Written for Evangelization and Spirituality (STL 868) under Dr. Mary Healy, 28 July 2021, for the Licentiate in Sacred Theology.
Introduction
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ “has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13–14). The dominion of darkness involves bondage. Jesus explained that “every one who commits sin is a slave to sin” (Jn 8:34), but “if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn 8:36). The word “transfer” (μεθίστημι) in Col 1:13 is the same verb used by Jesus to describe what happens when someone commands a mountain in faith to move from here to there (cf. Mk 11:23, 1 Cor 13:2). Like salvation, this is something impossible, but it becomes possible through the power of God and a mustard seed of faith. The exercise of this mustard seed of faith to help others become free from the dominion of darkness and the influence of the devil is an essential part of the New Evangelization as demonstrated through the ministry of Jesus and throughout the Acts of the Apostles. At the same time, it is not sufficient. More important than casting out demons is the kerygmatic proclamation of the kingdom that should always be part of deliverance ministry. Then, after the initial demonstration of the power of God to free those afflicted from the chains of the devil, there is a need for ongoing accompaniment to help form the newly liberated to live the Christian life. In this paper I will show that the proper setting for deliverance ministry, as demonstrated by Jesus, is in a kind of triptyc, with kerygmatic proclamation on one side and ongoing accompaniment on the other. Furthermore, I propose Unbound as a particularly effective model for deliverance because of the way it incorporates these additional elements.
Deliverance Ministry
The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (cf. 1 Jn 3:8). Even from the point of Adam’s initial bondage through original sin, God promised that one would come to crush the serpent under his heel (cf. Gen 3:15). This characteristic of the Messiah was demonstrated by Jesus from the beginning of His public ministry, as He went immediately to the devil’s domain after His Baptism: He was driven by the Spirit into the desert. With flesh weakened by fasting, He confronted Satan’s temptations and overcame him, causing him to depart until an opportune time. Although He had previously been hidden from demonic sight under the protective care of St. Joseph, from that time on, the demons recognized Him and cried out when He came into their presence. For example one “cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God’” (Mk 1:24). He then demonstrated His power and His salvific intent by casting the demons out of those who were held in bondage.
Along with healing, the centrality of exorcism in Jesus’s mission is quite clear from the Gospels. As mentioned, Jesus’s first Messianic confrontation was with the devil in the desert immediately after Baptism. He followed this with an exorcism in Capernaum for His first demonstration of power (cf. Lk 4:31). He continued to heal and cast out demons throughout His public ministry (cf. Mk 1:25-26; 1:32-34; 1:39; Mk 3:11-12; Mk 3:22; Mk 5:13; 7:29-30; Mk 9:25-26; Mk 16:9, for example) and He commanded the Twelve (cf. Mt 10:5-8) and the seventy disciples (cf. Lk 10:17-19) to do the same. He indicated that deliverance ministry would be one of the signs for those who believe (cf. Mk 16:15-17) and we see in the Acts of the Apostles that it was extended into the early Church as well (cf. Acts 5:16; 8:7; 16:18; 19:12; 26:17-18). St. Paul made it clear that our battle is not only “against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). Likewise, St. Peter and St. James both commanded us to “resist the devil” (cf. 1 Pet 5:8-9; Jas 4:7). The Second Vatican Council reiterated these points: “For a monumental struggle against the powers of darkness pervades the whole history of man. The battle was joined from the very origins of the world and will continue until the last day, as the Lord has attested. Caught in this conflict, man is obliged to wrestle constantly if he is to cling to what is good, nor can he achieve his own integrity without great efforts and the help of God’s grace.” “In consequence, the Church has from apostolic times exercised the power received from Christ of casting out demons and of warding off their influence.”
One particularly valuable and effective model for deliverance ministry in our day is the Unbound model developed by Neal Lozano and Heart of the Father Ministries. The Unbound model can be used by both clergy and laity to deliver the afflicted from the oppression of the devil. Although restrictions have been placed by the laity regarding the use of part of the Solemn Rite of Exorcism, there are no other restrictions imposed by the magisterium regarding deliverance ministry. Unbound begins with a kerygmatic proclamation going through the plan of God in the work of salvation, fulfilled in Jesus Christ and perpetuated through the Church. The one receiving ministry is ordinarily expected to receive instruction beforehand through talks at a conference or through reading the Unbound book or through viewing the online materials. Then a trained Unbound leader interviews the afflicted person to identify areas of bondage. Assisted by the Unbound minister, that person is led through a loving conversation to discover some of the foundational entryways for the devil’s oppressive affliction. Following the interview, the Unbound leader guides the afflicted person through the five keys of Repentance and Faith, Forgiveness, Renunciation, Authority and the Father’s Blessing. The leader actively engages the afflicted person with compassion, love and respect by supporting the afflicted person in exercising his or her baptismal authority and by patiently repeating the process, as needed, until the person experiences tangible freedom. Instruction is also given about ways to stay free including personal use of the keys in prayer along with participation in the Christian community.
