I have just read **Oct 15,2022 at 3:36** and it reminded me of oil I asked a priest to bless. He read the rite word for word except that he did not sprinkle it with holy water. Is it still as efficacious? Thank you. God bless!

GotQuestions.org has an article entitled [*Why did Jesus say that the demon could only come out by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29)?*](https://www.gotquestions.org/only-come-out-by-prayer-and-fasting.html) , which I’d like to quote to motivate this question: > Later, the disciples privately asked Jesus why they could not cast out the unclean spirit (Mark > 9:28), and Jesus replied that this particular kind could only come out > “by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29, KJV). It is only the King James > Version (and NKJV) that records Jesus saying the demon could only come > out by prayer and fasting. Other translations (ASV, NASB, ESV, NIV, et > al.) leave out *and fasting* and only mention prayer. The difference is > due to a textual variant. The two oldest and most reliable Greek > manuscripts omit *and fasting*. > > While there are many variants in the Greek manuscripts of the New > Testament, it is remarkable that none of the variants create any > significant doctrinal challenge—they are usually minor and don’t > impact the message of a passage at all. Mark 9:29 is one of the more > significant variants, as the differing translations make it unclear > whether the demon in Mark 9 could only come out by prayer and fasting, > or whether prayer alone would work. It is worth noting that in the New > Testament fasting was simply prayer so focused and intense that a > person did not give attention to things like eating or drinking—so > either way, Jesus is emphasizing that the demon in Mark 9 could only > come out by intensive prayer. > > As Jesus explains to the crowd, the key was the faith of those > involved (e.g., Mark 9:19, 23). So it is evident that prayer rooted in > faith in Jesus Christ is effective (see James’ assertion that the > prayer of a righteous [believing] person is effective, James 5:16b). > Jesus was challenging the crowd, the boy’s father, and the disciples > on the importance of believing in Him as the One who could accomplish > what would otherwise be impossible. Whether one accepts the *prayer and fasting* variant or the *prayer only* variant, it is clear that, in either case, a special kind or a higher degree of prayer is required before attempting difficult exorcisms. Unfortunately, Jesus’s recorded words are quite vague on this point, as He does not provide a more precise protocol, leaving several questions unanswered, such as: - How can one determine if an exorcism will be particularly difficult? - What factors contribute to the difficulty of an exorcism? - How much time should be devoted to prayer in preparation for a difficult exorcism? - Is fasting ever necessary, at least in extreme cases, and if so, for how long? Or is prayer alone always sufficient? Are there any Christian denominations or traditions that teach a more detailed protocol for preparing for difficult exorcisms?

Jesus in Matthew 12 appears to give a compelling argument against the possibility of demons casting out other demons: > 22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” > > 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” > > 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 **If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself**. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 **But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you**. > > [Matthew 12:22-28, NIV] In other words, demons are cast out by the power of the Spirit of God, and in the case of Christians, in the name of Jesus. That said, according to the Wikipedia article on [Exorcism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcism) , exorcisms have been practiced since antiquity in other religions. And I find this problematic, because if we think about it, non-Christians do not have the power of the Spirit nor the name of Jesus to drive out demons during an exorcism. And they can't be using the power of Satan either, as per Jesus' argumentation in Matthew 12:22-28. So there appear to be no other options left, and we are faced with a dilemma. **Question**: How do Christians make sense of exorcisms in other religions? Are exorcisms in other religions compatible with a Christian worldview? ____ *Note: I'm not sure if I should request answers from a specific denomination or Christian group for this one. I would imagine that most Christians believe that demons exist and can be cast out, and I'm not sure if there is a specific denomination with an official position regarding exorcisms in other religions. But in any case, if this question needs editing, feel free to let me know or go ahead and edit it yourself.*

