Just remembered something that baffles me about secular media. They insist on framing spiritual warfare (and specifically exorcisms) as something that’s like…. “old church”, something that “oh well we used to do that, but not anymore, that would be silly to do that now in our ✨enlightened age✨”.
I’ve seen it in Criminal Minds and in Supernatural and I think in Lucifer as well?
And it’s just such a confusing choice??? Like, where did these people get this idea???? Why is it so wide-spread??????
Every diocese that’s big enough to support them has an exorcist. We’re not told who that exorcist is, but we have one.
One of my religion professors shared a story with us from a few years ago when he had traveling exorcist visit his class! The guy was based at the Vatican iirc and traveled around as needed. He was on sabbatical for a break.
I get that part of it is ease of plot and getting side characters out of the way do the MCs can do their thing, but even then I do not fully understand it because the truth is so much more interesting!!! You’re telling me you’d rather have Dean and Sam be shut down by a skeptical old priest who insists they don’t “do that anymore” when a real priest would be like “don’t do anything until I call up the exorcist and get a proper investigation going”?????? Now that’s new. That’s interesting and a new kind of challenge they haven’t faced before.
And I can’t help but think that part of it is because our belief in the spiritual and spiritual warfare makes people uncomfortable. It’s all hunky-dory as long as they can dismiss us as being “those Jesus people who have too many rules”, but the second we start showing a true belief in the supernatural, a supernatural that can and will TANGIBLY affect us, they lose their nerve and start watering it down.
I’m reminded of an episode of Buzzfeed: Unsolved where Ryan and Shane went to a Catholic priest before going to their one demon location a season. It was obviously for a joke, but the priest took it dead seriously, and I think it really threw the guys off. It was very entertaining, and a much more realistic example of what would happen irl.
Holy - set apart from the world (which is cursed with sin) and anything that comes directly from God Himself
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfullness
Gentleness
Self-control
Mercy, forgiveness and grace
Truth
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil.4.8&version=NLT
Everything humans do in the Bible is not of their own power but God's which they receive the blessing to experience through FAITH. So, God is saying to keep our minds focused on Him because many beliefs or doubts start as thought and can work their way to the heart and spirit for better or worse.
What's not
Demonic - absence or lack of God's light and presence (think of how the sun provides warmth, light and life and as you get further away, space becomes cold, dark and inhospitable)
Anger/bitterness (holding a grudge)
Hatred
Sadness
Lonliness
Distress (fear)
Lies
Murder
Theft
Pride
Greed
Lust
Gluttony
For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jas.3.15&version=NLT
Demons are angels who've chosen to separate themselves from God, and the Bible is very strict about committing sin in your mind and heart like 1 John 3:15, "If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know murderers do not have eternal life."
This is to warn others about merely doing something in your mind and heart with good or bad intentions. You can do anything for the goodness of God if you're acting in genuine honesty, humility, selflessness and empathy. But anything can be sinful if you're doing it in selfishness, callousness, or in the desire for malice, deceit and disorder (chaos).
The point is, ALWAYS check your thoughts and feelings.
And we destroy every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Cor.10.5&version=ICB
This to help you be aware if you're being deceived or influenced by evil spirits and to make a strong, conscious effort to DENY them, and do what God says instead:
Give Him your fears and worries
Be joyful
Be loving
Find peace in Him
Let go of anger
Pray and praise constantly
It can be REALLY hard to do these things, but God promises to give you endurance if you trust in Him (Isiah 40:31) and strength if you ask for it.
I can do all things through Christ because he gives me strength.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil.4.13&version=ICB