I’m not Roman Catholic, so obviously we disagree on Scripture, Scriptural authority, the nature and identity of the church, the gospel, the way of salvation, tradition, among many other things. I wish I had time to get into all of those things.
Exorcism isn’t a topic that interests me and I certainly don’t want to debate it. I wish I hadn’t even commented because I don’t want to spend time thinking about it or researching it or defending my position. I find exorcism rather sad. By and large it’s unsaved people performing rituals on other unsaved people. I am very aware demons are real, but I know I have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, so I have no need to fear such things. Yes, I know I am to guard my heart against evil, but evil cannot take me. I was bought with a price at Calvary and that nothing can snatch me away.
Everything about me changed when God saved me. For many years before I was truly saved I thought I was. I was the all-too-typical false convert. I grew up in a Christian home and I knew a lot of Bible, but I wasn’t really saved. I had made a decision for Jesus, and I was religious, but John 1:13 teaches that we are born not of our own will (our decision), or of blood (by heritage), but by the will of God. When He wills a man to live, that man comes fully alive. I am simply not the man I was when I was younger. And that wasn’t own my own strength, it was something He did to me and in me. Yes, I am still a sinner who struggles with sin (just as Paul described in Romans 7), but I hate my sin. I no longer love the things of this world or the way this world works. The older I get the more I am aware of my sin, the more I recognize my utter inability to do anything to save myself. I am totally dependent on Him. The Bible tells us that for those born again God removes their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh. I am still a work in progress, but I know He did that for me.
God bless!
I do suspect that a lot of bogus stuff goes on in purported exorcisms, at least judging from what you can read from internet news sites. I wouldn't go so far as to say that "by and large it’s unsaved people performing rituals on other unsaved people," since I have no real way to detect for sure who is 'unsaved': that's strictly God's domain, not mine. It's the kind of thing they used to say about Our Lord ("It's by the prince of demons that He casts out demons.")
"The Bible tells us that for those born again God removes their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh. I am still a work in progress, but I know He did that for me."
Amen to that, my friend.