Catholic Exorcist Father [Vincent Lampert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Lampert) , in an [interview](https://youtu.be/_9xcAl0gg7w?t=1109) on the PBD Podcast, explained: > Rather than being critical of someone else, I would tend to want to be more positive about what I believe exorcism is. Because we talked about skepticism, an exorcist is trained to be a skeptic. I should be the very last person in the room to believe that somebody is truly dealing with extraordinary demonic activity. **Every other possible explanation needs to be exhausted. And that's the approach the Catholic Church takes**. That's why even in the United States we have a protocol that we follow, and **step number one of the protocol is for the person to have a psychiatric evaluation**. **Step two is to have a physical examination**, **because the church wants experts in the mental health field and in the medical sciences to weigh in** on what is happening or what this person believes is happening in their life. Do Protestants follow a similar protocol? --- For additional context, see my previous question https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/101721/61679

This question addresses the epistemological challenges of determining whether someone is possessed by demons. Belief in demon possession has to contend with skepticism from those who view it as a myth lacking scientific evidence (see the sources cited in the appendix of [this question](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/101703/61679)) . Even among believers in demonic possession, there is often an acknowledgment of the need to rule out alternative natural explanations such as mental illness or fraud. For example, see the article [*As a psychiatrist, I diagnose mental illness. Also, I help spot demonic possession*](https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/07/01/as-a-psychiatrist-i-diagnose-mental-illness-and-sometimes-demonic-possession/) by Richard Gallagher. However, the Bible does not mention any cases where a mental health professional was consulted to confirm that an allegedly possessed individual was not simply experiencing a mundane psychological disorder. Jesus and the Apostles were able to discern possession directly, presumably using [discernment of spirits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discernment_of_spirits) , without the need for intermediaries to rule out false positives. What is the biblical basis for requiring a psychiatrist to examine an individual before declaring them demon-possessed?

Fr. Carlos Martins ([profile](https://www.catholic.com/profile/fr-carlos-martins) , [personal YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@Fr.CarlosMartins)) , author of [The Exorcist Files](https://www.amazon.com/-/dp/B0BS8ZN4B2) , has made the following declarations in a recent interview entitled *[Famous EXORCIST Reveals His Worst CASE](https://youtu.be/IF0YS30hr5o)* : > So in the room, when an exorcism is occurring, there might be different signs that you see, like I said, inanimate objects moving, sudden fluctuations in temperature, bizarre bodily contortions on the part of the victim, and so forth. So, but something that you need to know, that your viewers need to know, that these, that such things are only done to scare the exorcist and his team. So, if I were to bring you into a room--I'm just talking as a thought experiment--if you were to be present at an exorcism, if I were to invite you to come along and be as an intercessor, you walk in the room and all of a sudden you see a chair starting to float in the air by itself. So that might raise your blood pressure up a little bit, right? Okay. It might make you a little bit apprehensive, okay? So my immediate counsel to you, so how I would instruct you before even going into the room, is I would say never ever ever run. Because the Devil is a minor reality. And if you ... the devil is more afraid of you, as a baptized Christian, as a Son of God the Father, than you are of him. If you run, then you've bought into the lie that he's trying to create. Right. So now let's say I brought you into the room, that chair floated, you made it through that experience. Let's say on another exorcism I come in, I bring you in again, and you see a chair floating again. Would you be as scared as you would be the first time? No. What about the 22nd time you see a chair floating? Would you be as scared as the first time? No. Absolutely you're right. And after time 122 you would be even less. In fact, you might not even put down your cup of coffee [...] Fr. Carlos has also said in a [video](https://youtu.be/QdF9w4-1_BY) on his channel: > You know, people are fixed on the devil's power. They're fixed on what he can do. And they ask me what have you seen, have you seen levitation, have you been hit with objects flying through the air, and I'll say ... yeah, I've seen all of these things. But you know what? They're not the scary stuff. When you see a chair levitate for the 83rd time it gets old, but confronting the mind of the devil, the source of every perversion, every sin, every wickedness, every bad thing, that's scary. Despite testimonies from exorcists like Fr. Carlos Martins, many skeptics remain unconvinced, demanding substantial evidence such as actual footage of an exorcism or an exorcism conducted in a controlled setting with comprehensive measuring and recording devices. How do Christians who believe in exorcisms respond to skeptics demanding convincing evidence? --- **APPENDIX - Quotes from skeptical sources** > After initially advertising his “skeptical” approach to evaluating claims of possession, Gallagher commits the common error of confusing skepticism with cynicism. He states, “while the American Psychiatric Association has no official opinion on these affairs, the field (like society at large) is full of unpersuadable skeptics and occasionally doctrinaire materialists who are often oddly vitriolic in their opposition to all things spiritual.” Unwillingness to entertain a remarkable claim (cynicism) differs greatly from demanding evidence that is as remarkable as the claim (skepticism). A skeptical thinker could, in principle, be persuaded to consider the possibility of demonic possession if the data were overwhelming. **Nothing that Gallagher offers as evidence for demonic possession, however, approaches the realm of the extraordinary**. > > Source: [Superstition Masquerading as Science](https://skepticalinquirer.org/2017/02/superstition-masquerading-as-science/) , by Dean McKay, Rachel Ammirati, Scott O. Lilienfeld > NOTE FROM TED: **While demonic possession is a myth unsupported by any scientific evidence**, several claims in this talk around dissociative identity disorder and mental health are only representative of the speaker’s personal understanding. As the speaker states, please consult a mental health professional and do not look to this talk for medical advice. > > Source: the description under the video [The myth of demonic possession | Hassaan Tohid | TEDxUAlberta](https://youtu.be/ZbyoDl37mXk)

