["Creation of Adam," detail, Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo, c. 1512]
Toward the end of an exorcism session, I typically ask the afflicted person: “How are you doing?” The response is almost always: “I am exhausted.” They are not just tired; they feel completely drained. After a session, it may take the afflicted person several days to recover, especially in the early stages of the liberation process.
An exorcism is a real battle. The demons possessing the person’s body are tough and accustomed to suffering; they can suffer excruciating pain for a long time without leaving. Also, for many reasons, they desperately do not want to leave. So the conflict is intense and exhausting for both the demons and the person they are possessing. The afflicted person is the locus of that battle and thus drained of energy after the battle.
But there is another reason why a demonically afflicted person, and all those who come in direct contact with demons, are exhausted. Only God gives life; demons bring death. In hell there is no water, no light, and no energy. Everything demons touch is sapped of its life and energy.
Also, demons do not want to “listen” to the prayers which cause them incredible pain. Anything that resembles the Truth is odious to the “Father of Lies” and his minions. So, the demons try not to listen to the prayers and “tune out” the person they are inhabiting. They try to shut down the senses, i.e., they put the person to sleep.
In the midst of a session, when I see an afflicted person starting to nod off, I typically say: "In Jesus’ name, I command the demons to listen to the prayers! I command the demons of lethargy to leave!” Not uncommonly, the person will immediately wake up and refocus on the session.
This presence of demons draining people of energy also affects our exorcists and team members- at least temporarily. I have had a few exorcists remark to me that they feel unusually drained after an exorcism and cannot understand why they are so tired. After several exorcism sessions in one day, our SMC exorcists often feel almost unable to move or walk for a few hours.
Demons suck our energy. God gives life. One sign of sanctity is an incredible sense of life and vitality. Saints typically are said to be supernaturally full of energy. They are full of God’s divine life which animates their spirits and flows over into their minds and bodies. Thus it is critical for our exorcists and team members to have a vibrant spiritual life. We need to be re-energized after confronting a pack of energy-draining demons.
For all of us, one antidote to exhaustion is prayer. People often report being re-energized by connecting to God. Prayer opens us to God’s divine life and divine energy. If you are exhausted and don't know what to do, why not try praying?
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*See Exorcist Diary #240: Demons of Lethargy.
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