Can Christians Be Demon-possessed? [Part Two]

 2 of 2

Possession and Oppression

People who believe that a Christian can be demon-possessed often confuse oppression with possession. Let us understand these terms.

To be possessed with a demon means to be indwelt by a demon and thus internally being completely controlled by him. To be oppressed by a demon means to face external assaults from the enemy. To be possessed is to be restrained from the inside. To be oppressed is to be afflicted from the outside.

Biblically, a believer cannot be possessed by a demon, but he can be oppressed by the enemy. Peter says, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Pet. 5:8-9).

James also writes, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4:7).

Both the above Scriptures speak about facing the assault of the enemy from the outside, which is an oppression, and hence taking the step of faith in God to resist him.

Remember, a demon-possessed person cannot resist the enemy, for he is completely internally controlled by him. Someone has to cast out the demon from him. He cannot cast out a demon within him by himself.

The fact that a believer having the privilege and authority to resist the enemy proves that he cannot be demon-possessed. He can only be oppressed by the devil which he can resist in Jesus name by submitting himself to God.

The devil may tempt a believer to sin, emotionally disturb him, physically afflict him and deceive him but he cannot possess him. That right belongs only to God who purchased him by the blood of Christ.

Sinful Nature and Demon-possession

Some also claim that if a Christian is committing sins, such as sexual sin or manifesting fury or the like, it is because of evil spirits that indwells them. They say there is an evil spirit of lust or an evil spirit of anger within them which causes Christians to commit such sins. However, such terminology is unfound in the Scripture.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he didn’t write, “It has been reported to me that there is an evil spirit of quarrelling among you.” He wrote, “For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you” (1 Cor. 1:11). He didn’t write, “It is reported to me that there is an evil spirit of sexual immorality among you”. He wrote, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you” (1 Cor. 5:1).

When sin is manifested in a believer, it is not because of a demon within but because of the sinful nature which still exists and which should be continuously crucified by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

When a person becomes a born-again Christian, he doesn’t instantaneously become perfect or sinless in his moral conduct. There would be a battle within him which the Scripture reveals as the war between the sinful nature and the Spirit.

And it is by yielding to the work of the Spirit and crucifying the desires of the sinful nature that he would be conformed more and more to the likeness of Christ Jesus. This is called sanctification. To know more about this, read carefully Romans 8:1-14 and Galatians 5:13-26.

The devil does not possess believers. Instead, he tempts them, particularly in the areas in which they are weak, so that they would commit sin against God. The enemy cannot be blamed though, for a believer has the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to resist his temptations.

Therefore, if a Christian sins, it is not because of some evil spirit of such and such living within him, causing him to commit sins. There is not a single evidence of such belief in the Holy Scripture. If a Christian sins, it is because of the choice he makes to yield to the passions of the sinful nature rather than to the Spirit. And it is to crucify those sinful passions that the Scripture says, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13).

My Experience

Before I close, I want to share my experience. When I became a new Christian, I grew up in a church were people believed Christians can be demon-possessed. One day, I got a fear that there may be a demon within me. I lived in this anxiety for a couple of days. O, it was a painful experience!

I remember casting out demon from myself by myself in Jesus name. Sometimes I went to some Christian workers asking them to pray over me so that they may discern the demon if there was and cast him out from me. I could not share my inner struggle with anyone, fearing what others would think about me.

After much wrestling in my mind, one day, I attended a prayer meeting where an itinerant preacher after his preaching was praying for people. I stood in the line and was heading with a hope that some deliverance would happen to me. I didn’t express to him anything except to pray for me. Then he laid his hand over me and prayed, “Lord, thank you for filling him with the Holy Spirit.”

Those words immediately relieved me from the fear that I had a demon within me. I realized that I am indwelt by God’s Spirit, not by a demon.

At the same time, I got to listen to spiritual warfare lectures in my Bible College given by my first mentor in Christ, Dr. David R. Willis. My faith got strengthened when I listened to him refuting the doctrine that Christians can be demon-possessed with sound biblical arguments.

I praise God for opening my eyes to see the glory of being a child of God in Christ Jesus.

Final Words

Finally, to say that Christians can be demon-possessed is a heretical teaching which is not based on the teaching of God’s word. It is simply based on the experiences of people who simply appeared to be Christians and were demon possessed.

