Anyone familiar with the famous book by Norman Cousins, “Anatomy Of an Illness,” will appreciate the importance of non-medical agencies and psychological perceptions on healing. Indeed, not all diseases are of known causes. Diseases with unknown causes are called idiopathic diseases in medicine.
Whereas infectious diseases are mainly caused by bacteria, fungi, parasites (worms and protozoa), prions, and viruses, non-infectious diseases are caused by malfunction and/or malformation of bodily cells, tissues, and/or organs. Yet, there are other diseases for which the cause is unknown and are hence untreatable by Orthodox medicine.
Among pagans and idolaters, it is well known that the “gods” or “evil spirits” inhabiting these idols worshipped by pagans can cause disease in those who transgress their laws. Moreover, anyone can approach these “spirits” or idols through the priest to kill or incapacitate their enemies with diseases that can’t be healed.
Credence is given to this in the Gospels when Christ first forgave the sins of the sick or exorcised evil spirits from the leprous, blind, dumb, deaf, mad, or epileptic before they became fully healed. This was in sharp contrast to situations in which he just used spit, clay and washing to heal one who was born blind.
Evidently, this means that evil spirits or sins, which invite evil spirits, can cause disease, for which no medical therapy can treat. In effect, some diseases are spiritual in nature and must be healed spiritually. For instance, when Christ met the mad demoniac at Gergesa, the disciples fled on seeing him who looked like a beast, with torn chains, matted hair, and a wasted body. However, Christ cast the evil spirits from him into the pigs, and he was suddenly healed and sane.
There are anecdotes of people hearing “voices” that push them to commit suicide, murder, or other heinous crimes, or go naked. Indeed, a relative of yours truly committed suicide because of such “voices”. These “voices”, obviously from evil spirits, can make the mentally tortured and confused victim speak out to the spirits like a madman. As it becomes intense, it can make the victim mad, depressed, hallucinatory, dumb, or psychologically imbalanced.
Therefore, not all diseases are caused by infections or physiological malfunctions and such diseases need a higher spiritual power to effect true healing. For this reason, many fall victims to charlatan charismatic “pastors” who loot them of their life savings. True spiritual and physical healing is obtained from God only, and it is free. Anyone who approaches Christ in prayer, confession, and remorse can be sure of His mercy and healing.
But for the protection of God’s holy angels, Satan would have destroyed humanity with myriad untreatable diseases, making us living wretches so that we blame God for our predicaments. Indeed, anyone who does not have the protection of God’s holy angels is easily subject to the darts of Satan. We must therefore be grateful to God for His protection, healing mercies, and the peace that we enjoy. Let us not take these things for granted, for Satan came to steal, kill and destroy, but Christ gives life, peace, and abundant grace.
Let us therefore rally under the banner of Christ to secure our physical and spiritual protection from witches, occultists, and evil spirits that seek our eternal ruin.
