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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
While the Bible does not explicitly state whether a Christian can be possessed by a demon, related biblical truths make it abundantly clear that Christians cannot be demon possessed. There is a dis...
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JD Abshire
Supporter
I do not believe a true born again believer can be possessed by a demon. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:30 "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." The Greek word for "sealed" according to Strong's Concordance is sfrä-gē'-zō, defined as: I.to set a seal upon, mark with a seal, to seal A.for security: from Satan B.since things sealed up are concealed (as the contents of a letter), to hide, keep in silence, keep secret C.in order to mark a person or a thing i.to set a mark upon by the impress of a seal or a stamp ii.angels are said to be sealed by God D.in order to prove, confirm, or attest a thing i.to confirm authenticate, place beyond doubt a.of a written document b.to prove one's testimony to a person that he is what he professes to be I suppose the question arises: If a person is truly "sealed" by the Holy Spirit, how does he become "un-sealed"? Ephesians 1:12 "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." 1:13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," 1:14 "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
Dale Richardson
Supporter
Matt 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. So not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. No mere profession of Christianity is enough only those who do the will of his father. So if you are a Christian in name only I'm gonna go with you are susceptible to being possessed.
Thanjan Gnanadurai
Supporter
I believe there is some cofusion, who is a Christian? A Chritian is someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal saviour and invited Him into their lives. They are filled with the Holy Spirit who transforms their lives. They are sinners but not demon possessed. They are nurtured by reading the Bible and praying and joining a regular Christian fellowship. Many generational Christians by birth may not have committed their lives to Christ, and can be demon controlled or possessed. We call them secular or nominal Christians. Many English speaking Christians belong to this category. Committed Christians can suffer from severe bipolar mental disorders or schizophrenia as everyone else. They can have disturbing hallucinations and delusions. This follows changes in brain neurotransmitters. Christian pastors can confuse them with demon possession. Deliverence from demon possession ministry to these Christians is wrong and can be quite dangerous. They need proper medical treatment instead, if need be by a Christian Psychiatrist. They, like all committed Christians can be oppressed by the devil. This is not demon possession. A Christian doctor.
Jeremiah Kaaya
Supporter
Yes, a Christian can be demon possessed. Firstly, the Bible says it clearly in Matthew 7:21; not whoever says Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of God. Meaning we should bring it into perspective of which Christian are we talking about? A Christian by confession only and not in deed, can surely be demon possessed. Confession is only the beginning of a journey, a long, long journey. To be saved is one thing, to be transformed is another. A Christian who is so only by confession can be demon possessed, indeed can be. The other who is not only a Christian by confession, but he is also transformed can't be demon possessed (Mark 16:17). The conduct of any Christian will determine much what happens to them. In the book of Isaiah 54:14; "In righteousness, thou shall be established." If a Christian is also easily possessed by demons, what difference are they with the non believers? The promise of Jesus is that demons will obey us when we command them in Jesus' name. How comes then that we who are supposed to have demons obey our orders, end up being demon possessed, God forbid. If we are, then we become something else, not the type of Christian that is transformed and therefore has the power of God upon themselves through His Son Jesus the CHRIST. However, it is pretty true that a Christian can indeed be demon possessed (Matthew 12:43-45). But this is dependent on what type of Christian you are. Are you only a Christian or a transformed Christian? If a Christian is fully transformed, he/she will never be demon possessed! God bless
Felix Itsuokor
Supporter
A Christian is Christlike and not those who worship with their lips while their heart is far from God. A believer in Christ Jesus cannot be possessed because he is the temple of the holy Spirit. Backsliders can be demonized, hypocrites can also be demonized, because they are no longer for Christ but against Christ, so they are open to demon possession. When you are born again, you are filled with the same spirit that raised up Christ from the dead, and that spirit quickened your mortal body and helps you to go on. One in Christ is seated together with Christ in heavenly places, he is a peculiar person, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and have no room for evil possession. If HE called them gods to whom the word of GOD came, then the scripture cannot be broken. Christian believers cannot be possessed, unless there is a shift from faith in Christ. A practicing Christian cannot be possessed.
