Mental Illness and Demons

I would like to get your thoughts regarding something that has come to me this morning in the way of a piece of scripture I came across in Matthew 4:24 as to what I feel God has shown me.

This is something I've battled with for quite some time considering my church (Pentecostal) sees mental illness as demons, or as a person who is giving into the flesh and not following the Spirit.  I've been doing some research on this as I have battled with depression that would become so severe, and sometimes I would just wake in that state with no rhyme nor reason.  I was buying into the demonization preaching, even sought out a Charismatic church which tried a deliverance session, then claimed of course that I couldn't be delivered because I was having trouble believing I could have a demon. 

We see in Mark 17:20, when the man told Jesus His disciples could not heal his son, Jesus told the disciples, "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting."  Never did Jesus tell the boy's father, or the boy, that it was their fault that the boy had the demons or that the disciples couldn't cast them out.  In fact, in Matthew 17:20, He is said to have told the disciples that it was "Because of your unbelief".  Again, pointing to those who couldn't drive it out and not those afflicted by it.

The church today has demonized everything and have placed so much blame on others shoulders that it's become a hindrance and a stumbling block to so many. 

So is mental illness scriptural?  Many claim that it is never mentioned in scripture.  I beg to differ!

Matthew 4:24  (KJV)  And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Those possessed with devils are mentioned apart from those with torments and which were lunatick.  The original Greek is σεληνιάζομαι (selēniazomai) Strong: G4583 GK: G4944, meaning "to be a lunatic, Mt. 4:24; 17:15", which is included in the same original Greek text with δαιμονίζομαι (daimonizomai) Strong: G1139 GK: G1227, "in NT to be possessed, afflicted, vexed, by a demon or evil spirit, i.q. δαιμόνιον ἔχειν, Mt. 4:24; 8:16, 28, 33".  

Why are both mentioned unless one can be demonic and the other not?

In today's society, we have placed a mental illness label on everything however, and not everything can be said to be an illness.  Having such an illness doesn't give one the excuse to sin.  But if you DO sin, you have an advocate.  What do you do if you sin?  You apologize, if possible, to the individual you sinned against.  You pray for God to heal you in this area.  You study up on it and work with doctors to the best of your ability.  You do NOT blame the illness.  The other side of that however, is you do NOT blame yourself either.  To blame yourself only causes feelings of guilt.  Conviction will show us the solution and condemnation only shows the problem.  Conviction tells us to apologize and try and do better.  Condemnation says to blame ourselves and remain in guilt, that there is no solution.

When can it be demonization? 

Matthew 18:15-17 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

If one refuses to be apologetic for their hurtful behaviors, we're to put them out of the church. 

Could mental illness be the thorn in some people's flesh like Paul's thorn?  Doesn't God say His power is made perfect in our weakness?  Including any illness, mental or otherwise?

We would never tell a diabetic they had a demon, nor to not take their medication.  We "might" tell them they have diabetes because they have a lack of self control in their eating.  So how does that one explain juvenile diabetes?  I worked with a 16 year old intern with this.  He took 2 shots a day.  He was born with it and was thin as a rail and ate a healthy diet. 

What of autism?  Do we claim a child born with such has a demon?  Then why has no one (at least reportedly) laid hands on such a child and cast the demon out and had the child made completely well and free of this?

So do we label bi-polar, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, schizophrenia and the like as all demonic or leave room to think perhaps some things are caused by a physical illness that maybe we cannot see?  We still aren't certain of what causes cancer, but many are afflicted with it who are serving God and certainly walking in the Spirit and not demonic.  How can we be certain of what we cannot see that we can claim there's no such thing as chemical imbalances, just because we haven't discovered a way to gauge it yet?

In addition, many people have debated generational curses. 

Exodus 34:6-7 (NIV) ....Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

Jeremiah 31:29-32 (NIV) ...Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes--his own teeth will be set on edge....

People say the NT did away with the OT to explain away Exodus.  However, I don't believe that is the case.  I believe these verses are one in the same. 

Everyone will die for his OWN sin.  Yet sin is passed down from fathers to the third and fourth generations.  If your father (or mother) was given to rage, anger, depression, etc., they pass this on to you.  You in turn pass it on to your children.  Through Christ, we can stop that cycle, but we have to heal with His help.  If we keep on sinning, even though it was passed down by our parents, we die for our own sin.  I believe James 3:10 covers this..."Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this way." If we're prone to cursing our kids, instead of praising them, they grow up with the generational curses we placed upon them, in turn placing them on their own children, until someone breaks this cycle through Christ. 

I have been on medication which has made the difference of night and day.  Such medication would NOT have any affect, were there not some illness it was helping with.  I found a good article on the subject at http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2013/april/healthier-christi....  It also offers good insight in how we should respond to those suffering these afflictions.