The Woman with Seven Demons
Dear reader, before you continue, I want to state two caveats:
I believe that there is a difference between battling the emotions discussed and having a medically diagnosed condition. I believe that God can heal all things and I also believe it is deeply irresponsible to encourage someone to not seek medical treatment. Please, seek professional help if you are battling deeply with any of these, or are thinking of hurting yourself or others.
I refer to these emotions as demons because, frankly, that is sometimes how they feel. This is not an article attempting to state whether negative and destructive emotions are demons or not. That is way outside of my pay grade.
Mary Magdelene. The woman with seven demons.
Not the shamed but restored woman with the alabaster jar. Not the wealthy and generous Joanna. Not even Martha, who was at least productive!
Nope, when I read about women in the bible, it is always Mary Magdelene that I identify with. Whenever I see that description of her in Luke 8:2, I think, “That was me!” Now, I have no idea what demons she had cast out of her by Jesus, but I definitely know the names of mine:
Desperation.
Loneliness.
Fear.
Insecurity.
Anxiety.
Depression.
Rejection.
I really wish that I could write an amazing account of how these were cast out the moment I became a Christian and never returned, but that would be an outright lie. I’ve encountered way too many Christians who seem to think that if we are saved, we should never experience these things again, but I think that is complete baloney. (And if I was talking about the food, I would spell it the other way.)
I think that Matthew 12: 43-45 gives a really good description of why: “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first.” (emphasis mine)
“Aha!” you say. “A Christian cannot be possessed once filled with the Holy Spirit because 1 John 4:44 says the He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. Once sealed by the Holy Spirit, the demons can’t get back in.” In my limited and humble understanding, I think that I agree.
However, when I look at this scripture, it says that the demon will return to the house from which it came. That doesn’t mean it will get in, but it sure doesn’t mean it won’t come peeking in the window and pounding at the door.
A lot of my clients are university students and let me tell you that, aside from disordered eating, anxiety is probably the number one health and wellbeing struggle that I hear about. Sometimes it requires therapeutic interventions, and if the client is not already seeing a counselor or psychiatrist, I always refer them. However, often the anxiety is more about the regular kind of anxious thoughts that swirl in their heads about balancing school and work, dealing with relationships, paying the bills, losing weight, and getting some sleep.
After anxiety, the emotions that I see most are insecurity, fear, and loneliness. This is starting to look a little similar to my list. Is it looking similar to yours?
We talk a lot about behavior modifications and strategies to stop thoughts and reframe them, and they are very helpful. I use them myself. But how I wish I could tell my clients what I am about to tell you: if you are holding the Holy Spirit’s hand in your clean and orderly internal abode, they can’t get in.
Oh, they will try. As I said earlier, they will pound on that door, scratch on those windows, and flash their ghastly, ghoulish teeth at you. And if you are anything like me, you will run and hide under the bed like a dog around fireworks. Why? Because I am terrified of them. I remember what it felt like to have them living in my house, eating my food, wearing my clothes, and using my toothbrush. It was awful. Whenever I see them coming, I want to curl into the tiniest ball and try to drive them away with wishful thinking and mental determination.
God has been working on me with this new and somewhat inexplicable phrase though: expansive vulnerability. Not only does He want me to be vulnerable in my trust in Him, but He wants me to relax into it, like yoga pants on Thanksgiving. No matter how much I eat and how lazy I am, they will not tear, and neither will His steadfast goodness and protection. I heard Tim Keller describe God as personal and infinite. He’s so closely invested in my life that I can’t ever escape Him and He is so infinite that nothing can overstretch His capacity. (I have to confess that I never thought I would be comparing God to yoga pants, but there you go.)
Instead, what He has been whispering to me when the demons come home is, “Come on, girl. I am going to pull down these blinds, turn up this TV, and you and I can go curl up on the couch and watch a movie til those fools tire themselves out and go away.” He’s not even concerned about them. He’s only concerned about me. He wants me to relax and trust that He will protect me.
So now, in my expansive vulnerability (that sounds so pretentious), I am really starting to pray, “Father, I trust You. I see this feeling coming for me, and I know that it’s not from You. Instead of trying to protect myself, help me to trust in You. Give me guidance in the steps I should take and peace in the areas I should wait patiently. Help me to breathe, relax, and follow You. Amen.”
Mary Magdalene is one of the few followers of Jesus named in the Bible. She was listed amongst the incredible women who supported His ministry here on earth and who invested resources and care into His mission (Luke 8:1-3). She was one of the few women listed as present at His crucifixion (John 19:25) and was the first person He revealed Himself to after the resurrection (John 20:11-18). In Luke 20:17, Jesus tells her, “Don’t hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father.” But He has ascended, and He sent the Holy Spirit to us so that we can now hold on as tight as we need to until the day we see Him face to face.
