Spiritual warfare and mental illnesses are viewed as occurrences that are at odds with each other. However, this was not the case in earlier times. It was not until the mid-1880s that scientists such as Sigmund Freud encouraged the separation of religion from psychiatric science.[i] In his view, religion was one of the primary causes of psychopathy stemmed from religious and spiritual experiences. In a Christian spiritual context, most believers see their faith as the only tool needed to fight all their perceived problems. While this is admirable, it has left many individuals with many untreated mental conditions that have the potential of negatively influencing the social environment in which they operate.
In recent years, however, it has been discovered that religion and spirituality are beneficial resources in trying to combat mental illness. Many studies have been done to see how different aspects of religion and spirituality can affect individuals’ mental health. The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast psychopathology and spiritual warfare and deeply examine how they can be applied in Christian counselling.
Psychopathology
According to the American Psychiatry Association, psychopathology can be described as the study of mental disorders in terms of the causes, symptomatology, causes, treatments, and the social implications of how we perceive it.[ii] A mental disorder can be described as a clinical behaviour or pattern that stems from distress, pain, or a dysfunction of an essential part of the human body, such as the heart. Psychotherapy directly originates from clinical praxis such as psychoanalysis and natural sciences like behaviorism. One of the greatest advocates for psychotherapy was Sir. Sigmund Freud who was a neurologist. He believed strongly in the explanation given by Socrates, one of the greatest Greek giants.[iii] Everything had a natural process to it. This meant that people could quickly recover from the disease that they were suffering if natural conditions were set.
Psychopathology majorly focuses on biological and physical issues. These are given the utmost attention. Unlike the use of spiritual warfare, psychotherapy utilizes evidence-based approaches that are reductionist. There are different approaches used in psychopathology;
- Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)
REBT is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that capitalizes on individual’s responsibility towards their feelings.[iv] This form of psychotherapy excludes the need to include God in any of the circumstances one finds himself. REBT follows the theory that generally, people are happy when they have unconditional self-acceptance, unconditional acceptance of others, and finally, high tolerance to stress. This psychotherapy approach excludes religion as it demonstrates that the highest form of human happiness is experienced from within the self. REBT is entirely limited to a person’s physicality, while a spiritual approach shifts focus to a transcendent being. While REBT focuses on human enjoyment and survival, it does not include a human being’s ethical and spiritual dimensions. It is worth noting even though the basic principles of REBT being different from Christian theology, some aspects of it can be borrowed and used in pastoral care because they value life.
- Gestalt Theory
Gestalt theory as a form of psychotherapy capitalizes on individuals’ self-actualization and freedom. It operates under the principle that when people are emotionally healthy and mentally strong, they can reach a point of self-actualization and free to experience life. They do not yield to external approval or restrictions. This psychotherapy theory is 100% secular and occurs in three stages: early age/social stage, psychophysical stage, and spiritual stage (development of fulfilment).
This theory is contrary to Christian spiritual beliefs. The theory in Christian circles is that individuals may not necessarily feel free and healthy emotionally due to the guilt of sins they have committed, which hurts their overall health. Scholars such as Renear 1976 have argued that this approach has some similarities with religion as it calls for the wholesomeness of individuals such as Jesus did.[v] He called people into the abundance of life. Another aspect that seems similar is the Gestalt theory calls for growth through the process. This is similar to the Christian life that is supposed to be an imitation of Christ’s discipleship, a growth process with its ups and downs.
Spiritual Warfare
Spirituality can be defined as the belief in a supreme being who controls things’ flow and thus is the ultimate truth. [vi]Spiritual warfare is the battle between the Christian and the devil that cannot be tied to the physical and natural world. It is understood within the religious circles that there reside little demons of sins within our hearts that may easily influence one’s state of mind. It is indeed true that there is demon possession among individuals, and in such cases, psychotherapy cannot be an effective tool in offering mitigation. Pastors are supposed to be well versed and capable of casting out demons. However, counselling is still mandatory and separating spiritual issues from mental and psychological ones. According to the Bible, it has always been a battle between good and evil. A third of God’s angels rebelled, and after losing the war, they were cast into the world. These fallen angels form a part of what is called demons. Spiritual warfare continues to rage in the world, as we know it. In the book of Ephesians 6, Christians are warned to be wary, for they do not war against the flesh blood but are fighting against principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places. This implies that demons freely roam in the world today and have the potential of causing harm to people in it. In the same Ephesians book, Christians are told to put the whole armour of faith to combat spiritual possession.
