Jesuit Malachi Martin wrote a famous book documenting major exorcisms entitled "Hostage to the Devil." He famously claimed, "There are no atheists at a genuine exorcism." Here are 2 of my families personal cases of confronting a demoniac:
(1) My cousin E is a psychiatrist and the son of a Pentecostal minister. E's Dad (My Uncle George) shared with me an experience he and E had when E was only 3 years old. George was summoned to a possessed woman's house to perform an exorcism, while E waited with his Mom in their car, oblivious to what was happening in the house. The moment the demon was expelled, it sought to possess young E. E's eyes suddenly rolled up in his sockets so that only the whites were visible and his awareness of the possessing entity caused him to scream continuously in terror. All the way home, E's parents prayed for his deliverance and finally their prayers were answered. E. told me that the only thing he recalls from this horror was a supernatural vision of himself being lovingly cradled in Jesus' protective arms.
(2) When my younger brother D was 16, he and I were watching "Hockey Night in Canada" and badgering our poor mother for more hot dogs and ice cream. Suddenly D went into a trance. When he came out of it, he bizarrely announced that God had just called him to go downtown and perform an exorcism. This didn't compute with me; so I lamely told him not to be out too late! But when he left, I began to worry that D was really serious.
When he later returned, he shared this terrifying story. God directed him to ride the bus downtown to a Christian coffee house. When he arrived, there was nothing unusual; so he began to doubt his mission...until a stranger approached him and said, "You're here on a special mission, aren't you?" This comment gave him pause, and so, he waited longer. Then chaos erupted just outside the coffee house. A gang of older teens were challenging Christians who wanted to enter to a fight. The Spirit identified their leader as his target. So my brother went outside, addressed him by name, and solemnly said, "E, God has revealed to me that you're possessed and has sent me to exorcise you!" E and his gang predictably responded with ridicule: "OK, bring it on!" D had never performed an exorcism. So what would he do now?
D bowed his head and just gently touched E on the forehead. It was as if D's gentle touch electricuted E! He fell prostrate to the ground and frothed at the mouth for a couple of minutes before quietly saying, "Thank you." The other gang members were so scared they wanted to get saved on the spot, though their conversions turned out to be rather shallow. When D returned home to share his adventure with me, he opened his Bible and the first verse his eyes lit upon said, "See that you tell no one!" D is now a successful doctor in Colorado and is still to scared to discuss his exorcism when I ask for more deetails. E went on to become a famous Canadian media person.
