Demonically Possessed, or?

[NiceneCreed]

Is there a distinction between demonic possession and mental illness? Yes or No? Why do you feel this way? Do you have Scripture to support your beliefs? Were the ancient Israelites able to distinguish between the demonically possessed and mentally ill, if there was in fact a distinction?


Please be respectful of the opinions of others.

 

[presidente]

In Matthew 4, Jesus heals those who are lunatick, and those who had uncleaned spirits. They are listed as separate categories.

Of course, unclean spirits can cause various health ailments as we see in scripture, but the fact that they are listed separately might mean that not all such ailments are always called by evil spirits. Literally, the word is moon sickness (compare to the etymology of the English word lunatick, used in the KJV translation.)

 

[ForthAngel]

This is just my speculation and I haven't tried to back it up with scripture. I guess that makes anything I say pointless but here goes:

I think demonic influence would consist of altering moods, implanting or mimicking thoughts, controlling and causing sinful impulses, certain illnesses (both physiological and psychological), causing bizarre dreams and nightmares, causing physical accidents that result in death or injuries (especially bizarre accidents), and other things such as these.

I don't think demonic influence is responsible for most of this stuff. I think they can use things that are already there, cause them to be there, or else have no part in them whatsoever. Satanic forces are on a leash according to the book of Job and can only go as far as God allows them. To say demonic influence is the cause for all of this stuff would be far-fetched.

An instance where mental illness might be demonic influence is if medication has been prescribed, taken properly, and does not improve the condition, or else worsens it considerably. Such cases of teens and adults committing suicide, or becoming much more prone to suicidal thoughts after starting a medication to treat these symptoms int he first place might be under heavy demonic influence. Or it could be that doctors really have no clue what they are diagnosing most of the time and ignorantly prescribe the wrong medication, which is often the case I think.

I personally overcame some serious issues without medication because while on medication my symptoms were severely irritated and became much worse. I wouldn't give advice to a mentally ill patient one way or another as most cases are guess work for even the doctors.

Demonic influence, or physiological illness? One or the other or both I'd guess, but the world may never know.

 

[Mammachickadee]

Technically mental illness can be caused from many physical issues... starting with age, dementia, insanity, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and the list goes on. Just because a person has a mental illness doesn't mean they are possessed.

 

[hopesprings]

That's a good question, Nic
I really don't know. The NT seems to indicate that mental illness is caused from demonic possession. I don't recall seeing an instance where this wasn't the case....although, if this is the case, I'm sure a lot of people will take issue with it.
Interested to see what others have to say about this...

 

[danschance]

There can be mental illness for many reasons including demon possession. We see in scripture that the gadarene man was in his right mind after Jesus cast the demons out of him.

The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. Luke 8:35

I helped to cast a demon out of a young lady and a week later she sent me an email saying she was no longer on psych meds for her bipolar condition because the symptoms diminished. So it would seem in her case the demons made it much worse but it was still a condition she had.

 

[zone]

Is there a distinction between demonic possession and mental illness? Yes or No? Why do you feel this way? Do you have Scripture to support your beliefs? Were the ancient Israelites able to distinguish between the demonically possessed and mentally ill, if there was in fact a distinction?


Please be respectful of the opinions of others.

YES

.......................

 

[kenisyes]

In Matthew 4, Jesus heals those who are lunatick, and those who had uncleaned spirits. They are listed as separate categories.

Tremendous observation. The real problem here is translating this Scriptural fact over to our medical language now, so we can tell who needs what treatement.

 

[Cobus]

I have the perfect example of demon entering into a person, in the Bible and also last week from thursday to Saturday. Oh we do serve an AWESOME God that truly ARMS you with ALL you need to KNOW how God operates and works in through and to us....

King Saul was sitting calmly and listening to David play beautiful on a harp. Everything was just good. Then an evil spirit FROM GOD was upon Saul, when Saul suddenly pulled back on his javelin and flung it so he could nail David to the wall... but David departed and flee from Saul...

Last week Thursday I reversed into an elderly man's car. I was so sorry and I told him that I would repair everything. He would not have to pay a cent. If I did it through my insurance he would have to pay an ACCESS to the insurance... But it would also take time, so I suggested he take it to a panelbeater we both know only 200 meters from his flat.

