Did you ever wonder what Scripture means when it mentions "double-minded"?

The term comes from the Greek dipsuchos -- meaning "a person with two minds or souls."

It can be vacillation: going back and forth -- from one mind to another, not able to make a decision. It's one way of looking at it.

There are others.

It can interpreted as meaning duplicity. That's a strong word and means:

"Deceitfulness in speech or conduct, as by speaking or acting in two different ways to different people concerning the same matter; double-dealing," notes one dictionary.

It means we have put up two faces, one of which is a pretense. Duplicity is when we pretend.

This is interesting because the expert on exorcism Malachi Martin -- delineating the stages of deliverance -- said a major step in a full-blown exorcism in which he was involved was breaking through the "pretense."

"In the early stages of an exorcism, the evil spirit will make every attempt to 'hide behind' the possessed, so to speak-to appear to be one and the same person and personality with its victim," he wrote. "This is the Pretense. The first task of the priest is to break that Pretense, to force the spirit to reveal itself openly as separate from the possessed-and to name itself, for all possessing spirits are called by a name that generally (though not always) has to do with the way that spirit works on its victim."

Evil creates fraud. It grows a shell around us. A crust. A glaring, impenetrable mirror that reflects a lie and blinds us with false light. Emit light as Christ emits it: through purity.

Personality does not define the person -- not always.

Sometimes, a pseudo-person covers the real one. We call this "two-faced."

When that happens, Confession is in order. For when we are "insincere" we are "in sin."

"Submit therefore to God," says a passage from James. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

There it is: right in Scripture.

James used the term double-minded in the way of the doubting person who is "like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does" (James 1:6-8).

We put on whatever mask "works" for us in the world, amid co-workers, among acquaintances, even with relatives and friends. Often, a pretense is worn to make money or gain power or hide a deep inner insecurity, an insincerity, a darkness.

Yet, a pretense is recognized and broken by looking at fruit, which cannot be faked. By their fruits you will know them, said Jesus (Matthew 7:15). These can bear no pretense. A fruit reflects what is deep inside a tree. What are the essential fruits?

According to the Bible: peace, joy, love.

We should always be transparent. At all ages, what people see on the outside of us should be what is also on the inside. "To thine own self be true." For us to do this, we must purify interiorly to the point where love for others fills us and there is nothing to hide, to pretend, to cover over.

This brings... peace.

And peace brings... joy.

Smiles are cheap. (Beware the flatterer.)

Love is the golden rule. "For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you," says Job 36:4.

The closer we are to God, the closer we become to who we really are.

[resources: A Life of Blessings and Retreat in Omaha]