By Robin Schumacher, Exclusive Columnist
On October 1, 1763, the evangelist John Wesley performed an exorcism for a woman that he recorded in his journal, the account of which reads as follows:
“About half-hour after 10:00, 10 of us came together, as we had agreed the day before. I said, ‘Is there any among you who does not believe that God is able and willing to deliver this soul?’ They answered with one voice, ‘We believe he both can and will deliver her this day.’ I then fastened her down to the bed on both sides and set two on each side to hold her if need were. We began laying her case before the Lord and claiming his promise on her behalf. Immediately Satan raged vehemently. He caused her to roar in an uncommon manner; then to shriek, so that it went through our heads; then to bark like a dog. Then her face was distorted to an amazing degree, her mouth being drawn from ear to ear, and her eyes turned opposite ways and starting as if they would start out of her head. Presently her throat was so convulsed, that she appeared to be quite strangled; then the convulsions were in her bowels, and her body swelled as if ready to burst. At other times she was stiff from head to foot, as an iron bar; being at the same time wholly deprived of her senses and motion, not even breathing at all. Soon after her body was so writhed, one would have thought all her bones must be dislocated.”
While the woman’s head didn’t turn completely around nor did she spit out pea green soup, I’d say the account does give “The Exorcist” a small run for its money. The distorted face part also reminds me of another old horror movie called “The Devil’s Advocate” where the demon-possessed people do the same thing. Definitely the stuff of nightmares.
While such accounts are historically rare, there have been a number of news reports over the past few months stating that demand for exorcisms is on the rise. A report by EWTN Vatican in March said:
“Pope Leo XIV received representatives of the International Association of Exorcists (AIE) in a private audience … they presented a report on the growing prevalence of cases related to occultism, esotericism, and Satanism, and the spiritual consequences they believe this has for many people. During the meeting, the Association asked the Pontiff to ensure that every diocese in the world has one or more adequately trained exorcist priests.”
Stats often cited on exorcisms include claims that the U.S. has gone from about two dozen trained Catholic exorcists 15 years ago to roughly 150 today, but demand is still outpacing the available priests. Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a D.C.-based priest and licensed psychologist who’s become a go-to voice on this, told the Baltimore Sun, “we’re getting more and more people needing an exorcism.”
So, what gives with the recent surge in exorcism requests? Is the devil really ramping up his attacks or are more people today (and maybe even the woman back in Wesley’s day) just manifesting mental problems that need proper counseling and medication?
The devil didn’t make me do it
Rev. Dan Todd, a trained exorcist at Our Lady of Divine Mercy Anglican Church in High Bridge, NJ, told one news outlet, “The devil is out there, but people do bad things as well. Also, psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder can mimic demonic possession. About 99% of cases are due to mental illness.”
I’m not sure if that’s comforting or more concerning.
Another thing contributing to the increase in exorcism requests, according to religious scholar Andrew Chesnut, is what he calls the “Pentecostalization” of the Christian faith: “One of the most important factors driving the exorcism boom is the Pentecostalization of Christianity, especially in the Global South … with its emphasis on the spirits, both the Holy Spirit and demons, Pentecostalism is the branch of Protestantism that thrust exorcism to the front and center of its practice in the 1970s.”
I’ve seen a little bit of this extreme in my own interactions with some (certainly not all) charismatics who have gone so far as to command the demon of nasal congestion to leave them.
On the other end of the spectrum, though, comes the dismissiveness of some Christians where demonic activity is involved. C. S. Lewis reminds us of avoiding both extremes in his work The Screwtape Letters when he writes: “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”
In my own life, I’ve never seen full-on possession, but I have witnessed strong cases of oppression that are scary enough in their own right. And I’ve watched freedom occur and the joy that results once a person (including believers) has been delivered from that oppression.
Many experts today warn about that level of demonic involvement, citing how demons have more channels into the lives of people due to online occult communities that are expanding, AI tools that are being used to generate occult material, and general social media usage that makes esoteric practices easier to discover and engage in.
So, what are Christians to do? Let’s start with one point that’s often overlooked.
Outside the Gospels and Acts, the rest of the New Testament, which is written to instruct churches, contains many teachings on spiritual warfare but no instructions on conducting exorcisms. Instead, we’re repeatedly told to:
- “Resist the devil” (James 4:7).
- “Be sober-minded; be watchful” (1 Peter 5:8–9).
- “Put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10–18).
- “Take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Whether exorcism requests continue to rise or not, one thing is certain: the Bible never tells Christians to live in fear of the devil. It tells us to live in confidence in Christ.
Yes, Satan is real. So are temptation, deception, and spiritual warfare. But so is the empty tomb.
Perhaps the most revealing question isn’t why more people are asking for exorcisms — it’s why so many are searching for spiritual encounters in the first place. It seems our culture, which has largely rejected God, hasn’t stopped believing in the supernatural, but has simply gone looking for it elsewhere. And when people open doors to darkness, they shouldn’t be surprised if darkness answers.
The Christian response, however, isn’t panic, obsession, or denial. It’s the same response the New Testament has prescribed for 2,000 years: stand firm in Christ, fill your mind with His Word, clothe yourself with the armor of God, resist the devil, and trust the one who has already defeated him.
In the end, the greatest miracle isn’t an exorcism. It’s the transformation of a sinner into a saint. Every time Christ rescues someone from the domain of darkness and transfers them into His kingdom, Satan loses again. And that’s a victory no demon can overturn.
Robin Schumacher is an accomplished software executive and Christian apologist who has written many articles, authored and contributed to several Christian books, appeared on nationally syndicated radio programs, and presented at apologetic events. He holds a BS in Business, Master’s in Christian apologetics and a Ph.D. in New Testament. His latest book is, A Confident Faith: Winning people to Christ with the apologetics of the Apostle Paul.
