Devils and Such

C.S. Lewis is my favorite superhero. I have had a secret crush for ages, and it just gets re-upped every few years. Lately it is because my daughter has been obsessed with the Chronicles of Narnia. 

I also love him because he finds unique ways of talking about things. For example, The Great Divorce—have you read it? It is an interesting parable/dream about heaven and hell.

I also love that Lewis found a way to talk about devils that is light hearted, and not full of doom and gloom. I am of course talking about The Screwtape Letters, which is a compilation of letters from one superior devil (Screwtape) to a youngish devil in training (Wormwood). They are brilliant and funny, yet you get the point of all the ways devils are working to lead you carefully down to hell. I wish I had read it years ago, and I believe it worth re-reading every year. 

 

Perhaps if I had, God wouldn’t have sent me to an unexpected crash course of Defense Against the Dark Arts. That is not just a class for good witches and wizards at Hogwarts, but apparently it is something that all Christians should know about, seeing as how it is one of the signs that follow those that believe.

“And ^athese signs shall follow them that believe—in my name shall they cast out ^bdevils; they shall speak with new tongues….they shall lay ^chands on the sick and they shall recover” (Mormon 9:24)

But do people really have devils and unclean spirits any more? And if so, why don’t we hear about it more?

The fact is, people do still have them, and it is talked about—maybe not they way I am about to talk about it, but it is mentioned all the time by prophets and apostles and in the scriptures everywhere, but we have been lulled away into a state of not noticing. Maybe now you will be paying attention. Joseph thought it is important, and in fact, he spent more time preaching the discerning of spirits than anything else.

Therefore, that we should waste and ^awear out our lives in bringing to light all the ^bhidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven— These should then be attended to with great ^aearnestness. Let no man count them as small things; for there is much which lieth in futurity, pertaining to the saints, which depends upon these things.  (D&C 123:13-15)

Why don’t we take this stuff seriously? Because most of us have our own devil or two who are deceiving us into thinking that there are not such things or that we are too righteous to have that sort of problem.

Because I have been getting so many questions about this recently, I decided to do what Joseph Smith implored and bring some things to the light of my blog. So, I present to you some pertinent things that I have learned about darkness. I have learned this through various sources and experiences—my own, my loved ones, my clients, etc. I am not attempting to prove any of this, although I will site sources if I have them readily available. The important thing is for you to ponder and pray about all of it, especially if it is new to you.

I present it in bullet list form for efficiency and because I have not the wit of C.S. in these matters.

• Possession, so called, is not often like you see it the Hollywood version. We learn from the scriptures that possession by can happen to everyone, including the apostles. In the Gospels you see that Christ reprimanded two of his apostles when they asked him if they could punish someone by calling down fire on them. "But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." (Like 9:55)
• Understanding works of darkness is important so that we can help ourselves and others and remain in possession of our free agency, to act and not be acted upon.
• Many people are taught that darkness/devils can’t get in their bodies unless they invite it in. This is true. However, do you realize that this invitation is offered in many ways every day? You invite in dark spirits every time you sin against the light you have—when you break the commandments or the covenants you have made, when you get stirred up to anger or pride or you let yourself be swayed by fear. All of these choices remove or weaken the armor of God, or shield that would keep them out.
• Dark spirits are of several different kinds: Devils, Demons, and Unclean Spirits
• Devils are the fallen. The 1/3 of the host of heaven who rebelled and will never have bodies.
• Demons are created by Satan and usually have a limited purpose or function. They can take on any shape or size.
• Earth Bound Spirits are the spirits of people who have died. They have not left the earth for some reason. Sometimes it is because they are stuck and don’t know how to get out—other times it is because they chose not to go because of their addictions—they are the type called Unclean Spirits. They choose to stay and try fulfill their addictions through the bodies of people on earth. Addictions as varied as alcohol, pornography, sugar, adrenaline, contention, lying, being a victim, etc. This is well documented in the scripture and in thousands of near-death experience literature.
• These spirits can enter our bodies through a weakness in our natural shield. It is at the top of the head—yogis call this the crown chakra or Tenth Gate.
• Your natural shield is made up of your aura (most people know this as a kind of energy field around them) and your arcline (which is the halo that goes from ear to ear in a circle-- often depicted on saints in renaissance and other art.) This shield is weakened in various ways: The most obvious is drugs, alcohol, and other addictions and behavior that are contrary to the commandments of God.
  