Buford Ness
Supporter
CAN A CHRISTIAN HAVE DEMONS? In Matthew, we find Jesus’ example of delivering people from demons. Matthew 17:14-18; 18:18 The question everyone asks is “Can a Christian have demons?” The answer is absolutely YES, but most Christians cannot comprehend that and think this is heresy. At most Bible Schools they learn that a Christian cannot have demons. I was fortunate enough to be taught that this theology ignores the reality of scripture and it is scripturally inaccurate. The most important truth that is ignored in answering this question is the ignoring of the make-up of a human being. All humans are a spirit. They have a soul wherein resides the mind, the will, the emotions and the conscience. And they walk around in a body. Scripture is clear on man being a three part being. Hebrews 4 quickly comes to mind. As we search this passage, The Holy Spirit is speaking to us about a rest for the entire man, spirit, soul and body. In verse nine we find that He is speaking of a “special rest” and then in verses 11 He instructs the believer to “do our best to enter that rest” And finishes the thought with “But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fail.” NLT. Finally, He says in verse 12, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” He divides the human being into three parts. The thought is completed in the next four verses because we know that while on this earth there is no way we can physically or mentally “come boldly into the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” That grace is a spiritual action, not one of thoughts or something physical. However, once a believer spiritually comes boldly to the throne, manifestations take place in the soul and the body… or as some would say, “in the natural” meaning here where we live. Demons cannot turn around the “born again” or “transformation” of a person spiritually. (There is a fairly good argument that one can give up that spiritual change from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light… but that is not our subject here.) The question then is this…”Can a Christian have within their body and/or soul a demon influencing them?” I have seen many people influenced by demons in local churches. I’m not speaking of demonic possessions here, that is another subject. When a person becomes a true born-again believer the Holy Spirit will help the person to be free from demonic influences, however many Christians open doors to the devil and demons and they will come into their life. Satan and his imps do not have anything original. Everything in the Kingdom of Darkness is a perversion or a twisting of a truth in the Kingdome of Light. Jesus said “I stand at the door and knock. If any person opens the door I will come in!” The KOD operates exactly the same way. If a believer opens a door to their soul or body… one or more imps will gladly come in. Most people do not know how to deal with generational curses that still exist in their lives after they are born again. Jesus was speaking to some Pharisees and they where offended with Him. John 8:33-36 ““But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” … “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. We need to know that the will of God is that we will be free from any demonic activity. Jesus Christ is the only way that someone can be free indeed.
Scarlett Holtz
Supporter
Possessed or Not Possessed? Many believers have had an erroneous idea about Christians being possessed. And of course Hollywood's painted picture of demon possession has not helped. It has caused many to question whether a Christian can be possessed, we are saying he can be fully owned and controlled by the devil and will manifest, Hollywood-style, with head spinning and eyes popping out. "Possessed" is a poor translation of the words usage, its understanding because it connotes ownership, and we know that the devil cannot have complete control of a true Christian. But in the Bible, there is no real distinction between being possessed and being oppressed, digressed, suppressed, obsessed and so forth. However a person can, to some degree, fall under the influence of a demon. When you look up "possess" in the dictionary, you will discovered that one definition of the word means "to occupy." —as a spirit of infirmity occupies the believers body in sickness. However the Christian is not Demon possessed do to falling ill. There is a spirit of infirmity influencing the body. Not controlling the Christians spiritual being. One question can be is whether or not cancer is demonic. Most will agree that sickness is of the enemy. Is cancer inside the body, or outside where is the problem? If it isn't on the outside then it must be inside. Evidently, as a Christian, you can have something in you that is possessing a certain organ of your body and is not of God. IE cancer. Knowing that a Christian can be possessed in some part of his being raises the question: Is any part off-limits to demons? Here is where we can reconcile the issue of Jesus and the Holy Spirit residing simultaneously within someone who needs deliverance. One thing that has