Split personality disorder (multiple personality disorder) is a clinical term used in psychiatry to describe a mental disorder where a person has two or more distinct personalities. Its name has recently been changed to dissociative identity disorder (DID). There have been some noted cases of this such as Shirley Ardell Mason also known as Sybil. While this article will in no way authoritatively address this issue, severe trauma especially in childhood is often a cause. So, this can be a coping mechanism for the mind. Like other mental disorders, the scientific and medical communities deal with the physical aspects such as brain chemistry while Christians tend to look at the spiritual side as well. Not all mental disorders are demonic but, some can be related to demonic activity (Mt 4:24).
There are also many people suffering from a spiritual condition which is like split personality disorder. They identify themselves as Christians, but when you examine their worldview and practices against the Bible, it becomes evident that they are exhibiting a spiritual split personality. There are many symptoms to this problem, but it really boils down to one core issue which can be described many ways. Its root is found in the lies of the serpent in Genesis 3:1-7, particularly verse 5. The serpent, who is the devil (Rev 12:9), questioned the word of God (vs 1), the consequences of deviating from it (vs 4), and its authority over our value systems (vs 5). The serpent told Eve she could make her own evaluations without being governed by the principles of the word of God. This is the same lie billions of people today believe, even those professing to be Christians.
At the most basic level, there are only two worldviews - God's as expressed in the Bible, and the made-up opinions of man. Whenever we deviate from the foundation of scripture, all we are left with is the gullible heart of man which Satan can deceive (Jer 17:5-10, Mt 1913:). The binary nature of this is manifested many ways:
1. You either believe the Bible is the word of God or you don't.
2. You either believe in rules or suggestions.
3. You seek to reconcile yourself with facts or feelings.
4. You are God-centered or self-centered.
5. As a professing Christian, you either seek to follow scripture or you embrace ideas
expressed by such phrases as such as "God told me", "I feel", "I believe", and "I think",
particularly when they are at odds with scripture.
6. You are more focused on convincing yourself that God is with you than seeking to ensure
you are with Him. This leads to false interpretations of verses such as Philippians 4:13.
7. You seek to fulfill the commandments of the Lord or your "inner self".
8. You believe man's nature is basically good or basically evil.
9. You believe truth is absolute or that it is relative.
10. You believe in God's truth or personal truth.
11. You read a version of the Bible because it is the most accurate or because you like it best
or find it the least challenging.
These things are also expressed in political terms because our worldview is the basis of our interpretation of everything. There are those in the U.S. who seek to uphold the original meaning of its Constitution and there are those who believe it is what they call a living document subject to modern interpretations. They are also expressed in other areas such as science or what is called science. We all have the same evidence of the past geologically, archeologically, and paleontologically; but people interpret it according to their worldview. Even professional scientists do this. A college education does not free one of biases. In fact, it mostly indoctrinates one into them. When the interpretation is challenged, rescuing devices are employed to defend the underlying worldview. Some even just resort to shouting down and silencing the opposite view, especially when they don't have a factual, logical, and substantive argument.
There are many logical inconsistencies with the latter group described above including those who claim to be Christians. These can be manifested in hypocrisy. For example, those who embrace what is called progressive Christianity will often point to those who are called conservative and say they are just rules based. Yet they are also rules based. It's just not the same rules. An example of this showing itself in politics is those who call others haters while hating those who are of the other camp. They want free speech for their beliefs, but not for their counterparts. They want to say that sexuality is not binary, but that only divides people into another binary set - those who support binary sexuality and those who don't. When people who purport to be Christians do this, they claim to believe the Bible, but when it contradicts them, they ignore and dismiss it or falsely interpret it to fit their opinion. They fault others for being focused on doctrine and advocate a looser approach, but that itself is a doctrine. They say we should love everyone which to them means something very different than what the Bible teaches. We are to love God first (Mk 2:28-31, Acts 5:29). That is done through keeping His commandments (Jn 14:15, 1Jn 5:2-3). How can we call Jesus Lord if we consistently choose not to do that (Lk 6:46). We can only love people when we tell them the truth (Gal 4:16). We are all flawed and come up short of God's standard (Rom 3:23), but that is precisely why we cannot lean on our own understanding (Prov 3:5-7). The true wisdom only comes from God and is always consistent with the Bible (Deut 4:6, 1Chr 22:12, Jer 9:23-24, 1Cor 1-2, Col 2:3, Jam 1:5, Jam 3:13-18). It is more than mere intellectual craftiness.
We must choose a worldview and stick with it, even (or especially) when it is uncomfortable to do so. Doing otherwise is spiritual split personality disorder. It is confusion, does not produce the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:19-22), and leads people away from the truth. It does not cause people to experience the spiritual completeness it purports to (2Pet 2:17-19). That is only found in a Biblical relationship with Him who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (Jn 14:6)". We are not the truth. He is.
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