Exorcism, or the casting out of evil spirits, is a phenomenon that often appears in the Bible and is still an interesting topic today. In the New Testament, Jesus and his disciples cast out evil spirits from people who were possessed several times. Some famous exorcism stories, for example, are found in Mark 9:14-29, when Jesus healed a child who was possessed by an evil spirit, and in Acts 16:16-18, when Paul cast out a spirit of divination from a slave girl. But do such incidents still occur today?
Although exorcisms or exorcisms are still reported to occur today, the number is arguably no longer significant. Today, exorcisms are no longer a common phenomenon as they were in biblical times or in the early development of Christianity. As time goes by, this phenomenon occurs less frequently, and the reasons for this can be viewed from various perspectives:
In the past, almost every disease, especially mental or physical disorders that were difficult to understand, was thought to come from dark powers. Ancient societies, including in the traditions of certain tribes, often associated illness with spirits or supernatural powers. However, with the advancement of science and the medical world, many phenomena that were previously considered supernatural disorders can now be explained through medical and psychological factors. For example, mental disorders such as schizophrenia or epilepsy, which were previously thought to be possessed, can now be explained scientifically and treated with medical methods. However, there is also another interesting view about the existence of this dark power, some argue that the dark power may have changed its strategy. In ancient times, the fear of spirits and dark powers was so strong that many people fell into idolatry or practices that were contrary to their faith. However, as human knowledge and rationality developed, fear of supernatural things began to diminish. Therefore, perhaps the devil no longer uses this tactic dominantly, but rather focuses more on other more effective ways to tempt humans.
If exorcism and possession by evil spirits are no longer common, it does not mean that the work of the dark power has stopped. There are various other approaches that are still used to mislead humans, which may be more subtle and difficult to detect. For example, the tactic of deceiving through human logical thinking as used by Satan in the story of Adam and Eve. In the Garden of Eden, Eve was tempted in a very rational way, through dialogue and logical considerations about the forbidden fruit of knowledge (Genesis 3). This strategy is still effective today, where humans are often tempted to forget God or pursue wrong things with logical justification.
In Galatians 5:19-23, Paul distinguishes between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. The works of the flesh, such as sexual immorality, envy, anger, and others, are manifestations of human nature that are influenced by the power of darkness. These works are often used as tools to damage human relationships with God and others. When humans are tempted to sin through lust or worldly desires, they are actually being tempted by the power of darkness.
The power of darkness also often influences humans through the bad values they instill in individual and cultural characters, such as the love of money, envy, or hatred. In Acts 5:3-6, Ananias and Sapphira were caught in the love of money and lied about the proceeds from the sale of their land. 1 Samuel 19:9-10, tells the story of Saul who was overcome by hatred and envy, so he tried to kill David. Things like this are still relevant and can be found today in the form of corruption, hatred, and division. In the modern era, dark powers work in more systematic and structured ways: If in biblical times the agents of the dark powers used false prophets to lead people astray, in this era the agents of the dark powers appear in the form of teachers, influencers, or leaders who spread misleading teachings or instill negative values. This shows that the devil does not always work invisibly, but through people who have great influence in society.
Are Modern Exorcisms Still Needed?
With the various forms and ways that dark powers work in the modern era, the question arises: are exorcisms still needed? The answer may be "yes," but with different understandings and forms. Exorcisms do not always take the form of expelling evil spirits from a person's body, but can also mean "expulsion" of negative values that have entered the hearts and minds of humans.
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