Can a Christian be demon-possessed? This question is like asking “Can a Christian lose their salvation which is a free gift from God?” Some people would say yes to both questions, but the Holy Bible written by God the Holy Spirit would say, unequivocally, NO!
Though demons can enter and possess any unbeliever, they cannot enter into the body of those who belong to the Lord. There are several reasons why this is so:
Greater is God than the Devil and his demons.
Every Christian has been delivered from the power of Satan regarding sin and death.
There is nothing in common between good and evil.
Every biblical example of demon possession was with unbelievers.
Because of the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Christians are born again and become a new creation.
Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Nothing can separate you from Christ.
Satan and his fallen army of angels are already defeated by Jesus.
Are There Demonic Influences?
Pastor John MacArthur said this in teaching that believers cannot have demons: "The Bible convincingly reveals that true believers cannot be inhabited by Satan or demons. Should demons actually be found to indwell a person, this would be evidence that he or she lacks genuine salvation, no matter how strongly that person or a counselor or a pastor or even a demon argues otherwise.
Greater Is God
The Bible says that the One (GOD) who indwells believers is greater than the one who is in the world (Satan).
“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4;4).
Christiana Are Delivered
Those who have trusted Christ have been delivered from the possibility of demonic possession. Paul wrote.
“In which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (demons), of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).
The believers do not live any more under Satan’s authority.
''For He (Jesus) rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
Good Has Nothing in Common with Evil
WHAT IS BOUND | BELIEVERS | UNBELIEVERS |
WHAT PARTNERSHIP | RIGHTEOUSNESS | & LAWLESSNESS |
WHAT FELLOWSHIP | LIGHT | & DARKNESS |
WHAT HARMONY | CHRIST | & BELIAL (DEMON) |
WHAT IN COMMON | BELIEVER | & UNBELIEVER |
WHAT AGREEMENT | TEMPLE OF GOD | & IDOL WORSHIP |
WALK AMONG THEM | BE THEIR GOD | SO BE MY PEOPLE |
Believers have nothing in common with darkness or Satan. The Holy Spirit, and a demonic spirit, cannot co-exist in the same person. What happens when you turn on the light in a dark room? The room and everything in it are illumined and the light dissipates the darkness. There is no darkness, only light. This is what happens when you are saved from your sin and death by Jesus Christ.
“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).
All Biblical Examples of Demon Possession Are Unbelievers
Finally, there is no example in Scripture of a believer in Jesus Christ being demon-possessed. All cases of demonic possession were with those who were unbelievers.
Sometimes the following passages are cited as support of believers being possessed. Paul ordered the church of Corinth to deliver a believer over to Satan.
"To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 5:5).
There is no evidence that the person whom Paul delivered over to Satan became demon-possessed, but there are consequences for sin.
The Bible speaks of two other individuals who were also delivered over to Satan.
"Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan so that they will be taught not to blaspheme" (1 Timothy 1:20).
As is the case with the believer in Corinth, there is no indication that either of these men was ever demon-possessed. They were not handed over to be possessed by demons but to be disciplined by God to destroy the flesh but not the Spirit and teach them not to blaspheme the Lord.
Another passage speaks of people being taken captive by the Devil.
"The Lord’s bond-servant (Christians) must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition (unbelievers), if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will" (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
The people under discussion in this context are not believers, they are slaves to sin. Consequently, there is no Scriptural support for the idea that Christians can become demon possessed.
What about stories that circulate concerning believers exhibiting symptoms of demon possession? Two questions immediately arise,
"Were these victims of demon possession believers?"
"Were they possessed by a demon, or is there another possible explanation for their behavior?"
Once again, since the Bible gives no support that a believer can be possessed by a demon, some other explanation must be in order.
Permanent Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
It is not whether a professing Christian can be demon possessed, but rather can a genuine, "born again" Christian become demon possessed? The Bible teaches that those who have trusted Christ are permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit the moment they believe by faith.
"In Him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in Him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of His glory" (Eph 1:13-14).
Christians are Born Again, New Creations "IN" Christ
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
A Christian body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit
The body of the believer is now a temple of the Holy Spirit. Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit, not demons.
"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body" (1 Cor 6:15, 19-20).
Nothing Can Separate the Believer from the Lord
The Bible says that such evil powers, in fact, nothing, cannot separate the believer from the love of God.
FOR I AM PERSUADED AND CONVINCED NOTHING CAN SEPARATE
DEATH NOR | LIFE |
DEMONS NOR | ANGELS |
THINGS PRESENT NOR | THINGS TO COME |
POWERS NOR | ANY OTHER CREATURES |
HEIGHT NOR | DEPTH |
ME FROM THE LOVE OF GOD
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38,39).
Especially mentioned are the angels and principalities (demons) - angelic orders. Not even they can separate the believer from the love of God. All of these things would make demon possession an impossibility for the believer.
