On Lay Exorcisms

Dear Brother, 

Firstly, if at all possible, I would recommend finding a priest you can work with to bless a home or exorcise an area from evil influences. Doing an exorcism requires even more caution. There is huge protection in both the orders and also in a local Hierarchy. Before I was ordained, I wasn’t afraid of spiritual confrontations, but I created problems for myself in seeking out and confronting things that were “beyond my pay grade.” I had several experiences with evil spiritual entities that both scared me and also almost caused me bodily harm, were it not for the intercession and intervening of my Guardian Angel. 

One of our younger priest allowed a possession case to create problems for him personally and is still dealing with it psychologically and spiritually. He did this because he listened to the evil spirit, allowing it to predict the future. These entities have been around since the beginning of creation, are intellectual, and they can read us very easily, picking out our sins and weaknesses. If you allow them to speak, they will manipulate you. Sometimes they act as if you are powerful and they are afraid of you. Sometimes they tell you little "facts" that are meant to get under your skin or misdirect you. All such communications are curses. I always shudder when I hear Charismatic Christians tell others what devils told them, making decisions based on this information or proclaiming that a certain "Principality" or "Power" has jurisdiction over an area because a demon said so. They are literally allowing devils to control and inform them, which is the same as black magic. Again, many Christians create huge problems for themselves by trying to dialogue with evil spirits, commanding them to speak, or expecting them to confess. They are liars and cannot speak the truth. They cannot confess Christ as Lord or has come in the flesh. But they will spew lies and curses, and they will try to make you afraid. They often predict bad things in your life that they will then try to fulfill, leaving you with a feeling of defeat and dread. Like I said, this has happened to several of our priests and I am very cautious about it now. 

Secondly, I would recommend you find an older man, well grounded in the sacraments, who is known for holiness of life, preferably someone who had a ministry of exorcism under his Bishop, or is a Bishop. Demons attach themselves to our psychic weaknesses, unconfessed sins, or deep-seated struggles. You can be confessed up, but have a problem with your father or mother, and they will insert themselves into that problem. Also, they use our pride and self-confidence against us, and this leads to prelest, which is spiritual deception, leading us to think that we are spiritually better off than we truly are. We are not stronger than evil spirits, but we belong to Christ, who is infinitely stronger than they are. The only power we have, therefore, is to obey Christ and to plead His blood. 

Thirdly, sacramentals, like the Cross, Blessed Salt, Holy Water, and the St. Benedict Medal, do help with deterring evil spirits and help to incarnate and make present our Faith, when used by a Baptized Christian in good sacramental standing in the Church. However, if someone has voluntarily given themselves or their home to Satan, these things will not be enough to get rid of demonic influence. They may just serve to "rile up" the spiritual forces that you are feeling. Demons must be given jurisdiction, either through sin and deception, or through intentionally calling on them or sacrificing to them. They can attach themselves to families for many generations, and thus exert the properties of a "curse" on a family. Just as in the exorcism of an individual, the exorcism of houses or of family trees must occur in confession of the initial sin, repentance, submitting to God, and asking for His power to eradicate the influence of the evil spirits. This means that spiritual freedom will not be gained until the individual or family renounce the devil, his works, and all of his power, and submit themselves to God in repentance and faith. All an exorcist can do is "sweep the house clean." If there is no repentance and faith, just as our Lord says so clearly in Matthew 12 and Luke 11, the demons just come back again with other evil spirits more malevolent than themselves.

Fourthly, none of us are strong enough to accomplish this work of Christ on our own. Fasting and prayer help us to center our attention on this fact. We do it within community, in submission to our spiritual fathers, under the proper authority of the Bishop. We must never listen to the Evil One or seek secret knowledge of the darkness. This is why we must audibly command all evil, in the Name of Christ, and through His Cross, and the Power of His Blood, to be silent, not speak, and to submit to the power of the Holy Trinity. Many of my people have recounted how they were afraid in a spiritual encounter and just said the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Have Mercy Upon Me a Sinner") until the evil left them. Even if evil spirits disobey us, we must not listen. It is a very aggressive thing, and requires us to be completely set on overcoming, silencing, and not giving any ground to the devil - not even a tiny inch. It is better to die than lose our connection with Christ. We cannot be afraid. "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound mind." (2 Tim 1:7) Fear is the main weapon of the enemy. Because we normally do not have this resolution of will, clarity from any known sin, and freedom from fear, I recommend that you defer to an older priests who have both experience and the inner spiritual life to actively resist these encroachments and attacks.

Lastly, if you must confront an evil spirit, pray in faith and the Name of the Holy Trinity, and do not listen to anything that the spirit says or let them have their way. Keep praying always. Resist in every way, even to death. They are liars and curse those who will listen or submit to them. Keep saying the Name of Christ, pleading His Blood, and turning your heart towards Christ the whole time. If you have unconfessed sin, confess them to Christ as you are resisting evil. Satan hates confession and has no power over us when we lay ourselves out before God as a living sacrifice and plead His mercy, love and power. This is the greatest power we can ever reflect, because in Christ's light we find life and refuge from all evil.

May God bless you and protect you!

In the Name of the Holy Trinity, 

Bp. Joseph Boyd 

(Ancient Church of the West)