There is a common misconception among simple folks that all types of healing come from God simply because healing is good, and God is good, therefore all healings come from God. This is however far from the truth. The Sacred Scriptures are replete with stories of pagan magicians and sorcerers able to to mimic phenomena that supposed to be only God can do. The story of the plagues of Egypt done by God through the hand of His servant Moses and Aaron, were imitated by Pharaoh's magicians and sorcerers (Exodus 7ff.). In three of the prodigies of Moses the sorcerers were able to imitate --namely the rods turning to serpents, the water turning into blood, and the frogs. St. Paul also warns us strongly, that Satan and his followers can make themselves appear as angels of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Therefore we should not be surprised if unclean spirits can cause healing of the sickness they themselves have caused.
Take this case for example. A religious sister, devout and sincere in her apostolic work, wanted very much to be of service to the poor especially in their sickness. She asked the Lord for the gift of healing so that she can heal the people of their many maladies. She did not wait for the answer but rather relied on what seemed to be a talent that she possessed since a little girl of being able to heal people by touching the part that is at pain and uttering some words that she learned from her parents and grandparents. After all she came from a line of local healers. She would go from place to place and healing people using leaves, oil, and some kind of potion she learned from her grandparents. She was therefore known in the locality as a healing sister and poor people would come for her for physical healing from all types of maladies from simple to more complex ones. Over all she was effective. She would ask people to pray, she would teach them catechism, before she would heal them. She thought that because she could heal, God approved of the apostolate, and granted her healing powers.
It would not be long that people she healed started to have terrible nightmares and their sickness returning with a vengeance. She too started to have serious headaches, troublesome nightmares, and she would start to see ghoulish figures around. She sought help from her spiritual director who referred her to AMOE. During the AMOE interview, she was told directly that her powers are not from God, and it is from the evil one. This was the reason that those she healed got better before getting worse; that they are having nightmares, and that she too is now having visions of evil creatures and nightmares. She could not believe that all along her healing power was not from God. She said that she always prays and offers the ministry to the Lord, how could it not be from God? The answer was quite simple really. She inherited it from her ancestors who were local shamans (albularyos) who in turn got it either from ancestors who received it from some dwende or engkanto or anito. The source of the power therefore was demonic and even if used for what seemed to be beneficial and therefore good, remains to be contaminated by evil powers. She asked if it can be transformed to good by some prayer or consecration. The answer given was in the negative. There is no way to make it good. And the only real solution for the peace of mind of both the patients and the healer was to renounce the ungodly soul-ties formed between the ancestors and the healer and between the healer and the power and the source of the power. That renouncement was difficult for her. Because it would mean losing the power. Is it possible to retain the power but cast out the unclean spirit? The answer was also in the negative. The power being used to heal is the power of the unclean spirit and that is that. The sister therefore agreed to be prayed over. She made her renouncement, or so it seemed
During the pray-over, the exorcisms, and the closing of the occult third eye, the religious sister complained of a terrible headache that ran through the whole of her head from the back to the front. We had our suspicions on the reason behind the excruciating headache, but we figured that the sister need to learn it the hardway. We had our suspicion that she is not renouncing the power but only the demon. After the session that left her exhausted and tired, we counseled her that she has to return to the charism of their congregation and foundress. She needs to understand it very well. She has this idea that the healing ministry is her apostolate, forgetting that as a religious her first mission is to be sanctified first before serving. She is stubborn. She left us with the promise that she would think things over and pray over it. She never returned, she insisted on healing, on her quack healing. Now she is possessed and her agony indescribable. She has squandered the grace given to her to be liberated early on. Now the demon is deeply entrenched in her and her pride. It would be an uphill battle. But AMOE has other clients to tend to. She would need to wait.
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