About half an hour later he had a qoute and I said fine I will pay upfront then the panelbeater can start immediately. Then the old man aksed... what about the signwriting... I said that i will also pay up front so that if you take it there they can do it immediately.... All was well... Then another tem minutes later the man, said... but what if I get a job and need the car while it is in the panelbeater.... I said let them fix it on a weekend, the car only has a little dent next to the slide door. He said oh but I am also 24/7 in cleaning carpets... OH BOY!!!! Theat is when the evil spirit came into me.... WOW! That language that came out I cannot type here, and the hatred for the man was so intense .... Oh I just lost it.... He saw the anger and flee into his flat. My co-worker who happens to be a "pastor" also ran away.

I was not even at my worst yet, or better put... the evil spirit was not even in full blow yet... The old man came out and drove off with the van to get a qoute for the sighnwriting.... A "Christian" cam and stood by my boat shed door in the industrial park. He looked then saw the full ripping of the evil spirit, I went on as a mad man.. swearing and cursing and fumes came from my mouth... That was ONE SPIRIT, and I suddenly remembered LEGIO with a thousand spirits. I remember how Saul was pestered, and I knew this was NOT PART OF ME... It should not be in me, but I CANNOT get rid of it by my own doing....

I went beserk... Then the man at the door said... It is not very fair you take it out on me.... Immediately I saw myself through his eyes, and the spirit FLEE. I went outside as he walked off the his shed two doors aaway... I said... Hey my friend, I am not directing it at you but I spoke to myself VERY filthy and very loud, I am sorry if you thnk I talked to you. You have NOTHING to d owith the accident or the thing between me and the old man. I am sorry for going off the rails...

When I went back to my other store, the thing came again, and I had my wife hear it.... She said it was UGLY and VERY CHILDISH AND SILLY STUPID BEHAVEOUR.... but I COULD NOT STOP IT.... Then, out of the blue, the thing just left again...
And it came back the next day, and also the Saturday, when I told another Christian.... Todays Christians are useless.... But he and his friend saw and feared that evil spirit when I let loose on them a few minutes earlier.... They only jumped the line at the shooting range and I WENT MAD.... That is another story, but they both knew THIS MAN WAS EVIL.... I would kill with no second thought in that state,,,, I would also thow a javelin through a man or try to like Saul did.....

The experience was AWEFUL and I am ashamed to have behaved like that. The REPENT from the actions were heart-wrenching. But the FREEDOM when God removes it is HEAVENLY... All sin is disgusting...

I would like you to think of one more thing... If I hate sin the way I do. I always wonder how Jesus experienced this sinful earth after the PARADISE he lived in... No wonder he only stayed 33.5 years....

 

[Stephen63]

Luke 13:10-17 (KJV) [SUP]10 [/SUP]And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. [SUP]11 [/SUP]And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. [SUP]12 [/SUP]And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. [SUP]13 [/SUP]And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. [SUP]14 [/SUP]And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. [SUP]15 [/SUP]The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? [SUP]16 [/SUP]And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath boundyou, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? [SUP]17 [/SUP]And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

While this was not a mental sickness issue, the woman was bound with a physical condition by the devil.
Jesus discerned this issue as demonic oppression, yet still called it an infirmity.

I believe both. I also believe Satan can cross the line and mimic a mental illness like he did this woman with a physical one.

 

[danschance]

I have the perfect example of demon entering into a person, in the Bible and also last week from thursday to Saturday. Oh we do serve an AWESOME God that truly ARMS you with ALL you need to KNOW how God operates and works in through and to us....

King Saul was sitting calmly and listening to David play beautiful on a harp. Everything was just good. Then an evil spirit FROM GOD was upon Saul, when Saul suddenly pulled back on his javelin and flung it so he could nail David to the wall... but David departed and flee from Saul...

Last week Thursday I reversed into an elderly man's car. I was so sorry and I told him that I would repair everything. He would not have to pay a cent. If I did it through my insurance he would have to pay an ACCESS to the insurance... But it would also take time, so I suggested he take it to a panelbeater we both know only 200 meters from his flat.

About half an hour later he had a qoute and I said fine I will pay upfront then the panelbeater can start immediately. Then the old man aksed... what about the signwriting... I said that i will also pay up front so that if you take it there they can do it immediately.... All was well... Then another tem minutes later the man, said... but what if I get a job and need the car while it is in the panelbeater.... I said let them fix it on a weekend, the car only has a little dent next to the slide door. He said oh but I am also 24/7 in cleaning carpets... OH BOY!!!! Theat is when the evil spirit came into me.... WOW! That language that came out I cannot type here, and the hatred for the man was so intense .... Oh I just lost it.... He saw the anger and flee into his flat. My co-worker who happens to be a "pastor" also ran away.