A born-again Christian, a genuine believer of Christ, cannot be demon-possessed. He or she is, in fact, God’s possession (Eph. 1:14). If a person is demon-possessed, he is either not a Christian at all or appears to be a Christian for a while until the temptations and tribulations in this world proves that his faith is not genuine (just at it is described in the parable of the sower in Mark 4:1-20).

May I leave you to ponder over these great words of affirmation from 1 John 4:4:

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Also from 1 John 5:18:

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

Dear friend, if you are not a born-again Christian, I encourage you to repent of your sins and turn to the Lord who died for your sins and rose again from the dead for the forgiveness of your sins and to deliver you from the power of Satan. If you do so, you will receive the Spirit of God within you and have eternal life.

And, if you are a born-again Christian, may I remind you—God is in you and the devil is in the world and in Christ “you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:13-14). “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom. 16:20). Amen.

 [Click here to go to Part 1 of this article] | 2 of 2

_______________________________

Enquiries:

cstephendavid@gmail.com (or) messageforourage@gmail.com

Can Christians Be Demon-possessed? [Part One]

 1 of 2

Note: This article is divided into two parts. I request the readers to study this material in its entirety in order to get a proper overview of my presentation. 

There are many Christians who sincerely believe that a Christian can be demon-possessed. Their basis for this belief is witnessing people who profess to be Christians and yet manifested signs of demon possession.

What I have observed is such people mostly base their conviction on experience than on Scripture. Nevertheless, we need to ask whether the Holy Bible supports the view that Christians can be demon-possessed.

Before we go further, it is important for us to first define who a Christian is. If our understanding of who a Christian is flawed, we arrive at false conclusions on this issue.

Who is a Christian?

If someone has a Christian name that doesn’t make him a Christian. If a person claims to believe in Christ, takes baptism, attends the church, worships God, listens to sermons and gives offering—yet all these things doesn’t prove he is necessarily a Christian.

Here is a terrible fact—an individual may pray and study the Holy Bible daily; he may manifest certain good conduct and do some good works; he may even engage himself in ministry, evangelism and missions—and yet he may not be a Christian.

For example, here is David Brainerd’s confession in his own diary:  

I read my Bible more than twice through in less than a year, spent much time every day in prayer and other secret duties, gave great attention to the Word preached, and endeavoured to my utmost to retain it.

So much concerned was I about religion, that I agreed with some young persons to meet privately on Sabbath evenings for religious exercises, and thought myself sincere in these duties; and after our meeting was ended, I used to repeat the discourses of the day to myself; recollecting what I could, though sometimes very late at night...

Although he was doing all the religious exercises, like diligent study of the Bible, days of secret fasting and fervent prayer, engaging in godly fellowship and abstaining from worldly pleasures—Brainerd confesses of not being a born-again Christian. It was sometime later that he experienced being born-again.

In his book, Follow Me, David Platt shares about a person called Tom. He writes that Tom spent his entire life in church. He served on about every committee that any church has ever created. Tom’s former church pastor even testified that he was a great guy and how blessed it was to have him as a member in his church.

The amazing thing is, although Tom served the church for more than fifty years, he wasn’t a born-again Christian. Tom confessed, “For all those years I sat in the seats of churches thinking I knew Christ when I didn’t.”

So, who is a Christian, a born-again Christian?

A Christian is chosen by God, genuinely convicted and repents of his sins and trusts in the atoning work of Christ on the cross for his salvation. And as a result of this, he experiences the life-transforming work of God in his heart and is indwelt by the Spirit of Christ which is a guarantee of inheriting the eternal kingdom of God. (Eph. 1:4-6; Acts 2:38, 3:19; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13-14)

With this understanding of who a Christian is, let us go further in our discussion.

Temple of the Holy Spirit

One great revelation and truth about the teachings of the New Testament is this—believers are chosen to be the temple of God. It is written, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

How blessed are believers in Christ Jesus by becoming a temple of the Holy Spirit!

It is helpful for us to understand the two different Greek words hieron [ἱερόν] and naos [ναός]. The English translation uses the same word for these both – ‘temple.’ Hieron describes the temple area whereas naos represents the inner sanctuary of the temple which is commonly known as “the Holy of Holies.”

When Paul says to believers, “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit”, he is actually saying, “You are the inner sanctuary or the Holy of Holies [naos] of God.” What a sacred, sober and staggering privilege!