From a basic description of spiritual warfare, it is effortless to spot the significant difference between spiritual warfare and psychopathy. Psychopathology looks into the world as a physical entity and approaches mental illnesses from a natural process angle. On the other hand, Spiritual warfare is on the extreme side as it views the world from a spiritual perspective setting aside its physicality. To deal with demonic possession, one has to rely on God entirely. In trying to understand spiritual warfare, one can use the analogy of a wrestler. When one finds himself in the wrestling ring, he must fight. Sometimes it is a fight to the death. Demonic possession makes the opponent stronger, and with just bare hands, one cannot fight against a demon. Christians are counselled to rely upon the creator to get their full strength in fighting the devil.
The Difference between Mental Illness and Demonic Possession
One of the issues that a Christian counselor must know is that demonic possession manifests differently from mental illness. That said, some of the mental health illness symptoms manifest like a demon possession. Some factors can be used to distinguish these phenomena within Christian circles:
- Attraction to vs. Aversion to religion
One of the primary characteristics of a demon is that it is rebellious to God. Anything truly spiritual will trigger a demonic manifestation from an individual. The theory is that when a demon hears about the gospel story and the triumph God has over evil, they are reminded of their impending doom. This triggers them to react in a very violent way. An excellent example is an encounter Jesus had with the man who had been demon-possessed and living in isolation in the caves. When Jesus confronted the demons, they responded by asking, why are you disturbing us before our time? Mentally ill people have no aversion to religion. They may portray actions that make it seem like they are repelled by religion, but this can be because they have lost hope or are unsure whether to seek help. When their cases are followed up with love and care, they can easily open up and get the help they need.
- Irrational Vs. Rational speech pattern
Two qualities of demons that are less spoken of are that they are incredibly knowledgeable and skilful beings. They are fallen angels, and the Bible clearly says in the book of Hebrews that God made angels be slightly above human beings. From these two factors, we can conclude that an individual manifesting demonic possession is more likely to be more coherent in expressing their thoughts in a conversation. A demon-possessed person may be witty and very mysterious in a conversation with a genuinely spiritual person. On the other hand, people with mental disorders often have erratic speech patterns. In the case of bipolar disorder, one may be happy about something in one minute, and in the next hour, they are sad about it. This shows a swift change in moods rather than demonic possession. Depression can also lead to erratic speeches in a case where their suffering consumes an individual. It may also manifest in the use of aggressive words to build a wall against them.
- Ordinary knowledge vs. spiritual Knowledge
As demonstrated in the speech’s previous point, demons are spiritual beings who were initially created to be slightly above people. For this reason, they have a much deeper knowledge of spiritual things and thus can easily manipulate people around them. When conversing with a demon-possessed person, they may say something about you that is predictive, thus seeming like a prophecy. On the other hand, a person that is suffering from mental illness will express common knowledge. It is important to note that people who have high intellect can also have a mental illness, which is not a sign of demonic possession.
- Normal vs. occultist phenomena
Individuals who perform an exorcism, demon removal from a human being see extraordinary happenings. Such phenomena include behaviors that natural processes could not explain. There are news reports on people who, during an exorcism, have seen people exhibiting peculiar body movements and enormous body strength. The occultist phenomena are lacking in a person experiencing mental illness. People may exhibit aggressive tendencies due to issues they are facing. Other times due to drug abuse, display very erratic language. Knowing a personal history of drug abuse can help when a counselor or pastoral caregiver lacks surety on what they are handling.
- The claim to be possessed
It is famously said that if individuals claim to be something, in most instances, they are not. In many cases, people who claim to be demon-possessed are not. They may claim that people label them as demon-possessed and them accepting such a title. Demons are very sly and tricky creatures that need a host body to survive. These creatures cannot risk anything to be exposed unless in a case that the Holy Spirit’s power overwhelmed them and there was no other way.
- Effects of therapy
Observing the effects of therapy can be a predictor of whether a person is demon-possessed or not. This is not necessarily an effective method of determining one is demon-possessed or not. There are instances where individuals suffering from mental illnesses successfully feign getting better only to attempt suicide successfully or unsuccessfully. Demons are survival creatures and much likely to keep a host alive to oppress him the more.