I was not even at my worst yet, or better put... the evil spirit was not even in full blow yet... The old man came out and drove off with the van to get a qoute for the sighnwriting.... A "Christian" cam and stood by my boat shed door in the industrial park. He looked then saw the full ripping of the evil spirit, I went on as a mad man.. swearing and cursing and fumes came from my mouth... That was ONE SPIRIT, and I suddenly remembered LEGIO with a thousand spirits. I remember how Saul was pestered, and I knew this was NOT PART OF ME... It should not be in me, but I CANNOT get rid of it by my own doing....

I went beserk... Then the man at the door said... It is not very fair you take it out on me.... Immediately I saw myself through his eyes, and the spirit FLEE. I went outside as he walked off the his shed two doors aaway... I said... Hey my friend, I am not directing it at you but I spoke to myself VERY filthy and very loud, I am sorry if you thnk I talked to you. You have NOTHING to d owith the accident or the thing between me and the old man. I am sorry for going off the rails...

When I went back to my other store, the thing came again, and I had my wife hear it.... She said it was UGLY and VERY CHILDISH AND SILLY STUPID BEHAVEOUR.... but I COULD NOT STOP IT.... Then, out of the blue, the thing just left again...
And it came back the next day, and also the Saturday, when I told another Christian.... Todays Christians are useless.... But he and his friend saw and feared that evil spirit when I let loose on them a few minutes earlier.... They only jumped the line at the shooting range and I WENT MAD.... That is another story, but they both knew THIS MAN WAS EVIL.... I would kill with no second thought in that state,,,, I would also thow a javelin through a man or try to like Saul did.....

The experience was AWEFUL and I am ashamed to have behaved like that. The REPENT from the actions were heart-wrenching. But the FREEDOM when God removes it is HEAVENLY... All sin is disgusting...

I would like you to think of one more thing... If I hate sin the way I do. I always wonder how Jesus experienced this sinful earth after the PARADISE he lived in... No wonder he only stayed 33.5 years....

You know I had a similar experience. I live on a small private street where each of the 7 homes here own a section of the street. One man and his went to war over parking with another neighbor which ended badly. Somehow he managed to get the city to erect "NO PARKING ANY TIME - TOW AWAY ZONE" signs which on one side of our private street. This removed about 60% of the parking including the place where I parked. At this point everyone become up in arms, far worse than you can imagine.

At times I could feel a sudden and dramatic increase in my anger. It was like going from an idle to redlining of an engine. I had little control over these feelings. It would be triggered every time I had a thought of the parking or this neighbor. Each time I would have an episode of these strange feelings I would pray:

Lord Jesus, I repent, renounce and ask for forgiveness for: bitterness, resentment, hatred, unforgiveness, violence, temper, anger, retaliation, murder, rage and revenge. I ask that you would save this man and his wife, in Jesus name.

This went on for a month or so, sporadically, but eventually it just stopped. Several months later, the police informed the homeowners on the street that the signs were "illegal"and would no longer be enforced.

Resist the devil and he will flee!

 

[Angela53510]

Today, we have many drugs to help people who are mentally ill. If the person was possessed, the medications would not help.

However, I do believe there can be cases of people who are possessed where mental illness is mimicked.

I have met many mentally ill patients on-line, and helped them from a spiritual perspective. But never told them to go off their meds. My daughter is a social worker, and worked integrating the mentally ill back into society. So many times it is physiological, but other times environmental.

I will admit, I think my experiences with the occult before I was saved did influence my mental condition. However, Christ set me free from that when I was saved.

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, [SUP]20 [/SUP]for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Cor. 6:19-20.

The body includes the brain, and scientists and researchers even know where the brain has gone awry in the case of some mental illnesses. Also, I saw a documentary on a 6 year old with schizophrenia - one of the worst and youngest cases in the world. She was not possessed, but definitely needed a lot of medications to keep her even remotely on track.

Mental illness is tragic, and I find it sad that people point fingers and say that they are demon possessed. I have many Christian friends who are mentally ill, and they cling to Jesus through the pain. Not much different than a physical illness - we live in a fallen world, and disease and illness has crept in from the healthy state God created Adam and Eve to live in.

 

[kenisyes]

Today, we have many drugs to help people who are mentally ill. If the person was possessed, the medications would not help.
.

I wish it were that simple. Certain drugs block brain acitivity of certain types. This makes it harder for the demon to use the body to express itself, and so the drug appears to help.

