The Hidden War: How Society Has Masked Demons as Mental Illness

 It is undeniable that many mental health conditions are real and biological in nature.

In an age of science and secularism, the modern world prides itself on its ability to diagnose and medicate the human mind. What was once seen as spiritual affliction is now often labeled under broad terms like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, or personality disorders. But have we truly advanced — or have we simply renamed the enemy?

The Biblical Lens: Recognition of Spirits

In biblical times, the presence of evil spirits was not misunderstood. Jesus Himself cast out demons and rebuked them. In Mark 5, the man possessed by a “Legion” of demons was not given herbs or therapy — he was delivered through divine authority. The early Church recognized that not all suffering was merely physical or mental. Some torments were spiritual in nature and required spiritual solutions.

People were healed through prayer, deliverance, fasting, and the power of the Holy Spirit. The line between the spiritual and the natural was not blurred — it was acknowledged and respected.

The Shift: From Rebuke to Prescription

As psychology advanced and the spiritual worldview diminished in the West, society gradually rebranded demonic manifestations. Where someone once needed a pastor or priest, they are now often handed a prescription bottle. Violent thoughts, dissociation, manic behavior, deep despair — all explained away as chemical imbalances or trauma responses.

While it is undeniable that many mental health conditions are real and biological in nature, the danger lies in ignoring the possibility of spiritual influence altogether. Instead of rebuking what torments the soul, we medicate to silence it. We numb the manifestations, but often fail to address the root cause.

The Consequence: A Society Unchecked

By denying the spiritual dimension of evil, modern culture has unintentionally allowed it to run rampant. What the Bible called unclean spirits, we now celebrate under the guise of “living your truth” or “mental health awareness.” Disorders that lead people to harm themselves, destroy relationships, or dive into darkness are labeled as identity or imbalance — never possession, never torment.

The result? A society more broken than ever, rich in diagnosis but starved of deliverance.

A Call Back to Discernment

This isn’t a call to reject science or medicine — but it is a plea for spiritual discernment. Just as Jesus cast out demons and healed the sick, we too must learn to differentiate between mental illness and spiritual affliction. Both exist. But when we mask demons with medication alone, we risk allowing them to thrive unchallenged.

We must return to the authority Christ gave His followers — to cast out, not medicate; to discern, not dismiss; to heal, not numb.

In silencing the spiritual dimension of suffering, society may believe it has evolved — but in truth, we’ve only given darkness a quieter mask. It is time to pull it off