Spiritual warfare in a Christian life does not end with demonic possession. A large percentage of the warfare within the Christian has nothing to do with demon possession. Christian theology teaches that the world we live in is in a fallen state due to the sin committed by our first father, Adam. Sin entered into the world through him, and from that day henceforth, it has been a constant battle between Good and evil. Man can will to do good but due to human[vii] weakness, end up doing a regrettable action. This can lead to guilt and depression. It is not a promise in the Bible that being a Christian automatically exempts one from the world’s happenings. Christians should expect to go through sicknesses and sufferings just as anyone. Mental health conditions do not result from God punishing people from sin. In one incident in the Bible, Jesus met a man who was deaf and dumb and was asked by his disciple who had sinned for the boy to be that ill. Jesus responded by saying he was not sick because his mother or father had sin. God, however, promises to offer His guidance and assistance when individuals are going through a difficult time. Most Christians believe that faith is enough to solve any problem they may be experiencing in their personal lives. If a person’s condition does not improve, it can be attributed to the fact that they have little or no faith that the situation would get better. As demonstrated, this is a wrong assumption.
Christian theology plays a role in explaining God, human beings interact, and how this interaction affects both the spiritual and physical well-being of an individual. In Christianity, God plays a central role in everything, and without him, nothing that happens can happen. Most Christian’s scholars have seriously criticized Freud’s reductionist approach towards religion because it led to many psychotherapeutic schools looking for solutions from sources that were natural but evidence-based. When a Christian faces a challenge, the first and only person they may contact is their spiritual leader, a pastor. This may be the only person they may contact with this issue. The disadvantage to this is that most of these clergymen are not trained concerning emotional and behavioural problems their flock may be facing. Most of these spiritual leaders focus on the spiritual side of the affected individuals.
Psychotherapy has been for a long time separated from Christianity, with most of the psychoanalysis fields practicing neutrality when trying to offer treatment to patients. Although there is a considerable difference between pastoral care and psychopathology, there are essential elements that can be integrated for effective Christian counselling. The defining factor of Christian theology and salvation is the act of Jesus at the cross, culminating in one-word love. Jesus demonstrated love in all His actions, and thus Christians have a mandate to emulate and bask in the same passion. Without a doubt, love forms the basis of human experience both in secular and spiritual (God, love, and self) circles. The three aspects interact, and if one misses out, there could arise a problem in an individual’s life. In psychopathology, love is a bit on the selfish side. For instance, people can give love only if they feel like doing it and, most importantly, if they feel good and have positive feelings about it. The differences can affect how therapy is given to people. Suppose an individual is dealing with toxic relationships within the family cycle. In psychopathology, the most likely approach will be to cut the ties and not feel guilty about trying to free oneself from the clutches of a toxic person. On the other hand, in pastoral care, one can view such incidences as opportunities for growth, not necessarily cutting off contacts but learning to love despite the shortcomings.
Another significant difference between Christian-based care and psychopathology is the anthropology aspects. While both make derivation from human and natural sciences, Christian anthropology makes use of Christian tradition. In Christian anthropology, the reductionist approach is excluded.[viii] The ultimate purpose of a human being is derived from God. Christian anthropology is transcendental and includes heaven, hell, death, and judgment in trying to explain life’s problems. Christian care follows the approach that all man by the design of Adam’s first sin is fallen in nature. However, through one man, Jesus Christ, salvation was brought down to man. All things inclusive of the human body and soul are redeemable through him. Christians, therefore, do not look inside of them for help but somewhat out of them. This is a significant difference from psychopathology as it is centred on self-actualization and self-fulfilment.
When focusing on spiritual warfare to give pastoral care to Christians, teaching, preaching, guiding, and supporting approach is commonly used.
Hamartiology
The doctrine of sin is one of the essential aspects of trying to understand spiritual warfare.[ix] In the most basic sense, sin is going against God’s eternal law through speech, actions, and thoughts. When sin is dominant in an individual’s life, it can be a source of physical and emotional disturbances such as depression, isolation, guilt, hatred, and unlimited anger issues. In trying to help a Christian with their problems, one must understand that these people may be suffering from this because they have a broken relationship with God.
The concept of forgiveness differs in psychopathology and Christian-based pastoral care. In the Christian circle, forgiveness is unbound. It can be given many times. Even in situations, you cannot obtain forgiveness from a fellow man; God’s forgiveness in true repentance covers all sins. In psychopathology, forgiveness is entirely a human action, and depending on the situation and personality type, it could be given or not. Some mental health issues can result from the guilt of a past action or being a victim of someone’s action in the past. In the Christian faith, when it is hard due to human nature to ask or give forgiveness, one relies entirely on the Holy Spirit’s provision. The famous Lord’s Prayer says it all, ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ This is the opposite in psychopathology, as one has to find the will inside them to move on from a past action or hurt.
