My First Exorcism. Harold Ristau
they belong. He depends entirely on the authority of Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit.
Second, since exorcism depends on Christ’s victory over the devil and all the powers of darkness, the pastor’s basic weapon, his sword, is the Spirit-filled Word of God. God’s Word alone has the power to penetrate the dark corners of the human heart and to drive the devil from the stronghold of the guilty conscience. When God’s Word is spoken out aloud and addressed to the conscience of the hearer, the demons are unsettled, disempowered and put to flight. Of all God’s words the most powerful is the most holy name of Jesus. Oftentimes, the reaction to that name exposes the spiritual state of the hearer. The proclamation and confession of Jesus as Lord brings deliverance.
Third, since pastors, like the twelve apostles, are commissioned to drive out demons in the name of Jesus (Matt 10:1; Mark 6:7; Luke 9:1), they rely entirely on Christ’s help in the ministry of deliverance by praying to the Father in His name. They ask for protection and guidance from the Triune God, best achieved by praying the Lord’s Prayer. Therefore the ministry of deliverance is the faithful ministry of intercession which relies on God’s Word to know what to pray for, and how. In moments of uncertainty and doubt, the pastor resorts to prayer for the troubled soul and himself as Christ’s representative. By praying he, as it were, steps aside, so that the interaction between him and the harried soul becomes an encounter between Jesus and the devil, the Holy Spirit and the unclean spirit.
The anecdotal and reflective character of this book does not claim to provide its readers with the final word on demon possession and exorcism. It is, instead, a tentative exploration of the issue that aims to stimulate reflection and encourage action. More than anything else it sets out to give pastors confidence in helping people who are under demonic attack or disabled by the devil. By telling his story and sharing his personal reflections on its significance, Ristau encourages all pastors and faithful Christians to be vigilant against the devil in all his many guises and to resist him by their faith in Jesus (1 Pet 5:8–9).
Rev. Dr. John W. Kleinig
Abbreviations
AE Luther’s Works (American Edition). 55 vols. ed. Jaroslav Pelikan and Helmut T. Lehmann. Philadelphia: Muehlenberg and Fortress, and St. Louis: CPH, 1955–86.
LSB Lutheran Service Book. Prepared by The Commission on Worship of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Saint Louis: CPH, 2006.
TLH The Lutheran Hymnal. The Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America. Saint Louis: CPH, 1941.
Prologue
A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Demonic
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Pet 5:8)
Most people have seen the movie The Exorcist. If you haven’t, I wouldn’t recommend it. Nevertheless, it could be worse. The internet has opened wide a new horizon of occultist subject matter easily available for viewing, yet offering very few tools in determining the validity of the implied claims. Mildly amusing, The Exorcist is apparently “based on actual events.” Hollywood is not accustomed to the academic practice of footnoting in substantiating its declarations. Viewers are just expected to believe. As a Christian, I find it inconceivable that the faithful priest was not successful in the end—especially after the sequel! As to the young girl’s bleached white face, stained yellow teeth, bloodshot eyes and crusty cracked skin, I still have my doubts. In my limited encounters with demoniacs, I have yet to witness any of those symptoms. At the same time, the more I investigate the ancient texts and cases on record, the more questions I have. In general, the devil chooses to appear as an “angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14), while his collection of zombie costumes accumulates dust in the closet of his underworld apartment. His subtle tactics infiltrate the way we view the world and derive meaning from our experiences. Obviously, if the evil foe appeared in all of his natural ugliness, he would attract us less. A mere peek at his actual wardrobe may turn agnostics into Christians. As it stands, the majority of people have draped themselves with the subtleties of this dark prince’s religions, philosophies, lifestyles and doctrines. No, the devil prefers sheep’s clothing.
With the help of the evil one, the media and inferred religion of the surrounding culture perpetrate an anti-Christian spirituality. They discredit the vital value of tradition and wholesome religious customs by an implicit mockery of the wisdom of past generations and an insidious patronization of the elderly. They celebrate the “naturalism” of witchcraft as an off-shoot of the Green movement. They boast that the self-fulfilment and empowering abilities of Wicca are harmonious with the goals and values of our postmodern era. Yet Christians are not exempt from these temptations. Sadly, they show little resistance. For example, most consider horror movies harmless, as long as they teach a life lesson coherent with an agreeable moral value—and when they are not entirely fictional, they should end on a happy note. Depictions of violence are scarcely grounds to blush. Ungallant speech escapes unnoticed, exciting little suspicion in an already numbed brain. Sex scenes are a cinematographic red herring and thus rationalized as collateral damage to an edifying plot. Few scorn their shame, lulled by their disseminating poison. Most bravely indulge this eye candy with no regret or apprehension. Scenes of a sensual nature between married couples trick us into believing that the R-Rated film is somehow less pornographic. Voyeurism is justified as “educational” when the story is inspired by factual events.
Like many kids, as a youngster, I was intrigued by scary movies. I guess that most young boys like a thrill, while preadolescent imagination tries to imitate those curious things seen on TV. My mischievous friends and I would occasionally play with Ouija. Sometimes strange things would happen. Although there was a lot of goofing around, I am convinced that at least on one occasion, a non-human entity attempted to convey a message. We all ran out of the room screaming. Moments later, the fright was followed by giggles, laughing, and other forms of playful accusations and silliness. Despite harmless intentions, I am persuaded that we had accessed a portal to the demonic realm. The monsters in my closet seemed a lot more real after that. The basement felt darker; the breathing in the bedroom closet, heavier. All kids have bad dreams. But my nightmares came with a vengeance, consuming most of the week’s sleeps. They were accompanied by hallucinations and inexplicable fainting spells recurring over the course of years. Praise God for my guardian angel! Overreaction? Oversensitivity? Maybe. Thankfully, the intensity of these dreadful dreams receded after I joined a Bible study group as a teenager. Eventually they dissipated entirely. But many of the images and themes remained imbedded in my Freudian ego. They are probably still there—I still like scary movies.
As Christians, we are emancipated from the power and condemnation of the Law. Simply put, no one has the right to insist that we must abide by a new collection of Talmudic principles, even if some of them make a lot of sense. God’s people reside under the umbrella of grace. Sinners no longer pummelled by the hailstorm of legalistic obligations are “free.” But are we at liberty to watch the enemies of Christ and His Gospel applaud their dark conduct, making jest of our persecuted Lord, even if it does not jeopardize our status as His servants? Would a married man choose to tolerate some jealous scoundrel habitually slandering his wife, even if it would never result in a divorce? The Apostle encourages believers to dwell on topics that are honourable, pure and lovely (Phil 4:8) as the overall healthier choice. Questionable decisions may not change our position before the throne of grace in heaven, but may certainly impact our level of personal misery until we get there. Besides, they lack class.
The memoirs recorded and commentaries penned in this book are intended to educate and persuade the reader in matters pertaining to the demonic realm. Perhaps this humble and tiny contribution will serve as one of many other sources of corporate memory for the Church. The Word of God challenges us “not to be outwitted by Satan” by being “ignorant of his designs” (2 Cor 2:11). Flung headlong from the heights of heaven, the devil prowls around like a vicious lion “going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it” (Job 2:2). My hope is that the Christian reader will spiritually profit through a deeper understanding of the devil’s machinations, being better equipped with the full armour of God in the spiritual battles against the dark principalities in which