In many cases brain damage causes personality changes. I know a couple of people who suffered some brain injuries (apparently), and now they are both extremely self-centered and deceitful and uncaring. They were both Christians prior to the change. I don't know if they consider themselves Christians now. This is the sort of personality change that probably inspired belief in demon possession.
What this demonstrates to me is that freewill is an illusion. In light of that, it seems that many of the Christian ideas about salvation are either wrong or incredibly arbitrary.
Just wondering what others think.
It is neither. Most all of "us" are just ill-informed. That is due to the behavior of the leaders of the Church and Temple.
I do not know where the idea of free will under a
Sovereign, Most High God came from. Do we have "free will" with our parents? Can any of us do
anything we want (1), even without any consequences that could range from minor to catastrophic (2)? Only holy entities have real free will, and they
choose to give 100% of their will over to the will of the Most High God. (That is one of the definition of being holy).
All
fallen creatures have
limited will - we have the latitude to
react to the stimuli to which we are exposed. This is why it is such a big deal to have faith in Him, and trust Him. Like the Word of God said, worry won't add one "inch" to your stature. You are not the master of your own destiny. You are not in control of your life.
But there is some good news.
1) The fallen entities that chose to [try to] do their own will also do
not have free will; they have limited will as well.
2) Because these entities were of a higher order of creation, and they sought to swindle us the first thing out of our creation (instead of teaching and guiding according to the Most High God), they will be
judged for their actions.
3) A
contingency plan was already in placed in anticipation of the
once free will turned to selfish lusts the fallen shared. There is also already a book of Life from the foundations of the world; all of this running to and fro on
all sides other than holy are for nothing. Everything has already happened... "Behold, He has told us
everything."
The Word of God Himself humiliated His status as the right hand of the Most High God to a Son of Man, did everything He was supposed to according to the Most High God - even unto death. And, as a result He opened the door up for all of us sons of men (humans) to have salvation, and therefore live.
4) Because of this,
whoever is written in the book of life - the people of the Most High God from the foundations of the earth - will be saved. That doesn't mean anything but what it says; you can still go through hell, but everyone who is His will come to be saved.
This war goes much deeper than the physical. Something may have impeded "normal" behavior to us, but there may be a plethora of spiritual things happening for which we are unaware. Therefore, judgement to a
place (heaven or hell) is only for the Most High God.