Confession also gives one of the significant differences between psychopathology and spiritual-based care. A therapist using psychoanalysis receives patient confidentiality. The patients will confide with their parents on their desires and their utmost guilt, and in return, they will not be receiving any judgment from them. It is more as if they pray a role of a confessor. This is unconditional acceptance allows people to relieve their burden by transference. This does not address the issue of sin, as it would be done in Christian therapy. A Christian therapist does not accept the issue of transference. The affected individuals go through the process knowing the magnitude of sin committed and condition of forgiveness that God has put in place for humankind if they only ask in sincerity.
Use of Psychopathology in Christian Counselling (Pastoral Psychopathology)
It is a tricky situation dealing with mental illness in religious circles. However, the truth remains that even in the Christian circle; individuals are dealing with deep psychological issues. This, therefore, means that they have to be given the right kind of therapy. Therapists must develop ways in which they can help these individuals. When examining mental illnesses, it can be looked at in the sense of religion as a means of combating mental health. One of the common mistakes due to lack of knowledge is legitimate grouping illness of the body and mind as resulting of little or lack therefore of holiness. This does not take away from the fact mental disorders increase hope for salvation as it makes humans more aware of their human insufficiency.
According to Lapsey, religion and mental illnesses are two interdependent and inseparable factors. This means that mental illness can occur to both spiritual and non-spiritual individuals. Theologically, God’s grace is extended to everyone going through these experiences.
Psycho-Pastoral Aid
Pycho-pastoral aid aims to embrace a Christian tradition where there is a belief in respect of all persons, a companionate God, and eventual triumph over evil. It does not end at the office where an individual goes to get weekly or daily counselling. [x]The whole community forms a supportive wall around the person experiencing mental difficulties in loving fellowship and experiencing victory over an illness. Many studies show that being spiritually sound positively correlates with overcoming mental health issues in the end. A priest or a pastoral counsellor has a primary role towards his folks regarding the healing process from mental illness. One of the standard procedures suggested by the Hiltners (1958) that gives a religious counselor an upper hand over the secular one followed three steps; shepherding, communication and organizing. The advantage is that the Christian counselor can make the first move towards the individual who is hurting. The second advantage is that a pastor, for instance, occupies a special place as a spiritual leader and is an image of comfort and hope that God gives assurance of in the Bible. As a spiritual leader, a pastor is not limited to only offering counselling. Instead, he can connect people to find jobs help them join other organizations that may serve as a milestone taken in trying to deal with their problems.
Another advantage a pastor or a Christian counsellor has is that he/she can help affected individuals integrate with the social environment around them. They are better placed in conducting family therapy, as they are a symbol of authority to everyone in a Christian family. They can quickly talk and educate people concerning mental health issues during sermons and Bible study sessions. A pastor can also be able to persuade individuals who are shy from seeking professional help. There is not a single psycho-spiritual method. However, they can all conform to a three-step procedure that includes self-exploration, awareness of God’s presence in one’s life, cognitive reorganization, and the last stage of decisive action.
Psycho-Spiritual Integration
At no point should psychological problems manifesting in a person be confused with religious difficulties, neither mental illness with spiritual sinfulness or psychotherapy with a confession. If confused, we can end up offering spiritual answers to psychological problems, which may prove ineffective. Differentiation is critical when seeking to integrate these two factors. Indeed, God works miracles in the lives of Christians. Sometimes people were healed from physical illness; you find someone who battled cancer having no trace of cancers. However, most of the time, Christians go through the same treatment as all other non-believers, as being a believer does not exempt one from experiencing routine life procedures.
From having a healthy spiritual life, it can be easy for a secular therapist to focus on removing blocks that hinder the person from experiencing God fully. One can share love and support at the human level before trying to seek out God. When giving a spiritual solution where psychotherapy is needed, it is easy for an individual’s faith to be shaken. For example, if an individual has Post-Traumatic stress disorder and their pastor insists if they pray enough, God will lift them from their despair. This could easily lead to instances of suicide or individuals falling away from the faith.
