Devils.html

From The Berean Call
October 2006

Psychology and Doctrines of Devils
By T.A. McMahon

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” —1 Timothy 4:1 In my two previous
TBC articles this year (Mar and Apr ’06), I addressed the destructive influence psychological
counseling is having on the evangelical church. Simply put, the church has turned from God’s
Word to man’s bankrupt theories in attempting to resolve mental, emotional, and behavioral
problems. The greater part of the church no longer believes what the Scriptures proclaim:
that God, in His Word, has given us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through
the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3). The results, sadly,
are what one might expect: there is often little statistical difference between those who
profess to be Christians and those who do not, regarding the number of divorces, the
reliance upon psychological counseling theories and methods, living together outside of
marriage, illegitimate childbirths, pornography, sexual and physical abuse, and so forth.

Although such consequences are shocking, they shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who
believes the Bible. Twice in the Book of Proverbs we are told, “There is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). Death
throughout Scripture implies separation, whether of the soul and spirit from the body in
physical death or, in another sense, the separation of light from darkness and truth from
error—and ultimately, from God eternally. Just as the body without life corrupts, so do one’s
life choices result in corruption when they are separated from God’s truth.

Psychology, with its psychotherapeutic counseling, has been embraced by evangelicals more
than almost any other unbiblical endeavor that has entered the church in the last half-
century. “Christian psychologists” are generally more popular and influential than preachers
and teachers of the Word. What evangelical in America doesn’t know of psychologist Dr.
James Dobson? The psychologically oriented American Association of Christian Counselors
boasts 50,000 members. The evangelical church is one of the leading referral services for
secular counselors (whether they claim to be Christians or not!). Like their secular
counterparts, the second-most popular career choice for students at Christian colleges is
psychology. What makes this information truly shocking is the fact that the roots, concepts,
and many of the psychological counseling practices come from “seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils.”

First Timothy 4:1 is a prophetic verse. It foretells that “in the latter times,” that is, the time
near the return of our Lord, “some will depart from the faith.” This is supported by other
verses such as Luke 18:8: Jesus asked,“...when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on
the earth?” The implied answer is no. Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, declares under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit that a “falling away” from the faith will characterize the Last Days.
But haven’t many professing Christians departed from the faith since the time of the
Apostles? Yes. The rest of the verse, however, indicates a condition that is unique to our
present day. Those who profess to be Christians will give “heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils.”

Doctrines of devils are designed to undermine what is taught in the Scriptures. They reflect
the strategy that Satan instituted in the Garden of Eden when he seduced Eve into
disobeying God. The chief of the seducing spirits began his direct communication with Eve by
raising doubts in her mind as to what God had commanded: “Yea, hath God said...?”
(Genesis 3:1). The serpent’s dialogue with her led her to believe that God had lied to her:
“And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die.” Although God instructed
Adam and Eve that the punishment for disobeying Him by eating the fruit of a certain tree in
the Garden would be death (Genesis 2:17), Satan twisted that around, making God not only
a liar but also the one who was withholding what they needed for their self-improvement and
for realizing a supposed higher potential.

Genesis 3:1-5 contains Satan’s basic strategy for the seduction and destruction of mankind.
His deception began by questioning God’s Word, and offering tempting alternatives. Eve
responded by believing Satan, rejecting God’s Word, and turning to her own self-interests.
The enticements were so desirable to the flesh, including immortality, enlightenment,
godhood, and knowledge (Genesis 3:5), that she eagerly embraced the lie. At that tragic
moment in the history of mankind, self became a god, an autonomous rebel bent on doing its
own thing. What Satan offered to Eve, he likewise has presented to all of her descendants,
with similar success. His deadly allurements— immortality, enlightenment, godhood, and
knowledge—comprise the foundational teachings of “doctrines of devils.”

Even in a cursory review of psychotherapeutic concepts, Satan’s primary lies are clearly
revealed. Teachings (i.e., doctrines) such as the following are found in nearly all
psychotherapeutic theories. Immortality: There is no death in the sense that it should be
feared. Materialist psychotherapists teach a judgment-free mortality; spiritually oriented
counselors claim that we either evolve to a higher consciousness or reincarnate to improve
our next temporal state of being. Enlightenment: Knowing the self, who we are, why we do
what we do, and how we change, all open the critical gate to establishing our mental
wellbeing. Some systems teach that our problems of living are determined by traumas related
to our past (including past lives), our parental upbringing, our environment, or our having
been oppressed by religious dogmas. Godhood: The solution to humanity’s problems is
found within the self. Self is deified, whether directly or indirectly. For instance, psychology’s
“self-actualization” is a process that leads to self-deification, which ultimately replaces any
need for salvation outside humanity. Knowledge: The deification process for humanity
involves methods of plumbing the depths of the unconscious, which is alleged to be the
infinite reservoir that holds all mysteries of life. Sadly, these doctrines of devils now permeate
“Christian psychology.” Few evangelicals realize that these demonic teachings were
introduced to the “founding fathers of psychological counseling” literally by “seducing spirits.”