We see in Matthew 10:25 how Jesus cautions his disciples against adversities: "If the head of house has been called Beelzebul, how much would the members be!" Going ahead to Matthew 12:24 we see the Pharisees commenting that Jesus was casting out demons with the help of Belzabul. There are two possibilities to explain the arrangement of the events in an order that is not chronological. First, Matthew may have erred in mentioning 10:25 followed by 12:24. The second possibility is that in Mtt 10:25 Jesus was perhaps referring to an event that had taken place earlier, but was not recorded in the Gospels. Moreover, Jesus is specific in saying that the Head of Family **has been called** Belzabul, whereas in 12:24 he is accused of **getting help** from Belzabul. My question therefore is: **Who is the Head of House that Jesus is referring to in Matthew 10:25?** Views of scholars of any denomination are welcome.

I have read that incense is a bad thing and it can bring demons to your house. However others say it will create a clean house. Rabbi Keduri, some say, did smoke incense, but he did not inhale it, and when asked, said it was supposed to keep the demons away. What does the Catholicism say about it? What is so special about smoke, candles and crystals? Could any Catholic experts give me a good source?

Matthew 12:22-32 and Mark 3:22-30 both tell the account of the Christ casting out devils while Pharisees accused Him of being possessed by Beelzebub. The Christ rebukes them and declares the following from Matthew 12:31-32: > 31Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. It appears that the Christ is telling us that blasphemy against the Father or the Son (i.e. *"God damn it!"* or *"Jesus Jumping Christ!"*) is forgivable, but not of the Holy Spirit. However, most preachers and theologians I have listened to believe that it really means that it means living an unrepentant life. My question is how Christian theologians have made this conclusion and if it holds up to biblical doctrine.

There is a Colombian priest in our area that invites lay people to watch while he supposedly performs exorcisms. Is this permitted? It seems dangerous.

Just listened to Feb 2nd, 2023 episode of Pint With Aquinas. Fr. Vincent Lampert says that a voodoo doll or similar items should be blessed before being destroyed. Is it possible to bless something evil? Guessing this is something only a priest should do, but is it only an priest trained in exorcism. And why would something need to be blessed rather than just destroyed. Should these things be destroyed if it's easier to just throw it away, because it seems like sometimes a proper blessing/destruction would take longer and increase the likelihood of demonic infestation?

In the New Testament Jesus performs an exorcism (Mark 1:23–26, Luke 11:14–26) and Jesus gave that authority over to the apostles themselves to drive out evil spirits and to perform exorcisms (Matthew 10:1), but did any of the prophets from the Old Testament perform exorcisms?