One of the mental illnesses that can be effectively managed with psycho–spiritual therapy is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Just as the name suggests, OCD constitute obsession and compulsion. Individuals suffering from OCD have repetitive thoughts on doubts about themselves, contamination, and violence. In a Christian setting, OCD can be easily projected in the way people approach their spirituality. Such would include having massive doubts on whether one is forgiven for a sense that had been committed. They may want to repeatedly confess for a perceived sin and not be sure of the fact that he/she is forgiven after they have confessed. It is easy to note OCD as individuals suffering from it are very keen on detail and thus when giving confessions may be awful specifically. In psychotherapy, the term curing is loosely used and mostly means keeping individuals’ mental problems at manageable conditions. A combination of both psychopathology and spirituality can bring beautiful results in trying to cure OCD. The psychopathology part helps the counselor understands what the individual is dealing with and how OCD manifests in their life. Spirituality, on the other hand, gives them a way to cope. For example, suppose an individual is genuinely repentant about a sin he committed. In that case, he should have an assurance that God does not need him to confess to a million people before they have forgiven. Sometimes the pastor or counselor will need to take a firmer approach to put their obsession under control.
Conclusion
Creating a balance between psychopathology and spiritual guidance is critical and can help achieve milestones in helping people. For a long time, Christians have wrongly labelled mental health issues as demon possession. This has led to people who had salvageable mental health conditions to seek help in all the wrong places. This does more harm than good. Understanding that the Bible does talk about these conditions as part of everyday life and the available strength to overcome in Jesus is critical. On the other hand, psychopathology has been very dismissive of religion and has tremendously neglected that spirituality to some people is not just a way of life, but it is who they are. Integrating these two in a workable manner brings benefits to those who identify with a religion.
In trying to integrate psychopathology and Christian-based pastoral care, the counsellor must be well versed with both theologies. They should be accepting of both approaches to deliver the much-needed help effectively. The based personnel for this huge responsibility as a Christian. Having a Christian counselor is much more advantageous as they deeply understand and believe Christian doctrines on sin, mental illnesses, and demon possession. One approach one can use is the use of scriptures. Many studies have been done that show that spirituality and religiousness correlate positively with mental health. In the Bible, a lot has been mentioned concerning issues such as anxiety. Encouraging Christians in counselling to read scripture can be a source of strength as they try to find their way out of a mental hole they find themselves.
While some scholars, who choose to take a humanistic approach in life, tend to disagree on demon possession issues, it is proven through past incidents that such occurrences are there. This means that counselors should be wary when dealing with patients. It is vital to seek help from other counselors and keep track of progress made in the psychiatry world to ensure quality help is afforded to affected individuals.
Bibliography
American Psychological Association. APA Dictionary of Psychology: Psychopathology.
Darmanin, Alfred. “Pastoral psychopathology: ministering to the mentally ill”.
LaBarbera, Robin, and June Hetzel. “Christian educators’ use of prayer to cope with stress.” Journal of religion and health 55.4 (2016): 1433-1448.
Parks, Alton Kawan. “Mental Illness and Demonic Influence: The Difference Between Them and the Difference It Makes.” (2020).
Woldemichael, Meaza T., Marcel Broesterhuizen, and Axel Liègeois. “Christian pastoral care and psychotherapy: a need for theoretical clarity.” Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 67.4 (2013): 1-13.
[i] Darmanin, Alfred. “Pastoral psychopathology: ministering to the mentally ill”.
[ii] American Psychological Association. APA Dictionary of Psychology: Psychopathology.
[iii] Darmanin, Alfred. “Pastoral psychopathology: ministering to the mentally ill”.
[iv] Woldemichael, Meaza T., Marcel Broesterhuizen, and Axel Liègeois. “Christian pastoral care and psychotherapy: a need for theoretical clarity.” Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 67.4 (2013): 1-13.
[v] Darmanin, Alfred. “Pastoral psychopathology: ministering to the mentally ill”.
[vi] Parks, Alton Kawan. “Mental Illness and Demonic Influence: The Difference Between Them and the Difference It Makes.” (2020).
[vii] Woldemichael, Meaza T., Marcel Broesterhuizen, and Axel Liègeois. “Christian pastoral care and psychotherapy: a need for theoretical clarity.” Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 67.4 (2013): 1-13.
[viii] Parks, Alton Kawan. “Mental Illness and Demonic Influence: The Difference Between Them and the Difference It Makes.” (2020).
[ix] Darmanin, Alfred. “Pastoral psychopathology: ministering to the mentally ill”.
[x] Woldemichael, Meaza T., Marcel Broesterhuizen, and Axel Liègeois. “Christian pastoral care and psychotherapy: a need for theoretical clarity.” Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 67.4 (2013): 1-13.
