The Bible lays a basis for us to understand and care for Multiple Personality Disorder/Dissociative Identity Disorder. The language and description of dissociation is embedded in the use and meaning of the words. In the Old Testament, the words spirit and heart are used. In the New Testament the word used is soul.
The Heart and Spirit
The words heart and spirit are used as collective nouns. The word heart is used to describe the seat of the mind, the emotions and the will. The word spirit was applied to the spirit, mind, heart, and the immortal soul.
The psalmist calls out to God asking, “Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.” (Psalms 26:2 NIV) Jeremiah speaking to the nation of Israel says that God will put the covenant of their relationship into the individual heart (Jeremiah 31:33 NIV). Job complains, “I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.” (Job 7:11 NIV)
The Heart Can Be Corrupted
The human spirit, heart, or soul can be corrupted. The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5 NIV). Later, God informs us after the flood. He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.” (Genesis 8:21 NIV) Jeremiah lamented about man, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV) In the New Testament, Jesus said, “Out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. These are what makes a man unclean.” (Matthew 15:19a NIV)
James and the Divided Soul
James uses a compound word to describe a person whose personality is in separate parts. The term used is double-minded. He writes about the person who has doubts and has difficulty believing–faith. Such a one is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind…He is a double-minded man unstable in all he does. (James 1:6-8 NIV) This compound word quite literally means a divided soul and spirit. This is the only Greek word in the New Testament that describes a soul that is split, a spirit that is in parts, unstable, of contradictory attitudes and thought processes that lead to conflicting and dramatically different behaviors. That is so typical of Multiple Personality Disorder/Dissociative Identity Disorder.
In James 4:8 we read, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” The double-minded has used his/her hands to do evil and wickedness. They have grossly sinned. Their hearts are not pure but corrupted. They are double-minded–divided in soul and mind, emotions, will and behaviors. They serve two masters–God and Satan. The parts of them fall into one of two camps. The one falls into the camp of God. These are the redeemed alters. The other falls into the camp of Satan. They are unsaved. The one chooses Jesus as Lord and Master. The other chooses Satan as master and their lord.
This leads to confusion of behaviors and relationships. The differences of masters within the same person leads to mixed signals. I love you; I hate you. Come near; go away. They are raging and dangerous one minute and kind, sweet, approachable the next. One minute they are cursing and using vile speech; the next minute they are speaking caring, good and kind words that build self and others up. The individual thinks and wonders, “I’m a mess! Who am I?” Those who relate to them are kept off balance and feel insecure with their conflicted souls.
The hope that exists is this: Jesus saves and He can sanctify each individual part; but, remember that redemption only takes a moment, while sanctification is an on-going Holy Spirit process.
The Divided/Double Heart
(Psalms 12:1-2) “Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful one has vanished from among the children of men. Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.” To have a double heart means that the inner person, the self, the seat of thought is split into parts. These parts are often motivated by evil and the desire to be corrupt and destructive.