Kerygmatic proclamation
The New Testament shows it was generally in the course of proclaiming the Kingdom of God that Jesus casts out demons. The first exorcism account in Mark’s Gospel provides a paradigm (cf. Mk 1:21-28). First Jesus entered the Synagogue and taught those present in a way that astounded them (Mk 1:21-22). After that a demon manifested and cried out and Jesus exorcised it (Mk 1:23-26). Then those present connected the teaching of Jesus with His authority to cast out evil spirits: “they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him’” (Mk 1:27). The evangelist then reports that this pattern continued throughout this first part of his public ministry: “And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons” (Mk 1:39). The other synoptic Gospels record the same pattern (cf. Mt 4:23, Lk 4:41-44).
In some other notable cases, the proclamation of the Kingdom took place indirectly. When Jesus went into Gentile territory and casted out Legion from the Gerasene demoniac, the demoniac had not yet heard the kerygma. After He is freed, however, Jesus gives Him the most condensed version of the kerygma by telling him to proclaim what “the Lord” had done for him. “On the surface Jesus’ command is to proclaim what God has done for him, but the man seems to grasp the connection, since he obeys by going off to proclaim what Jesus had done for him.” He was given enough of the kerygma that he was empowered to give a simple witness, which he faithfully delivered. Likewise in the case of the children who were possessed, including the son of the man who met Jesus after the Transfiguration (cf. Mk 9:14-29) and the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman (cf. Mk 7:24-30), they did not hear the proclamation of the kingdom directly from Jesus, but were entrusted to the care of their families who could help them to understand. On the other hand, their parents had clearly heard something of the proclamation of the Kingdom because they knew that Jesus had the power to set their captive children free.
In sending out the Twelve, Jesus coupled preaching the kingdom together with deliverance ministry: “preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons” (Mt 10:7–8a). Likewise when He sent out the seventy disciples He instructed them to preach that the Kingdom is at hand (Lk 10:9) and then they acknowledged afterwards that demons were subject to them and He rejoiced that He saw Satan fall like lightning and He gave them authority “over all the power of the enemy” (cf. Lk 10:17-18). Thus we see the importance of the proclamation of the Kingdom together with deliverance ministry in the life of Jesus and in the mission He gives to the Apostles and disciples.
The kerygma presented in these passages is summarized in saying simply that the Kingdom of God is at hand. In other passages, such as the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Mt 5-8), further elaborations are given of Jesus’s teaching. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Saints Peter and Paul also give variations on the kerygma. Pope St. Paul VI identified the central importance of the kerygma for evangelization and summarized its content: “There is no true evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are not proclaimed.” Likewise, Pope Francis spoke about the importance of the kerygma: “we have rediscovered the fundamental role of the first announcement or kerygma, which needs to be the centre of all evangelizing activity and all efforts at Church renewal.” He also expressed its basic content: “Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.”
In the Unbound model of deliverance, it is expected that those who come for prayer have “read UNBOUND, gone to a conference, or heard the teaching on the Five Keys.” The Unbound book, conference and five keys all offer a kerygmatic presentation of the Gospel. It stirs faith by presenting the good news including statements such as “The greatest deliverance anyone will ever receive is surrendering to Jesus Christ as Lord.” The entire first chapter of Unbound contains a condensed presentation of the public ministry of Jesus. The first key, “Repentance and faith” is itself a condensation of the kerygma, taken from Jesus’s inaugural proclamation, “Repent and believe in the Gospel!” (Mk 1:15). Neal Lozano summarizes Unbound in describing it as a “practical application of the Gospel” to one’s life. He has described its place in a Diocese as fitting better under the Office of Evangelization than in the Office of Exorcism. Unbound is primarily kerygmatic and then applies the power of the kerygma to a person’s life particularly for the sake of freedom from evil spirits.
Ongoing Accompaniment
It is clear from the Scriptures that personal experience of God’s power is an important part of conversion (e.g. 1 Thess 1:5, 1 Cor 2:4-5) but then it must be extended into a person’s life and lived out in the context of a Christian community. This applies to conversion in general and applies to deliverance ministry in particular. As Jesus healed and cast out demons, He also gathered them as His disciples and continued to form in them His own mind (Phil 2:5). A notable example can be found in Mary Magdalen from whom He had driven out seven demons (Mk 16:9). She then became one of His most faithful followers, remaining with Him at the Cross (Jn 19:25) and even being raised up as an apostle to the Apostles after His Resurrection (Jn 20:18). In the case of others who were freed, they remained with communities that had heard that Gospel and they continued to be accompanied by other Christians.
The biblical model is acknowledged in the Preface of the modern Rite of Exorcism as part of the necessary follow-up for an afflicted person who has been freed by the power of Christ through the Church:
It is desirable that the faithful person, after being freed from torment should render thanks to God for the peace received, either alone or in company with close friends. Moreover, let the person be led to persevere in prayer, by drawing it most especially from Sacred Scripture, and to frequent the Sacraments of Penance and of the Eucharist, and also to lead a Christian life filled with works of charity and fraternal love towards all.
Likewise, Pope Francis indicated the importance of accompaniment for those who have been newly converted through an experience of the kerygma and holds up Paul’s relationship with Timothy and Titus as examples of this:
Genuine spiritual accompaniment always begins and flourishes in the context of service to the mission of evangelization. Paul’s relationship with Timothy and Titus provides an example of this accompaniment and formation which takes place in the midst of apostolic activity. Entrusting them with the mission of remaining in each city to ‘put in order what remains to be done’ (Tit 1:5; cf. 1 Tim 1:3-5), Paul also gives them rules for their personal lives and their pastoral activity.
In our time, one prominent priest who has been involved extensively in deliverance and exorcism ministry noted that deliverance is not only a sudden experience, but also involves integration and healing over time: “But I also want to say that deliverance takes time, and involves a multidisciplinary approach. Unfortunately most people just seek relief, but God is in the healing business, and healing takes time, courage, lots of prayer, patience and waiting on the Lord.” Speaking about his own deliverance he explained: “The elements of my deliverance and healing included daily Mass, daily prayer and the reading of Scripture, spiritual direction, psychotherapy, group therapy, weekly Alanon meetings, weekly confession, deliverance prayers, and walking in fellowship with the people of God. Slowly, through all these means, the dark moments grew briefer the light grew brighter.”
Spiritual Direction is one form of accompaniment that has been recommended in many classic works of spiritual theology as an important means for growing in the Christian life. A widely used model for Spiritual Direction promotes a particular dynamic of personal sharing of one’s relationship with God with an experienced guide. Although there is a great benefit to having a highly experienced and well-formed spiritual director, these authors believe that this model can also be helpful for more modest forms of spiritual accompaniment.
The Unbound model of deliverance expects that there will be ongoing accompaniment after an Unbound session. When considering with whom an Unbound leader should pray for deliverance, the Guidebook for Ministry explains:
The enemy desires to isolate people, so from the beginning, point people to find healthy, loving Christian relationships. If they do not have any healthy, supportive Christian relationships, this may be a warning signal that they are not in a place to receive UNBOUND prayer. In this case, encourage them to seek out those relationships before coming for prayer.
The Unbound model itself is, in fact, an initial form of accompaniment. In contrast to other forms of deliverance, it is preceded by a lengthy interview that is carried out in a gentle and non-probing manner. Even in the actual deliverance prayer the focus is on building up the afflicted individual, helping her to stand in her baptismal identity and to use her authority as a daughter of God to claim her freedom. It is for this reason that the primary question posed to participants in an Unbound Conference evaluation is whether they felt loved after their experience of Unbound prayer.
Conclusion
In the public ministry of Jesus, deliverance from evil spirits is generally tied together with the kerygma and is followed by ongoing accompaniment. Jesus imparted this model to His Apostles and disciples and so it serves as a fundamental conduit for evangelization. Although some forms of deliverance ministry have lost sight of these interconnected dimensions, one modern model of deliverance, Unbound, keeps these dimensions together. For this reason we can see the power of the Unbound model for the spread of the Gospel and the work of the new evangelization.
