ARMOR OF GOD
Hey charismatics! Jesus he knows, Paul he knows; but who are you? (from Acts 19:15 – sort of)
Silly, silly charismatics taking the Bible literally! The lack of caution and discernment toward spiritual experiences is trademark of the Charismatic Renewal. The infantile custom of “putting on the armor of God” – I ask you, how could putting on an imagined armor (some go as far as gesturing putting on an armor) offer protection against evil spirits? Anyone who is fool enough to think that quoting Scripture like some magical incantation will protect him when he ventures into unknown perhaps dangerous territory is a FOOL!
The same is with charismatic “exorcism” before "Baptism in the Spirit" – this practice has no basis in reality. Exorcism goes far beyond the capacity of lay people and most ecclesiastics. Charismatic “exorcism” is as useful as wearing "armor of God pajamas".
“Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:13-17)
What is the armor of God? Hint: the explanation is given. The armor of God is courage and prayer. So praying for courage and prayer will not protect anybody from evil spirits during a prayer meeting or during the mock sacrament called “Baptism in the Spirit”.
BINDING SPIRITS
“We bind you in the name of Jesus...”
People in the Charismatic movement often command the Devil. They imagine having the authority to bind evil spirits. That and if they put on the armor of God, their meeting will be protected from evil influences. But the power to bind evil spirits is a power given to only a select few in the church.
“Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.” (Matthew 10:1)
Who were the twelve? They were the Apostles. So how on earth can charismatics presume that a “Life in the Spirit Seminar” will prepare them for exorcism? If we all had authority over evil spirits, why did Christ picked only twelve for the job?
“Yet the archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil in a dispute over the body of Moses, did not venture to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him but said, May the Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 1:9-10)
St Michael the archangel didn't dare to rebuke, bind or command the devil; he simply said "May the Lord rebuke you!” What arrogance persuades charismatics to believe they can bind devils, something that even St Michael couldn’t do?
CATHOLIC DELIVERANCE
"I speak with the devil every day," says Father Gabriele Amorth, Rome's official exorcist. "I talk to him in Latin. He answers in Italian. I have been wrestling with him, day in day out, for 14 years."
The combination of ‘laying on of hands’ and ‘praying in tongues’ is risky business at any time, but when used for deliverance it is nothing short of irresponsible. There can be demonic transference when touching a demonized person. The Official Rite of Exorcism lists speaking in tongues as a symptom of demonization. The tongues people claim to have today are not from God. Tongues are dicey, because they are easily aped by Satan. Furthermore there is no valid reason for using tongues for deliverance. The practice is unbiblical and flies in the face of Catholic Tradition.
Besides lay people have no authority to involve themselves in deliverance work. “The law of the Church (CIC 1172) is written in a manner which is "invalidating" and "incapacitating." Restrictions are to be interpreted strictly, which in this case means that imprecation is left to authorized priests. See the Church's own official interpretation in Inde ab aliquot annis (Die 29 m. Septembris a. 1985).
This is the present law of the Church and the present official interpretation. The mind of the legislator is clear according to legislated norms of interpretation. Some feel the prudential judgment of the Church to be inadaquate, both those who are more traditional and those who are more charismatic. The present law is indeed extremely restrictive. So was Jesus in this matter. There are reasons for this. Anyone performing any imprecatory exorcism without authorization is in extreme danger. I can’t emphasize this more. If one plays with fire, one WILL GET BURNT!” Who Has the Authority to Perform Exorcisms?
#1172. No one may lawfully exorcise the possessed without the special and express permission of the local Ordinary. This permission is to be granted by the local Ordinary only to a priest who is endowed with piety, knowledge, prudence, and integrity of life.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
“In September of 1985 (AAS) Cardinal Ratzinger rescinded (to rescind = to withdraw, annul, cancel, repeal -- added) the permission for both laity and non-exorcist priests to proceed with any kind of exorcism, something which also applies to the recitation of the exorcism of Leo XIII.
As it is, no one but an exorcist may give a direct command to the devil, for such a direct command, given in the name of Jesus, is by definition an exorcism. The most one can do is make prayers of intercession for the deliverance of the besieged person or thing in conjunction with other sacramentals of the Church such as holy water. Note that this has a place in the prayer of intercession, the Lord's Prayer, at the end of which we pray, "deliver us from evil." "Evil", in this case, is to be understood as a personal evil, that is, the Evil One.” Who Has The Power To Exorcise Demons?