It is interesting to notice that Paul says these words to Corinthian believers who manifested immaturity and carnality. They had become God’s temple not by their good works but through the good work of Christ on the cross. It is by making them to realize who they are in Christ, Paul challenges them to live according to God’s will.

Now here is the point—the Holy Bible asserts that believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It nowhere says that believers can also become the temple of an evil spirit. Being the temple of God means to be indwelt by God. To be possessed by demon means to be indwelt by a demon.

How can a believer be indwelt both by God and demon? How can a Christian be both God’s and a demon’s temple? The Scripture speaks nothing of such absurdity.

Moreover, when Paul exhorts believers not to be yoked with unbelievers, he writes, “What accord has Christ with Belial?” (2 Cor. 6:15). In other words, “What harmony or association is there between Christ and Belial?”

Paul also writes, “What agreement has the temple of God with idols?” (2 Cor. 6:16). In these words of Paul, this is what we learn—a believer represents Christ and the temple of God; he doesn’t represent a demon and being his temple.

A believer is under the authority of Christ and an unbeliever is under the authority of the devil. Therefore, if a believer and unbeliever shouldn't be yoked together, how can God and Satan be yoked together in a person? Don't you suppose it is unbiblical to say that a Christian can be demon-possessed?

Authority Over Evil Powers

The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you” (Lu. 10:19).

A Christian is having authority over the power of the enemy. The enemy has no power over him. Of course, demons may tempt believers, but they have no absolute power over God’s children.

To be possessed with a demon is to let him have complete power and a believer do not live in such a state. He is blessed with glorious privileges in Christ, having authority over the powers of darkness.

The Lord Jesus also said that those who believe in Him “In my name they will cast out demons” (Mark 16:17). A Christian will cast out demons in the name of Christ. He will not be possessed by demons and have someone cast out demons from him. He will rather deliver demon-possessed people with the authority of Christ.

Paul even writes to the Roman Christians, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom. 16:20). Believers are protected by God. Believers are not under the feet of the devil. They cannot be possessed by demons. Instead God will soon crush the devil under their feet.

What do we learn from all the above verses? Do we get an idea that a Christian can be demon-possessed? Far from it.

The Scripture speaks supremely about the position of a believer in Christ. To say that a Christian can be demon-possessed is to debunk the teachings of the Holy Bible which portrays the glorious state of a believer in Christ.

The Kingdom of God

Let us consider the words of Christ Jesus when He was falsely accused of being demon possessed. The Lord said:

Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you (Matt. 12:25-28).

Let us think over what we can learn from the words of Christ. First, the Lord Jesus, indwelt by the Spirit of God, had cast out demons by the Spirit of God. One of the signs of having the Spirit of God in a person is that he cannot be possessed by a demon. Instead he will cast out demons by the Spirit of God.

Second, the Spirit of God and the Kingdom of God are inseparable entities. When the Lord Jesus in casting out demons by the Spirit of God proclaims it as a sign of the coming of the Kingdom of God, what about a Christian being indwelt by the Spirit of God? Isn't the Kingdom of God already within him?

A Christian having the Spirit of God in him is in a sense having the Kingdom of God. And the Kingdom of God is nothing but the reign of God. If God dwells in a believer, His Kingdom also exists therein. Agreed, the final consummation of God’s Kingdom is yet to come wherein God renews the whole earth and establishes His kingdom forever.

Now here is the point—is a believer in whom is the kingdom of God [because of the Spirit of God who indwells him] can also be a kingdom of the devil [because of a demon who indwells]? Can he be both a kingdom of God and the devil? How absurd it is to think so!

A person can either have the kingdom of God within him or the kingdom of the devil. There cannot be both opposite kingdoms existing together.

Third, the Lord Jesus also said, “How can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house” (Matt. 12:29). Hank Hanegraff of Bible Answer Man makes a good point on this:

In the case of a demon-possessed person, the strong man is obviously the devil. In a Spirit-indwelt believer, however, the strong man is God. The force of Christ’s argument leads inexorably to the conclusion that, in order for demons to possess believers, they would first have to bind the one who occupies them—namely God Himself!

In light of the above Scripture, how doctrinally weak it is to believe that a Christian can be demon-possessed, i.e. indwelt by a demon! If it was foolish for the Pharisees to say that Jesus was demon-possessed, is it not also foolish to say that a Christian [who is a child of God redeemed by the blood of Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit] can be demon-possessed? [Click here to go to Part 2 of this article...] |  1 of 2