Month: November 2021

Most people think of exorcism as it was portrayed by Catholic priests in the movie “The Exorcist.” What that film presented has little resemblance to a successful expulsion of demon spirits. Director William Friedkin used the device of priestly intervention, a stoic, ritualistic approach without concern for knowing the legal rights of the demon or examining the spiritual strongholds in the mind of the victim. Worst of all, the demon was extracted by having the evil spirit enter one of the priests, as if the prelate were acting sacrificially with some noble, selfless act. That was not a valid exorcism.

Are any Catholic exorcisms well founded? Most Protestant think not. Perhaps we should ask the question another way. Are all Pentecostal exorcisms valid? If by valid we mean that the exorcisms are psychologically sound, therapeutically helpful, and spiritually effective then the answer would be “no” to most Catholic and Pentecostal exorcisms. I see no empirical evidence that most non-Catholic exorcisms are more effective than those attempted by Catholics. However, since Catholic exorcism is the model most people recognize the real issue that this blog addresses is this: What’s wrong with Catholic exorcism?

Consider this historical fact. There was a time before the Reformers in the14th through 16^th centuries when the Catholic Church was the only church. Only Catholics did exorcisms. In 1614 the first formalized system of exorcism was published as the Rituale Romanum. I have a 1633 hand copied edition of that volume. Without faithful priests throughout the centuries who fought demons, the ministry of exorcism might not exist. A debt of humble gratitude is owed to them by today’s deliverance ministers. 

Having said this, I do have a problem with the Catholic Church’s approach to the reality of demon possession. It’s not the ritual itself which concerns me. I quote the Rituale Romanum extensively in our International School of Exorcism. My concern is that Catholic hierarchy takes the position that demonic possession is “rare.” Not true. In one day of virtual encounters, I do an average of four to six exorcisms, sometimes more. Demonic possession is not uncommon, it is quite common. Saying that demonic possession is rare allows Satan latitude to operate without reasonable expectation of his evil presence, 

My second objection is the vetting process used by the Catholic Church. I understand the need for caution, but once a priest has been approached for help it can take months or years before anything is done. Meanwhile those with demons suffer. They cycle into despair and hopelessness waiting their turn for an exorcism. It’s true that too many self-styled, Protestant deliverance minister rush in too quickly to cast out demons without adequate analysis of the situation. Both approaches lack a reasonable, measured approach to battling demonic forces. That’s why we offer the School of Exorcism, Do What Jesus Did deliverance teams, and ministry associates who cast out demons, in addition to what I do. If demonization were truly rare there would be no need of a ministry such as we have. A small number of Catholic priests could take care of the problem. In short, Catholic exorcism is reactive, not proactive. It responds to the problem as it presents itself instead of also waging aggressive spiritual warfare by taking the battle directly to the enemy.

I am grateful for anyone who answers the call to cast out demons as Christ commanded. But be reminded that Second Timothy 2:15 admonishes, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (NKJV). The ultimate question isn’t whether the deliverance Is Catholic or Protestant, but whether it is based on the Bible. True exorcism must follow the model Jesus set forth and be administered through the power of His name (Mark 16:17).

The cinematic indoctrination of a New Age worldview takes a giant leap for occult mankind with the current release of the Marvel Comics film “The Eternals.” This 26th film of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) distributed by Disney (who else) tells the story of the so-called Eternals. This immortal, never-dying race of aliens has been saving humanity for, well, eternity; hence the name The Eternals. Their enemy is also an undying race, the Deviants. But before you think this movie is a biblical allegory of good versus evil, angels versus demons, look closer. This film is a spin-off on the old idea that white witchcraft can be used to fight black magic, that good and evil are just opposite sides of the same spiritual coin. 

According to the plot, ten superheroes were sent to earth in 5000 B.C. Their goal was to vanquish the Deviants, who were last killed in 1521. Citing blasphemies and witchcraft in this movie is easy, especially the names of the Eternals. These include the demonic identities listed following. I have personally dealt with each of these mythological gods/demons. Some I’ve encountered on many occasions. You can watch me cast out many of these demons in real life on our Bob Larson Exorcism Channel.

