.Contemporary Demonic Possession
by Archbishop Averky
from Orthodox Life magazine 1980 (6)
"Then went the demons out of the man, and entered into the swine and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked" (Lk. 8:33)
As strange as it may seem, there are still people today that doubt the actual existence of dark demonic powers which are capable of taking up their abode in men and making them their obedient instruments. This is especially unforgivable for the Russian Orthodox people who have lived through all the disgrace of their unhappy homeland over the last fifty years.
But the Gospel clearly teaches us that demons actually exist and can dwell in people, who become "possessed," losing control over themselves, being made but pitiful playthings in the hands of the demons.
Just such a striking instance is recounted in the Gospel which is read at liturgy on the fifth Sunday after Pentecost. Christ arrives at the country of the Gadarenes and there heals two fearsome men who were possessed; they were so fierce that they would not permit anyone to pass close by the place where they dwelt. But what did the Gadarenes do? Instead of falling at the feet of Jesus in gratitude and asking Him to remain with them, the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about suddenly besought Him to depart from them. What dreadful sort of blindness is this, what incomprehensible darkness of mind and heart? They that had received benefactions drive away their Benefactor, not even wishing to benefit from the further benefactions which would doubtless have been poured out upon them had Christ the Savior remained among them. What was the reason for this?
They were distressed over the loss of their swine.
Contrary to the clear prohibition of the law of Moses, they bred swine; but the Lord, having expelled the demons from the unfortunate possessed men, commanded the demons to enter into the swine, after which the herd of demonized animals hurled themselves over a cliff into the lake, and were drowned.
This, of course, the Lord did not do without forethought. He destroyed the fruits of their iniquitous activity in this manner as an admonition to them. Yet all of this meant nothing to them. Their conscience was not awakened thereby. The fact that their two compatriots, delivered from torment, ceased to be terrifying creatures and became normal people, was of no consequence to them; the fact that they Lord Himself had come to enlighten them with the light of His divine teaching, they held of scant worth. Their entire being was overcome with dismay over the swine that had perished and with apprehension lest any further sojourn of the Lord among them result in fresh material losses for them, and lest the established life of sin, to which they had long been accustomed, be infringed upon.
A similarly accurate picture of life is constantly encountered even today ! Is not the Gadarenes' frame of mind also demonic possession, albeit of a type less outwardly apparent? Wherein lies the essence of demonic possession? Is it not in opposition to God and His divine law? The aspects and outward forms of demonic possession can be varied — from the most dreadful and violent to the most unobtrusive, cleverly concealed from the attentive gaze, at times by deceptively good outward traits.
"Demons who make their abode within men," says the holy hierarch Theophan the Recluse, an instructor in the spiritual life, "do not always disclose their presence, but conceal themselves, secretly teaching their hose all manner of evil, while diverting him from every good, so that the is certain that he is doing everything himself, while in fact he is merely fulfilling the will of his enemy." (Thoughts for Every Day of the Year, p. 245).
In describing the miraculous healing of the demonized Gadarenes, all three Synoptic Evangelists tell us that on seeing the Lord Jesus Christ, the possessed men began to cry out "with a loud voice." "What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God? Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?" (Mt. 8:29). But did Christ the Savior really come to torture these unfortunate men? Did He not come rather to save them from the demons whe were tormenting them?
Herein lies the solution to the horrible mystery of the dwelling of demons within the human soul. As soon as a man, through indiscretion, allows a demon into his soul, the demon, making his abode within him, devours his personality, takes captive his "self," dominates his will and makes that person an obedient instrument of his will. Such a man imagines that he is independent in his conduct, that he does everything himself." but in reality all his actions are directed by the demon dwelling within him, or even by an entire legion of demons, as in the case of the unfortunate men of Gadara.
Insofar as one's will is held captive by a demon dwelling within, one begins to identify oneself with that demon. Everything pleasing to the demon is pleasing to one's self; everything hostile and unbearable to the demon is hostile and unbearable to the one possessed. This is why, on seeing the Savior, one of the unfortunate men, instead of rejoicing, cried out in despair: "What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God Most High? I beseech Thee, torment me not!" (Lk. 8:28).
