ANOTHER WEAPON AGAINST THE DEVIL: EXORCISM

ANOTHER WEAPON AGAINST THE DEVIL: EXORCISM

by Archimandrite Vasilios Bakoyiannis

What a Tibetan Occultist Saw

In 1970, an occultist from Tibet visited Athens, Greece. As he was walking along the street, he saw, by divine dispensation, demons who had attached themselves to people. There was a demon on the neck of one person, another demon on a person’s nose, another on the mouth and so on. But the occultist also saw something that really troubled him, namely, that the demons were unable to attach themselves to priests. They would move all around them, circling them to find an opening, but they were unable to do so. “Who are these people with beards and black clothing?” the occultist asked a passerby. “They are the priests of our Church, etc.” explained the other. “And if you want to see a lot of them, and good ones at that, go to the Holy Mountain.” (MT Athos)

He went to the Holy Mountain, where the monks directed him to Father Paisios (+1994). As a result of this visit with Paisios, the occultist became intensely aware of the Orthodox understanding of life and he repented of his evil ways. He was baptized. He became a Christian and took the name Theodore. Why couldn’t the devil attach himself to priests? Because they belong to Christ’s priesthood and through the office of the priesthood, they perform the sacraments, which, as we shall see, cause the devil to tremble.

Three things I Fear

Our Holy Fathers (the Church Fathers) have fought the devil in hand to hand combat over the centuries. Very often they talked to him and learned his secrets. In one such discussion, the devil was forced to confess to an ascetic, “there are three things I fear: First, I fear what Christians hang around their necks (the Cross). Secondly, I fear the bath they take in Church (confession), and thirdly, I fear what they eat and drink in Church (Holy Communion).” Now note this: he feared these things so much that he wouldn’t even refer to them directly. And the devil further said to the ascetic: “What I fear most of all is what the Christians eat and drink in Church, provided, of course, they do so with a clear conscience.” We are like fire-breathing lions to the demons when we take Holy Communion (says St. John Chrysostom). “We become like fire breathing lions after visiting the communion table, having become fearful adversaries to the demons.

A MESSAGE

“Three things I fear,” said the devil. Yet these three things are all part of Christianity. It is as if the devil were saying that of all faiths (Buddhism, Islam, etc.) he fears only Christianity, because Christians alone have the appropriate weapons to fight him. This means the following: Only through Christianity is the devil bound hand and foot. In the other religions he has a free range of action. “For all the gods of the heavens are devils, but the Lord made the heavens” (Ps. 95:5). And, “they sacrificed to demons, not to God” (Dt 32:17).

EXORCISM

Another important weapon against the devil is exorcism. At baptism, according to the Holy Fathers, the devil is at the center of the soul of those who have not been baptized. Through exorcism, he is expelled from the heart and the person is set free. “Depart from him/her, every evil and unclean spirit hidden and lurking in the heart.” So exorcism is a dreadful experience for the devil. He is challenged to depart from his victim. And like it or not, he departs. Since the exorcism prayers at baptism are so specifically aimed at our salvation, St. Symeon of Thessaloniki advises that they be said very clearly and not just once otherwise the devil will find a way to trouble the Christian. In the early Christian Church, the reading of the prayers of exorcism was a separate and impressive ritual.

There are special priests who read the prayers, they are exorcists. The prayers were read many times: “Absorb yourselves in the prayers of exorcism,” St. Cyril of Jerusalem urged those being prepared for baptism. The catechumens covered their eyes and faces, so as not to have their attention distracted (as happens today at the ordination of a deacon, who covers his head and face with a towel.”)

For Curses and the Possessed

Our Church uses St. Basil the Greats’ and St. John Chrysostom’s prayers of exorcism which are read over all those who are either possessed or under a curse. The late Father Porphyrios, who knew much about demons, used to say about the prayers of exorcism: They were not to be read unless there was a serious, specific reason. They were to be read silently (without those present being able to hear). He berates self-appointed exorcists and those who read the prayers aloud in public. When the prayers of exorcism are not read the way they should be, then the devil assails the victim, the priest and those present.

Satan Infuriated

When the prayers of exorcism are read over someone who is not yet baptized, Satan becomes infuriated. Something similar occurs when they are read over someone who is possessed. The devil, which is bombarded by these prayers, is challenged to depart from his victim. He is called upon to do something that he detests. And he becomes very angry.

The Victim

The furious devil takes it out on his victim. He tortures him horribly. He contorts him and makes him writhe.

The Priest/Exorcist

In December, 1996, a lady went to a Church in the city of Patras, Greece and asked the priest (who later told us the story) to read the prayers of exorcism of St. Basil the Great. The priest accepted the request and proceeded to say the prayers. After this, as the priest was making his way back home, stones began flying around him. He looked back but could see no one. Then later, at midnight, something terrible happened. The priest’s house began to shake. The plates and the glasses in the kitchen sink were hurled against the wall and smashed. The cupboards in the house crashed to the floor. The priest quickly put on his stole, read the prayers which begin with Holy God.. And the satanic attacks stopped. It is quite clear here that the demons were infuriated by the prayers of exorcism and attacked the priest for reading them.

Onlookers

At the time of St. John Chrysostom, possessed people would be brought to the Divine Liturgy. Some Christians who were present at one such service were not paying attention and were chatting amongst themselves. St. John, who was an expert on the ways of the devil, addressed his flock as follows: “Aren’t you worried about yourselves now that you not paying attention, in case one of these demons leaps out and finds your soul vacant, like a house without a door, and just walks in? Even if you do not care about your possessed fellow Christians, take pity on yourselves. Close the door of your souls against the evil demons.” So, when you attend an exorcism without paying due attention, you could become possessed yourself.

Humility

The experiences of our Holy Fathers teach us that what draws demons out of people is humility. There was a father who had a daughter who was possessed. He took her to a hermit to have her restored to health. As soon as the possessed girl saw the hermit, she slapped his face. Not only did he not react to this but, in accordance with the Lord’s commandment, he offered her his other cheek as well. This response of his (humility) was a blow to the demon. At once it began to cry: “I’m being driven out by the Lord’s commandment.” The possessed girl was made well again. Thereafter, the elders glorified God and said: “Nothing annihilates the pride of the devil as much as humility.”

A possessed person went to an Elder to be cured. Because the Elder considered himself unworthy, he refused. At the insistence of the relatives of the sick man, however, he relented and said: “Get out of God’s creature.” “I’m going” said the demon, “but tell me, who are the sheep and who are the goats?” “I’m the goats,” said the Elder. “As for the sheep, God knows them.” “Your humility is driving me out” wailed the possessed person, and he was then cured. When they took the possessed person to Anthony the Great of Egypt, he like the great saint that he is, considered himself unworthy of driving out demons. So he sent the possessed person to his disciple Abba Paul the Simple. As the disciple was exorcising the demon, it departed from the victim crying, “Anthony the Greats’ humility is driving me out.”