Demon Possession

servant33

Well we're reading the Gospel of Mark in my humanities class and the professor called out demon possession, which appears to be especially prevalent in the book of Mark, but not so much in today's world. 

Is demon possession actually the way we think of it, like an evil spirit totally taking control of someone and causing them to do crazy things? There are some threads on the forums that express that demon possession is distinct from a mental illness. So then what is it and why was it apparently so prevalent in Jesus' time but not anymore? Has anyone seen someone who was demon possessed?

drilago99

Look up Abouna Makary. If you haven't heard of him, he deals with the demon-possessed in his church in Egypt.

ForeverYours

well, in a more practical sense, aren't we sometimes demon posssessed when we continually sin or give into the devil's will. we kinda become puppets of the devil.

geomike

Trust me, it still happens. I witnessed one in Egypt in a little church in the monestary of St. Bishoy where they keep his body. And it was an old lady. She couldn't lay a foot in the church because the devil wasn't allowing her. Her two sons who were both like 26 years old pulled on her with all their might so that she might come into the church but her feet were like two boulders standing five inches away from the carpet entrance of the church. This proved to me that she wasn't normal because no old lady can pull back with that might. Eventually she fell in the church, and my uncle who is a priest was with me and my brother while we were touring the monestary. When my uncle saw this he got oil and began anointing her in the shape of a cross, then he put the cross on her head, and that's when all hell broke loose. She was physically in pain by the cross being on her head. That was another sign to me that she was definitely possessed. After that my uncle told the two sons to put their mother's hand on the box containing the body of St. Bishoy and then my uncle took Tasoni and me and my brother and left right away. He did this because his work was done and he didn't want us to be frightened since we were  10 or 11 at the time. It was obvious to me though, i was smart enough to connect the dots, lol. So i talked to him about it on the car ride home, and i asked him if she was possessed and he told me YES.

So there's my reason for saying that people these days can be possessed. Also, if  you look up coptic exorcisms on youtube you will see proof also. *I didn't post any because they may be disturbing to some people so if you want to see them you are going to have to search for them yourself or just pm me and i will send them to you.

jojo204

[quote author=ForeverYours link=topic=12550.msg147253#msg147253 date=1320883903]
well, in a more practical sense, aren't we sometimes demon posssessed when we continually sin or give into the devil's will. we kinda become puppets of the devil.


St Theophan the Recluse
Thoughts for each day of the year.
Thursday 22nd week after Pentecost (Today)

[1 Thess. 2:9-14; Luke 11:14-23]
When a strong man armed keepth his palace, his goods are in peace; But when a stronger man than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
This allegory explains how demonic power over souls is destroyed by the Lord. While a soul is in sin, its evil spirit possesses it, although it may not always clearly show it. The evil spirit is stronger than the soul; this is why it does not fear an uprising on the souls part, rules over and tyrannizes it without resistance. But when the Lord comes to a soul, attracted by faith and repentance, He tears apart all of satan's bonds, casts out the demon and deprives it of all power over this person's soul. And while this soul serves the Lord, demons cannot prevail ovver it, for the soul is strong through the Lord, stronger than they. When the soul takes a false step and roams away from the Lord, the devil again attacks and overcomes, and for the soul, the poor thing, the last state is worse than before. This is a universal, invisible order of phenomena in the spiritual world. If only the eyes of our mind would open, we would see a world-wide battle of spirits with souls: first one side, then the other side overcomes, depending upon whether the soul communicates with the Lord through faith, repentance and zeal for good deeds, or falls back from Him through carelessness, lack of concern and coolness toward good.