How is it possible to reach such a dreadful state? How can a demon gain entrance to a man's soul? We find much written concerning this in the Word of God, in the writings of the holy fathers of the Church and the great Christian struggles for piety. Whenever one forgets God, which is evident in every willful violation of God's laws, regardless of how unimportant they might seem, every breach of the conscience, which is the voice of God within man's soul, this already affords the demon entry into one's soul. Especially beloved of the demons are sinful passions, i.e., oft repeated sins which develop into habits in a person and become, as it were, second nature.
The righteous John of Kronstadt, our great saint says, "Pride is a demon, malice is also a demon: envy is a demon; the abomination of fornication is also a demon, violent blasphemy is a demon as well; aggressive doubting of the truth is also a demon; despondency is likewise a demon; the passions are various, yet they are all together the barking of the same Satan, only in different keys; and man, when subject to them, is of one and the same spirit with Satan" (My Life in Christ, Vol. II pp. 4-5).
And, quite characteristically, everyone overcome by any passion, even though that passion might not torment or torture hum, relates with extreme hostility towards anything that opposes his passion. Thus, the proud person hates those who are humble; the wicked and wrathful man cannot bear those who are meek and peaceable; fornicators flare up in great rancor at those who are chaste; and so forth... Those overcome by passions consider their greatest enemies to be those who upbraid them, or those who in some manner attempt to help them to free themselves from this or that passion, calling attention to it, encouraging and teaching them, or taking decisive measures to bring about their recovery and return to the path of a normal, earthly and spiritually sober way of life. It was exactly in such a manner that the possessed men and the Gadarene people met Christ the Savior with hostility, not wishing the Lord to remain among them. Surely they too were in essence demonically possessed, though in a less obvious manner. Having become fully accustomed to their favorite passions, as well as to the demons dwelling within themselves, they did not desire healing of the Lord, the Worker of wonders, and for this reason did not receive Him.
Thus, everyday experience persuades us, especially in this time of ours, the most terrible the world has seen, that affliction by the passions is demonic possession.
Look how the person handed over to sinful passions is himself tormented from within, and in turn torments others. The passions, as the instructors of the spiritual life teach, are mystical serpents which continually gnaw at the heart of man, never giving him rest. A person afflicted by passions knows no spiritual peace and cannot acquire it until he has overcome his passions. Moreover, he can also destroy the spiritual peace of all those with whom he comes into contact. To uproot a passion means to drive out the tormenting demon.
To be convinced of the truth of what has been said above, one need only carefully observe modern life around us and delve deeply into one's own soul.
All that has transpired in the unfortunate Russian land, and which even now continues — is this not genuine demonic possession and, moreover, in its most clearly expressed forms?
And that which is transpiring now in the "free world" and what was initially so secretly and covertly readied — is not this also demonic possession? Before our very eyes it is beginning to take on the very same crude forms that it did in Russia, for the source of all this is one and the same — the self-same dark and evil demonic power which thirsts for man's damnation.
It is terrible to say, but that which is now taking place in all the local Orthodox Churches and in the Christian world, "the heterodox world, with the undermining of what has been established from of old, with the relentless violation of the ancient institutions of the Church which originated in apostolic times, with the sometimes crude and sometimes cunningly-wicked discarding of all the immemorial beliefs and pious traditions bequeathed us by the first Christians — who, placing his hand upon his heart with a pure conscience, dares say that all this is not truly demonic possession, an attempt by the devil through his faithful servants to uproot the true Faith and the Church?
Satan, insolently raising his head, marches in triumph about the whole world, reaping for himself abundant fruits.
It is terrifying to consider how few people remain today who soberly view all that is happening in the world, honest and sincere people who have not sold their souls to Satan for one or another earthly advantage, who do not work wholly for the sake of their own sinful passions and are not possessed, as are the vast majority. The whole world has now become like the land of the Gadarenes who did not desire healing of the Lord-Healer, but drove Him from themselves.
