One Body, Many Maps: Integrating Head’s Zones, Mu/Shu Points, and Myofascial Trigger Points Through Segmental Innervation

 

Introduction

Clinicians across chiropractic, manual therapy, and acupuncture have long noticed that visceral disease often “speaks” through the body wall. Tender skin, tight paraspinals, and myofascial trigger points frequently track with the same spinal segments that innervate the underlying organs, even when standard imaging or lab work is unrevealing. What appears at first as a confusing overlay of Western neurology, chiropractic nerve tracing, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) point theory is better understood as multiple descriptive maps of a single segmental reality.

This article integrates three streams of evidence: the classic descriptions of Head’s zones and the triple correlation of Head–Mu–Shu points, a segmental organ–meridian correlation model, and contemporary trigger point and segmental-sign literature presented at the 2024 NAMTPT meeting. Together, they outline a clinically actionable framework for reading the body wall as a mirror of visceral stress.

Metamerism and the Viscerotome: Why Segments Matter

The foundation of this model is metamerism: the fact that viscera, skin, and muscle can share segmental innervation from the same spinal cord levels. When an organ sends persistent nociceptive input into its viscerotome, the corresponding spinal segments may become sensitized, lowering thresholds in the associated dermatomes and myotomes.

In the following organ–segment table, we can see this clearly:

This should help make sense of the diagram:

     Top = upper thoracic (closer to heart/lungs)

     Middle = digestive organs

     Lower = elimination (kidney, bladder, colon)

     Left/right dominance matters:

         Heart → left

         Liver/GB → right

 Quick memory trick

     T1–T5 = chest (heart + lungs)

     T6–T9 = upper digestion

     T10–L2 = lower digestion + elimination

 Functionally, an internal organ can be treated as an enterotome or viscerotome defined by its primary sensory inflow to the spinal cord. Pathologic signals from that organ “overflow” within the dorsal horn into somatic neurons of the same segments, generating referred pain, hyperalgesia, and altered muscle tone in predictable territories. The various maps—Head’s zones, Mu/Shu points, and trigger point referral—are all different ways of tracing that overflow.

Head’s Zones and the Maximum Point Concept

Sir Henry Head’s work in the 1890s provided one of the earliest systematic descriptions of segmentally organized viscero‑cutaneous tenderness. He described specific dermatomal territories that became allodynic in visceral disease; these regions later took his name as “Head’s zones.” For instance, gastric disturbances typically refer pain and superficial tenderness to the T6–T9 dermatomes, often as a band across the epigastrium and mid‑thoracic back.

Importantly, Head also emphasized the existence of “maximum points” within each zone—focal spots of heightened tenderness that have largely faded from modern teaching. These points anticipate, in striking fashion, both trigger-point concepts and the idea that particular loci within a segmental field may carry special diagnostic weight. The NAMTPT material revisits this overlooked feature in light of more recent work, including the Beissner et al. paper on the relationship between Head’s zones and diagnostically relevant acupuncture points.

From a mechanistic standpoint, Head’s zones exemplify viscerosomatic convergence: the sensory pathways from an organ and from a region of skin converge on the same spinal segments, and the brain misattributes some of the organ’s distress to the somatic territory. In practice, palpation of these dermatomes can reveal hyperalgesia, altered skin resistance, or “paperclip disturbed sensation,” all of which were catalogued in the 2021 prospective work on segmental signs in acute visceral disease referenced in the NAMTPT slides.

Mu and Shu Points: The TCM Map of Segmental Distress

In TCM, Front‑Mu (“Alarm”) points on the anterior body and Back‑Shu points along the Bladder meridian are classically tied to individual organs. Mu points are said to be where the qi of a given organ gathers, and tenderness on palpation is interpreted as a sign of organ imbalance; Back‑Shu points, by contrast, are often used for more chronic, deficiency‑type presentations.