It was Sigmund Freud who declared that “religion is the universal obsessional neurosis of
humanity.” Furthermore, there is evidence that Freud hated Christianity, which he
erroneously regarded as anti-Semitic. How then would this atheistic rejecter of organized
religion advance doctrines of devils? By founding the “religion” of psychoanalysis. None of
Freud’s theories, whether psychic determinism or psychosexual development or belief in the
unconscious, have any scientific validity; moreover, they are religious beliefs that are
antithetical to the doctrines of the Bible. Research psychiatrist Thomas Szasz had Freud
primarily in mind when he declared, “...modern psychotherapy...is not merely a religion that
pretends to be a science, it is actually a fake religion that seeks to destroy true religion.”1

Given the fact that psychoanalysis and its associated concepts are so diametrically opposed
to biblical Christianity, there’s no doubt that Freud’s “fake religion” is the product of
“doctrines of devils.” Furthermore, a strong case could be made that Freud’s theories came
both directly and indirectly from “seducing spirits” through the techniques he
employed in analyzing his patients. He put them into altered states of consciousness through
hypnosis and the highly suggestible technique of “free association.” Early on, when he was
formulating some of his theories, Freud was a regular user of the mind-altering drug cocaine
for his bouts with depression.2 Calling it his magical drug, “he
pressed it on his friends and colleagues, both for themselves and their patients.”3

Psychiatrist and historian Henri F. Ellenberger’s classic work, The Discovery of the
Unconscious, reveals, “Historically, modern dynamic psychotherapy derives from primitive
medicine, and an uninterrupted continuity...through the exorcists, magnetists, and hypnotists
that led to the fruition of dynamic psychiatry in the systems of Janet, Freud, Adler, and Jung.”
4 Psychotherapy is a modern form of shamanism, which explains why psychiatrist E. Fuller
Torrey rightly observes, “The techniques used by Western psychiatrists are, with few
exceptions, on exactly the same scientific plane as the techniques used by witchdoctors
[medicine men and shamans].”5

Shamanism is all about contacting spirit entities to gain their help, wisdom, insights, and so
forth. In an interview with a former Yanamamo shaman who resides in the Amazonian rain
forest of Venezuela, I was told rather bluntly that his spirit guides were liars and deceivers,
from his first contact with them through ingesting hallucinogenic drugs until they left him when
he turned to Christ. Their lies reinforced what he wanted to hear. It seems the same for
Freud, whose concepts were a reflection not of science but rather removing his own guilt and
satisfying his flesh. Freud’s theories were based mainly upon his own personal problems,
most of which were sexual perversions.

In Freudian thought, the “unconscious” is a God-replacement realm without laws and
judgment; morality is an oppressive neurosis generating structure imposed by society and
organized religion; sexual freedom (including adultery, homosexuality, incest, etc.) is
paramount for normal mental health; dreams are symbolic messages from the unconscious
and can be scientifically interpreted through psychoanalysis. These beliefs represent
doctrines of devils. Although a materialist, Freud acknowledged the existence of spirit
entities. He was influenced from that source, either indirectly, through his patients, or directly,
through his own drug use, the ancient statuettes he used to help him write,6 and other
techniques he used to explore the unconscious.

The life and works of psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung clearly reveal that his psychological
theories came directly from the “seducing spirits” Paul warns about in 1 Timothy 4:1. Jung is
far more popular today among professing Christians than Freud (the atheist) because of his
perceived affinity for religion and things spiritual. However, though his father was a Protestant
pastor (who seriously doubted his professed faith!), Jung was anti-biblical and resentful of
organized Christianity from his youth. His early symbolic visions revealed Jesus as a Dark
Lord and God defecating on a cathedral. His mother’s side of the family was heavily involved
in spiritualism. His grandfather, pastor Samuel Preiswerk, conducted ongoing séances to
commune with his deceased first wife, with his second wife and daughter (Jung’s mother)
participating. The latter, who had bouts of insanity, reserved two beds in the Jung home for
visiting ghosts. Jung’s doctoral thesis (published in 1902) was based upon séances
conducted by his 13-year-old cousin, whom he placed in an altered state of consciousness
through hypnosis in order to contact his and her dead ancestors.

In 1916, Jung’s household experienced an assault by demonic beings who claimed to be
dead Christian Crusaders from Jerusalem. They were seeking counsel on redemption and
were greatly distressed that their Christianity had left them in a hopeless condition. They
would not leave Jung’s home until he began writing advice to them, which he received from
one of his many spirit guides, his mentor Philemon, the “old man with horns of a bull.”7

Richard Noll, a lecturer in the History of Science at Harvard University and a clinical
psychologist (who declares that he “is not a Christian of any sort”), makes some stunning
observations in his book on Jung titled The Jung Cult. He argues that Jung’s “psychological
theories of the collective unconscious and archetypes are essentially masks, a pseudo-
Psychology and the Doctrines of Devilsscientific cover to hide the practices of what was
essentially a new religious movement in which Jung taught people to have trance visions and
to contact the ‘gods’ directly.”8

Jung’s teachings are doctrines of demons, gleaned directly from seducing spirits: the
unconscious and the collective unconscious represent an impersonal form of God;
archetypes are viewed as psychological rationalizations for demons, the anima and animus
are terms for the female and male entities within each person; psychological “types” are
determined characteristics within our make up. Jung promoted all things occult, including
astrology, alchemy, the I-Ching, mysticism, necromancy, visualization, dream interpretation,
the active imagination, yoga, meditation, etc. Incredibly, his theories and recommended
practices are endorsed in the teachings of some of the most influential people in evangelical
Christianity. In many cases, ignorance is the principle reason, yet the demonic lies are
nevertheless readily promoted and accepted among the sheep.

Rick Warren’s 30 million copies of The Purpose-Driven Life include Jungian concepts, such
as psychological “types.” Saddleback Church’s “Celebrate Recovery” program (see TBC Oct ’
05), which has been exported to 4,500 churches and Prison Fellowship Ministries, is based
on A.A.’s 12-Step principles. A.A. co-founder Bill Wilson received the 12 Steps during the
time he was in contact with spirit entities. He later wrote a personal letter to Carl Jung
thanking him for his influence:

...[A.A.] actually started long ago in your

consulting room, and it was directly founded

upon your own humility

and deep perception....