Now that we know mental illness exists because people are physical beings with a physical brain, let’s ask the next logical question in the progression of this conversation: “What causes mental illness? Just because it’s physical doesn’t mean Satan isn’t behind it. Are people who are experiencing mental illness actually demon-possessed or demon-oppressed?” What is causing their physical biochemistry to malfunction? I bring this up because many Christians do believe Satan is directly causing all physical and mental illnesses, and there are enough people who believe this that this question needs to be addressed.
It’s become increasingly common, especially in charismatic churches and circles, for everything to be seen as demons. It can get quite extreme. If you cough, you’re supposed to rebuke Satan away and your cold is supposed to leave you. I know people who actually believe this and I’ve spoken to many others who also do. There’s also a number of people who are extremely confused and don’t necessarily buy into the idea that everything is demons, but this-view point being so widespread and seeping into sermons everywhere in part or in full, has lead to huge amounts of confusion.
I know people with bipolar disorder who experience psychosis as a symptom, who have been told by their pastors to get off their medication because taking it is a lack of faith, and that they should be rebuking the illness directly or in some cases they say they should be rebuking the demons behind the illness and exerting their God-given authority over Satan or the illness. These people are in compromised mental states and it’s often hard for them to distinguish between Bible truth and error. Some of these people have listened to him and gone off their medication and had a complete psychotic break where they cheated on their husband, wrecked their life, and almost lost their lives because they were a danger to themselves and others in that state.
You can see how inaccurate information surrounding this topic can be dangerous.
It turns out this view-point and this situation where pastors rebuke church members for taking medication rather than claiming their God-given authority over sickness and Satan is not an uncommon occurrence. Yes, that’s really the truth. It happens often as it’s a commonly held belief in Pentecostal circles and in circles where the prosperity gospel and Word of Faith movement is preached.
What does the Bible really say about this subject? What is the correct relationship between Satan and sickness? Does he directly cause illness every time, or is he sometimes directly involved and other times indirectly involved? Or is no sickness caused by demons and all sickness is physical in origin?
In one sense every sickness or illness, anything destructive, and death itself was caused by Satan. When He rebelled against God and His law Satan brought all these things into existence. When man fell due to Satan’s temptation in the garden, all of these things became a part of the human experience and existence in this world.
But is Satan directly causing all sickness today? And do Christians have authority from God to rebuke Satan and all the sicknesses he causes?
In the gospels we see Jesus rebuking sickness and physical infirmities that were caused by demons. When he cast the demon out of the mute man, the person was able to speak. Matthew 9:32-33
In Matthew 17:14-18 Jesus casts a demon out of an epileptic boy who had been falling into fire and water (probably the demon’s attempts to kill him) and the epilepsy leaves him when the demon does.
We also see Jesus rebuking illnesses directly, that were not caused by any demons that needed to be cast out, and the illness leaves them. Peter’s mother-in-law suffered from a high fever, until Jesus rebuked it and it left her and she began to wait on them. Luke 4:39 We see Jesus rebuke the storm at sea and even the wind and the waves obey Him. Matthew 8:27 It’s interesting to note that in none of these cases where demons were not directly involved in a person’s sickness or in the waves at sea, did Jesus rebuke demons. Even though Satan is the cause of all these evil things coming into the world, Jesus didn’t rebuke Satan every time someone became sick, rather he rebuked the illness itself, unless demons were directly involved as in cases of demon-possession.
Jesus gave His church the authority to heal the sick, and to cast out devils.
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,
Luke 9:1
And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Matthew 10:1
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”
Matthew 10:8
This shows us that it is the role of the church both to heal diseases and to cast out devils. Some diseases are caused directly by demons, others are not attached to demons, but in either case the disciples healed people. Regardless of the underlying cause, the church has been given a mission to help in both cases.
However, there’s nothing in the scriptures that say in every case God will always heal us, and such a belief is dangerous on a number of fronts. We have examples where people prayed for healing and were denied by God the healing they sought. Elisha, a man of great faith, died of a prolonged illness.
Paul shows us the right attitude to have in praying for healing.
“because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore,[g] so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble[h] me—so that I would not become arrogant.[i] 8 I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me. 9 But[j] he said to me, “My grace is enough[k] for you, for my[l] power is made perfect[m] in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly[n] about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in[o] me. 10 Therefore I am content with[p] weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties[q] for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12: 7-10
A humble, submissive attitude that acknowledges God’s omniscience and His authority is the only truly Christian attitude. If we are trying to command God to always heal us – rather than submitting to His will – we’re making self our god and we’ve left the Christian faith.