When the Mu–Shu system is overlaid on segmental anatomy and Head’s zones, a striking alignment emerges. Clinical data present a “triple correlation map” in which organ, spinal segment, Front‑Mu, and Back‑Shu points line up along shared levels. This is illustrated below:

Organ-Spinal Level, Front-Mu, and Back-Shu Reference
Organ	Spinal Level	Front-Mu Point	Front-Mu Location	Back-Shu Point	Back-Shu Location
Lungs	T2–T4	LU1	Upper lateral chest	BL13	Near T3
Heart	T4–T5	CV17	Sternum	BL15	Near T5
Liver	T7–T9	LV14	Rib cage	BL18	Near T9
Stomach	T6–T9	CV12	Upper abdomen	BL21	Near T12
Kidney	T10–L1	GB25	Lower rib	BL23	Near L2

 

Often, the Front‑Mu points actually lie within Head’s zones for the associated organs, often approximating Head’s “maximum points.” Segmental anatomy suggests that Back‑Shu points, located where dorsal rami emerge adjacent to the spinous processes, are positioned almost exactly over the posterior expression of the same segmental field. In other words, the Front‑Mu is the “front door” of organ diagnosis, the Back‑Shu is the “back door,” and Head’s zones describe the broader hallways between them.

From a biomedical perspective, modern research increasingly treats Mu points as trigger‑like loci embedded in viscerally sensitized dermatomes. When an organ is inflamed, the continuous afferent barrage into the spinal cord lowers thresholds in both skin and muscle, making these anterior and posterior points reproducibly tender. This convergence provides one of the stronger arguments that classical acupuncture mapping captured robust neurophysiologic patterns long before segmental innervation was understood explicitly.

Myofascial Trigger Points and Somatovisceral Loops

The concept can be broadened by the inclusion of  skin tenderness and discrete points to include myofascial trigger points as segmentally organized phenomena. Trigger points are described as hyperirritable spots in muscle that may be both a consequence and a driver of visceral dysfunction, depending on the direction of reflex flow. Two complementary loops are highlighted:

·      In a viscerosomatic reflex, disease in an organ activates trigger points in the corresponding myotome; for instance, gallbladder pathology in the T7–T9 range can sensitize TrPs in the right upper abdominal wall.

·      In a somatovisceral reflex, a primary myalgic condition of the abdominal or chest musculature can provoke functional disturbances in abdominal or thoracic viscera, producing symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, heartburn, tachyarrhythmias, or dysmenorrhea even in the absence of primary organ disease.

Trigger points can cause Somatovisceral Effects as noted by  Good’s observation that myalgic abdominal muscles can cause a range of visceral‑like symptoms—diarrhea, vomiting, food intolerance, infant burping, bladder pain, cough, belching, and hiccups—purely by virtue of segmental reflexes. Similarly, myalgic chest muscles (notably pectoral and intercostal structures) are associated with supraventricular tachycardia, premature contractions, angina‑like chest pain, and reflex changes in cardiac rhythm.

In addition to these chronic or subacute loops, the 2021 prospective study on segmental signs in acute visceral disease found that the majority of emergency‑room patients with acute organ pathology exhibited one or more segmental signs such as superficial hyperalgesia (Head’s zones), muscle resistance (“defense”), mydriasis, spinal flattening, spinous tenderness, disturbed paperclip sensation, or pain with paraspinal skin rolling. These findings reinforce the clinical value of systematically examining segmental musculature and cutaneous fields when visceral disease is suspected or when visceral‑like symptoms persist without clear anatomical explanation.

Spinal Curvature, Organ Disease, and the Winsor Autopsies

Anatomical corroboration for the organ–spine relationship predates modern imaging. The second document summarizes Henry Winsor’s 1921 autopsy series, which examined 50 cadavers from the University of Pennsylvania to determine whether spinal curvature correlated with diseased organs. Winsor reported that 49 of 50 cadavers showed minor curvatures, and even the one cadaver with a more normal thoracic curve displayed mild visceral pathology just above and below the curve in segments that should have formed compensatory curves.