helps your understanding is the realization that every person is made up of three parts: spirit, soul and body. When Jesus comes into a believer's life, He comes into that person's spirit. John 3:6 tells us clearly, "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (KJV). A demon cannot dwell in a Christian's spirit because that is where Jesus and the Holy Spirit dwell. There are other components that make up a human being—the soul (mind, will and emotions) and the body—these are the targets of demonic attack. Demons can dwell in any of theses areas of a Christian's life. So when we say that a Christian possessed, we are not saying he has a demon in his spirit but in some part of his soul or body is being influenced by the powers of darkness. To this truth, the Lord reminded us of the biblical account of Jesus' going into the temple and cleansing it of thieves and moneychangers. The Greek word used for "drove out" in this account is ekballo, "to expel or drive out." It is the same word that is used in Mark 16:17: "In My name (Jesus said) they will cast out demons." We know that according to the Bible God's children are the temple of the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 3:16) Also, In the Old Testament the temple of GOD had three parts: the holy of holies, the holy place and the outer court. The shekinah glory of God, or God's "presence," was in the holy of holies. This part of the temple represents our spirits. But when Jesus went into the temple to drive out the thieves and moneychangers, He did not go into the holy of holies. He went into the outer court, where these evildoers were carrying on their business.They should not have been conducting their business in His Temple it is a place of Worship. This is what Jesus wants to do in our temples. There may be demonic thieves in our lives but not in our Spirits. Our spirits are sealed unto the day of redemption. Providing we are truly born again. These thieves rob us of Gods blessing as well as our potential in Christ Jesus. Many do not even realize they are there until the damage come to the surface of our lives. Whether sickness in our bodies or mentally but it can happen. Just not in our Spirit man that belongs to God in the true believer.
He Bu
Supporter
Time to challenge that thought! I have accepted the idea that a christian can not be demon possessed, because pastors said so. But like with a lot of what I've learned, that pastors aren't always right. A true christian, living by the Spirit of God, can only be indwelled by one spirit. The spirit of God. Then you have a lot of good christians that struggle daily with sin. And they have addictions. When you face them with the question: Sin VS obedience, the truth will come out, on which of the two they follow. They may be good people, and love the Lord, but only have a partial spirit. They partially follow God. They don't have His power in their lives. Struggle daily to move forward spiritually... This kind of christian is more of a case by case situation. THere are things they are struggling with, they know it's wrong, and they genuinely want to correct it. If that's the case, they do have the spirit of God, and are wrestling with their demons. If they have given up, and no longer seek to do the right thing, they could become possessed. I wouldn't know why else would there be any christians rolling on the floor, screaming, sweating profusely, eyes darkened, when delivery services happen. It is not from an outside force, but from an inside force. They are battling the battle of the will. The third type of christian, is the one that names himself one, but he doesn't live it. They definitely can be possessed, as they don't posses the spirit of the Living God, and are basically heathens with the exception of believing (in the mind) some theologies, and are aware of good and evil. Yet they still are vulnerable to bad influences. Their actions are based on law, rather than on heart. That will be my personal opinion. Thank you.
Robert Eddowes
Supporter
If we (believers) have Christ-in-us then what room is there for demons? And as for being a true believer or not in doing the will of the father, it's understanding what the will of the Father is, which is believing in Jesus: 'Believe in Him who He sent.' (john 6:29, 39-40) Because God is in the business of saving all (John 3:17) not excluding all by our works and efforts (Eph. 2:8-9), believing is enough. If you believe in Jesus you have all you need, and the works flow from God not us. This also nullifies our ability to be 'In sin' (2 For. 5:17) or to be 'Indwelled' by anything sinful/demonic (Rom. 8:10-11) as we have been made a new creation, made into His (Jesus') righteousness. (Col. 3:1-3) Jesus is the believer's identity, not his works, mistakes or efforts. Demons can attack and lie and make one believe they are inside of a believer, but that is all lies. Christ in you leaves NO ROOM for anything else. Flesh can sin, but the spirit of Christ within ALL believers CANNOT 'Be in sin' and Jesus is now what ALL believers' true identity is.
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