Paul explains that in our weaknesses God can often best be glorified and this would include things like mental and physical illness. Only God knows for sure which is best – to allow the person to remain ill or to heal them – and he will bring a blessing out of even the worst situations if He allows them to happen. I can personally testify of having a renewed appreciation for Christ and his sufferings on the cross after going into complete psychosis and feeling shut off from God and his conviction and then coming back to sanity with the aid of lithium.
Indeed we need sufferings. (more on this later)
The same Bible that testifies of the power to drive out demons and heal sickness being given to God’s church also makes us aware of our responsibility in caring for our physical temple, calling the acts of doing so our “reasonable worship.”
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Romans 12:1
This means that if we’re not doing everything we can to be in the best health possible and we’re mistreating our bodies, eating junk food, or willfully engaging in other types of health-destroying practices, then we’re doing the opposite of worship. We have a Christian duty to study and implement health and make it a major part of our lifestyle for the rest of our lives. And the church should be teaching and instructing people in how to eat and live healthy lives. We can have cooking schools, and nutrition classes, and mental health lectures and fulfill our health mandate this way. Indeed in instructing people there are many blessings that happen that do not happen from miraculous healings, because the person learns to worship God through healthy living and leave behind sins of unhealthy living. In teaching and instructing in this area, we aid people in surrendering their character and will to God and come out of sinful practices, and this is the most important work of all: our sanctification. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6
It is therefore not faith to mistreat our body and then ask God to heal us. It’s disobedience. Of course, as fallen human beings (even after conversion), we’re prone to disobedience and this is a constant struggle. It takes surrender to Christ and power from Him to do the right thing when it goes against our fleshly desires, and we must commit to this battle. God’s ultimate goal is reaching the heart. He wants to heal the body fully and will give us new glorified bodies at His coming, but the big work that we need to be engaging in in this world is the heart change. We need new characters and through the sanctification process God will change us. We need to have a character that isn’t ok with mistreating our body and delights in treating it as valuable since Christ died for us.
If you’re thinking it’s not easy to deny the flesh and live as healthy as possible, to delight in the science of how our bodies work and commit to on-going learning and implementing what you learn as a way of life (even if you’re bad at science, which I was when I first set out on this journey), you’re right. The truth is it’s not easy for anyone. But once we surrender to God’s molding we will develop a love for health and science that will add great joy and meaning to our lives. And the reason it’s not easy is because we are sinful and we need to change. We want health but we don’t want to have to put in the work and commitment it takes to be healthier. God will change you if you will let Him and submit to this process. The truth is most of us need to repent and change course in this area and we need to do so today and not wait. Counting the cost is important though. Definitely count the cost before you engage.
The Bible supports purely psychological causes of mental illness.
There are laws of right-doing and right-thinking that react on our physical being. The knowledge of doing and even speaking right, truthful words, has a healing reaction on our physical body, including our mood and mind.
The Bible teaches this truth that how we use our physical brain – what might be called purely mental things, or the closest thing to it, the thoughts we think, and whether we choose to cherish faith and hope in Christ or doubt and rebellion in our heart – influences our body and our physical brain. Hope and faith and truthfulness build up the physical brain and the physical body and create a balanced state of health. Doubt and guilt and sin and hate break us down both mentally and physically. How we use our physical brain with our agency and free to think and to will, affects us physically. The truth that the mind reacts on the body is Biblical truth, not just one doctors are becoming aware of and it did not originate with the scientific and medical professions, but with the law of cause and effect in our actual world. The scientific and medical worlds are merely discovering this same truth that God’s Word has taught His people for thousands of years.
A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
Proverbs 15:23
A truthful and good answer actually produces joy in the heart of the person who gave it. I’ve experienced this writing this book, which has been a positive influence on my health. Conversely lying words or hateful words have a negative impact on a person’s health. Not just the one being verbally abused by the words, but also the one saying the words.
From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward. Proverbs 12:14
From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.
Proverbs 18:20
Both the work of our hands and the fruit of our lips bring reward and health to the body.
We also see from the scriptures that refusing to repent and remain in poor standing with God results in misery.
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
The immoral person who hasn’t repented and put their faith in Christ is not just immoral and selfish – this state of their heart and these choices they make result in misery and mental unhappiness. And then things often go even further and the state of their heart not only makes them feel mental depression but affects their physical body and their health often breaks down, or they develop fatigue issues, aches and pains and things like this. Sometimes even more severe symptoms like cancer or heart disease or autoimmune disease.