Across 50 cadavers and 139 diseased organs, Winsor found vertebral curvature in segments sharing sympathetic outflow with the diseased organs in 128 instances, with the remaining ten cases explained by nerve fibers traveling a few segments before reaching their targets. When this segmental “slop” was accounted for, he concluded that the correlation was effectively 139 out of 139. Contemporary standards would treat those numbers with methodological caution, but the findings nonetheless illustrate that chronic organ disease and low‑grade spinal distortion frequently co‑occupy the same segmental corridors.

From a manual‑therapy perspective, we can extend this idea through practical assessments such as “Flat Back” tests, palpation of segmental paraspinals, and observation of regions of thoracic spinal flattening in forward flexion. These findings may be integrated with abdominal tension tests, pectoral muscle assessments, and shoulder‑drop observations to build a segmentally coherent picture of both anterior and posterior wall involvement for each organ territory.

An Integrated Organ–Segment–Point–Muscle Framework

When the three sets of materials are layered, a consistent cross‑map emerges for each organ region. Consider several representative examples:

Heart: Segmentally associated with roughly C8–T5, with Head’s zone emphasis around T3–T4, an anterior field that includes CV17 on the sternum and pectoralis major trigger patterns, and posterior involvement of BL15 near T5 with thoracic paraspinal flattening or tenderness.

Lung: Mapped primarily to T2–T5, with Head’s zones on the upper chest, LU1 as Front‑Mu, BL13 near T3 as Back‑Shu, and muscular involvement of pectoralis major (sternal), pectoralis minor, rhomboids, and interscapular paraspinals (flat back, hammerlock tests) in the myofascial texts.

Stomach and proximal duodenum: Centered around T6–T9, with upper epigastric Head’s zones, CV12 as Front‑Mu, BL21 near T12 as Back‑Shu, and trigger‑like involvement of the upper rectus abdominis between umbilicus and xiphoid, related obliques, and T6–T8 paraspinals.

Liver and gallbladder: Clustered in the T7–T9 to T8–T11 bands, right‑sided dominant, with LV14 and GB24 on the right anterior rib cage, posterior Shu correlations around BL18, and involvement of rectus abdominis, obliques, quadratus lumborum, serratus posterior inferior, and T8–T11 paraspinals.

Kidney, ureter, bladder, and distal bowel: Localized to T10–L2 (with sacral contributions for bladder), with Head’s zones in the lower abdominal and lumbosacral regions, Front‑Mu equivalents around GB25 and CV3, Back‑Shu around BL23 and adjacent levels, and recurrent trigger‑point patterns in lower rectus, obliques, QL, and lower thoracic to upper lumbar paraspinals.

In each case, there is a convergence of four elements:

1.    viscerotome (organ)

2.     dermatome (Head’s zone)

3.    acupuncture points (Mu/Shu)

4.    myotome/fasciotome (trigger points and segmental muscle signs).

The practical implication is that palpation findings in any one of these layers should cue the clinician to survey the others before drawing conclusions about whether the primary problem is visceral or somatic.

Clinical Application: Reading Segmental Signs at the Treatment Table

I propose a structured, segmentally informed approach for patients presenting with anterior torso pain or visceral‑like complaints. Key steps include:

 1.    Identifying the dermatome of anterior torso pain, effectively locating the relevant Head’s zone and narrowing likely organ sources.

2.    Evaluating pupil size for segmental sympathetic signs such as unilateral mydriasis.

3.    Correlating the anterior findings with paraspinal examination: flattened segments, spinous tenderness, increased tone, altered sensation to paperclip testing, or painful skin rolling.

4.    Assessing range of motion and tenderness in segmentally related muscles (rectus abdominis, obliques, pectorals, QL, interscapular muscles) using tests such as the abdominal tension test, shoulder‑drop, scapula scooper, and trunk rotation.

5.    Treating the least symptomatic component first, often discovering that anterior wall work reduces spinal flattening/tenderness or that spinal mobilization relaxes anterior muscular restriction—a practical example of bidirectional somatovisceral and viscerosomatic loops.