Hey charismatics! Jesus he knows, Paul he knows; but who are you? (from Acts 19:15 – sort of)
Silly, silly charismatics taking the Bible literally! The lack of caution and discernment toward spiritual experiences is trademark of the Charismatic Renewal. The infantile custom of “putting on the armor of God” – I ask you, how could putting on an imagined armor (some go as far as gesturing putting on an armor) offer protection against evil spirits? Anyone who is fool enough to think that quoting Scripture like some magical incantation will protect him when he ventures into unknown perhaps dangerous territory is a FOOL!
The same is with charismatic “exorcism” before "Baptism in the Spirit" – this practice has no basis in reality. Exorcism goes far beyond the capacity of lay people and most ecclesiastics. Charismatic “exorcism” is as useful as wearing "armor of God pajamas".
“Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:13-17)
What is the armor of God? Hint: the explanation is given. The armor of God is courage and prayer. So praying for courage and prayer will not protect anybody from evil spirits during a prayer meeting or during the mock sacrament called “Baptism in the Spirit”.
BINDING SPIRITS
“We bind you in the name of Jesus...”
People in the Charismatic movement often command the Devil. They imagine having the authority to bind evil spirits. That and if they put on the armor of God, their meeting will be protected from evil influences. But the power to bind evil spirits is a power given to only a select few in the church.
“Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.” (Matthew 10:1)
Who were the twelve? They were the Apostles. So how on earth can charismatics presume that a “Life in the Spirit Seminar” will prepare them for exorcism? If we all had authority over evil spirits, why did Christ picked only twelve for the job?
“Yet the archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil in a dispute over the body of Moses, did not venture to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him but said, May the Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 1:9-10)
St Michael the archangel didn't dare to rebuke, bind or command the devil; he simply said "May the Lord rebuke you!” What arrogance persuades charismatics to believe they can bind devils, something that even St Michael couldn’t do?
CATHOLIC DELIVERANCE
"I speak with the devil every day," says Father Gabriele Amorth, Rome's official exorcist. "I talk to him in Latin. He answers in Italian. I have been wrestling with him, day in day out, for 14 years."
The combination of ‘laying on of hands’ and ‘praying in tongues’ is risky business at any time, but when used for deliverance it is nothing short of irresponsible. There can be demonic transference when touching a demonized person. The Official Rite of Exorcism lists speaking in tongues as a symptom of demonization. The tongues people claim to have today are not from God. Tongues are dicey, because they are easily aped by Satan. Furthermore there is no valid reason for using tongues for deliverance. The practice is unbiblical and flies in the face of Catholic Tradition.
Besides lay people have no authority to involve themselves in deliverance work. “The law of the Church (CIC 1172) is written in a manner which is "invalidating" and "incapacitating." Restrictions are to be interpreted strictly, which in this case means that imprecation is left to authorized priests. See the Church's own official interpretation in Inde ab aliquot annis (Die 29 m. Septembris a. 1985).
This is the present law of the Church and the present official interpretation. The mind of the legislator is clear according to legislated norms of interpretation. Some feel the prudential judgment of the Church to be inadaquate, both those who are more traditional and those who are more charismatic. The present law is indeed extremely restrictive. So was Jesus in this matter. There are reasons for this. Anyone performing any imprecatory exorcism without authorization is in extreme danger. I can’t emphasize this more. If one plays with fire, one WILL GET BURNT!” Who Has the Authority to Perform Exorcisms?
#1172. No one may lawfully exorcise the possessed without the special and express permission of the local Ordinary. This permission is to be granted by the local Ordinary only to a priest who is endowed with piety, knowledge, prudence, and integrity of life.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
“In September of 1985 (AAS) Cardinal Ratzinger rescinded (to rescind = to withdraw, annul, cancel, repeal -- added) the permission for both laity and non-exorcist priests to proceed with any kind of exorcism, something which also applies to the recitation of the exorcism of Leo XIII.
As it is, no one but an exorcist may give a direct command to the devil, for such a direct command, given in the name of Jesus, is by definition an exorcism. The most one can do is make prayers of intercession for the deliverance of the besieged person or thing in conjunction with other sacramentals of the Church such as holy water. Note that this has a place in the prayer of intercession, the Lord's Prayer, at the end of which we pray, "deliver us from evil." "Evil", in this case, is to be understood as a personal evil, that is, the Evil One.” Who Has The Power To Exorcise Demons?