Recently I spent some time in a medical library and researched trauma, and it’s very well known in the medical community that not only does physical trauma bring on mental illness, but purely psychological trauma can bring on mental illness. I read about how men who had gone to war and experienced the trauma of war – it wasn’t necessary that they be physically injured for this to happen – would sometimes snap and start friendly firing at their fellow soldiers even when they’d gotten back from the battlefield and were safe. It reminded me of school shootings. Like the school shooters, this was a rare, but well-known phenomenon. It’s also known that grief can cause mental illness.
The Bible supports this concept as well.
So, while all mental illness has physical affects on the brain, this does not mean that the origin of the mental illness is physical. Purely psychological causes can be behind mental illness.
The good news is that we have some control over this. We can choose to repent and be saved and experience peace in Christ. We can choose to think hopeful thoughts that have their foundation in God’s goodness and his many promises to us. We can choose to be convicted and moved by His Holy Spirit to do justice and mercy in the world, to speak elevating truthful words, and the true and helpful words we speak will lift our mood and react on us in physically healthy ways.
There may be things outside of our control too. If we’re a child with an abusive parent, we may not be able to do anything about that. (Though society needs to crack down on abuse and develop better ways of determining that it is occurring – I think questionnaires at school and appointments with a school therapist would help abused kids open up about what is going on at home and then the school can get CPS involved). We can’t always control everything. The early church was persecuted and many of them were killed. In cases where we can’t control the situation and we’re suffering, we can know that God will bring good from bad. He will use the experience to grow our faith and help us understand more of His love and what he went through on Calvary for our salvation.
It is a sin to doubt God. Why is this? Because God is good. He is perfect goodness, and our lives in this world testify to that fact. He causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on both the just and the unjust, He has infinite and impartial love, dying for us while we were still enemies with God in order to forgive us and reconcile us to Himself. Hypothetically (because this scenario does not exist in real life) If God were not good, then it would not be a sin to doubt Him. It’s certainly not a sin to doubt people who have let us down such as abusers and selfish people in our lives. It’s not wrong to call people’s actions what they are, evil, if the person has done wrong and evil in their lives (but also to be aware of our own sins and not use their sin as a way to feel we are righteous on our own without Christ). So the reason these attitudes of doubt or hate or indifference towards God are wrong is because He is so just and merciful and good.
Our attitude towards God and our choices involving Him, such as not choosing to repent of sin and believe in Him and instead serving self, carrying the guilt of our past sins, can lead to mental depression, anxiety, mood swings, and even physical illnesses like cancer, heart disease, or autoimmune disorders and symptoms. How we use our mind, a concept known as mental stewardship, or management of our thought life, can bring on not only feelings of guilt and discontent and dissatisfaction, but even full mental illnesses like depression, or generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, etc. This is known in the medical world now. That the mind is very strong in its ability to affect the body. One condition that really highlights just how powerfully the mind can affect the body is something called placebo effect. Placebo affect is the reason scientific studies need to be double blind studies and have two groups of people – those who are given the medication and those who are given sugar pills- and no one is told which group they are in. The mind is so powerful that if someone thinks they have started a medication that is going to help them, their body can mimic the healing effects of the medication and make the symptoms of their illness or underlying condition lessen or disappear entirely, and this happens frequently enough that this effect has to be factored into all scientific studies or the data will be wrong and distorted if it isn’t taken into account.
There’s even a condition, pseudocyesis, where a woman perceives herself to be pregnant, and develops many or all of the signs of pregnancy, short of having an actual baby in her, but she actually isn’t pregnant. Her belief that she is pregnant causes her body to go through real physical changes that closely mimic the actual bodily changes of pregnancy.
Mrs. White speaks of this concept and says the thoughts we think send electrical signals through the whole system, and if these thoughts are negative and imbalanced, it can bring on a state of inflammation and disease to the whole system. Sometimes it’s poor mental stewardship that brings on illness, but other times the damaging effects of lies that we don’t know are lies can bring on illness, in innocent people. Mrs. White speaks of people losing their sanity because they believed hell burned people forever. These were good Christian people, but lies are damaging, especially ones about God’s character, and have very real negative effects.
A very real challenge that mentally ill Christians who are following God run into is that they may get blamed by other Christians for giving themselves depression or anxiety disorders. One big reason for this is that it’s just not as widely known that poor thought stewardship – harboring doubt and other negative attitudes – cause things like heart disease, and cancer, and autoimmune illness, as it is known that poor thought stewardship causes mental symptoms like depression and anxiety and psychological unrest.