Both Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe in exorcism (ie the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person), but did the Early Church Fathers believe and perform exorcisms?

According to Catholicism, is a Catholic priest's power of exorcism acceptable evidence of the Catholic Church's truth and validity of its claim to be the one true church?

I don't understand the following counter argument by Jesus. > And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Luke 11:19 One viewpoint is that the Pharisees' students (which I believe is what Jesus meant when he said sons) did try to cast out demons, but that would mean that I would be assuming that the Pharisees' student did actually cast out demons during that time. 1) Would the aforementioned argument be valid? 2) Are there any other ways of understanding Luke 11:19? If yes, could someone please explain them?

I'm a Pentencostal and I've realized that are some demons that can not be casted out by a common Christian (even living in holiness and fasting). It seems there is a level of anointing (authority given by God in spiritual realm) that the Holy Spirit gives to the person performing the deliverance. It also seems that the higher a person suffered because of the Gospel the higher the anointing. I also noticed that the higher the level of gifts from Spirit is the greater is the anointing to casting out demons, for example someone having gift of miracles has more authority than someone which is only batized on Holy Spirit. I'd like to know if there are some literature which discuss different levels of anointing and deliverance. (Need not be exclusively based on the Bible).

**According to Catholic exorcists, does the Devil really hate Catholic Church prayers said in Latin?** > I just attended a talk by the exorcist for diocese of San Jose, Fr Gary Thomas. He is the subject of a book and a film called The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins. (The talk was organized by a group called Catholics at Work.) > > First, he was a great speaker. He described how almost by accident, and after 20 years as a parish priest, he found himself sent to Rome to learn how to perform the Rite of Exorcism. He was very clear in saying that, in his opinion, the recent rise in interest in New Age paganism has opened the door to adherence to the occult for greater numbers of people than before, which in turn opens the way to diabolical possession. He has always been inundated with requests, even before the publicity. > > The fact that he described these things pretty much in the same straightforward, matter-of-fact way that one might describe what goes on in a marriage or baptism in a parish RCIA class only served to reinforce the truth of it all for me. And I would say that if anything is to increase your faith, it is listening to accounts of how the Church overcomes the effects of possession by the devil and demons, and the suffering of those poor people who are affected by them. I wanted to pass on one little comment that he made almost in passing. I do not know where he stands liturgically in regard to the Mass - there was nothing in what he said that led me to believe that he celebrates the Latin Mass, for example. However, he did explain that the Rite of Exorcism is only said in Latin. One reason is practical - there is no approved translation in English as yet. He gave another reason why he was so strongly in favor of the use of Latin in the Rite of Exorcism: “The Devil hates Latin, it is the universal language of the Church.” I asked him about this afterwards, and he repeated it, saying that his personal experiences as an exorcist who has performed many, many exorcisms have convinced him of this. He told me he had heard from exorcists who did exorcisms in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese (the only approved vernaculars for this Rite) that Latin was the most effective language. - Does the Devil hate Catholic Church prayers said Latin? What I'm looking for? Is there any biblical references to support this or **have any traditions put a truth in these assertions**... perhaps there are some personal encounters or testimonies that may support this and acknowledge the validity of this assertions.

