Whereas the portfolios of overseas missionaries are saturated with stories of exorcisms, the devil finds it less advantageous to be overly obvious in a secular, modern, and largely agnostic or atheistic culture. Demonic presence only confirms the existence of the spiritual realm. In the under-developed countries the existence of God is presupposed. In poverty-stricken regions the question becomes, “Which are stronger, the evil forces or the good ones?” Religious people guess as to the allegiance that offers more temporal advantages. Fellow workers in the ministry are quite accustomed to demon possession in places such as Haiti or Western Africa. But even in North America, one should be well-equipped.
Personally, I believe that I have encountered demon possession in at least three known individuals to whom I ministered Christ’s Word and Sacraments. The reason that I say “known” is because it is not always clear as to who is “possessed” and who is “oppressed,” and to what degree. There is a difference. Without going into great detail, stages of diabolical influence may also include subjugation, infestation and affectation.5 Certainly, each and every Christian is daily targeted by the evil fiend in thought, word and deed. The Old Adam abides alongside the New until the Christian enters Glory, and a return to one’s baptism is nothing other than a constant drowning of that evil foe and his influence in the holy blood of Jesus. In this sense, every baptism is a “baptism of blood,” just not our own. Moreover, every baptism is a kind of exorcism, since we are born children of the devil and are made into children of God (1 John 3:10). In the case of children, sponsors rebuke Satan on behalf of the speechless infant who is unable to articulate his faith himself. In the ancient Greek tradition, godparents would literally spit at the devil as they turned away from the font. Whether a child or adult, we are transferred from the Babylonian kingdom of darkness to the heavenly kingdom of light, as pronounced in the holy liturgy: “Depart from name, you unclean spirit, and make way for the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”6 Henceforth, baptized believing Christians are born again. The evil hound may still bark at us but he retains no bite due to Christ’s propitiating atonement for us on the cross; a victory delivered to us in those “rosy-red” waters of Holy Baptism, as Martin Luther coined so well.7 It is an appropriate detail that the pigs into which Jesus cast the demons were drowned in water (Matt 8:28–34). The Old Man and our sins are drowned too. Therefore Christians treat the devil with contempt. Well aware that we refuse to love him, he hopes at the very least that we fear him. Yet Christians need not be afraid, if they stand guard by hiding within Christ our fortress (Ps 18:2).
Demonic oppression and possession ensnare those who unwittingly expose themselves to the enemy’s malevolent community. Sometimes there is an implicit or explicit request that the Holy Spirit step aside as the evil one is invited to take His place as part and parcel of apostasy from the Christian Faith.8 At other times, the Holy Spirit is not present at the start. In any case, normally this dark dialogue occurs through various levels of contact with the occult and black magic. Although professionally trained exorcists claim that some may be the passive recipients of curses, spells, blood pacts, black magic, or witchcraft—even through spiritual ailments rooted in the family since childhood (i.e. “guilt by association”)9—all demonically oppressed or possessed individuals with whom I, personally, have interacted have willingly permitted themselves contact with the occult. Demonic oppression can be tackled with fasting and prayer for God’s release coupled with a faithful study and hearing of God’s holy Word. Yet demon possession often requires the more severe treatment of a scheduled exorcism which both commands and binds the demon with the word and power of Christ which compels it.10 The demon is ordered to discontinue its harm and return to its source—forever. Although Christians are never called to engage in exotic demon-chasing crusades, but should “stand guard”11 in the spots where God has placed them (Eph 6:10–20)—the demons hunt us on our terrain obviating all human expeditions into theirs—in the case of a demoniac the demon is invoked, rebuked and expelled. Of course, it is never our prayers, but those of our valiant champion that pulverize these hostile enemy forces.
When reading the New Testament, one gets the impression that the demon-possessed were always clearly so: tied up in chains, banished into the desert, etc. But in my experience, demons can remain hidden for extensive periods of time inside their host, influencing their behaviour, haunting their thoughts, playing with their souls, and only periodically manifesting their presence publicly. One of the demoniacs with whom I worked could summon her demon at will. Because demons like to hide, some of them need to be coaxed or goaded out through lengthy prayers and precise commands. Evidently, there are various degrees of demonic activity. Each case demands a unique pastoral response.
Naturally, the content