Question: Why is the Bible silent about mental illness except for speaking of demon-possessed ...

Question: Why is the Bible silent about mental illness except for speaking of demon-possessed persons? Could you address this subject?

Response: The Bible does deal with madness, or insanity (Deuteronomy:28:34So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
See All...; 1 Samuel:21:13-15 [13] And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. [14] Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? [15] Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
See All...; Acts:12:15And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
See All...; 1 Corinthians:14:23If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
See All...), but insanity is not a mental illness. Either the Holy Spirit was ignorant of a class of mental sickness that has only lately, through godless humanists, been uncovered, or what we are being told today by Christian psychologists isn’t true. Unfortunately, much sin is being redefined as sickness and thus excused.

If Christian psychology has something vital to offer, then we are confronted with some crucial questions. How did Christians get along without psychology for 1,900 years? Why would God leave His people in such desperate ignorance, and why would He use godless people such as Freud, Jung, et al., as the channels of this “new truth”? And why would the Bible claim that it offers all we need [emphasis added] “for life and godliness” (2 Peter:1:3-4 [3] According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: [4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
See All...) and to be “perfect” (i.e., all that God wants us to be) and to be fully prepared for every good work (2 Timothy:3:16-17 [16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [17] That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
See All...) if that weren’t true? Did God lie to us? And since Christ lives in our hearts (Ephesians:3:17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
See All...) and “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians:2:13-16 [13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. [15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. [16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
See All...) and are crucified with Him so that it is not ourselves anymore but Christ living through us (Galatians:2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
See All...) and we “can do all things through Christ” (Philippians:4:13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
See All...), does Christ, who is our very life (Colossians:3:4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
See All...), need psychological help? If He is our “counselor” (Isaiah:9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
See All...), why do we need psychological counsel? And how did Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, the martyrs in Acts, and the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, etc., triumph without psychology?

These are serious questions. If we have any confidence in God and His Word, then the answers are obvious. A distinction must be made between the brain (a physical organ, which could have a chemical imbalance, nutritional deficiency, or some structural damage), and the spirit (a nonphysical part of man). We must distinguish between medical problems involving the physical brain (for which the Bible doesn’t claim to be a handbook) and spiritual problems involving the spirit, soul, mind, and will (for which the Bible claims to have given us all the guidance we need). The physical brain can be sick, but the nonphysical spirit cannot. Thus “mental illness” is a misnomer. 

Demon possession is something else entirely. The problem is either physical (medical) or spiritual (moral). The latter may involve sin, such as disobedience or a lack of trust in God to fulfill what He has promised in His Word, all of which rob us of joy and peace. (From our TBC archives)