Can Christians Be Demon Possessed?

Is it possible for a born again Christian to be possessed by a demon?
To answer the above question, one always has to go back to the Bible and learn from the teachings of God and learn the Biblical patterns that exist in scripture in order to come up with the truth.

Demon possession is defined as the following:
• Demonic possession is the control over a human form / human body by a demon / evil spirit
• The condition in which a fallen angel exercises such control over an individual that the individual is unable or unwilling to resist.

 

CAN A CHRISTIAN BECOME POSSESSED BY A DEMON?
The answer is: NO. A Christian CANNOT become possessed by a demon. When you become a genuine born again believer in Christ Jesus it means that you become a child of God and a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17,18) who is under the complete spiritual guardianship, protection and direction of the Most High God (Romans 8:14-17).

Below are the following reasons why a Christian cannot be possessed by demons

(1). A Christian Is The Temple of the Holy Spirit1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV – Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
The Holy Spirit / the Spirit of God dwells inside every Christian according to the scriptures and the Holy Spirit will perform various functions in our lives such as; performing the various gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-11); or enabling us to live according to the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25); or equipping us with power to overcome the enemy (2 Timothy 1:7); and leading us to the real truth pertaining to God’s word (John 16:13-15).
If therefore, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us and in our body, how then can a demon spirit indwell in the same body at the same time as the Holy Spirit does?
When the Holy Spirit dwells inside of a born again Christian, it is impossible for a demon spirit to overcome the Holy Spirit in order to control the same territory where the Holy Spirit dwells. The gifts and the power of the Holy Spirit when they are working inside of a Christian cannot be overpowered by the tricks and imitations of the enemy.
In 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul says that “… you are not your own”. In other words, you are God’s property as a Christian; you belong to God (including your whole body). Therefore if you belong to God, then your body cannot at any time be possessed by a demon spirit for as long as you are a true born again Christians.

(2). A Christian Has Been Given Power Over the EnemyLuke 10:19-20 NKJV – Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
In Christ, a born again Christian has authority over the enemy. It is not vice versa. When you are a Christian, in Christ the demon spirits do not have power or authority over your body in order to possess and control your body and mind. God has therefore through Christ Jesus, given us the power to cast out demons and the authority over demons can only be given to born again Christians. Mark 16:17 NKJV – And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

(3). The Status of a Christian is Higher Than the Status of the Enemy – 1 John 4:4 NKJV – You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
In Christ, a Christian is a child of God and as such a Christian is automatically more privileged than the enemy or than anyone in the world. The scriptures say that when God dwells in a person, that particular person becomes a child of God who is able to “overcome” the enemy and this child of God is “greater” than the enemy because the person is “of God”. Therefore as you look at the issue of whether a Christian can be demon possessed, God has made it virtually impossible for the enemy to be greater or to overcome a born again Christian / child of God in who God dwells.
Colossians 2:9-10 NKJV – For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
If the fullness of Christ Jesus dwells inside of a Christian, and if a Christian is “COMPLETE” in Christ who is the “head of ALL principality and power”, how then can this very same Christian be possessed by a demon spirit that trembles, submits and bows at the name of Jesus (Philippians 2:10,11), (James 2:19)?

(4). God Is Supreme Over All Things – Colossians 1:15-18 NKJV – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Demons cannot occupy the same space that is occupied by the Holy Spirit because God is greater than any evil spirit since God is the Creator of everything, that is both seen and unseen. This supremacy of God includes even the fallen angels or demons.

  • To believe that a Christian can become demon possessed, would be to deny the supremacy of Jesus in a Christian’s life when a person becomes born again.
  • To believe that a Christian can become demon possessed, would be to deny that Jesus has given the Christian the power, privilege and authority in Him to overcome the enemy at any given time or place.
  • To believe that a Christian can be demon possessed, would mean that the devil can possess any Christian he feels like possessing at any time of the day; It would also mean that the devil is able to make Christians powerless to overcome him and his demon spirits because all that the devil would need to do is just possess any Christian and simply enact his evil plans through any Christian of the devil’s choosing.
  • To believe that a Christian can be demon possessed, would mean that there is virtually not very much difference between the spiritual power and authority of a Christian and that of an unbeliever. If both Christians and unbelievers are being possessed by evil spirits how would one tell the difference between a true believer in Christ and an unbeliever.

THE NOMINAL CHRISTIAN
Someone might say “Well, I don’t agree with you and I’m confused, because I once saw a person whom I know to be a Christian and he/she was possessed during a church meeting ”
The simple answer to this statement is this: There is a difference between TRUE born again believers of Christ and those who profess or appear to be Christians but yet their relationship with Christ is not reciprocal. Even Jesus and the word of God does mention that there will be false believers / false prophets / hypocrites or people who may have been falsely deceived by improper doctrine to the extent that their true knowledge of the status of their relationship with God is negatively affected. Such people who are false or have been deceived are called Nominal Christians.
Nominal Christians are Christians in name only, but yet their life, their fruits, their works (even the things they do in secret) denies Christ Jesus even though they bear the name “Christian”. Nominal Christians will know exactly how to act “Christian” or “religious” outwardly, but either in secret or because of false indoctrination or self-deception, they will be living a life that is both deceptive and rebellious against God and His word (Matthew 23:25-28).
It is very important to note that the word of God regards nominal Christians in the same category as unbelievers because nominal Christians are not genuine biblical born again Christians. Therefore if a nominal Christian becomes demon possessed it is very possible because according to God’s word, the nominal Christian is not truly born again nor do they have a genuine one-on-one relationship with the LORD.