• A person’s arcline can also become weak or exposed from abuse, trauma, and mental illness, and even from too much empathy.
• People with mental illness are especially vulnerable to “walk-ins” as I like to call them. Sometimes casting out these dark passengers alone will cure a mental illness, however, not always. There is usually additional healing that needs to take place, but if the devils come out, that healing is much faster! In more than 2/3 of the healings Christ did during his ministry, he cast out a devil first, and then healed. If a person has a mental illness, casting out all darkness regularly makes healing/management of the illness a lot easier. However, this is sometimes an ongoing battle unless you heal the beliefs and issues that keep inviting it in.
• People in the helping or mental health field should educate themselves about this. If that is you, I recommend searching for the article by Ronald L. Poulton, “Understanding Spiritual Evil in the Context of Psychotherapy.”
• These dark passengers know what they are doing. Their job is to cause pain and dis-ease and chaos in your life and in your body. Or they just feed their addictions and drain your energy.  In a talk at Jedediah Grant’s funeral, Brigham Young said this:

  “You never felt a pain and ache, or felt disagreeable, or uncomfortable in your bodies and minds, but what an evil spirit was present causing it. Do you realize that the ague, the fever, the chills, the sever pain in the head, the pleurisy, or any pain in the system, from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, is put there by the devil? You do not realize this, do you? …the spirits that afflict us and plant disease in our bodies, pain in the system, and finally death, have control over us so far as the flesh is concerned.” (Journal of Discourses 4:133)

• Here is an example of this from the scriptures: "So went Satan from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown." (Job 2:7)
• Satan can cause illness and death, but only with permission from God. (Encyclopedia of Mormonism: “Devils” by Chauncey C. Riddle, 380, 381). Therefore, “it is an unhallowed principle to say that such and such have transgressed because they haven preyed upon by disease and death, for all flesh is subject to death; and the Savior has said, ‘Judge not lest ye be judged.” (Joseph Smith in HC 4:11.)
• Often times when God permits this sickness and death it is to further someone’s spiritual growth, and I believe they have agreed to it all beforehand. However, they agreed to it because they knew it would help them grow much faster then without it. If you are struggling with dis-ease of some kind, the best way to meet these challenges is to seek personal revelation about how to use it for growth, and praise God. If we get angry about disease and death, we often don't grow. Yet when we praise God, things have a way of working out.
• Sometimes Demons will come and give a big show and try to choke someone in the middle of the night or hold them down. I think most everyone has had an experience like this. This is to create fear and terror and while terrifying, is also somewhat theatrical in my opinion. It has the added bonus of convincing people that this is how evil will always appear, and if this is not happening, you must be in the clear. In truth, their presence is often much more crafty and subtle. They don’t want you to know they are there, because then you might get rid of them. They will stay in you as long as they possibly can.
• As far as I know they can jump from person to person if the other person has an opening and they are cast out. Unclean spirits will sometimes transfer owners, however, from what I can tell, devils will stay and not leave until forced.
• Many people have dark passengers unawares for years and don’t even know it. I have know people to hold important community and church callings, who inspire and serve others, all while having a dark spirit along for the ride.
• Because of the unexpected schooling I got in defense against the dark arts, I can now discern them very quickly. Nearly everyone has one. Some people have many. And yet they are often still good people. But I see how the devils influence them. Most often they will stir people up to anger, interfere with their forming or keeping healthy relationships, and interfere as much as possible in their ability to/desire to have children. Sometimes they stir women up into angry feminists—nothing against feminism, where it does good. I'm not sure if there are female devils. Some sources say no, that only males were among the 1/3. But if there were, they'd be pretty mad about the creation of life.
• These spirits also have other tools they use on us and in us… fiery darts, chains, flaxen cords, spiritual shunts, curses, etc. They aren’t metaphors; they are energetic weapons that get lodged in your energy field. Energy healers see/deal with these all the time. I was shocked the first time I found one. It was an energetic knife in my uterus, and it caused a miscarriage, as well as other pain. It is good to learn how to discern these too and learn how to cast them out so they don’t drain your energy either.
• These dark spirits can cause or exaggerate our propensity for addictions.
• They can cause us to do things we would never otherwise imagine doing.
• If you are confused about gender—you could have an unclean of the opposite gender attached to you. I see it all the time. Or rather, I discern it.
• There are several ways to get rid of these spirits and all their garbage. But the best and fastest and easiest way is to use the name of Christ. Anyone with the intention can do it by using the name of Christ and command them to go. i.e. “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command all devils, demons, and earthbound spirits of any kind to go back to where they came from/far from here/etc” If you do this, they must go. It is a law.  However, if you haven’t already changed  or repented of the behavior that allowed them, if in fact, this was what invited them in, then they are lightly to come right back. If you are working on repenting or healing, whatever the case may be, keep doing this regularly till you have a strong natural shield again. 
  
