No need for exorcism, it's 2010 we're too modern to believe in that...

It's not so much that an Evangelical doesn't believe we need exorcists, I wouldn't expect him too, he likely doesn't believe in the Eucharist, confession, Holy Orders, the Immaculate Conception, etc. either.

His view of exorcism in the New Testament is lacking:

Mohler does not deny accounts in the New Testament that show clear and real cases of demonic possession. Jesus and the Apostle Paul liberated afflicted individuals, he noted.

But the evangelical leader pointed out that no rite of exorcism was performed in those cases and there was no notion of a priestly ministry of ordained exorcists. The only thing involved in casting out demons from an individual was "the name of Jesus and the proclamation of the Gospel."

but St. Matthew tells us:

And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said: O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked him, and the devil went out of him, and the child was cured from that hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus secretly, and said: Why could not we cast him out? Jesus said to them: Because of your unbelief. For, amen I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain: Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible to you. But this kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting. (Mat 17:15-20)

So in some cases there is more to casting out demons than merely calling on the Holy name of Jesus as Christ himself tells his disciples.

What gets me is that there are priests who when invited to a conference on the rite do and say things like this:

One priest who sent the National Catholic Reporter a copy of the invitation letter by Paprocki back in May wrote: "CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? IN 2010."

Now I know I can't speak for the priests motives, but the sentiment seems clear to me: How old fashioned, how childish.  (These are the same sentiments, unfortunately, that many Catholics have for the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist by the way).

There are documented cases of demonic possession and the exorcisms which cured or helped those possessed.  See: The Vatican's Exorcists, Evidence of Satan in the Modern World, Begone Satan, An Exorcist Tells His Story, and so on.

It seems to me that if we stop believing in the possibility of possession it makes it that much harder for us to protect ourselves against it, though I admittedly have nothing to back that up with.  But what makes us so immune to possession in 2010?  Science? Enlightenment? Tolerance?  Just look at how that view has worked out for us in the social sphere: abortion, homosexual 'marriage', contraception, divorce, embryonic stem cell research and so on.  So why would such a view make possession obselete?  Except perhaps the fact that evil is so prevalent in the world that Ol' Hairy Legs doesn't need to possess our bodies to get his way when he's got a hold on something far greater in our minds.

May we all be on our guard against taking to lightly the power of Satan in this world.  Even as baptised Christians we are not immune to his wiles. 

Saint Michael the Archangel defend us in battle.  Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  May God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen