by Monsignor Stephen RossettiAll sin is an opening to Satan which should be repented and confessed. But there are some actions which are huge openings to Evil and eventually yield disastrous spiritual results. Here are six:
Worshipping pagan "gods" and gurus. Some people are binding themselves to pagan "gods" (who are actually demons) and give themselves to their gurus. Thus, in their lives they replace the true God with demons.
Practicing witchcraft and/or the occult for years. We have more and more people who come to us after years of being in the occult, casting spells and curses, and frequent divination (e.g. tarot cards, ouija boards, mediums). It's ugly stuff and tough to exorcize.
Kundalini yoga and the Occult Third Eye. People are seeking "enlightenment" in pagan meditation practices, such as kundalini yoga. One of the goals of this yoga is to open the occult third eye which connects them directly to the dark world. All this leads one deep into the world of demons.
Practitioners of New Age spiritualities. New Age practitioners channel supposed "spiritual energies" with its monism or pantheism. They place themselves at the center of their universe rather than God. They often claim to be recognizing their own "divinity." Like Lucifer, they try to make themselves into a god.
Illicit Sex with a Witch, Satanist or other Minion of Satan. Having a sinful sexual relationship with a Minion of Satan binds them to the dark world and makes them vulnerable to its torments and curses.
Blood Pact with Satan. This is an explicit bonding with the Evil One. Even if one does not actually believe in the existence of a personified evil, a Satanic blood pact creates a true demonic bond.
What all these have in common is binding oneself to Satan, either directly or indirectly. They reject the one true God and seek out their own will rather than God's will. In claiming their own "divinity," they are violating the First Commandment and ultimately become imitators and slaves of Satan, who himself rejected God and refused to serve Him.
The demons present as a result of these practices are typically strong and deeply entrenched. Barring a special grace from God, these cases take about 4-6 years of intensive work to make substantial progress. Of course, these demons of divination and Satanism can all eventually be cast out.
At the beginning of the exorcism, the demons claim ownership of the person and protest that they will never leave. Sometimes they even convince the afflicted person that this is true. However, by the power of Jesus Christ, the Exorcist breaks the afflicted persons' pact and connection with Satan. He leads them into living a virtuous Christian spirituality, placing God once again at the center of their lives. Slowly slowly, their hearts are purified and souls sanctified. Eventually the grip of the demons lessens and gradually attenuates.
Such exorcisms are usually rather long and grueling processes. The solution is never to begin this path down the dark road in the first place. But if it is traveled, never lose hope in the power of Christ to free you. Satan is not Lord; Jesus is. And Jesus can cancel any debt, forgive every sin, and heal any wound.
This blog was posted with the kind permission of Msgr. Rossetti at the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal. Click here to read more!
