Demon Possession or Insanity?

Richard Ramirez

Ask many people whether they believe in demon possession and they'll probably chuckle and tell you that the only folks who still believe in that today are backwards, ignorant and living in a different universe. Ask many Christians whether they believe in demon possession and they'll probably shake their heads.

Most people don't believe in demon possession anymore, and that includes a lot of Christians. Rather, they believe that demon possession was something that primitive people believed in before the advent of modern psychology. They believe that psychology has provided all the answers as to why certain people act bizarrely and are prone to violent, destructive behavior. 

And yet, psychology provides no answer as to why certain people can suddenly speak in foreign languages they've never learned, or exhibit superhuman strength they seem physically incapable of, or speak in strange voices that their vocal chords are incapable of supporting.

If demon possession was considered a reality during the time of Jesus Christ, then why isn't it recognized today? Because of unbelief. Much of the world no longer believes in the existence of angels or demons, or the reality of good and evil in the spiritual realm. As such, many folks who are demon possessed are now diagnosed with such psychological disorders as paranoid schizophrenia and trichotillomania.

Demon possession was indeed a problem during Christ's time and the Lord drove out many unclean spirits that caused the type of problems that are considered today to be psychological disorders. For example, during their travels through ancient Israel, Christ and His disciples encountered a man whose young boy was acting strangely. The man pleaded with Christ to help his son: "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not." (Luke 9:38-40)

Did Christ advise the man to take his son to a psychiatrist? Of course not. This is what He said: "You unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here. Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father." (Luke 9:41-42)

What causes demon possession? There are several causes, but the two most common ones are (1) contact with the demonic via the occult, eastern religions or hallucinogenic drugs, and (2) curses inherited from wicked ancestors. Not everyone who dabbles in the occult or practices eastern mysticism or uses hallucinogenics becomes demon possessed. There is no scientific explanation as to why some people become possessed while others don't.

And yet some people do become possessed. One such man was Richard Ramirez who became known as the infamous "Night Stalker" who murdered at least 13 people during his criminal rampage throughout the state of California in the 1980s. Ramirez was an extremely violent and evil man who got involved in Satanism at a young age. Ramirez's worship of the devil along with his heavy use of hallucinogenic drugs opened the door for his demon possession.

Those who are old enough probably remember the classic horror film "The Exorcist" that featured a young demon possessed girl played by actress Linda Blair. The Exorcist was based on the true story of a young man who grew up in Mt. Rainier, Washington in the 1940s. The man, who was called Roland Doe (not his real name), got involved in the occult when he tried to contact his deceased grandmother with a Ouija Board.

To summarize the story, Doe began to act erratically soon after he attempted to contact his grandmother. He reportedly began speaking Hebrew which he never learned. Furniture in Doe's house allegedly began to move on its own and Doe began speaking in low, guttural voices that belied his vocal chords. Eventually, Doe became so strong and violent that he couldn't even be retrained by chains. That sounds similar to the biblical account of the demoniac that Christ cast the unclean spirits out of. (Luke 8:26-39)

How prevalent is Demon possession today? It's quite prevalent, although not as prevalent as some people believe. How can you tell if someone's possessed? In some cases you can't unless you have the spiritual gift of discernment of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10). In other cases, it's quite obvious, especially if someone begins acting extremely strange such as becoming violently angry for no reason; speaking in a strange voice or language, or suddenly withdrawing and speaking of either hurting themselves or committing suicide. 

What should you do if you suspect you're in the presence of a demon possessed person? If you're a Christian, you should pray to the Lord and ask for spiritual guidance in dealing with the person and the situation. If you're not a Christian, then you should get away from them as quickly as possible because they could harm you or even kill you. 

Demon possession is real. It's even worse in our time than during Christ's time because there are millions of people who have practiced the occult; eastern religions and have taken hallucinogenic drugs. Even worse, it's a problem that refuses to go away because so few people are able to recognize it.