A Thematic Summary of the Three Exorcism Prayers

Before the waters of baptism are blessed, the Orthodox Church begins with a series of three exorcism prayers, ancient invocations through which the catechumen is freed from the tyranny of the devil and prepared for union with Christ. In these prayers, the priest calls upon the power and authority of God to banish all evil influence, proclaims Christ’s victory over the forces of darkness, and entreats the Lord to heal and purify the soul of the one who is about to be illumined. Together, these prayers mark the soul’s passage from bondage to freedom — from the dominion of sin to the peace of Christ — so that the person may approach the baptismal waters cleansed, renewed, and ready to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit.

First Exorcism Prayer – The Sovereignty and Dominion of God

Theme: The absolute authority of God over creation and the subjugation of the devil.

Summary:

• The priest calls upon God’s transcendent power — “God, Who is holy, terrible and glorious in His works” — establishing divine supremacy over all creation.

• The devil is reminded of his defeat and condemned nature: that he has no true dominion, being cast down from heaven.

• The prayer invokes the power of Christ’s victory and the sign of the Cross to command all demonic powers to withdraw from the person preparing for baptism.

• The tone is judicial and declarative — the Church, speaking in Christ’s authority, proclaims sentence upon the adversary.

• The human being is reclaimed as God’s rightful possession, created for life, not bondage.

In essence:

The First Exorcism declares that God alone reigns — not the devil. The baptized person belongs to the Creator, and all dark powers are placed under divine judgment.

Second Exorcism Prayer – The Command of Christ and the Final Defeat of Evil

Theme: Christ’s direct command to the demons and the demonstration of His victorious might.

Summary:

• The prayer vividly recalls the authority of Christ in the Gospels, especially His command to unclean spirits (“Come out of the man…”).

• It names the devil as “impure, vile, loathsome, and alien,” exposing his impotence — “your might has no power even over swine.”

• The priest appeals to God’s creative acts — the making of heaven, earth, seas, mountains — to show that the entire cosmos stands under His command.

• The judgment imagery intensifies: the devil is warned of eternal punishment in Gehenna, where the worm does not die and the fire is unquenched.

• The candidate is declared one who has been “sealed in the Name of Jesus Christ” — no longer under the enemy’s dominion.

In essence:

The Second Exorcism proclaims Christ’s triumph and cosmic authority. It is the Church’s militant command that the devil depart from the one sealed for Christ, under threat of final judgment.

Third Exorcism Prayer – Healing, Purification, and Victory

Theme: God’s mercy and healing power completing deliverance from evil and preparing the soul for illumination.

Summary:

• Addressed to “the Lord of Sabaoth, the God of Israel, Who heals every malady and infirmity.”

• The prayer shifts tone: from confrontation to restoration — asking God to “prove him and search him,” to “root out every operation of the devil,” and to “purify the works of Thy hands.”

• It requests spiritual healing and the crushing of Satan “under his (her) feet,” echoing Genesis 3:15 and Romans 16:20 — the final promise of victory.

• The emphasis now lies on inner renewal, not merely exorcism: that the person may “partake of Thy heavenly Mysteries.”

• Ends with a doxology affirming that the dominion belongs to Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

In essence:

The Third Exorcism completes the deliverance by invoking God’s healing and sanctifying power. Evil is not only expelled — the person is purified, made whole, and made ready for the grace of baptism.

Overall Movement (Summary Table)

Prayer	Dominant Theme	Tone / Function	Theological Focus
First Exorcism	God’s Sovereignty	Judicial and declarative	God’s rule over all creation; judgment on Satan
Second Exorcism	Christ’s Authority & Final Defeat of Evil	Commanding and cosmic	Christ’s triumph, devil’s impotence, warning of Gehenna
Third Exorcism	Healing and Victory	Pastoral and restorative	Inner purification; preparation for communion with God

Summary:

The first proclaims God’s dominion,
the second commands the devil’s departure through Christ’s might,
the third heals and prepares the soul for sanctification —
together forming the arc of deliverance that precedes illumination.

The three exorcism prayers of the Orthodox baptismal rite form a sacred sequence of liberation, purification, and restoration, preparing the human soul to enter the life of grace. In the first, the Church proclaims the sovereignty of God over all creation and places the devil under divine judgment. In the second, she invokes the authority of Christ, the Conqueror of death and Hades, commanding the powers of darkness to depart in the name of the Crucified and Risen Lord. In the third, the tone turns pastoral and restorative, as God is entreated to heal, cleanse, and renew His creature, crushing Satan underfoot and restoring the divine image. Through these prayers, the person is reclaimed from the dominion of sin and darkness, becoming once again God’s rightful possession — a vessel prepared for the descent of the Holy Spirit. The exorcisms are therefore not merely acts of defense against evil but liturgical moments of divine conquest, marking the soul’s passage from bondage to freedom, from corruption to incorruption, and from the tyranny of the enemy to the peace of Christ. Thus cleansed and set free, the catechumen stands ready to renounce Satan and to confess faith in the Holy Trinity, entering the radiant waters of regeneration as a new creation in Christ.