Bibliography
Acklin, Fr Thomas, and Fr Boniface Hicks. Spiritual Direction: A Guide for Sharing the Father’s Love. Steubenville, Ohio: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2017.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. “Letter to Ordinaries Regarding Norms on Exorcism,” September 29, 1985. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19850924_exorcism_en.html.
Exorcisms and Related Supplications. Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2017.
Garrigou-Lagrange, OP, Rev Reginald. The Three Ages of the Interior Life: Prelude of Eternal Life. Translated by Sr. M. Timothea Doyle, OP. Vol. 1. 2 vols. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1947.
Lozano, Neal. Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance from Evil Spirits. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 2003.
Lozano, Neal, and Matthew Lozano. Unbound Ministry Guidebook. Clinton Corners, NY: Jubilee Studio, 2011.
Msgr. Charles Pope. “Exorcism or Deliverance? Some Pastoral Reflections on Assisting the Faithful Who Are Tormented by Demons.” Community in Mission: Creating a Culture of Encounter (blog), February 7, 2013. https://blog.adw.org/2013/02/exorcism-or-deliverance-some-pastoral-reflections-on-assisting-the-faithful-who-are-tormented-by-demons/.
Pope Francis. “Evangelii Gaudium : Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World,” November 24, 2013. http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html.
Pope St. Paul VI. “Evangelii Nuntiandi,” December 8, 1975. http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-nuntiandi.html.
Suenens, Cardinal Leon-Joseph. Renewal and the Powers of Darkness. Malines Document IV. London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1982.
Thelen, Mathias D., and Mary Healy. Biblical Foundations for the Role of Healing in Evangelization. Wipf & Stock, 2018.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Frequently Asked Questions about Exorcism,” n.d. http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/sacramentals-blessings/exorcism.cfm.
Notes and references
ST III q29 a1 r3 Mathias D. Thelen and Mary Healy, Biblical Foundations for the Role of Healing in Evangelization (Wipf & Stock, 2018). List of passages taken from Dr. Mary Healy’s class notes for STL 868. Gaudium et Spes no. 37. Exorcisms and Related Supplications. (Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2017), no. 8. Neal Lozano, Unbo und: A Practical Guide to Deliverance from Evil Spirits (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 2003). Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, “ Letter to Ordinaries Regarding Norms on Exorcism ,” September 29, 1985, https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/cong regations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19850924_exorcism_en.html , and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Frequently Asked Questions about Exorcism,” http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/sacr amentals-blessings/exorcism.cfm . Mary Healy, The Gospel of Mark , Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2008), 102. Pope St. Paul VI, “ Evangelii Nuntiandi ,” December 8, 1975, http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-nuntiandi.html , no. 22. Pope Francis, “ Evangelii Gaudium : Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World ,” November 24, 2013, http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/ documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html , no. 164. Ibid. Neal Lozano and Matthew Lozano, Unbound Ministry Guidebook (Clinton Corners, NY: Jubil ee Studio, 2011), ebook p. 281. From Unbound Conference talk by Neal Lozano: “Deliverance is a good word.” Unbound , chapter 3. From Unbound Conference talk by Neal Lozano: “The Power of the Gospel.” Exorcisms and Related Supplications , no. 36. Evangelii Gaudium , no. 173. Msgr. Charles Pope, “Exorcism or Deliverance? Some Pastoral Reflections on Assisting the Faithful Who Ar e Tormented by Demons,” Community in Mission: Creating a Culture of Encounter (blog), February 7, 2013, https://blog.adw.org/2013/02/exorcism-or-deliverance-some-pastoral-reflections-on-assisting-the-faithful-who-are-tormented-by-demons/ . Rev Reginald Garrigou -Lagrange, OP, The Three Ages of the Interior Life: Prelude of Eternal Life , trans. Sr. M. Timothea Doyle, OP, vol. 1, 2 vols. (St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1947), chapter 17. Fr Thomas Acklin and Fr Boniface Hicks, Spiritual Direction: A Guide for Sharing the Father’s Love (Steubenville, Ohio: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2017), 18. Ibid, xxvi. Guidebook for Ministry , FAQ Question no. 11, ebook . Cardinal Leon-Joseph Suenens , Renewal and the Powers of Darkness. Maline s Document IV (London: Darton , Longman and Todd, 1982), no. 44.