Evil Spirits Ironically Testify to the Existence of the All-Good God

The problem of evil poses a stumbling block for existing and would-be Christians. How and why would God permit evil? And if He allows it, why believe in such a God?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) addresses the mystery of iniquity, including how a loving God could permit the abuse of freedom: because love coerced is no love at all (see CCC 284–285; 309–314; 323–324).

Freedom

God gave freedom not only to us as human beings, but also to the angels, who are created spirits. And an angel who chose badly—i.e., a demon who willfully fell from grace—is featured in today’s Gospel Reading (Mark 9:14–29). In the mystery of His Providence, God permits the devil and his demonic associates to help wake up humanity (see Rom. 8:28; CCC 156).

Such divine shock treatment is especially helpful to those who conclude there is no God, and those who believe while rationalizing one major vice or another that can’t be reconciled with Christian discipleship (see, e.g., 1 Cor. 6:9–10).

In today’s reading, a mute demon—for undisclosed reasons—has possessed a man’s son since childhood (9:17, 20–22). In this regard, I’m reminded of one of my favorite movies—The Exorcist—which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and is based on the real-life story of a Lutheran boy in suburban Washington, DC, in 1949, who became possessed by playing with a Ouija Board, an occult device in which participants seek to commune with the spirit world (see CCC 2115–2117).

Spiritual Warfare

In the epic film, which I would recommend viewing in slightly edited form—particularly skipping a scene which involves the misuse of a crucifix—an adolescent girl (Linda Blair) replaces the boy; and William Friedkin (the director) and William Peter Blatty, who adapted his bestselling eponymous book for the big screen, take seriously and skillfully the reality of spiritual warfare.

All attempts to ascribe the girl’s ailment to mere medical causes provide no relief, and, when the leader of the failed team of physicians mocks exorcism as a last resort, he is shamed into silence by the possessed girl’s atheist mother, who calls him on his bluff: “You’re telling me that I should take my daughter to a witch doctor? Is that it?”

The edifying subplot in The Exorcist is that the Jesuit psychiatrist (Jason Miller), who is moving away from his Catholic faith, meets the possessed girl’s mother (Ellen Burstyn), who is gradually moving toward belief in God, and she helps renew the faith of the priest, who ultimately exorcises her daughter.

Faltering Trust

Similarly, in today’s Gospel, Jesus permits the demon to demonstrate his preternatural powers to the gathered crowd, and then calls outs the boy’s father when he falters in his trust:

“[I]f you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Jesus said to him,

“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”

Having gained the full attention of the father, His disciples, and the crowd at large, Jesus proceeds to exorcise the spirit. When His disciples ask privately why they couldn’t expel the demon, Jesus responds, “This kind can only come out through prayer”—or “prayer and fasting,” as the Revised Standard Version–Catholic Edition, which the CCC employs, renders Mark 9:29.

The fallen angels were remarkably intelligent, but they shunned the gift and virtue of wisdom, which recognizes God’s Lordship and so embraces His liberating commands (see John 8:31–32).

“All wisdom comes from the Lord,” Sirach reminds us in its opening verse from today’s First Reading, and so we too, as we prepare for Lent—and live our lives in Christ generally—should turn to the Lord regularly in prayer and also fasting, “that we might be truly wise,” as the Prayer to the Holy Spirit counsels, “and ever rejoice in His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.”

[Readings: Sir 1:1-10; Mk 9:14-29]