Sometimes we hear hypocritically uttered words of righteousness; but the very actions of the speakers clearly demonstrate that they are merely words. But the Lord said with understanding and perception: "According to their fruits ye shall know them." (Mt. 7:20).
How many beautiful words are spoken today of peace and love, but where is this "peace" and "love" in actions? And if the appearance of "good deeds" is at some times evident, yet behind it there is obviously hidden some coarse motive of self-interest which render them totally worthless.
Deceit and falsehood reign in the world, just as the holy Apostle Paul foretold in his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, saying that there would come a time when people would "believe a lie, that all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (II Thess. 2:11-12).
One should be aware that it is dangerous now to speak about this openly before all peole, for they will begin to hate and torment you. They will not permit you to live in this world. They will declare you insane, as is so often done to persons they find unpleasant or undesirable, considering it necessary to hid them away that they not cause disturbance to trouble.
We have truly arrived at that time concerning which the fathers and ascetics of old said: "There will come a time when people will behave like madmen, and to those who do not behave as madmen they will say: 'you are crazy because you are not as we are!""
But the mindless, possessed people of this world which lies in evil do not thing; they do not consider what fate awaits them. The demons, driven from the Gadarene men by the Lord, entered into the swine, and the swine, enraged, cast themselves into the Sea of Galilee and perished.
A similar fate awaits those people who are overcome by the demons, but with the difference that they will be cast into the "lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev. 21:8, 20:10,), together with the devil, the beast-Antichrist, and the false prophet, whom they will have faithfully served on earth, waging a battle against the Lord Christ and His true and sincere followers.
But we must arm ourselves with patience, so as to endure these dreadful times, mindful of His instructions: "In your patience possess ye your soul!" (Lk. 21:19), and again: "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mk. 13:13).
Let other act as madmen, let everyone around us act as madmen — we will in no wise take part in this universal ansanity, lest we, too, fall prey to it! Amen.
Orthodox Life 1980 (6) magazine translated this from Speeches & Addresses, Vol. III (1969-1973), pp 69-74
by Archbishop Averky
from Orthodox Life magazine 1980 (6)
"Then went the demons out of the man, and entered into the swine and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked" (Lk. 8:33)
As strange as it may seem, there are still people today that doubt the actual existence of dark demonic powers which are capable of taking up their abode in men and making them their obedient instruments. This is especially unforgivable for the Russian Orthodox people who have lived through all the disgrace of their unhappy homeland over the last fifty years.
But the Gospel clearly teaches us that demons actually exist and can dwell in people, who become "possessed," losing control over themselves, being made but pitiful playthings in the hands of the demons.
Just such a striking instance is recounted in the Gospel which is read at liturgy on the fifth Sunday after Pentecost. Christ arrives at the country of the Gadarenes and there heals two fearsome men who were possessed; they were so fierce that they would not permit anyone to pass close by the place where they dwelt. But what did the Gadarenes do? Instead of falling at the feet of Jesus in gratitude and asking Him to remain with them, the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about suddenly besought Him to depart from them. What dreadful sort of blindness is this, what incomprehensible darkness of mind and heart? They that had received benefactions drive away their Benefactor, not even wishing to benefit from the further benefactions which would doubtless have been poured out upon them had Christ the Savior remained among them. What was the reason for this?
They were distressed over the loss of their swine.
Contrary to the clear prohibition of the law of Moses, they bred swine; but the Lord, having expelled the demons from the unfortunate possessed men, commanded the demons to enter into the swine, after which the herd of demonized animals hurled themselves over a cliff into the lake, and were drowned.
This, of course, the Lord did not do without forethought. He destroyed the fruits of their iniquitous activity in this manner as an admonition to them. Yet all of this meant nothing to them. Their conscience was not awakened thereby. The fact that their two compatriots, delivered from torment, ceased to be terrifying creatures and became normal people, was of no consequence to them; the fact that they Lord Himself had come to enlighten them with the light of His divine teaching, they held of scant worth. Their entire being was overcome with dismay over the swine that had perished and with apprehension lest any further sojourn of the Lord among them result in fresh material losses for them, and lest the established life of sin, to which they had long been accustomed, be infringed upon.