 

[danschance]

Today, we have many drugs to help people who are mentally ill. If the person was possessed, the medications would not help.

However, I do believe there can be cases of people who are possessed where mental illness is mimicked.

I have met many mentally ill patients on-line, and helped them from a spiritual perspective. But never told them to go off their meds. My daughter is a social worker, and worked integrating the mentally ill back into society. So many times it is physiological, but other times environmental.

I will admit, I think my experiences with the occult before I was saved did influence my mental condition. However, Christ set me free from that when I was saved.

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, [SUP]20 [/SUP]for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Cor. 6:19-20.

The body includes the brain, and scientists and researchers even know where the brain has gone awry in the case of some mental illnesses. Also, I saw a documentary on a 6 year old with schizophrenia - one of the worst and youngest cases in the world. She was not possessed, but definitely needed a lot of medications to keep her even remotely on track.

Mental illness is tragic, and I find it sad that people point fingers and say that they are demon possessed. I have many Christian friends who are mentally ill, and they cling to Jesus through the pain. Not much different than a physical illness - we live in a fallen world, and disease and illness has crept in from the healthy state God created Adam and Eve to live in.

Today, we have many drugs to help people who are mentally ill. If the person was possessed, the medications would not help.

This is false. A demon is a spirit and must work on a person at some level with their mind and or body. In the case of mental illness, the demon must work with in their mind.

I have met many mentally ill patients on-line, and helped them from a spiritual perspective. But never told them to go off their meds.

Who is suggesting people stop any of their meds?

I will admit, I think my experiences with the occult before I was saved did influence my mental condition.

They can influence your mind but not produce mental illness? That is contradictory, don't you think?

Mental illness is tragic, and I find it sad that people point fingers and say that they are demon possessed.

Mental illness is sad and tragic. If demon can cause mental illness, then saying a person is mentally ill is a misdiagnosis and treatment will be ineffective. That would be sad too!

 

[pickles]

I believe the first important issue that should be adressed is that illness, wether mental or physical should stop being separated, as scripture has shown and spoken to physical illness as well being that of posession and affliction.
The boy with sesures was releiced from a demon that caused them by Jesus.
Saddly many still see only mental illness as separate and only effected by possesion, when all health is one, and can be affected by both.

I can say only that in my life I have seen both, and was able to see the differance, because of Jesus.

God bless
pickles

 

[SavedByTheGraceOfGod]

I believe mental illness (well many forms of mental illnesses) are demonic. I was classified as schizophrenic after doing a 'spiritual awakening' course to work on becoming a clairvoyant/medium (I had no idea how ungodly they are). I was on medication and often the darkness inside completely took over me, so that I had no memory of what I'd said or done etc. God found me at my lowest, saved me and set me free. I stopped the medication, repented my horrific sins, used the name of Jesus Christ consistently to keep the evil 'thoughts' at bay, and converted to Catholicism. Since then, the healing of the sacraments have completely saved me. My mind is so clear and free, it's beautiful. My soul is full and wanting for nothing. I know my mental health issue was completely demonic...and there is only one way to be saved...by our Lord

 

[MaggieMye]

Technically mental illness can be caused from many physical issues... starting with age, dementia, insanity, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and the list goes on. Just because a person has a mental illness doesn't mean they are possessed.[/QUOTEy No, the are not POsessed, but they are OPpressed. POsessed refers to OWNERSHIP....a possessed person is OWNED by the demonic and has given his/her will over to those entities. You Rarely see this in the US, but often see it in Africa and South America amongst the tribes, and frequently in China.
An OPpressed person is one that is greatly INFLUENCED BY the demonic, but still has his/her own will. They are vessels for the demonic; the demonic live IN the body but do not have control over the mind, even though they greatly affect the mind. Both need Jesus first and deliverance second and then an empowering of the Holy Spirit, just like in Scripture.
Maggie

 

[danschance]

In practical terms, I fail to see any difference between possed and opressed. In both cases they can still mess you, tempt you, etc, etc.

 

[Tintin]

Why is there no option: Yes, there's a difference but some mental illnesses are extenuated by demonic influences?

 

[NiceneCreed]

Why is there no option: Yes, there's a difference but some mental illnesses are extenuated by demonic influences?

Great idea! I wish I would have thought of that prior to submitting the post, but I did not think that would be a question that would gain everyone's interest. Should I then infer, though, many who suffer from symptoms of mental illness have these symptoms due to demonic possession? What of individuals born with cerebral palsy or severe mental retardation; are they not mentally ill?