6.    Overlaying Mu and Shu points on this protocol does not replace standard red‑flag screening or organ‑specific evaluation, but it can refine palpatory diagnostics. A tender LU1 within a T2–T4 hyperalgesic band, combined with BL13 tenderness and pectoralis major TrPs, carries a different weight than an isolated pectoral trigger point in the absence of dermatomal and segmental signs.

Reframing East–West Tensions

Viewed through this segmental lens, the apparent tension between TCM and Western neurology softens considerably. Mu points can be characterized as “essentially trigger points located within Head’s zones of the associated organs,” and Back‑Shu points as dorsal mirrors of the same viscerotomes near dorsal rami emergence. Beissner et al. argue that these acupuncture points frequently occupy Head’s “maximum points,” not just his more diffuse zones.

Modern clinicians might label the same patterns as referred pain maps, segmental dysfunctions, or active Mu/Shu points, but in each case, they are describing a coherent biological reality: persistent organ input sensitizes specific spinal segments, and those segments broadcast their distress through predictable cutaneous, muscular, and point‑based phenomena. Recognizing that these languages are complementary rather than mutually exclusive allows practitioners to deepen assessment rather than arguing over map ownership.

Conclusion

The skin and musculature of the trunk are not random canvases for pain but ordered projections of visceral and spinal segmental states. Head’s zones, Mu and Shu points, myofascial trigger patterns, and chiropractic nerve tracing can all be understood as different attempts to chart that projection over the last century and more.

For the modern manual therapist, acupuncturist, myofascial therapist, or integrative clinician, the practical invitation is clear. Rather than treating these maps as competing dogmas, we can read them together—organ by organ, segment by segment—as a richer, more nuanced atlas of viscerosomatic communication.

The following chart, which I helped to create, is a tremendous aid to applying these concepts in practice.  I have no financial interest in this chart but believe it is the best available tool to aid in learning and adopting this practice model.  It’s yet another perspective.

https://www.adaptablepolarity.com/shop/the-integrated-human-nervous-system/

 

 

Spiritual Warfare Part 1

Shock and Awe

We’ve probably all watched a movie or at least a commercial for a movie dealing with the occult.  The scenes are terrifying.  People are contorted, screaming, and utterly defenseless.  Then there are the books – supposedly Christian books – that can be just as horrifying if not even more so.  You probably even have friends with scary stories.

I have seen demonic activity attributed to things purchased at a thrift store.  People I know have had their health issues blamed on demonic activity.  I have been told amazing stories that people I know have said to have experienced at the hands of the Devil and his minions.  I could tell a few of them myself.

All of these things contribute to what I call the Shock and Awe of the occult.  In the face of all of this stands our triune God who created the heavens and the earth.  Our understanding of this activity needs to come from Him.  Our experience and doctrine need to be understood and determined by His revelation in the scriptures alone.  We have no other guide in these or any other matters.  Our brains do not get to invent the interpretive grid.  It is our duty as believers to, in the words of Cornelius Van Til, “Think God’s thoughts after him.”  We need to say what he says and think in the ways he has told us to think.

There is an amazing scene that is presented to us in scripture where Jesus is with his disciples.  He has just reminded them of his coming death and of the fact that it is really close.  They are very worried.  The greatest act of spiritual warfare is about to commence.  He then speaks these words:

Joh 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

We need this attitude when we approach spiritual warfare.  War is not pretty.  There is always damage.  Yet we have read the end of the story.  We know that Jesus wins.

Back to where we live – the World, the Flesh, and the Devil

You may have heard people speak of “The world, the Flesh, and the Devil.” That terminology comes from Ephesians 2:1-3:

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

These are the basic categories of spiritual warfare.  The phrase “course of this world” refers to the wide path that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 7:13-14 during the Sermon on the Mount.  The majority of people live their lives in a manner of fulfilling whatever desires they have without any reference to or thought of God[i].  They prefer to suppress or hold down the knowledge that the do have[ii].  They plod down the wide path toward their own doom.

