Exorcism - A Christian Manual (12 page)

Step 2
: When the client arrives spend time talking to him about what the process will be and what could happen.  It is important that they know what your procedures are so they won’t be shocked or afraid of the process.  It is important that the client feels at ease and trusts that you know what you are doing.  Here are some things that must be covered:

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The will
: Are they totally ready to change and live 100% for God?

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Forgiveness
: Is there anyone they need to forgive before the exorcism begins?

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Confess
: Give the client an opportunity to silently confess any sins.

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Break
: Pray for the breaking of any curses or occult baby dedications.  In some cases a client may have been dedicated to satan at birth or had a curse placed against them without their knowledge, which gave an opportunity for the evil spirit to latch on to them.  In one case, a woman had been dedicated to satan by her grandmother and did not know it.  She was put into a cult by her family to become a breeder-she was to have babies to be ritually sacrificed every year.  She escaped the cult after years of sexual abuse and only learned of the curse through her grandmother’s diary that she stole.  She knew that she was always drawn to participate in the cult but did not like it at all.  She always felt darkness around her but became used to it as a way of life.  She only realized that this feeling was wrong after she met a Christian woman that prayed for her and she felt light all around her for the first time.

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Explanation
: Explain what the exorcist team will do, and how they will cast the demons out.  Also, explain what demons may do during the exorcism. The demons may speak to the client and tell them the exorcism will fail, and that they aren’t worthy to be set free. In addition, they will attack the exorcists’ faith and skills.  The demons will tell the client that the exorcist is weak, the exorcist has little faith, and that they are smarter and more powerful.  Instruct the client to not listen to anything that the demons say-they will lie but they can use the truth to confuse and twist reality.  I generally tell clients that we will do the work and they need not pray, but they can pray during the process and command the demons to be silent if they cannot tolerate their attacks.

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Manifestations
: Demons may try to do supernatural things to put fear in the team and the client.  The client should know that the demons may try to keep them from talking, seeing, or hearing, and the demons may take over their consciousness.  In one case, a woman lost her sight during the exorcism for hours. The manifestations may get more intense during the exorcism and they need not fear.  It is important that they know that if anything unusual takes place, you have seen it before and you know what to do.

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Starting the exorcism
: I usually start out reading several scriptures that point to the power of Jesus and His casting out of demons (Luke 8:26-39; Mark 1: 21-28). The exorcism command is to first bind the demon, cast it out, and send it to the Throne Room Of Jesus for Him to dispose of them, or send them to the arid and uninhabited places. Matthew 12:29: “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.”  “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.  Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left,” (Luke 11: 24).  Everything must be done in the name of Jesus...”And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My Name they will drive out demons,” (Mark 16:17).  No two exorcisms look alike.  Some go fairly smoothly with very little demonic activity.  However, some can get very strange and demons can set traps to confuse and defeat the exorcist.  There are several rules to follow:

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Do not listen to the demons
. Demons will know things about you, the team, and the client.  They will openly reveal what they know about you, to embarrass you and put fear in you, so you must be comfortable with yourself and be willing for others to hear your personal issues.  And, the demons will lie about you and state that you have been in sins that are not true.  Also, the demons may say disgusting things that will offend you-they will say anything to get you to not focus on the task at hand.  The team and the client must be aware of this and ignore the demons.

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Do not talk to the demons unless it is an emergency
. Some exorcists ask the demons their names and ask them how they got there (this is encouraged in the Roman Ritual for exorcism).  Since demons constantly lie, it is perilous to believe what they say.  Some will command that they tell the truth in the Name of Jesus and believe that in this instance they would be compelled to tell the truth.  However, if they are still in the client they are still resisting the power of God and they are in rebellion.  Demons will sometimes ramble on about hell and their torment…”I don’t want to go back into the darkness,” “My pain is great,” “I cannot fail or my torture will be severe.”  Many exorcists are tempted to learn more about the spirit-realm and will actually start a conversation with the demon.  This is a trap.  I have seen some get so interested in what is being said that they actually forget that a suffering human is there.  It is best not to engage with the demon and focus on setting the client free.  God can tell you the demon’s name and how it got there.

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If you feel fear for any reason get out of the room
.  You can do no good if you are frightened by what you see or hear.  The enemy preys on our fears and uses fearful techniques to paralyze the team. For example, demons will create loud noises, make body parts grow, break chairs, and scream.  In one case, one client tried to bite the team members and had to be restrained during most of the exorcism.  In another case, a man opened his mouth almost to the size of his head which was frightening to see. Team members must be ready for this and know when they cannot handle it.

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You can stop the exorcism to take breaks or allow one team member to take a break at a time
.  I approach an exorcism like a marathon-you need to conserve your energy for the long run.  Not all exorcisms are long but you can’t tell in advance.  In addition, the client can get tired and they need bathroom breaks and water breaks as well. 

5.
     
