re: I was possessed. Why? QUESTION from Terra July 24, 2000: Hi. I just wanted to write a short note in respone to Marlene's question about being possessed. I can really identify with the way she's feeling - for years I struggled with the same problem -stupid thoughts that pop into your head without any desire of your own. I was terrified that I was going to blaspheme, never be forgiven, and be separated from God for eternity. I tried talking to different pastors about this (I was a protestant - just became a Catholic this year - praise God!) and they never understood and couldn't help. Just recently I discovered that this (at least for me)is part of obsessive-compulsive disorder and that problems (and thoughts) like these are fairly common. I'm actually taking medication for this (not begun because of the thoughts) and have been relieved of these thoughts almost one hundred percent. Now in the rare event something like this pops into my head, I blow it off. It's not me. God knows that. And now I know that. The only real problem is getting caught up in the thoughts, letting them cause fear and keeping your mind from true things of God. That's the Enemy's real trick - getting you to focus on his foolishness and not God. Don't know if this post has been any help, but I hope so. God bless, Terra
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, O.L.S.M. on September 17, 2000 Dear Mrs. Terra:
Yes, your post is excellent. Thanks.
This shows that the central rule to spiritual warfare is DO NOT JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS.
Even things that may seem spiritual may not be. Oftentimes there are psychiatric or medical reasons for what happens.
I praise God that your case was one that was medical and could be handled with medication.
And you are sooooo right. One of Satan's biggest tricks is to get us to think we are sinning when we are not. Fleeting thoughts in of of themselves are never sin to begin with, and obsessive thoughts are more likely to be a chemical imbalance in the brain than it is a devilish intrusion.
I use to be a manager of a convenience store. We had a problem of shoplifting so I installed surveillance cameras. The shoplifting decrease by 80%. Guess what? It was a fake camera. But the people didn't know that.
Satan uses that same technique in the opposite way. He may take something that is a result of natural causes, or medical conditions, and make it LOOK like a demonic camera. But is is not in reality. But if you believe it is, it has the same effect.
Motto: beware of cameras with a red forked shutter buttons.
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