• You do not have to have the priesthood to command devils to go. Orson Pratt said: “In my name shall they cast out devils, … they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover… It seems that the gifts her named are general gifts, intended more or less for the whole Church; not only for those in the Priesthood, but for those out of the Priesthood, for males and for females.” (Journal of Discourses, 16:289)

• I have heard people say that you must have the priesthood to command certain types to go, but I don’t know if that is doctrinally sound. If there is priesthood handy, then please invite them to use it. However, if they are not handy or won’t help for whatever reason, all women who have been endowed have the power of the priesthood “upon them” and their posterity. So if there is no one around to do it or willing to do it, I say follow Joseph Smith’s advice and let it roll on.

“No matter who believeth, these signs, such as healing the sick, casting out devils, etc., should follow all that believe, whether male or female… If the sisters should have faith to heal the sick, let all hold their tongues, and let everything roll on.” – Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith 

• You do not have to be “worthy” to command them to go. You must only believe and use the name of Christ. It is a law. However, if you are knowingly not keeping God’s commandments, or have something unresolved from the past, in order to get lasting relief, you should take a self inventory and bring yourself into integrity with the light you have been given.   
• If you can’t get rid of darkness in the manner described above, you may have to use fasting and prayers. As Christ taught, some devils only come out through prayer and fasting.

And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and ^afasting. Mark 9: 28-29

• In general, you can’t cast out a devil for anyone else without their permission, because it usually through their agency that they let it in. However there are lot of exceptions to this. Including: If it is your own child under eight, if the person is unconscious or too ill or not in their right mind to do it themselves. In this case, the faith of friends is required. Pray about this and how to go about it if you feel you need to.

“If in case of healing and casting out devils, etc., it happens that the receiver has no command of his own mind, as in cases of persons swooned, fainted, deranged or dead, then the faith of the administrator alone, or in connection with other friends and agents, in his behalf, is sufficient to do the work.” – Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, 110 see Lectures on Faith 1:18, 24

• Devils can be cast out for others at a distance. (See Mark 7:25-29)
• As mentioned above, children can have devils, demons, etc. And in fact Christ casts out several devils from children and or adults who had them since they were children.

“ And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came into him? And he said, Of a child. And oft times it has cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”  (Mark 9: 21-29)

The Strong Concordance shows that the word translated as child in that verse is a word that also means infant.

• I know, I know, in the LDS church we believe a child is innocent till age eight. So how can this be? It is true children are considered innocent. But not factually innocent. We actually believe that they are not “held accountable” for their sins till age eight. A 7-year old is not factually innocent if they commit murder, but in God’s eyes, they are not held accountable—the parents are. So yes children get possessed all the time and it’s largely because of what their parents do/how they treat them—that is why it is so important to raise our children in light and truth. [quote from Parley]
• If a pregnant woman has a dark spirit(s) enter her body, or already in her body at time of conception, the spirits may go into the womb and, at best, scare her baby and at worst, go into the baby’s body. (I know it is terribly unfair, but I have several professional experiences with this. Parent’s choices affect the child before they are even born.) This influence on the baby can make labor difficult. Baby may not want to come our or will do so fighting and inflicting pain. You can read stories from people who remember being in the womb at www.theyremember.org
• As I mentioned each person has two energetic bodies that are a natural shield—the aura and the arcline. I also mentioned some ways it can get holes. There are other ways too—for example, beings stirred up to anger, pride or fear. To be clear, I don’t believe feeling angry is a sin—not the first little signs of anger—they are just emotions that are a wake up call to the fact that something is wrong. That’s when we ask ourselves what it is. What it really is. If we let it get out of control, however, that’s when our shield goes down and we become susceptible to fallen and wayward spirits.
• These spirits know how to push our buttons to stir us up to anger. They will sometimes stir our kids or family members up in the way they know pushes our buttons. They get both or all of us. They like to work on mothers because they set the tone for the house. They like to work on fathers because how they treat mothers affects that… and on and on. It is not pleasant to get caught in this cycle, but if you can step back and see it for what it is, it’s really kind of funny. I now recognize when they are trying to “hook” me and I laugh at them. Don’t get hooked in. If you do. Re-turn immediately to God.
• The best shield is living the gospel exactly, and being like Christ. There are many conference talks on this. Here is one: The Great Imitator by James E Faust. He specifically mentions sheilding. Here is an awesome one by Elder Holland that mentions unclean spirits: Safety For the Soul.
• This scripture about putting on the armor of God, which appears in both Ephesians and the Doctrine and Covenants is one that we often don’t think of as literal—but it is. We need that armor and shield.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Eph 6:11-18 