Never leave a client alone
.  I learned this the hard way with one particular exorcism.  Two team members and I were in the middle of an exorcism and the client said that she needed to go to the bathroom.  We needed a break because things were going slow so we agreed to a brief break.  She went into the bathroom and the team began to talk about what was happening.  After several minutes we noticed that it was quiet so we walked over to the bathroom door and called the clients’ name and we heard moaning.  I grabbed the door knob and I realized that she had locked the door.  The moans were getting louder and we shouted for her to open the door.  We didn’t know what to do but I asked if anybody had a knife or a key to wedge into the lock. A team member reached into his pocket and pulled out his car key and stuck it into the lock and the door miraculously opened!  The client was trying to cut her wrists with her car keys and we quickly stopped her and the demon began laughing through her.  We got her cleaned up and went back to the exorcism as the demon was still in control of her mind.  It took several more hours but she was set free of several powerful demons.  Needless to say we never let clients be alone again once the exorcism started.     

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Sometimes the demon will try to harm or kill the client
.  For some it will be banging their heads against a wall or trying to scratch their skin.  In several cases I have seen, the demons tried to choke the client.  In most cases these were sexually perverse spirits or occult spirits.  If this happens you must not be afraid as it will cloud your judgment.  Know that this is a possibility and know that you must address it with power and authority.  If you become afraid, the demon will increase its attack.  In some cases you might have to restrain the client but make sure that if it is a female client that a female team member is there to make sure that nothing immoral happens and that the team members do not become too rough.

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Watch for any signs that what you are doing is working
.  Before a demon comes out there is usually (not always) some agitation when the spirit begins to move out.  Some examples are: they will violently shake, scream, sneeze or yawn.  Some will beg for you to stop, and for some you will actually see the spirit moving up the body until it comes out of the mouth.  In one case, it looked like a snake was crawling up the back of a man.  However, demons will fake these signs, so beware: The only real way to know is if the Holy Spirit tells you it is gone.

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There can be times when a client may have a traumatic memory surface during the exorcism
.  Sometimes, this is God revealing a cause to the possession.  It can be helpful to pray for inner healing at that time and ask Jesus to heal the memory.  When this is healed and the client can forgive the offender, the demon will have no foothold and will leave more quickly. 

9.
     
Frequently check with the client to see what is going on internally
.  Look to see if they are responding to internal voices and ask them what they are experiencing during the exorcism. You can also ask them to command the demon to come out if you are being blocked and sense that the client is feeling weak and the demon is putting discouragement in them. I only do this in special circumstances.

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Even though it seems sort of Hollywood, I usually have a crucifix to place on the client, as well as anointing oil
.  Demons usually respond to these negatively.

Exorcism Phases

There is no one way that an exorcism will happen.  There are some that will last 10 minutes with little demon resistance.  In addition, there are some that will last for days with many strange occurrences.  All exorcisms are unique and there is no standard exorcism.  However, there are some stages that I have seen over the years that happen in longer, more difficult exorcisms.

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Stage 1–The Beginning
: As you begin to cast the demons out either nothing happens or there is an immediate manifestation.  More frequently the demons stay in hiding and hope that you quit.

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Stage 2-The Testing
: As you begin to cast them out, the demons will talk to the client. The demons will try to get the client to believe that nothing is happening, they will not leave, and that the exorcist is not strong enough to get them out. The demons try to sow doubt in the client and the exorcist.  The exorcist sees that nothing much is happening and can begin to become discouraged. The team must press on to engage the demons.  

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Stage 3-The Battle
: Here, the enemy knows that the exorcist will not stop and they are agitated.  The enemy engages by attempting to harm the client and the demons may manifest to put fear in the exorcism team.  The demons openly display their power and will lie to the team, lie to the client, and try to overpower the situation.  They will sow as much doubt as they can and do everything they can to frighten everyone.  This is a power confrontation and one side or the other will win.  The demons will throw everything they can at the exorcist in order to win.  The exorcism team will have to press through the lies and manipulations and continue to cast the demons out. 

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Stage 4-The Weeping And Gnashing Of Teeth
:  The demons know that the tide has turned against them.  They know that the faith of the exorcism team is stronger than their doubt and that they must leave.  The demons are angry and mournful as they don’t want to leave (frightened of the Abyss).  They may try a last trick (like trying to strangle the client or a bizarre body contortion) to stop the exorcism or go back into hiding to act as if they have left.  They may beg you to stop to tug at your heart (they will mention that they will be tortured and may even start crying).  If the exorcist fights on they will leave.

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Stage 5-The Resolution
: All is clear. The client knows that the evil is gone as well as the team. The client and the atmosphere are obviously different. 

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Stage
6-Debriefing
: Talking with the client as to what happened and steps to maintain freedom for the future.

Team Functions

I usually have 2-5 team members with me and each will perform specific functions.  I will usually have one person that continuously reads the Bible and prays during the exorcism.  I will have another person watch what is happening and pray for discernment from God.  I want this person to watch objectively and ask God what is happening and what we need to do next.  I will have another person stand close to the client with me and assist in casting out the demon.  If possible, I will have another be there just for security purposes.   At times, I will have team members switch roles to keep them fresh, but in general I have people that are good at what they do stay in their assigned roles throughout the exorcism.