The “Flesh” refers to our basic physical appetites and desires – our wants.  Believers have the Bible as a guide to discipline our wants.  We have the work of the Holy Spirit applying scripture in our hearts and minds.  We have the example of Jesus, his commands in Scripture, and the environment of his Church and its means of grace[iii] to help in living a life that points to Jesus.

And Now, Introducing (in my best announcer voice):

·       The Prince of the Power of the Air

·       The Deceiver

·       The Adversary

·       The Angel of Light

– ladies and gentlemen I give you

“The DEVIL!”

It often feels like the beginning of a boxing match when we talk about the Devil.  We hear of his titles and of his deeds.  We fear. 

Certainly, a little fear seems to be in order.  He did tempt our first parents in the garden and thus introduced Sin into the world. [iv] He and his demonic hordes have waged war for thousands of years against our God – even to the point of trying to destroy Jesus in his crib[v] and crucifying him.[vi]  He accused Job directly to God’s face[vii] and sifted Peter[viii].  He is currently in the business of being “your adversary the devil” who “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1Pet 5:8 

However, in this case Fear is the “Theology of the First Glance.” Scripture says so much more about Satan.   Consider this:

Luk_10:18  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Rev_12:9  So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Rev 20:2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

I want to deal with the Devil first. We often walk around afraid of a fallen foe.  We do this in spite of the verses above that indicate his power has been significantly limited.  We will see later how we are to do battle with him.  I like to think of him as a scary dog on a chain and that I have a sword.  I think that is the picture we are given in scripture.  Even more than that – the closer we cling to God the less of a threat he becomes because God draws near to us. [ix]

The scriptures describe the Devil working in a number of ways:

·       He is our accuser before God.  We see this on at least 3 occasions.[x]

·       He is involved in many of our temptations as he was when he tempted Jesus.  [xi]

·       He puts unbelievers into the church. [xii]

·       He can have a good deal to do with the situations in which we find ourselves.  [xiii]

The World

The world is the place we live.  It is a fallen place.  I think Romans describes it best:

Rom 8:19- 23 “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

The entire earth is fallen.  We have essentially converted it to a replica of Pinnochio’s Pleasure Island.  It has become a place where we “conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath.”  It is said in James that:

Jas 4:1-4  “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?  You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.  Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

The Ephesians passage was referring to how we lived as unbelievers.  James is telling us that this often describes us a Christians! 

The Flesh

This is where we live.  It’s our body.  It has various needs and wants.  In the early chapters of the Bible we learn of both the creation and of the fall of man into sin.  We were created to need food.  God placed our first parents in an amazing garden with plenty to eat.  There was but one restriction.

          Gen 2:7-9  “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the

ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

Gen 2:15-17  “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

One little command – do not eat from a particular tree.  We all know the rest of the story.

Gen 3:6  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

This was an act of idolatry.  A want was placed above the need of a right relationship with the Creator.  The satisfying act had effects on all of history.  It is the same pattern we see in the book of James.

          Jas 1:14  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his       

          own desires and enticed.

The desire to satisfy our own wants is the origin of our temptations. These temptations come from the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.  These are the objects of our spiritual warfare.

Church History

In searching through a number of the creeds produced by the Church over many centuries, I have yet to locate a statement of faith regarding casting out of demons.  It may be that I have missed a reference but I did in fact search a number of them.  The Devil has certainly been around.  We know that from scripture.  Yet, The Church, as the Church, has never made a definitive statement regarding the casting out of demons.  It has spoken quite eloquently of spiritual warfare. 

What saith the Scriptures? (What is spiritual warfare?)

Today we have at least 2 radically different interpretations of Spiritual Warfare.  Most people in both camps acknowledge the importance of the principles laid out above.  The big difference comes in the area of dealing with what is thought of as casting out the Devil and his demons.  The importance of casting out often tends to overshadow the other aspects of Spiritual Warfare.  Given that the creeds of the church do not even speak of this practice it should come under some suspicion.  We need to search the scriptures to understand the role of casting out demons in God’s word and it alone must be our authority.  The Bible is to interpret our experience.  To interpret what God says in light of our experience turns His revelation on its’ head and makes man rather than God the final interpreter.