Demons are Defeated Foes
Satan and his demons are defeated foes, yet they are still very active in this world, causing much harm. Though they cannot possess and control a believer, they can cause several problems. If you believe the lies of the Devil you will remain in his bondage to sin. The Christian, who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, need not fear demon possession. Yet, demons do attack believers in various ways. Therefore, it would be wrong to say that they cannot have any effect or negative influences on their behaviors. Of course, demons tempt Christians to believe the lies of the world, the Devil, and the flesh. They also tempt you to walk in your flesh rather than the Spirit.
Are There Demonic Influences?
The Bible convincingly reveals that true believers cannot be inhabited by Satan or demons. However, they can be tormented, oppressed, and harassed externally, even to a severe degree like Paul, who was allowed to endure a satanic thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12:7).
The question then arises regarding what influence a demon can have over a Christian. We describe demonic influence on a Christian as “oppression,” "strongholds," "torment," "harassment," and "temptation" to distinguish it from possession. He schemes to tempt believers to give in to their flesh or carnal desires and sin. Believing his demonic lies is how he does it.
"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because when he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44).
The Bible says that the devil seeks to devour believers,
"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
Also, Satan and his demons will “scheme” against Christians.
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11).
As Satan attempted with Jesus (Luke 4:2), demonic forces tempt us to sin and oppose our efforts to respond to God's loving-kindness.
Should a Christian choose to walk in the flesh, rather than the Spirit, it is a sign of giving in to temptations, walking in the flesh allows the demons to succeed in these attacks, and oppression results. Demonic oppression is when a demon is temporarily victorious over a Christian, successfully tempting a Christian to sin and hindering his ability to serve God with a strong testimony. If a Christian continues to allow demonic oppression in his/her life, the oppression can increase to the point that the demons and there lies have a very strong influence over the Christian’s thoughts, behavior, and spirituality. Christians who allow continuing sin to open themselves up for greater and greater oppression. These are called fortresses or strongholds. If the truth sets you free, and it does, then believing lies will keep or put you in bondage.
"So, Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32).
Confession, repentance of sin, then resisting the devil, and submitting to God are necessary to restore faith and continue on the road to sanctification with God, The enemy has already been defeated by Jesus.
"We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him” (1 John 5:18).
For the Christian, the power for victory over and freedom from demonic oppression, or any influence, is always available. John declares,
“The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
The power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9) is always available to overcome demonic oppression. No demon, not even Satan himself, can prevent a Christian from surrendering to the Holy Spirit and thereby overcoming all demonic oppression. Peter encourages believers to resist the devil, “standing firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:9).
Being firm or steadfast in the faith means relying on the power of the Holy Spirit to successfully resist demonic influence. Faith is built up through the spiritual disciplines of feeding on the Word of God, persistent prayer, and godly fellowship. Strengthening our faith by these means enables us to put up the shield of faith with which we can “extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16).
I Have 3 Blog Posts That Go into Detail About How to Deal with "Temptation," Satan as the "god of this evil world, and
Jesus Plus Nothing Saves You."
3 Powerful Ways to Avoid the World’s Evil
Have you ever felt an evil presence lurking in the dark shadows, been frightened by the violence all around you or had your sleep interrupted by night terrors? We all have felt uncomfortable with evil forces in the world, crime, riots, murder, abuse, and wars. So, how do we combat or defeat the evil in the world? We have found in our Christian Counseling Ministry there are “3 Powerful Ways to Avoid the World’s Evil”.
ONE: Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior.
TWO: Realize Your Allegiance IS to God, Not the World, Your Flesh, or the Devil.
THREE: Know the Schemes of the Devil and Focus on God.
You Need to Know How 5 Powerful Truths Defeat Temptation
Simply put, you need to know how these 5 powerful truths will defeat temptation, sin, and eventually spiritual death. These 5 truths are actually Biblical ways that lead you to walk in the fruit of the spirit. They take us out of the temptation to the foot of the cross and an encounter with Jesus Christ. According to the Scriptures, Jesus is the only way to defeat temptations. Therefore, what are these 5 powerful truths?
One: Run to God and Focus on Him
Two: Believe the Truth
Three: Jesus is Your Example
Four: Focus on God in the Moment of Temptation
Five: Take Every Thought Captive to the Obedience of Christ During the Moment of Temptation
JESUS PLUS NOTHING SAVES YOU
This is a detailed discussion of who Jesus is and how you get saved!
We All Have the Same Dilemma, We're Dead in Sin
Every human being, ethnic group, race, or gender finds themselves in this same dilemma. Therefore, there are three questions you would be wise to ask yourself and extremely prudent to answer.
One, why do I need to be saved?
Two, what does it mean for me to be saved?
Three, how am I saved?
I believe Only Jesus plus nothing not only saves you but answers these three questions.
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