Hidden Devils

Hidden Devils

Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Acts 10:38

As a third-year resident in family medicine, I had the opportunity to serve as the medical director of a mental health hospital in Jackson, Tennessee. The duties, for the most part, were routine. It was my job to make sure that the patients were medically healthy. If we had to admit someone, it was typically because his or her outpatient treatment plan had failed.

Larry was an exception. He was sent to the hospital by a court order because he thought he was possessed by Satan. An unusually large man with a massive forehead, Larry had had periodic outbursts toward his family, and the police had been called to his house on several occasions for domestic violence.

As I examined him, he seemed to look right through me—peering off into a world that the rest of us couldn’t see. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, but his medical history was unusual. His symptoms had appeared much later in life than was typical for schizophrenia. Larry also suffered from migraines, and there was something unusual about the size of his hands and feet.

When his lab work came back, I could see that he had diabetes mellitus and renal failure. There were now more questions in his chart than answers. I spoke with the psychiatrist who was treating Larry’s mental illness and requested a CT scan of Larry’s head. When the results came back, we were able to see for the first time what was going on. It turned out that Larry had a pituitary tumor that was causing acromegaly—a hormonal disease that causes growth hormones to be released long after the body should have stopped growing. This explained the unusual size of his face, feet, and hands. They had continued to grow well into adulthood.

We began treatment on the tumor immediately, and within three weeks, his “schizophrenia” symptoms improved. God had removed “the devil” that had tormented this man for so many years.

TODAY’S RX

Regardless of your affliction, whether spiritual or physical, God wants to heal you. Sometimes he uses a pastor, and other times he uses a physician.

God, only you can see my innermost parts. Please detect in me where I need healing, both in body and spirit. I give myself to you.