Legion, Language, and the Loss of Self: A Spiritual, Psychological, and Societal Examination of the Transgender Ideology

Legion, Language, and the Loss of Self: A Spiritual, Psychological, and Societal Examination of the Transgender Ideology

By Dr. Keith M. Waggoner

“My name is Legion, for we are many.” — Mark 5:9
“God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” — 1 Corinthians 14:33

In one of the most jarring moments of the New Testament, Jesus encounters a man possessed by many demons. When asked to name himself, the man replies not in the singular, but in the plural: “My name is Legion, for we are many.” Here we see a spiritual and psychological fracture—an individual no longer speaking with one voice, but as a collective of competing identities.

This moment is more than a curious story from antiquity—it’s a mirror to our modern crisis of identity, particularly visible in the transgender movement and the broader gender ideology surrounding it. When compelled speech laws force us to refer to individuals using pronouns like they/them/us, we must ask: What spirit lies behind this? What does it reveal about our culture, our souls, and our society?

1. Theological Perspective: Demonic Echoes in Pronoun Politics

In Scripture, identity is sacred. God names Adam. He renames Abram to Abraham. Jesus gives Simon a new name—Peter—based on his divine calling. Naming is authority. Identity is spiritual.

In contrast, demonic spirits seek to erase identity. In Mark 5, Legion doesn’t give a name but a number—a title of fragmentation. The use of plural pronouns by demons is no accident. It reflects a shattered self—a loss of coherence, direction, and order.

Similarly, modern gender ideology often insists on:

• Plural or shifting pronouns (“they/them,” “ze/zir,” etc.),
• The idea that gender is not fixed, but fluid and chosen,
• Compelled affirmation of these identities, even against conscience.

Theologically, this bears the hallmarks of spiritual deception:

• Confusion, not clarity (1 Cor. 14:33),
• Self-deification, not submission to God’s design,
• Compelled participation in identity rituals that are eerily reminiscent of demonic behaviors—where the host body speaks on behalf of many spirits and demands that others recognize them.

This isn’t a condemnation of individuals, many of whom are deeply wounded. But the ideology itself bears marks of demonic influence—especially where it fractures identity and coerces others to affirm that fracture.

1. Psychological Analysis (Peterson Perspective): Identity and Tyranny

Dr. Jordan Peterson made global headlines when he refused to use compelled pronouns under Canada’s Bill C-16. His reasoning was not bigotry—but concern over authoritarian control of language, which, as history shows, leads to totalitarian control of thought.

Peterson argues that identity is not arbitrary. It is built through suffering, responsibility, and structure. To detach identity from biology, language, or reality is to descend into psychological chaos. Worse, to mandate affirmation of unreality is to:

• Gaslight the population,
• Suppress truth-telling, and
• Undermine mental health across the board.

Jungian psychology recognizes that wholeness requires the integration of the self—not the fragmentation of it. Yet transgender ideology often encourages:

• The splitting of the psyche (e.g., “deadnaming” one’s former self),
• The suppression of natural instincts (e.g., parental roles, sexual orientation),
• And the public celebration of fragmentation as freedom.

This is not liberation—it’s psychological exile.

III. Sociological/Anthropological Analysis: Ritual and Rebellion

In virtually every culture, identity has been rooted in biology and tribe. To be male or female was not just a fact—it was a role, a responsibility, a connection to past and future. Cross-gender behaviors in ancient tribes were often associated with:

• Shamanic rites,
• Spirit possession,
• Or ritual liminality—a person set apart from social order for spiritual tasks.

What we are now witnessing in the West is a neo-pagan revival, where:

• Pronouns are sacred rites,
• Transitions are treated as rebirths,
• And dissenters are treated as blasphemers.

This shift has devastating consequences for the social fabric:

• Children are being medically transitioned without informed consent.
• Parents are losing custody for refusing to affirm a child’s chosen identity.
• Women’s sports, privacy, and safety are being compromised by the inclusion of biological males.
• Language itself is becoming unusable as a medium of truth.

This is not tolerance—it is a new orthodoxy that punishes unbelief and demands conversion. The parallels to totalitarian cults and authoritarian regimes are not accidental—they are intentional tools of control.

1. Historical Precedent: Identity Collapse Leads to Civilizational Collapse

Historically, every civilization that blurred gender boundaries did so in its final stages of decline:

• Rome embraced gender fluidity and sexual indulgence as it descended into moral decay and collapse.
• Weimar Germany saw a rise in transvestitism and sexual confusion shortly before Hitler rose to power and exploited the chaos for totalitarian control.
• Even in ancient Mesopotamia, gala priests—biological males who performed as women—served in temples during eras of decadence, not strength.

These were not eras of liberation—they were moments of existential vulnerability when the spiritual order of the society disintegrated. Identity, morality, family, and truth collapsed together.

1. Global Pushback: A Reawakening of Sanity

Despite media dominance, the tide is turning. Around the world, nations, parents, and former activists are pushing back.

• The UK’s Tavistock Gender Clinic was shut down after a damning review showed its medical malpractice and ideological bias.
• Sweden, Finland, and Norway have reversed course, restricting medical transitions for minors.
• U.S. states like Florida and Texas are banning irreversible surgeries and hormone treatments for youth.
• Detransitioners—former transgender individuals—are speaking out, many describing the ideology as cult-like, abusive, and ultimately dehumanizing.

This isn’t a backlash of hate. It’s a return to reality. A reassertion of truth, biology, and dignity over ideology and confusion.

1. The Power of the Individual: The Foundation of a Healthy Society

One of the clearest markers of demonic influence is the erasure of individual identity. Demons speak in plurals. They demand collective affirmation. They possess, fragment, and erase.

But God calls us by name.
He loves each person uniquely.
He gives singular identity, singular mission, and singular worth.

Society flourishes when individuals are rooted in truth, not tossed by every cultural wind:

• Psychological health depends on integrated identity.
• Spiritual vitality depends on knowing who we are in Christ.
• Political freedom depends on the right to speak the truth, even if it’s unpopular.

When society affirms the individual—man or woman, made in God’s image—it thrives. When society demands collective conformity to lies, it dies.

Conclusion: A Call to Courage and Clarity

We must not hate those trapped in confusion. We must love them with truth and compassion. But we must also resist the spirit behind this movement—a spirit of deception, control, and destruction.

It is not just a political battle. It is a spiritual war over identity.
And as John Eldredge wrote:

“The enemy always attacks you at the point of your identity.”

So we respond with clarity, courage, and compassion—refusing to bow to Legion, and standing firm in the truth of God.

If this article has stirred something in you, share it. Speak truth. Push back. And remember—you are not many. You are one. And you are not alone.

By Dr. Keith M. Waggoner
Strategic Edge Coaching | Undisputed Mastery | www.keithmwaggoner.com