It’s far more common for a Christian to accuse another Christian of lack of faith who has depression or anxiety than it is for that same Christian to accuse someone with diabetes of harboring doubt and disbelief in God. The diabetic is generally thought to be innocent and there’s a higher percentage of Christians who may see the person with chronic depression as guilty. But in reality doubt or rebellion against God can cause both of these conditions. And both of these conditions can also be caused by purely physical causes also. And then some people have both things going on – harboring an attitude of doubt or rebellion, and also perhaps they have a poor diet that weakens immunity, or maybe they were abused growing up which weakened their immune system and brought on sickness, or perhaps they were bit by a tick and contracted Lyme disease which tanked their immune system and brought on depression or disease. There can be multiple factors that bring on a state of mental or physical illness, some may be in the person’s control and others may not be.
The mind can react on the body and the body can react on the mind. It goes both ways. And we should never accuse anyone – this is the work of Satan and people he tempts to engage in his work. As Christians it’s important we seek God for strength to not share in Satan’s work. However, not everyone who brings up this issue is accusatory. There are many concerned Christians who endeavor to encourage one another to harbor faith and trust in God, and their counsel comes from a good place. They can still sometimes be wrong about an individual and may need to get informed about the power of the body to affect the mind, which is not as well known as the power of the thoughts to affect the mental state. They may not realize depression isn’t always purely mental in nature. It’s common for those with Lyme disease – a purely physical infection brought on by a tick bite – to have mental depression. Mrs. White is very helpful in explaining that anything that makes the blood sluggish can bring on a state of mental depression, and that even over-eating for a meal or two can push the person into a temporary depression that is relieved once they learn and practice healthier eating habits. Even things like not going outside often enough to get fresh air, and not having ones limbs adequately clothed can bring on a state of sluggish movement in the blood and bring on a state of mental depression.
It’s important we don’t make the mistake the disciples made when they asked Jesus who had sinned, the blind man, or his parents, that resulted in his blindness, the same mistake Job’s friends made when they jumped to the conclusion that Job had sinned when they saw he fell on hard times in every way, including losing his physical health. In both these cases sin wasn’t the cause of the blindness or Job’s chronic illness.
So sin may not be behind it, and jumping to conclusions based on whether the person is mentally ill, without asking them about their physical and mental health history can lead to errors. However, since we’re all prone to sinning in lifestyle habits, it is actually far more often that we do have some sin behind why we’re sick and even if we haven’t lost our health there’s usually some health-destroying lifestyle errors we’re all making that are keeping us from better health. I don’t believe we’ll be perfect in our lifestyle practices until our character is perfect, and so learning to be healthier and healthier and overcome more and more sin in the area of lifestyle and diet is a part of the sanctification process. So it’s ok to talk to people about areas they may need to improve if you are a health coach or just encouraging someone from church. Remember to include yourself too. There’s things you’re doing wrong you can improve on. Don’t let the person get the idea that you think you’re perfect and perfectly sanctified and that you have an air of self-righteousness rather than humility. You both need Christ and for Him to sanctify both of you.
What’s not ok though is to try to manage their health or their lives for them. We are to be encouragers and supporters, but not micromanagers. At the end of the day whether this person needs to make certain changes in their thought life or eating habits is between them and God, and not knowing their hearts we really can’t accurately diagnose their condition from a spiritual perspective and it’s not our place to do this. We may think we see sin in them and be wrong. God won’t tell us everything about them. He will however convict that person about their sin. So there’s huge gaps in our understanding about them, things that are known to them and God alone, and it’s important to respect those boundaries and that personal relationship they hold with God.
It’s not right for someone from church to repeatedly accuse someone of sin, and refuse to back off and let them be their own person and managers of their own lives. You can certainly share your concern with them if you think you see them doing something dangerous such as doubting God, or engaging in a health destroying lifestyle practice, but once you’ve expressed your concern and endeavored to give them support and help, it’s not your place to bring up this subject over and over again and lord things over them. After you have mentioned your concern several times, at that point it’s their choice what to do, and God respects their free will. Even God will not force them and so it’s important we don’t do it either. Force is a principle of Satan’s kingdom, not God’s. Back off at that point and witness by example. Endeavor to learn health practices yourself and abide by them and let the person see the benefits of health and getting right with God in your own life. Win them over without words by your godly witness as Paul says wives are to do with husbands who aren’t open to hearing about Christianity verbally.