Question Of The Week: Can The Leader Of A Nation Become 'Perfectly Possessed'?

By Michael H. Brown

Is there such a thing as "perfect possession"? And if so, might it be behind some of the otherwise inexplicable personalities on the world stage? Can the leader of a nation be fully taken over by evil forces?

"Perfect possession" is supposedly when an evil entity has taken such total control of a person that there is not even an indication that a person has an inner demon -- no sign of struggle, not on the surface, just a general evilness. A person who is "perfectly possessed" would seem at ease with his or her evil, or simply and fully indifferent to it. 

I don't know if there is truth to such a manifestation, but exorcists and experts in deliverance present us with several stages of disturbance. Let's quickly review them. There is external harassment. This is not possession but when we are tempted and troubled by a force that comes from outside of us. This is very common. Mainly it comes in the way of emotional oppression. When it is extreme, it can manifest in physical assaults. 

Then there is the more serious and less common interior kind. This is when evil has infiltrated bodily and is called "demonization." In extreme cases it can lead to possession (emphasize the word "extreme"). The presence is within. There is overlap between demonization and possession. According to author Francis MacNutt, who has written one of the most complete and compelling books on the subject (Deliverance From Evil Spirits), "when we pray for someone demonized but not possessed, the spirits seem to take over in a last-ditch effort to avoid eviction and temporarily possess the person."

Usually this possession -- this total control -- is the one and only time and is fleeting. It is the only time it has happened. In more severe demonization -- in cases like that in The Exorcist -- the possession may occur more regularly and last longer. Says another expert, Father Gabriel Amorth, the official exorcist of Rome, in a book called An Exorcist Tells His Story, "We must remember that even in the cases of complete possession -- that is, in cases when the demon is the one talking and acting, using the victim's body -- the demon does not act consistently. He alternates periods of activity (usually called 'moments of crisis') with unpredictable periods of rest."

Thus, possession is most commonly an erratic situation.

But is there such a thing as a person who is always possessed?

In this regard, we think of people like Adolph Hitler. According to biographers, Hitler once went into a seizure while at a place called Pasewalk, and henceforth seemed in touch with the demonic (at night he complained about a frightening form in his room). Did he later become completely possessed? And is something similar at work with men on the world stage like Saddam Hussein? Might a leader's bizarre and seemingly inexplicable behavior, including suicidal-like actions, be the result of a controlling entity -- one that does not show itself as a demon?

This is not to judge the actual soul of such a person. We can never do that, and we urge caution in labeling anyone or any nation as "evil" (before looking at the evil in ourselves). But we can discern when a spirit may be at work, and one does wonder about perfect possession in looking at the bizarre behavior of such men. Is Hussein simply a man who chooses evil, or might a person like that be under total demonic control? Might a spirit have found a perfect fit?

"At the beginning the demon tries his best to remain undetected or at least to hide the seriousness of his possession," notes Father Amorth. "At times he is forced by the strength of the exorcism to reveal his presence at the first prayers; other times more sessions are required before he is discovered."

"Permanent, total possession is rare," MacNutt assures us -- without making it clear, however, whether this is the same as what we have referred to as "perfect possession."

A cold, reptilian brutality is certainly a sign of pervasive evil, and so is an uncanny control over people. Deliverance experts cite groups of demons and in one list under "paranoia" are included spirits of jealousy, envy, suspicion, distrust, persecution, fears, and confrontation -- which could fit the bill in the case of many tyrannical world leaders.

But if this is so, it presents a unique opportunity. According to Father Amorth, while the demonized person might at first seem indifferent to prayer, eventually the spirit will have to show itself, and if there is enough prayer, deliverance, at least initially, can be done at a distance. In God's time (and in the Name of Christ), the demon has to show itself -- and leave.

What hope that gives us. What opportunity. Would it not be nice to disarm Iraq without firing a single shot? Would it not be nice to liberate Iraq (or North Korea or Sudan) without losing a single Marine)?

Resources (in SpiritDaily Bookstore): An Exorcist Tells His Story, Deliverance From Evil Spirits, Prayer of the Warrior, An Exorcist: More Stories, St. Michael prayers, Spiritual Warfare, The Spiritual Combat