A similarly accurate picture of life is constantly encountered even today ! Is not the Gadarenes' frame of mind also demonic possession, albeit of a type less outwardly apparent? Wherein lies the essence of demonic possession? Is it not in opposition to God and His divine law? The aspects and outward forms of demonic possession can be varied — from the most dreadful and violent to the most unobtrusive, cleverly concealed from the attentive gaze, at times by deceptively good outward traits.
"Demons who make their abode within men," says the holy hierarch Theophan the Recluse, an instructor in the spiritual life, "do not always disclose their presence, but conceal themselves, secretly teaching their hose all manner of evil, while diverting him from every good, so that the is certain that he is doing everything himself, while in fact he is merely fulfilling the will of his enemy." (Thoughts for Every Day of the Year, p. 245).
In describing the miraculous healing of the demonized Gadarenes, all three Synoptic Evangelists tell us that on seeing the Lord Jesus Christ, the possessed men began to cry out "with a loud voice." "What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God? Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?" (Mt. 8:29). But did Christ the Savior really come to torture these unfortunate men? Did He not come rather to save them from the demons whe were tormenting them?
Herein lies the solution to the horrible mystery of the dwelling of demons within the human soul. As soon as a man, through indiscretion, allows a demon into his soul, the demon, making his abode within him, devours his personality, takes captive his "self," dominates his will and makes that person an obedient instrument of his will. Such a man imagines that he is independent in his conduct, that he does everything himself." but in reality all his actions are directed by the demon dwelling within him, or even by an entire legion of demons, as in the case of the unfortunate men of Gadara.
Insofar as one's will is held captive by a demon dwelling within, one begins to identify oneself with that demon. Everything pleasing to the demon is pleasing to one's self; everything hostile and unbearable to the demon is hostile and unbearable to the one possessed. This is why, on seeing the Savior, one of the unfortunate men, instead of rejoicing, cried out in despair: "What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God Most High? I beseech Thee, torment me not!" (Lk. 8:28).
How is it possible to reach such a dreadful state? How can a demon gain entrance to a man's soul? We find much written concerning this in the Word of God, in the writings of the holy fathers of the Church and the great Christian struggles for piety. Whenever one forgets God, which is evident in every willful violation of God's laws, regardless of how unimportant they might seem, every breach of the conscience, which is the voice of God within man's soul, this already affords the demon entry into one's soul. Especially beloved of the demons are sinful passions, i.e., oft repeated sins which develop into habits in a person and become, as it were, second nature.
The righteous John of Kronstadt, our great saint says, "Pride is a demon, malice is also a demon: envy is a demon; the abomination of fornication is also a demon, violent blasphemy is a demon as well; aggressive doubting of the truth is also a demon; despondency is likewise a demon; the passions are various, yet they are all together the barking of the same Satan, only in different keys; and man, when subject to them, is of one and the same spirit with Satan" (My Life in Christ, Vol. II pp. 4-5).
And, quite characteristically, everyone overcome by any passion, even though that passion might not torment or torture hum, relates with extreme hostility towards anything that opposes his passion. Thus, the proud person hates those who are humble; the wicked and wrathful man cannot bear those who are meek and peaceable; fornicators flare up in great rancor at those who are chaste; and so forth... Those overcome by passions consider their greatest enemies to be those who upbraid them, or those who in some manner attempt to help them to free themselves from this or that passion, calling attention to it, encouraging and teaching them, or taking decisive measures to bring about their recovery and return to the path of a normal, earthly and spiritually sober way of life. It was exactly in such a manner that the possessed men and the Gadarene people met Christ the Savior with hostility, not wishing the Lord to remain among them. Surely they too were in essence demonically possessed, though in a less obvious manner. Having become fully accustomed to their favorite passions, as well as to the demons dwelling within themselves, they did not desire healing of the Lord, the Worker of wonders, and for this reason did not receive Him.
