demons healing

[SeventhValley]

In the Mountain of Silence Maximios says demons can heal. But in the gospels Christ says a house divided cannot stand(demons cannot heal) when he is accused of using demons to heal.

?????/

 

[inconsequential]

If that healing can lead someone astray, it would be tactically advantageous for the demons to do it. As a former "sorcerer" I have personally used good deeds to manipulate people to do my will.

 

[truefiction1]

In the Mountain of Silence Maximios says demons can heal. But in the gospels Christ says a house divided cannot stand(demons cannot heal) when he is accused of using demons to heal.

?????/

What exactly did Maximios mean then?

 

[SeventhValley]

I have done full pagan rituals with a Ceremonial Magician and other types of pagans. I have never encountered anything remotely supernatural.

It was actually kind of a let down.

 

[SeventhValley]

If that healing can lead someone astray, it would be tactically advantageous for the demons to do it. As a former "sorcerer" I have personally used good deeds to manipulate people to do my will.

Yea that would make sense but why would Christ use the line of reasoning he did against those who accused him of using demons unless that is the way things work?

 

[inconsequential]

The "key" to magic is to submit to the will of the enemy. The more intent one is on causing chaos and darkness, the more effectively it works. When I tried to help people altruistically (in the early stages of my occult practice), I failed exclusively. After my heart grew darker and "helping" someone became selfish and manipulative, it began to work a little. I wont claim to have had "powers" but I have performed Satanic rituals to bring harm to others and what I prescribed in those rituals came to pass.

 

[inconsequential]

Yea that would make sense but why would Christ use the line of reasoning he did against those who accused him of using demons unless that is the way things work?

The consistency of His witness and what He was professing and teaching was antithetical to Satan's intent. The way He was healing brought glory to God.

 

[Kristos]

In the Mountain of Silence Maximios says demons can heal. But in the gospels Christ says a house divided cannot stand(demons cannot heal) when he is accused of using demons to heal.

?????/

I hadn't heard this before, so I really can't say what Maximos meant without more context. I suppose the assumption here is that temporal physical healing from affliction or delivery from suffering is an objective "good", a demon cannot do "good", therefore a demon cannot "heal". Perhaps the problem is in the base assumption - that temporal physical healing is an absolute good. I think Christ healed as signs, but He was always clear that the "real" healing was of the spirit and the nature of Man, which was accomplished on the Cross. In that sense, the demons are powerless, but it would seem that they could still use temporal physical comforts to trick us, no?

 

[Boris89]

From what I have read in spiritual literature, demons can cause a sickness to seemingly disappear, fooling the observer into thinking the person is healed. After some time, the affliction comes in a much stronger form.

This is usually the case with people visiting magicians and witch doctors for healing.

 

[inconsequential]

Wasn't it in Mountain of Silence where the story is recounted of visiting an Indian fakir who showed the group of tourists a vision of them arriving on the ship?

 

[ArmyMatt]

because the demons are liars. they can make it seem like a healing has occurred, to entrap someone's soul more and keep them in deception.

 

[SeventhValley]

I guess they could cause an illness and remove it. Then it kind of would be healing.

 

[Dari0]

interesting thread. So according to some of you, demons can temporarily heal people?

 

[SeventhValley]

He basically said in chapter 8 that the devil uses miracles to decive but that you can recognize him by his inconsistency.

 

[SeventhValley]

I honestly have a hard time believing demons,angels,spirits etc exist.

It is hard to have faith in something you have never seen or experienced.

 

[SeventhValley]

From what I have read in spiritual literature, demons can cause a sickness to seemingly disappear, fooling the observer into thinking the person is healed. After some time, the affliction comes in a much stronger form.

This is usually the case with people visiting magicians and witch doctors for healing.

Just realized you said what I just wrote in post #12

 

[jckstraw72]

Wasn't it in Mountain of Silence where the story is recounted of visiting an Indian fakir who showed the group of tourists a vision of them arriving on the ship?

sounds like a story that's in Fr. Seraphim's Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future.

 

[Dari0]

I honestly have a hard time believing demons,angels,spirits etc exist.

It is hard to have faith in something you have never seen or experienced.

its true. sometimes I feel sad for supposed christian parents that grow in a christian like home/family, and everything is so mediocre, no encounters or things come to life.

I've seen God work in my life, not physically, but spiritually transform me, its been an amazing journey

 

[~Anastasia~]

Just realized you said what I just wrote in post #12

That's pretty much what came to my mind. I don't have much to add. I haven't read the book, so I can't comment on what St. Maximos was saying, but it seems to me that if demons can bind people or cause a sickness, they might just be willing to loosen the hold if doing so could cause more deception and error.

 

[ArmyMatt]

interesting thread. So according to some of you, demons can temporarily heal people?

oh yeah, they can heal us to draw us away from Christ. like a lot of the televangelist healings that seem to work, but only draw folks away.