• Pray for the gift of discernment. It is like the iron rod. Here are two quotes on this:

We can develop the ability to discern what spirit is influencing others and ourselves. We should seek and pray for this gift lest we deceived. The gift of discernment is like the iron rod; it will keep us on the path toward the tree of life, which means eternal life. This gift is of significant value in determining personal direction administering in God’s service.” – Elder Robert D. Hales “Gifts of the Spirit” speeches.byu.edu

“The gift of discerning of spirits not only gives men and women who have it the power to discern the spirit which  with which other may be possessed or influenced, but it give them the power to discern the spirit which influences themselves. They are able to detect a false spirit and also to know when the Spirit of God reigns within them… Possessing and exercising this gift they will not allow any evil influence to enter into their hearts… They will repel it: and if perchance such a spirit should get possession of the, as soon as they witness its effects they will expel it or, in other words, refuse to be led or prompted by it.” Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q Cannon 1:198-99

• You can also ask Christ to shield you, especially if you are having possession problems not from unrighteousness but from trauma and abuse or too much compassion. You can create a shield; or rather co-create it with Christ. After you cast everything dark out, every morning say your prayers and ask Him to shield you. Imagine this shield. If you create it in your mind in the name of Jesus Christ it will become real, even though you cannot see it. You can also ask to shield your family, with their permission and your house all the way to the property line. Then read the scriptures often and meditate.  
• There is a wonderful Kundalini Yoga Meditation for rebuilding the arcline that is only 11 minutes/day. People see amazing results with it after just a few weeks. It will not only keep out the unwanted, but will cure panic attacks and many other anxiety related disorders. I will post a video on this soon. If you know nothing about Kundalini Yoga, I suggest you learn. My introductory e-book Kundalini Yoga Meditation Explained For Mormons is free for newsletter subscribers. You can subscribe here, or buy it for 99 cents on Amazon Kindle.  

If this is the first time you have heard anything like this you may be a bit skeptical, shocked, and maybe unsure. However, now that you are aware you’ll find your second witnesses out there if you listen. If you think I’m crazy, you are probably being deceived by the darkness that is in you. There is no one more adamant about their non-existence than the devils themselves.

But after sharing all the above I have to end with the most important thing:

 “We cannot fill ourselves with light by concentrating on removing darkness, any more than we can fill a container by concentrating on its emptiness. We only fill our vessels by brining light into us to replace the darkness.” (B. Grant Bishop, The LDS Gospel of Light, 140)

Or in C.S. Lewis’s brilliant words:

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence, and the other is to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”

So don’t be afraid—they feed on fear. And focus instead on adding light and changing the belief systems and healing the trauma that keeps letting them in. The best way to do this is through reading the scriptures and prayer and temple work and MEDITATION. Did I just capitalize that? Yes I did. Meditation increases our vibration so that we are more like Christ. Everything is vibrating, but at what frequency? Anything that increases that frequency is going to fill you with light and joy.

If you think talking about vibration is new age language, check out this quote from President David O. McKay, prophet from the 50’s and huge champion of meditation:

“Prayer is the pulsation of a yearning, loving heart in tune with the Infinite. It is a message of the soul sent directly to a loving Father. The language is not mere words but spirit vibrations.” (Treasures of Life, 308)

Here are some other things that you can do to increase your vibration and add light, in addition to all mentioned above (temple, prayer, scriptures, armor of god, meditation etc.):

• A kind and gentle sense of humor. The devil does not have a sense of humor. But God does. And so does Aslan, if you have read the Chronicles of Narnia.
• Plants and the gifts they give us, such as essential oils and flower essences. Essential oils vibrate so high that the devils can’t bear to be around them. They can be a shield. Frankincense is one of the highest vibrations out there. Why do you think it was mentioned so often in the Bible and was such a precious gift given to Jesus? 
  
• Certain gems and crystals and rocks also emit a high vibration. They are also pretty.
  
• Enjoying other lovely things, like birds and nature, and light.
  
• Loving pets. Most pets give love unconditionally.
• Some Music - Mantras, hymns, happy songs. You will know by how you feel.
• Gratitude.
• Love. 
  
• Forgiveness! The Atonement.
• Praise. Praising God for everything even awful things, is the highest vibration you can have. Darkness will flee from you when you praise God. Did I mention that all mantras are a form of praising God? There seems to be a theme here. Meditation! Scriptures! Prayer!

  

  This is a picture of one of my meditation student's daughter. When the moms meditate, guess what happens to the whole family?