Thus, everyday experience persuades us, especially in this time of ours, the most terrible the world has seen, that affliction by the passions is demonic possession.
Look how the person handed over to sinful passions is himself tormented from within, and in turn torments others. The passions, as the instructors of the spiritual life teach, are mystical serpents which continually gnaw at the heart of man, never giving him rest. A person afflicted by passions knows no spiritual peace and cannot acquire it until he has overcome his passions. Moreover, he can also destroy the spiritual peace of all those with whom he comes into contact. To uproot a passion means to drive out the tormenting demon.
To be convinced of the truth of what has been said above, one need only carefully observe modern life around us and delve deeply into one's own soul.
All that has transpired in the unfortunate Russian land, and which even now continues — is this not genuine demonic possession and, moreover, in its most clearly expressed forms?
And that which is transpiring now in the "free world" and what was initially so secretly and covertly readied — is not this also demonic possession? Before our very eyes it is beginning to take on the very same crude forms that it did in Russia, for the source of all this is one and the same — the self-same dark and evil demonic power which thirsts for man's damnation.
It is terrible to say, but that which is now taking place in all the local Orthodox Churches and in the Christian world, "the heterodox world, with the undermining of what has been established from of old, with the relentless violation of the ancient institutions of the Church which originated in apostolic times, with the sometimes crude and sometimes cunningly-wicked discarding of all the immemorial beliefs and pious traditions bequeathed us by the first Christians — who, placing his hand upon his heart with a pure conscience, dares say that all this is not truly demonic possession, an attempt by the devil through his faithful servants to uproot the true Faith and the Church?
Satan, insolently raising his head, marches in triumph about the whole world, reaping for himself abundant fruits.
It is terrifying to consider how few people remain today who soberly view all that is happening in the world, honest and sincere people who have not sold their souls to Satan for one or another earthly advantage, who do not work wholly for the sake of their own sinful passions and are not possessed, as are the vast majority. The whole world has now become like the land of the Gadarenes who did not desire healing of the Lord-Healer, but drove Him from themselves.
Sometimes we hear hypocritically uttered words of righteousness; but the very actions of the speakers clearly demonstrate that they are merely words. But the Lord said with understanding and perception: "According to their fruits ye shall know them." (Mt. 7:20).
How many beautiful words are spoken today of peace and love, but where is this "peace" and "love" in actions? And if the appearance of "good deeds" is at some times evident, yet behind it there is obviously hidden some coarse motive of self-interest which render them totally worthless.
Deceit and falsehood reign in the world, just as the holy Apostle Paul foretold in his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, saying that there would come a time when people would "believe a lie, that all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (II Thess. 2:11-12).
One should be aware that it is dangerous now to speak about this openly before all peole, for they will begin to hate and torment you. They will not permit you to live in this world. They will declare you insane, as is so often done to persons they find unpleasant or undesirable, considering it necessary to hid them away that they not cause disturbance to trouble.
We have truly arrived at that time concerning which the fathers and ascetics of old said: "There will come a time when people will behave like madmen, and to those who do not behave as madmen they will say: 'you are crazy because you are not as we are!""
But the mindless, possessed people of this world which lies in evil do not thing; they do not consider what fate awaits them. The demons, driven from the Gadarene men by the Lord, entered into the swine, and the swine, enraged, cast themselves into the Sea of Galilee and perished.
A similar fate awaits those people who are overcome by the demons, but with the difference that they will be cast into the "lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev. 21:8, 20:10,), together with the devil, the beast-Antichrist, and the false prophet, whom they will have faithfully served on earth, waging a battle against the Lord Christ and His true and sincere followers.
But we must arm ourselves with patience, so as to endure these dreadful times, mindful of His instructions: "In your patience possess ye your soul!" (Lk. 21:19), and again: "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mk. 13:13).
Let other act as madmen, let everyone around us act as madmen — we will in no wise take part in this universal ansanity, lest we, too, fall prey to it! Amen.
Orthodox Life 1980 (6) magazine translated this from Speeches & Addresses, Vol. III (1969-1973), pp 69-74
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