Here are a few examples in God’s word concerning God’s view and God’s judgement about nominal Christians and those who are religious but yet are self-deceived due to false doctrine:

  • Nominal Christians Are Religious but They Are Also IniquitousMatthew 7:21-23 NKJV“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
  • Nominal Christians Are Religious, but They Are Disobedient to ChristLuke 6:46-47 NKJV“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”
  • Nominal Christians Are Religious, but They Do Not Bear Godly FruitMatthew 7:15-20 NKJV “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn-bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
  • Nominal Christians Are Religious, but They Have Deceived Themselves2 Timothy 4:3-5 ESVFor the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
  • Nominal Christians Are Religious, but They Do Not Abide in Jesus John 15:5-6 NKJV “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

(The above scriptures on nominal Christians are only but a few examples of scripture to explain my point. I decided not to expand in explaining each scripture so that I may focus on the main topic of this post. You can read my article THE NOMINAL CHRISTIAN to learn about nominal Christians and to find out the difference between a nominal Christian and a true born again Christian. This issue is very important as it will help people to be freed from the deception of the enemy and to also help people to become genuine born again children of God. Matthew 7:21-23 for example clearly shows that on judgement day there will be some people who will be shocked and dismayed that they are not going to Heaven because Jesus will tell them , ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’)

HOWEVER, please note nominal Christians can become demon possessed – but GENUINELY born again Christians CANNOT be demon possessed.
The Bible does not give any known examples or situations where a truly genuinely born again Christian became possessed by a demon.
Instead, God’s word gives us overwhelming evidence that if a person is truly a genuine biblical Christian then such a person cannot be demon possessed because God and a demon cannot occupy the same body and because greater is God who is in us, than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). God’s word also gives overwhelming evidence that a true born again Christian is a new creation who has been given authority over all the power of the enemy.

So can Christians be demon possessed? NO! Genuine Christians cannot be demon possessed.

HOW TO BECOME A  CHRISTIAN
If you are not a Christian, and you want to become a born-again Christian, you can do so by confessing with your mouth and believing in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that He came to save you from the power of the enemy and so that you may have an eternal everlasting relationship with Him. You can commit to making Jesus your Lord and Saviour and to live for God.

Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

DO YOU WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN or A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST???

1. ACKNOWLEDGE: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
This means that we have all broken God’s laws and God’s 10 Commandments like those mentioned in Exodus 20:1-17. For example, if you have told a lie; if you have stolen something; if you have lusted after somebody or if you have coveted. This means you are guilty of breaking at least one or more of God’s 10 Commandments. Breaking God’s commandments makes us sinners. The fact that we are sinners who have broken God’s law means that we are accountable to God who is the Lawgiver. Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death BUT the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
You must acknowledge that you are a sinner who has broken God’s commandments and that you therefore need Jesus in your life.

2. REPENT: “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3), “Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19)
Repenting means: to change your mind; a sincere turning away, in heart, mind and action;
Therefore God wants you to repent of sinful values and of sinful living. God wants you to decide to
follow Him and to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

3. CONFESSION: “If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)
God is a forgiving God. God will forgive any sin that you have done because Jesus died for ALL your sins and to set you free from the bondage of all types of sin in your life.

4. BELIEVE: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
You must believe that ONLY Jesus can save you and restore your relationship with God. You must believe that Jesus is the ONLY way by which you can have everlasting life and escape from eternal separation from God. You must believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and resurrected from the grave.
“He came to His own, and His own did not receive him, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11-12)
By faith, You must receive Jesus as Your Lord & Savior and therefore; you become a child of God; you become born again; you become a Christian; you restore your broken relationship with God

Why Not Make Your Eternal Decision NOW?

We become born again Christians by GRACE through FAITH or TOTAL TRUST in Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior (Galatians 3:26) & (Ephesians 2:8,9). Salvation is a FREE gift received through FAITH in Christ.

PLEASE NOTE: You can choose to pray in your own words. This prayer is a sample prayer and it is only an EXPRESSION of your faith, belief & trust in Jesus. Salvation is by GRACE through FAITH or BELIEVING in Christ Jesus as your Lord & Saviour.

“Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your love. I thank You that You died on the cross for me and resurrected so that I may have life through You.
I confess Lord that I have sinned against You and today I ask You to forgive me of all of my sins, past present and future.
I repent of all of my sins and I ask You to cleanse me Jesus.
Thank You for forgiving my sins.
From this moment, come into my life Lord Jesus & take full control of my life. I want to follow You Jesus and I want to follow Your ways. Save me and from today, make me the person You want me to be.
I receive You Lord Jesus right now by faith. I trust You as my Lord and Savior – Amen”

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