This question was originally inspired by a "Buddhist to Christian" [testimony](https://christian-faith.com/buddhist-monk-turns-to-jesus/) (courtesy of [this answer](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/a/88869/50422)) . Specifically, this part of the testimony: > [...] > I met her while visiting my best friend, Zlatko. She listened sympathetically to the problems and struggles in my life, emphasising that ONLY GOD could help remove the burdens from my shoulders. I could not work for my “”Salvation””. As I listened I felt different, warmth had crept into my heart, and finally I said a short prayer to welcome the LORD Jesus Christ into my heart as my Saviour. **I didn’t know it then, but found out later, that Jovanka my friend’s wife had prayed intensely in “”tongues”” while I was being witnessed to. God later told her the following: “”Marlies, you think it was your good witnessing skills that led Souk to Jesus! No, when Jovanka prayed in tongues she bound the demon sitting on his head that had stopped him from turning to the Lord Jesus Christ.””** > > When the prayer was over I felt totally at peace and relieved. I was not even afraid of what my parents might say that one of their children had changed from a religion that had been in the family for centuries. In fact, within a few weeks I told them that no longer did I follow the Buddhist religion, but had become a Christian. It turns out this is not an isolated case. After some searching I was able to confirm that other Christians share similar beliefs regarding the usefulness of tongues in the context of spiritual warfare and deliverance/exorcism. For example: From https://godencounters.com/praying-gift-tounges/ : > Tongues of war – There is a place where **the Holy Spirit goes on the offensive. He battles through us**. Sometimes there is a coupling together of the gift of faith with tongues. **A rising within occurs and a push or urge to launch out against the demonic forces happens. Sometimes it is the wedding between discerning of spirits and tongues. You combat or attack the dark force, commanding it to flee**. From http://www.demonbuster.com/tongues.html : > **During some of our DELIVERANCE sessions when the demon is being stubborn, we pray out loud in TONGUES. Usually, the person immediately covers their ears with their hands because the demons apparently can understand. The demons absolutely hate for you to pray in TONGUES at any time**. > > By the way, the demons can also speak in TONGUES, but it is coming from the spirit of the devil. You almost cannot tell the difference, which is why we have cast OUT many demons of FALSE TONGUES. Even [Tim Conway](https://illbehonest.com/author/tim-conway) , from *I'll Be Honest* (same ministry as [Paul Washer](https://illbehonest.com/author/paul-washer)) , in the video [Has the gift of speaking in tongues ceased? - Tim Conway](https://youtu.be/YMkpn0iZonA?t=1269) , referenced an anecdote from the book *From Witchcraft to Christ* ([link](https://www.amazon.com/Witchcraft-Christ-Doreen-Irvine/dp/1842912593)) that involved tongue-speaking for deliverance. At 21:09 Tim said: > But the fact is, the gift of tongues was a legitimate, and I believe, is a legitimate spiritual gift, and if somebody has an ability - look, **I read a book not too long ago, called 'From Witchcraft to Christ'**, **and the man who was heavily involved in delivering this woman from all these demons that were in her** --she was involved in witchcraft, she was involved in Satan's worship--- and a friend of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, **he believed he had the gift of tongues of angels**, **and you know what the woman said, who had been delivered of all these demons? She said**, whether he did or not, I can't say but she said **"I know this, when he would talk in that language, the demons inside me were terrified and they understood him"**. So, again, I'm not going to say what God can or can't do. And this was a very godly man, and like I said, he was a friend of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and it seemed like God had given him special and unique gifts to be able to deal ... Is it possible man can speak in the tongues of angels? Hey, I haven't had it, I'm not going to say first hand. Paul definitely alludes to things like that [...] **Question**: What is the biblical basis for speaking in tongues for deliverance and spiritual warfare?

I was looking up exorcism stuff on the Vatican website and stumbled across this from (then) Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) > From these prescriptions it follows that it is not even licit that the faithful use the formula of exorcism against Satan and the fallen angels, extracted from the one published by order of the Supreme Pontiff Leo XIII, and even less that they use the integral text of this exorcism. Bishops should take care to warn the faithful, if necessary, of this. > > [Letter to Ordinaries regarding norms on Exorcism]( http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19850924_exorcism_en.html) So does that mean that the St. Michael Prayer: > Glorious St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil, and do thou o Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the Earth seeking the ruin of souls. Amen I learned by heart this prayer some 15 years ago and say every time the creepy crawlies pound on my windows at 3 AM is verboten?

- Does being a cessationist have any bearing on one's views on spiritual warfare, demon possession and the casting out of demons (a.k.a. exorcisms)? Can a person be a cessationist and still believe in contemporary demon possessions and exorcisms? - Are there dedicated deliverance ministers or exorcists who are cessationists? If not, how do cessationists drive demons out of demon-possessed individuals? ____ Related: - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/12536/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/81001/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/83574/50422