Demons In The Bible & My Mental Health
Listen to podcast episode here.
As I sat down to write this blog post, I found myself wanting to skip it. I just went on a fun vacation with a friend, couldn’t I just write about that? Surely it’d be more fun to write about a vacation or shopping than to write about demonic oppression? Still though, I have a rule that once a topic is put on my list, it must be explored. I simply couldn’t skip this topic for another month. So, I set out to do some research and quickly found the following verse in 1 Timothy 4:16, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” So, here I am being obedient and sharing how learning about demons in the bible has helped improve my overall mental health.
First, I am no theologian. I am just a woman who has struggled with anxiety and depression for most of my life. As with any form of healing, I go through highs and lows. There are times where I feel like I am winning my mental health battles and there are times I feel utterly crushed by them. Full transparency, I am somewhere in between right now. I am blessed to have a Christian counselor who has trained me to lean more on God’s word for healing than medication. That’s not to say I don’t take medication ever, it’s just not the first thing I turn to in times of need anymore. I try to turn to my bible first and in doing that over the past several years I have become very interested in any mentions of demons.
I am also blessed to attend a church that teaches that demons are real. We don’t have our heads in the sand about that. I think thats a really good place to start here today: we have to acknowledge that demons and/or evil spirits are very real. That isn’t a fact to be scared of or shy away from. There is plenty of evidence in the bible about both the existence of demons and that Jesus has the ultimate power over demons. We see both Jesus and his disciples cast out demons more than one time. That tells us that through him, we too have ultimate power over demons! In Mark 16:17 it says, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons.”
Another important thing I have learned is that there is a difference between full on demonic possession (also totally real) and oppression. One completely consumes you, while the other is just taking up space in your head. At my lowest, most unhealthy place, I am still able to thank God that I am just oppressed and not possessed. Only God has full possession of me. I have not yet experienced, nor will I ever experience, an episode so bad that he won’t stick with me through it. So long as he has even a sliver of dedicated space in my head, I know that he can help me fight for the rest of my brain back. My mental health oppression does not and will not define me. God has already defined me and he says in Isaiah 43:2, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze.”
The main thing I have come to realize is that many of our current day mental health struggles are anything but new for humans. Sure, the bible doesn’t flat out say “manic depression” or “bipolar disorder,” but that is just because the science of naming every ailment didn’t exist yet. It’s my belief that many times when the bible is referring to a demon or a deceitful spirit, it is fact referring to some sort of mental health issue. Just because those diagnoses aren’t mentioned specifically in the bible doesn’t mean that the bible can’t be used to help us fight them. It doesn’t have to be the push and pull of scripture vs science that some lead us to believe exists. I believe that God gave us both scripture and science to help us defeat the enemy. Take a moment and just consider how lucky are we to be alive in a time when we do know better, when we do have names for all the specific types of emotional issues we carry! We should be using everything we know now to help us in the battle against Satan. In John 10:10 it says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the fullest.” Do not ignore the weapons that God has given you to fight your demons. Use every weapon in your arsenal and fight for the abundant life that has been laid out for you!
That is my prayer for you today, this year, and always.
God bless.
XO - Olivia
