Helping a friend with severe trauma

A friend was abused sexually as a child by both male and female. Now it seems that there are memories beginning to surface of satanic ritual abuse. My friend feels like his 'soul has been sucked out of him.' He feels like he is possessed. He does attend church and is in therapy with a wonderful therapist who deals with severe trauma. I remind my friend of his baptism and the love his Savior has for him. How does he get over the feeling of being 'soul-less?'

It is good that your friend is receiving the kind of help you described.  Hopefully he is seeing a Christian therapist who can offer biblical guidance.  And hopefully the church he is attending is rock-solid in its teachings, and its pastor can provide counseling as he is able.

What you can do is remind your friend about Satan’s limitations and God’s power.  God alone has power over a person’s soul (Matthew 10:28).  Satan is not free to do as he pleases.  The opening chapters of the book of Job make that clear.  With his word God has given us a powerful weapon (Ephesians 6:17) to combat the devil (James 4:7).

Continue to point your friend to the Bible so he can replace his feelings with the objective truths that God has revealed.  You and I won’t be able to change your friend’s feelings, but God can.  You can remind your friend that what God says is true, regardless of his feelings.

You are certainly doing the right thing by encouraging him to remember the truths of his baptism.  The meaning of baptism is God saying, “I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1).  Keep praying for your friend.  God bless all your efforts to restore the joy of salvation for your friend (Psalm 51:12).