Scripture itself often speaks of the existence and work of the devil or the evil one. People usually avoid the well-known name “devil” because it is believed that when his name is used, he makes his presence felt by the people who mention him. Based on this commandment, the Church has used Exorcism in Christianity from the beginning; that is to say, it has written special prayers to expel evil spirits.
Exorcism in Christianity refers to prayers that are usually a commandment, a curse, or a curse. The Saviour Himself heals the two Indra-cities in the land of the Gadarenes or the Germans and the lunatic child. From the Saviour, the Holy Apostles receive the command and power to drive out unclean spirits or to cast out demons and to cast them out.
Through them, the devil and his power are forced by invoking the name of God to depart from the person concerned and from the goods or places haunted by the devil’s power to leave and do them no more harm.
What does Exorcism mean?
The category or group of services that we call a general term hierarchy. Divine services of blessing and sanctification of man and the surrounding nature are of several kinds. Among these, exorcisms have a special place. Exorcism is performed by every bishop or priest with this canonical and legal duty through the pastoral and sanctifying mission received with the Holy Sacrament of Ordination. So this is not a new practice, introduced by chance into the order of Christian life by some ecclesiastical ministers, but is a practice inherited from the activity of the Saviour Jesus Christ and the Holy Apostles, handed down through the Holy Fathers and legislated by the canons. (If you are curious about Jesus’ words about Exorcism, access the following link: Jesus casting out the evil spirits.)
Exorcism means the service of casting out devils from a man using prayers thatVICE are read in various circumstances in the life of the faithful and by which it is intended to remove the evil spirit, the work of the devil on men, and to free them from all domination of the unclean spirit.
Therefore the practice of Exorcism, the removal by the power of the prayer of the evil work of the devil on people and things around us, starts from the belief in the existence of evil and the devil. If we believe in God, we must also believe in the devil’s presence and his destructive work because we can see clearly that it is spread worldwide.
First Exorcism in history
Mary Magdalene is a woman possessed by seven devils: a forgiven sinner who followed him in his work and met him as soon as he rose from the dead; in the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene is named in two situations: first with Jesus’ mother at the foot of the cross, and second in a more extended account of her encounter with Jesus in the Garden. So far, the picture is entirely coherent: Mary Magdalene, a healed woman; a disciple present at the crucifixion; a witness to the resurrection and, according to John, the first to bring the news of Jesus’ resurrection to the apostles.
The first case of Exorcism in history is recorded in the case of the biblical woman, Mary of Magdala, where Jesus cast out seven demons from her body. She was a sinful woman who loved much and was forgiven much. The Bible also gives several examples of people possessed or influenced by demons.
From these examples, we can extract some of the symptoms of demonic influence and some ideas about how demonic possession acts on the people in question. Here are some of these Bible passages:
- Matthew 9:32-33
- Mark 5:1-20
- Matthew 12:22
- Matthew 17:18
- Mark 7:26
- Luke 22:3
- Acts 16:16-18
In some of these passages, demonic possession can cause physical disabilities, such as:
- lack of ability to have articulate speech
- epileptic symptoms
- blindness
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Does God allow Exorcism in Christianity?
The followers of the Holy Apostles also acted in the name of Jesus Christ. Tertullian says that these evil spirits are subject to the servants of God and Christ. By touch or by breath, by forcing them to obey us, they come out of the bodies of men. Demons are said to be driven out of people’s bodies by the power of prayer and words.
God allows Exorcism in Christianity because demons are real. Even His Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, also laid his hands on the demonized, as we read in Luke’s Gospel: Jesus laying His hands on each of them, making them whole. Demons also came out of many.
So did the Holy Apostles, who received this healing power.
How to know if someone is possessed?
From missionary experiences, demonic possession also seems related to idol worship and the procurement and use of occult materials. Scripture repeatedly makes a direct link between idol worship and demon worship, so it should not be surprising that the involvement of some people in magical rituals and practices often leads to demonic possession¹.
We can identify a person as possessed when they curse God’s name, speak bad words and lies, and practice the most unforgivable sins. Here are some signs that a person may be possessed:
- practices occultism
- very often insults the Church and Christians
- says there is no God
- commits various sexual sins
We are not told precisely how people open themselves up to demonic possession. If we take the case of Judas, he opened his heart to evil. Thus, it is possible that if a person opens his heart to be dominated by a sin that has become habitual, this becomes an invitation for a demon to enter that person’s heart.
Five steps to evict a demon
1. Fast and pray for three days
Fasting is a practical declaration to God that we want to seek His face. And for God to hear our prayer. Daniel fasted to seek God’s face. Esther fasted so that God would deliver the people from a terrible sentence. And so that she could enter before the king and plead for the salvation of the Jewish people. Jesus says to fast before the Father.
2. Ask the priest for help from his authority
Through his God-given power, the priest has divine authority over demons. The priest is a giver who has to help; you can call it that by profession. Priesthood is not a profession, but being a professional do-gooder is an act of giving. The first duty and, at the same time, the most outstanding work of the priest in the parish is to have and maintain ideal soul relations with all his faithful. The most significant and beautiful praise that can be given to a priest is that all the faithful say that nowhere does their priest feel so good and happy as in his spiritual and pastoral work in the parish, amid hi,s sheep.
Call the name of God.
To cast out unclean spirits, we must invoke the name of God and His Son and say, in general, hieroglyphics, that is, divine services of blessing and sanctification of man and his surroundings. God calls us to by the voice of Scripture, the voice of the walls that come upon us with drought, too much rain, or an earthquake.
4. Say the prayer of Exorcism
The prayer of Exorcism in Christianity is inspired by verse 5 of chapter 5 of the Book of Revelation of John the Theologian: “Et unus de senior bus dicit mihi one feverish Ecce visit Leo de tribu Iuda radix David aperire librum et Septem signature eius.” If you want to cast out the demons, repeat the prayer seven times and say “Amen” at the end.
“Ecce Crucem Domini!
Fugite adversae partes!
Vicit Leo de tribu Juda,
Radix David! Hallelujah!”
5. Invoke and command the demon to call his name and come out
Also, the final step is to command the demon to split out his name and come out from the body he possessed. The monsters are declared enemies of life; even demons have their bosses who challenge them to evil deeds. They bring disaster, disease, poverty, and death. So, the demon may speak one of the following names. Which are names of demons who have less authority and do not speak the name of God:
- Bael
- Agares
- Vassago
- Samigina
- Marbas
- Valefor
- Bifrons
