Do Mentally Ill People Need to Be Delivered from Demons?

Some do, some don’t.  There were people with severe conditions in the Bible who would be called “mentally ill” today.  They would probably be diagnosed with some condition named after someone and prescribed psychoactive drugs when the real problem was a demon that was urging the person to cut himself or throw himself into the water or fire.   You can’t drug out a demon and you can’t psychoanalyze out a demon.  Some well-meaning people go too far and state that the mentally ill always need a psychiatrist.  But unless it’s a Spirit-filled one who is ready to deal with demons, some people will never get set free by going for such treatments.  Visit a mental hospital sometime (I have) and you are almost sure to encounter demonized people.

On the other hand, some mental problems are not caused by demons.  For example, a person who was in the middle of falling bombs in combat might still jump up in horror in the middle of the night if he hears any kind of loud noise.  This would fall under the category of a conditioned reflex, not demonization.

Someone else could have a chromosomal or neurological disorder that causes unusual behavior.  Trying to cast a demon out of someone who doesn’t have one is degrading and harmful.  However, ALL such people have the right to divine healing because of what Jesus did for them.  We have seen serious mental illnesses healed as well as serious physical illnesses.

As I say multiple times in this book, it is an error to assume that ALL conditions are demonic just as much as it is an error to assume that NO conditions are demonic.

Also, it is not fair to a mentally ill person to say, “Well, just get over yourself!” or “What’s wrong with you?  Stop being so negative!”  How would you like it if you got a cold and someone said to you, “What’s wrong with you?  Stop allowing that cold to exist in your body!”  There are mental illnesses as well as physical illnesses.  They are all subject to the name of Jesus, but we need to approach people with compassion and show them what Jesus offers them rather than coming across as judges who rule that the person’s illness is his own fault.  Even if someone has been disobeying the Word by dwelling on negative things rather than focusing on what is good, virtuous, praiseworthy, etc., Jesus’ message is that he can be free, not, “You’re stupid for dwelling on negative things.  Of course you’re depressed!”  That is not any nicer than saying, “Your cold is your own fault because you should have washed your hands 60 times a day at work and stayed away from other people who sneeze their germs all over the office, and besides, you should have been eating healthier food to build your immune system.”

Please read the following related discussions How Can You Tell if a Certain Condition is Demonic? and What Do You Do When You Don’t Know If Someone’s Condition Is Demonic?.