AJAK: This demon is named after the Incan god Tecumotzin, another form of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec demon god requiring human sacrifice. Ajak sometimes fights with Thor, the Nordic demon god I’ve also faced in many exorcisms.

GILGAMESH: This is another demon I have cast out many times. The name comes from an ancient poem based on the Mesopotamian mythological hero of the same name. I can relate from experience that this demon is violent and fierce. 

SERSI: This evil spirit is openly declared to be a witch operating in mankind. She has the power of shape shifting and interchanging energy and matter in the MCU. This god/demon is also known to the Greeks as Circe, a Jezebel spirit who supposedly used incantations to turn humans into animals. 

THENA: A goddess spirit and cousin to Sersi. She is the personal representative of the idolatrous god Athena, daughter of Zeus. Her name was changed to resemble that of Athena. (She is also connected with the Roman god Minerva.)

IKARIS: This demon god is named after the legendary Icarus, who flew with mechanical, wax wings too close to the sun and died. 

MAKKARI: Roman god Mercury. He is the god of speed, divination and commerce (another name for Mammon).

PHASOS:  Also known as Hephaestus, Greek god of fire. He was married to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, a Jezebel demon.

SPRITE: One of the fairies, diminutive demons, commonly worshipped among Eastern Europeans. Another name for this evil spirit is Puck, known to the English as a mischievous, evil demon.

DRUIG and KINGO: These two alone have names not directly related to Roman or Greek mythology with overtly demonic significance. 

Other aspects of The Eternals compound the overt occultism with tales of these beings having superhuman strength, powers to manipulate energy, universal mind teachings, sexual relationships between these eternal gods/demons and humans (Nephilim attributes), mind control powers, gods attempting to murder another, and the singularity concept (dense matter, black holes). 

The Eternals is a syncretistic stew of Gnosticism, occultism, and pagan mythology. Christ is nowhere mentioned as being present in human history but is replaced by transgender ideology, coarse language, and demonic myths. A pagan priest conducts a wedding ceremony to “the gods.” Leftist ideology in sneaked in by blaming America for Hiroshima instead of the fault being attributed to the emperor worshipping, Shinto beliefs of the Japanese during World War II. Gay lovers passionately kiss, and a sex scene of partially nude hetero lovers is slipped into the plot. The collapse of the Aztec empire is blamed on the Catholic Spaniards, not the human sacrificing Aztecs who outraged even their Mesoamerican contemporaries. In this Marvel Universe there is no transcendent God, no beneficent Supreme Being, no Lord of all who sends his son to save humanity. It is the Eternals who are called up to rescue Earth from the coming apocalypse. 

There is no way that a theistic Christian who believes that Jehovah God created and interacted with humanity to bring redemption could countenance this film. If you haven’t seen it, take a wide berth. If you have, repent and cleanse your mind of the cursed content of this film. The Eternals supposedly rescued humanity. But if you watched the film for entertainment purposes, you may need deliverance to rescue you from the Eternals. 

The twelfth film of the Mike Myers “Halloween Kills” franchise was released, in time for—surprise, surprise — Halloween. Anyone in charge of marketing this gore film series would have been fired if promotions had missed the demonic date of October 31. The first “Halloween” slayer movie was originally launched in 1978. It has since spawned novels, comic books, a video game, and assorted merchandise. In the original film, Meyers is a child who kills his sister and is mentally committed. He eventually escapes, 15 years later, to kill again. Most of his murders happen on Halloween, hence the film series’ name. 

“Halloween” is part of a popular film genre designed to maximize fear in the observer. Unexpected shock is the main technique used to frighten. Sometimes horror flicks involve psychological manipulation of terror. Other horror plot devices focus on the supernatural. Paranormal horror films delve into themes involving ghosts, vampires, serial killers, cannibalism, homicidal maniacs, and demons. Whatever the technique, torture, gore, and Satanism is usually somewhere in the plot.  

The horror film industry markets to a generation of movie goers whose consciences have been seared by onscreen violence. Consequently, there is a need for ever greater stimulation of depravity. Horror films have ceased to be entertainment. Instead, they are a form of indoctrination in dystopian, apocalyptic thinking inspired by demons from the pit. Is the “Halloween” style of films which promote carnage and blood shed something Christians can watch without spiritual contamination?

Romans 12:1-2 tells us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God and not be conformed to this world’s values. We are not to be victims of merchandisers who exploit extreme dread and loathing. And what of Philippians 4:8? The horror of “Halloween” doesn’t encourage thoughts that are “pure” and “of a good report” (KJV). Before defending your Christian right to watch horror movies remember that Christ died to deliver us from acts of gratuitous evil. The real world of the 21st century is filled with enough bloodletting and inhumanity without gorging on more of it with horror films. 

Some years ago, I was working on a reality show project in Hollywood and met with a film production company. They had a division specializing in horror films. I spent an afternoon discussing our ministry and the reality of demons and exorcism. As I was leaving, one of their staff screen writers spoke with me. Here’s what he said: “I spend my entire day, every day turning out screenplays for horror films, and I was intrigued by what you said about demons. I have to admit, I immerse myself in themes of demonic stuff all day long, and yet I have no real idea where evil comes from.”

That is likely true of most in the horror film industry. They dispense moral shock and awe with only monetary consideration. But movies powerfully affect the morality of popular culture. Second Timothy 1:7 tells us that fear is an evil spirit. Immersion in horror flicks feeds this demon and potentially opens door to it. Christians need to opt-out of hardcore, gore-porn and instead live as Philippians 2:15 says (KJV), blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom we can shine as lights in a dark, demonic world.

Eight people died at the Travis Scott concert melee last Friday night in Houston. Many more were hospitalized with 300+ injured. Many in a surging crowd, egged on by Scott, were trampled, suffocated, and brutalized. One concert goer in the melee posted the scene on Instagram, saying, “It was like being in hell. Like demons were everywhere. There was no way out!” Others used the term “demons” to describe the atmosphere. Even the normally liberal USA Today national newspaper declared in a headline that it “felt like hell on earth.”

Other reports claim that individuals were injecting people with needles containing some unknown substance. Videos of the concert later confirmed that Scott saw that audience members had been hurt and that the crowd was pleading with him to stop the show. He didn’t and instead continued to perform for another hour. And its not the first-time people at a Travis Scott concert have been seriously injured. In 2017 a man was paralyzed from a fall. At this same concert, Scott was filmed encouraging another fan to drop from a 2nd story seat into the crowd below. The injured man now claims that Scott incited people in a reckless manner. He was arrested in 2017 for encouraging people to rush the stage. Scott calls his fans “ragers” and encourages them to act accordingly. If that isn’t demonic, what is? Proverbs 14:16 says, “A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages.”

Travis Scott’s partner is Kylie Jenner, of the infamous Kardashian family, one of the world’s youngest billionaires. She already has one illegitimate child by Scott and is pregnant with their second. Those who have read my book Curse Breaking know it contains an entire section devoted to examining the curse of illegitimacy, one of the most devastating curses known to humanity. Deuteronomy 23:2 declares in blunt language, “A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.” I’ve dealt with thousands of people victimized by this curse, through no fault of their own. It was the lust of their parents’ evil that cursed them. Until this curse is broken, the innocent child suffers a lifetime of rejection and feelings of alienation from the Lord. The details of Scott’s birth aren’t known, but he was raised by his grandmother until the age of six.

Travis Scott has consistently engendered a godless thug image based on moral mutiny. Those in the entertainment industry consistently describe Travis Scott’s deliberately inculcated image as being one of rebellion. The Bible in 1 Samuel 15:23 says, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” If you want a lyrical sample for proof, try this from Scott’s song “S*** On You”: “I did things that most men will ask forgiveness. Broke the code the commands from my descendants. Who gives a ****!”

Travis Schott is responsible for what happened. His careless, egomaniacal behavior drew young fans to their death. Look at the images of the Astroworld concert. There is Scott, high on a platform, almost godlike, inciting the audience. His own fans screamed for him to stop, but he went on performing while bloodied bodies gasped for air. Some breathed their last breath.

Hosea 8:7 warns, “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” Tavis Scott sowed moral insurrection to 50,000 people that night in Houston. He’ll now likely reap a whirlwind of lawsuits that even his paramour’s pocketbook might not be able to withstand. How different things would have been if Scott had used his talents to reflect biblical behavior of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance – the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV).

I will tell you up-front, there are three main ways to get rid of demons. You can (1) fast them out; you can (2) starve them out, or (3) you can cast them out. Most churches don’t address the issue of Christians having demons. I was recently watching the sermon of a pastor I respect. He’s an excellent Bible teacher with a passion for souls. He was talking about seeking ungodly wisdom and quoted from James 3:15 in the ESV: This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. This pastor emphasized the danger of operating from ungodly logic that comes from demonic forces. I knew what was coming next in his sermon. Because of his theological persuasion, he felt the need to emphasize that demons can tempt, oppress, and influence Christians, but they cannot live INSIDE a believer. I looked at my wife and grinned knowingly. Ironically, just a few minutes earlier he had bravely admitted he was physically and sexually abused as a child. I was heartbroken that this good man of God might be unknowingly harboring an evil spirit. It may not affect him now, but life is long, and Satan is patient to hide and look for opportunities. Even if this pastor were to accept the concept of having some internalized demonic presence, I doubt he’d go straight to an exorcist. He’d more likely try one of the other two ways to get rid of demons. Let me share from five decades of deliverance experience why the first two options to rid demons are seldom effective.

The pastor I’m referring to might try to fast it out. Jesus said in Matthew 17:21, “This kind does not go out except by fasting and prayer”(NKJV). Many preachers miss the point of this scripture. Jesus isn’t suggesting that fasting be a substitute for verbally commanding demons to leave. Christ is pointing out that fasting is spiritual preparation for both the deliverance minister and the one receiving deliverance. Fasting is a way to get ready to cast out demons. Yet some believe that the discipline of going without food actually makes demons go. If that were true, Christ would have said so explicitly and there would be ample evidence of this in church history. Fasting strengthens the host who has the demons and weakens the demons. Fasting facilitates the deliverance process, but it doesn’t replace it.

As another option, this pastor might try starving out demons by living holy enough. The idea is that one deprives the demon of its spiritual sustenance. The presumption is that the demon will leave on its own accord when it is soffocated by the godly living of the host. But as we teach in our School of Exorcism, “Demons don’t go until they are made to go.” Evil spirits seldom ever leave on their own no matter how closely one draws to the Lord. A pure and dedicated life will hinder the indwelling demons and lessen their options of affecting the host’s behavior. But they usually just dig in deep for the long haul, hoping the person will develop a spiritual weakness they can use. Starving a demon by godly living will make it less active and less threatening. But a caged wild beast is still a wild beast if it escapes. Better to completely get rid of the demon rather than hope it will go away of its own accord.

This is what the Bible says about getting rid of demons (NKJV):
He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons (Mark 1:34).
And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them (Mark 6:13).
But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you (Luke 11:20).
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons (Matthew 10:8) 
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons (Mark 16:17).

If you want to get rid of your demons, now not later, go through deliverance. Experience an exorcism. Fast if possible before your time of prayer against evil spirits. Certainly, live as godly as you can to narrow the areas of your life where demons can operate. But know that in most cases, these factors alone won’t usually make a demon leave. They got in by legal rights, and by removing those rights they can be forced to leave, expelled, cast out — IN the NAME OF JESUS OF NAZARETH!