We do see a good deal of the Activity of the Devil and his minions in the Old Testament.  Satan tempted our first parents in the garden.  This certainly shows the Devil to be an actual being.  The section above goes into this – the Devil is real.

What we do not see anywhere is people casting out demons.  It simply does not occur in the Old Testament.  We know that it did happen historically in other cultures:

“Many cultures and religions contain some concept of demonic possession, but the details vary considerably. The oldest references to demonic possession are from the Sumerians, who believed that all diseases of the body and mind were caused by "sickness demons" called gidim or gid-dim.[2] The priests who practiced exorcisms in these nations were called ashipu (sorcerer) as opposed to an asu (physician) who applied bandages and salves.[3] Many cuneiform clay tablets contain prayers to certain gods asking for protection from demons, while others ask the gods to expel the demons that have invaded their bodies.” [xiv]

Demonic activity had become pretty common by the time Jesus was born. It is found throughout the gospels.  We find the disciples/apostles and sometimes those closely associated with them involved in this ministry.  On at least one occasion we see someone not identified with the apostles casting out demons.[xv]

Old Testament prophesy pointed to the time of the Messiah being a time of miracle working.  John the Baptist was in prison and had some doubts.  Jesus pointed to his ministry to answer John’s question as to Jesus’ ministry:

“Mat 11:2  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”[xvi]

These were things that John would be familiar with.  There were prophesies of the Messiah and His work.  That work included these signs and wonders that would authenticate his message.  They were done for people to see that he was the Messiah.  The people of Israel knew that these would be done in their midst and Jesus performed them for that purpose.

Jesus gave this same power and authority to His apostles and a few others.  Paul alludes to this in 2 Cor. 12:12 when He says: 

“Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.”

The signs and wonders were for a particular time in history and given to a particular group of people.  They had as their purpose the job of pointing to Christ.  It is interesting that by the time to book of Hebrews was written that these signs had pretty much died out.  See this from chapter 2:

“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.  For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”  Heb 2: 1-4

This confirmation of the message by signs and wonders was done prior to the time of the writing of the book of Hebrews!  These things – including the casting out of demons – were done at the time of Christ and those He commissioned during his earthly ministry.  They are not to be done today.  We are never told to speak to the devil and his demons or to cast them out.  That was for a different time and place. 

There are many occult types of practice in Massage Therapy today.  You can read my previous 2 article series entitled Energy Healing and the Christian part 1 and Energy Healing and the Christian part 2 to see how those practices specifically can be understood in a massage therapy practice and the principles can be applied to other types of occult practices as well.  In the post to follow we will focus more on how we should practice spiritual warfare today.

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[i] Rom 1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

[ii] Rom_1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

[iii] Q. 88. What are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?

A. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are, his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

[iv] Genesis 3

[v] Matthew 2

[vi] Matthew 27

[vii] Job 1

[viii] Luk_22:31  And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

[ix] Jas_4:7  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

[x] This is clearly seen in Job chapter 1.  We also see it in Zech. 3 where the High Priest is directly accused before God.  We see in Rev_12:10  “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.”  This accusing activity activity is constant.  On the other hand we have a mediator/counselor – Jesus.

[xi] Matthew and Luke in chapter four of their respective gospels both record the temptation of Jesus by the Devil.  Satan is shown tempting us:  Act_5:3  But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 1Co_7:5  Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 

[xii] Mat_13:39  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

[xiii] Luk_8:12  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 

1Pe_5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

Rev_2:10  Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Rev_12:9  So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 

Luk_13:16  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"

Luk_22:3  Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.

Luk_22:31  And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

Joh_13:27  Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly."

Act_5:3  But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

[xiv] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonic_possession

[xv] Mark 9:38-38, Luke 9:49-50  Most interpreters think this was a disciple of John the Baptist who was not in Jesus circle but was still in the group who followed John and knew of Jesus.

[xvi] Matt 11: 2-5