Demoniacs

Last updated on: July 5, 2020 at 3:11 am by Henry Karlson

Demoniacs 2020-07-05T03:11:42-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Walters Art Museum Illuminated Manuscripts: Jesus Exorcising the demoniacs /flickr

When Jesus encountered two demoniacs, they recognized Jesus and asked him what he was going to do with them:

And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (Matt. 8:28-29 RSV).

As James indicates (cf. Jas. 2:19), knowledge and belief in God, and therefore knowledge and belief in who Jesus is, is not enough to be saved. One can have demonic knowledge about Christ, knowledge which does not let to the Christian form of life. It is one thing to believe in some element of the truth. It is another to live it out. Belief, in and of itself, is not faith. Faith requires us to put our belief and knowledge into action. To live it out. That is, we can believe many things are true without properly following the ramifications of those truths in our lives. We can know and believe it is illegal to drink and drive, but we might do it anyway; we are not faithful to the law when we do so, and indeed, knowing the law and disobeying it shows how unfaithful we are to it. Faith is demonstrated by fidelity. If we believe in Jesus, we should not perish, but we can if we do not take that belief and put it into action, that is, if we do not follow Jesus and what he expects us to do. Infidelity is impossible without knowledge, for how can one be unfaithful to what one does not know?

In this light, it is possible that we have many kinds of demoniacs side by side with us, people who openly proclaim Jesus and who he is while having nothing to do with him. They speak the truth, but they do not follow the faith. They do not know true love, neither in the form of love which God has for them, nor for the love which they should have for God (and for others out of and in that love for God). If they have anything which can be said to be love, it is a love for themselves. They their ego, which then takes possession of them, and it is that which can be said to be demonic, as it cuts them off from God.

St. John Chrysostom, understanding this, explained that there are many around us, indeed, many who go to churches with us, proclaiming the truth with us, who can be said to be demoniacs, held back from true faith by evil spirits:

For so when any man is dissolute, eager after all embraces, he differs not at all from the demoniac, but goes about naked like him, clad indeed in garments, but deprived of the true covering, and stripped of his proper glory; cutting himself not with stones, but with sins more hurtful than many stones. Who then shall be able to bind such a one? Who, to stay his unseemliness and frenzy, his way of never coming to himself, but forever haunting the tombs? [1]

Among those he mentions as being possessed by such evil spirits are the “covetous”:

And what of the covetous man? Is he not like this? For who will be able ever to bind him? Are there not fears and daily threats, and admonitions, and counsels? Nay, all these bonds he bursts asunder; and if any one come to set him free, he adjures him that he may not be freed, accounting it the greatest torture not to be in torture: than which what can be more wretched? For as to that evil spirit, even though he despised men, yet he yielded to the command of Christ, and quickly sprang out of the man’s body; but this man yields not even to His commandment. See at least how he daily hears Him saying, “You cannot serve God and mammon,” and threatening hell, and the incurable torments, and obeys not: not that He is stronger than Christ, but because against our will Christ corrects us not.[2]

Just because we take on the name of Christian, just because we have been baptized and chrismated, just because we profess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, does not mean we follow him with the faith and love which we should have. If we do not, then we cut ourselves off from Christ and become possessed, as it were, with evil spirits which encourage us in many ways to reject the law of love. Covetousness leads us to become possessed by the money which we wish to possess. Insofar as we do not reject this spirit, we find ourselves far from Christ. But, it is clear, Jesus can save us, he can help us, if only we will him to do so; no one is purely evil, no one is so possessed by evil that they cannot wish for and receive the grace of God to help them fight that evil and have it expelled from their lives.

The greatness of the faith, the greatness of Christ, is the greatness of love; the possessed turn away from such love, while the faithful will turn to it, let it touch them and transform them, so that they can be set free in Christ. But once they are set free, they must truly turn to Christ, turn to his love, and follow it with their deeds, leaving no room for other evil spirits to come in and take the place of what was cast out (cf. Matt. 12:43-45). They must truly look to God in love, and with that love, look to the world and desire God’s love to be shared with all so that all could be saved. In this way, we should follow the example of Paul as he looked to his people with such hope: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved” (Rom. 10:1 RSV). He, who once held to a demonic hatred against Christ, had that demonic spirit cast out; once it was out of him, he replaced it with the love of God. Paul, though he could be fiery in spirit, nonetheless consisted acted out of that love, showing time and time again how he had love for all. Thus, as Paul tells us, true righteousness is not found in mere belief, nor with mere scholarly knowledge, but “belief in the heart.” That is, their being is centered upon Christ, allowing them to faithfully profess their faith, not just with their lips with some demonic recognition of Christ, but with their deeds, so the way of Christ directs the whole of their life:

Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by it. But the righteousness based on faith says, Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ down) or “Who will descend into the abyss?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved (Rom. 10:5-10 RSV).

Jesus, and with Jesus, the love of God, is near all of us. We do not make him come to us. He is already there. We can recognize him, like the demoniacs, and not live out our lives with the fidelity and love which Jesus desires from us. But we can also turn to him, let him exorcise from us all that is not one with the love of God, and be set free. We can be saved. We can all be saved, because Jesus took on the sin of the world and cast it away; if we detach ourselves from it, if we do not let ourselves be possessed by it, we shall find it cast aside from us and sharing in the divine life which Jesus desires us to experience.

[1] St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew in NPNF1(10): 193.

[2] St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, 193.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

Previous Post

July 2, 2020

Recent Events And The Declaration Of Independence

Next Post

July 7, 2020 Ways To Experience The Presence Of Jesus

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz