Can Christians manifest demons?

Do you think that a born-again, Spirit filled, chruch-going Christian can manifest a demon?

What do I mean by manifest? Falling to the ground, growling, kicking, screaming and so forth.

yes i believe so. I think there's been a lot of debate about scripture on this, but i think its important to remember the massive amount of spiritual influence/warfare there is going on around us that the bible warns us about, and how to prepare for it. And I don't think Christians suddenly get taken off the playing field at salvation.

but i think the stronger Christ's influence is on our lives the stronger our defence is. But i think if we open ourselves up to sin, eg drugs, pornography etc and real true Christians do slip into this stuff then i believe a demon can heavily influence that area of our lives, which may result in manifestation etc.

Also, i think as soon as we think we are free from this kind of thing because we're Christians, we let down our guard, which is even more dangerous.

Do you think that a born-again, Spirit filled, chruch-going Christian can manifest a demon?

1 Cor 6v19 says...do you not know that your
body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you... If someone has the Holy Spirit in them how then can they be demon possessed? It is not enough to suppose it can happen, we have to see from scripture that it has happened. What is happening nowadays in the name of Christendom compared to what scripture says is worlds apart. Nothing in scripture suggests the disciples rolled on the floor, growled, kicked or any other such manifestations. For my part, these manifestations are soulish.
Heb 4v12...piercing even to the division of soul and spirit... Some Christian, instead of being spiritual, are soulish. They mistake their soulish emotions for spirituality, are confused, and even though they can't find those practices in the Bible, will accept them as being from God because they 'feel' good about it. 1 Thess 5v21 tells us to test or prove all things. Isaiah 8v20 says, To the law and to the testimony. If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. There is a book by Watchman Nee called The Latent Power of the Soul, which demonstrates that Chrisians mistake emotion for spirituality. If it is not in the word of God why accept it? As one poster said, what does the Book say? If someone can find, from scripture, that a Cristian can be both demon possessed, and filled with the Holy Spirit of God, at the same time, then please do so. God bless.

ill go out on a limb here & say i think they can,
why?
ive had it happen to me, for a period of time whenever i raised my hands in worship they would pull backwards as being pulled back that was the feeling. i noticed though that whenever i would say Jesus as i was praising or in worship it seemed to stop,abruptly.

i guess there are people who will say, show me it in the bible. i cant. all i know is this is the experiance & there is more to it that lead God delivering me of this.
through repentance & confession, forgivness.
& how sweet it was to see the light & glory & the purity of the freedom that Jesus Christ can bring.
how did i know i was set free the biggest way i knew was when ever after this period i would worship there was no manifestation at all or reaction to the name of Jesus.
i didnt growl, shake or roll around.
but there was a manifestation & i was clean i really felt Jesus in the room cleaning me.

id been a christian Spirtfilled & growing in the fruit & gifts of the Spirit for over 5 yrs.
i believe a spirit cannot live in your spirit, but it can manifest in your body & affect it
thanks

Quite simply: NO. If we are posessions of God, and posessed by His Spirit there is no room for the demonic. That is not to say that we cannot be attacked by Satan and his minions, but it is quite impossible from what I have studied in scripture for a believer to be demonically posessed. Influenced by, or flesh yeilded to is definitely a different thing. I hope that helps.
Grace and Peace!

No

Evangelical Dictionary of Theology says:

The specilaized expression for Demon possession(daimonizomai) is not found in the scriptures. Scholars trace it to Josephus. The common synoptic construction is daimonion echein(to have a demon).

Greek expressions and words describing demons and their influence:

A.\tTerminology

1.\t“Devil” (Greek diablos)= Slanderer, a title of Satan himself.
Used only in the singular.

2.\t“Demon” (Greek diamon or diamonio): A spirit regarded by heathen as divine or semi-divine. Heathen religion normally cultivates or seeks to appropriate these ‘demons.’

3.\tWrongly translated in KJV as ‘devil’ or ‘devils.’ Used interchangeably with ‘evil spirit’ or ‘unclean spirit’ (compare Matt 15:22 with Mark 7:25; Mark 5:2 with Luke 8:27. See also Rev. 16:13-14.)

B.\tThree different greek expressions normally used to describe the influence of demons

1.\tTo have an unlcean/evil spirit. See Matt. 11:18; Mark 7:25; 9:17; Luke 4:33; 8:27; 13:11; John 7:20; 8:48-49, 52; 10:20-21

2.\tTo be in an unclean/evil spirit (Modern English-to be under the influence of.) See Mark 1:23; 5:2

3.\tTo be demonized. KJV incorrectly translates to be “possessed with devils.” There is nothing in the greek to support the use of the word “possessed,” which is completely misleading. See Matt. 2:24;8:16,28,33; 9:32; 12:22; 15:22; Mark 1:32; 5:15, 16, 18; Luke 8:36

formidable wrote:
ill go out on a limb here & say i think they can,
why?
ive had it happen to me, for a period of time whenever i raised my hands in worship they would pull backwards as being pulled back that was the feeling. i noticed though that whenever i would say Jesus as i was praising or in worship it seemed to stop,abruptly.

id been a christian Spirtfilled & growing in the fruit & gifts of the Spirit for over 5 yrs.
i believe a spirit cannot live in your spirit, but it can manifest in your body & affect it
thanks

Thanks so much for your personal testimony. I asked this because I wanted to see people's responses. I used to believe a certain way but have had recent encounters that change my thinking.

I am a missionary in the Philippines and an instructor in our Bible College here. The first week of school, we have what we call "clean-out week" During this time, we have servies where we pray over the students to break all demonic hold off of them. The below paragraph is taken form my monthly newsletter concerning the event.

"I was the first one of our staff to encounter such a manifestation. We started the prayer service with an alter call for those bound with pride. I began to pray for a young man who had responded to the call, but it wasn't pride that my spirit was picking up on. I asked him if he was holding unforgiveness or an offense against his parents. He did not answer. I thought that maybe he did not hear me, so I asked him again. Once again he did not answer. I asked firmly, "Yes or no?" Still no response. He then fell back as if under the power of God, but I knew that it was not because of God, and that it wasn’t over. Thinking back on the event, I realize that the demonic spirit was trying to fool me, because we tend to quit praying for people as soon as they fall down. I continued to pray for him and started to address and rebuke the unforgiveness and offense. When I did that, he suddenly began to shake. Then his whole body began to fight and kick as he groaned and growled. I was surprised to say the least. This young man had been part of our youth group for some time now. He was born-again and filled with the Holy Spirit, yet he was manifesting a demon. Several people had to hold him down as I continued to pray for him. I began to repeat loudly, “Jesus is Lord!”. Another staff member then began saying, “Jesus is Lord” into his ear as the student shook his head, as if to say, "no." After about 15 minutes of praying for him, he was freed."

This happened 8 or more times throughout the services. The students, even some of our seniors (returning students), would manifest demons. The would suddenly start screaming loudly as we prayed for them, and their whole body would flail and fight, groan and growl and when we would speak the Word of God they would shake their head and turn away. Most if not all of these students are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and I can testify to that becase I know many of them personally.

So do I think they were demon possed? No. There is another term that I am familiar with that I believe applies to them, "demon opressed."

By giving place to the devil in our lives, we are allowing the devil to take a hold, and the greater the hold, often times, the greater the manifestation.

bro worldview
that is a most interesting testimony...i think there is a point to be made about opression vs possession. we know from the word that no Christian can be demon possessed, but coming to the Faith doesn't ward of the enemy, it in fact draws him in to attack us that much more. i've heard of similar things and experienced similar things also...there is much more to this issue than our individual perceptions, much more to scripture and God than our individual perceptions too. i pray our Lord increase our knowledge of Him.

Revelation 2:24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

Where in our first mistake in dealing with the depths of Satan's realm is our mind gives him access to be what we believe. The same is of God, and Christ and the Holy Spirit, If our mind is kept on the things of God we will be in perfect peace. He, Satan gives us thoughts and feelings of his presence and by our taking this thought captive we give him access to the realm of what we are thinking. If I believe a person is possessed of has a demon that power gives Satan permission to deal with what he wants to do and that is convince us that He has that power. If I get someone else to agree with me then where ever 2 or 3 are gathered in Satan's power and name there he is among you.

It is fascinating to see the power of Satan in the church because we are giving him access by our own minds.

A demon cannot possess anything since the Cross, unless it is given permission by the mind of the possessed. If you think you are drinking coffee with cream and sugar in it, even if it is lemon aide our mind still believes it is coffee, until we taste it we don't know the difference. Don't even think on the things of Satan, he is a defeated foe. He can only become a martyr if we give him power by our mind, then he has access to what ever we are giving him power over.

Think about it the more you keep your mind on the things of Satan the more he disrupts and takes away peace. If our minds are kept on the Lord and He can keep us in perfect peace, what happens if we keep our mind on the depths of Satan. Perfect peace? I think not, but perfect demon and satanic oppression? guaranteed.

And unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine; the rest of the members of the church in Thyatira, who have not embraced this doctrine of the Nicolaitanes published by Jezebel, &c.

As they speak; those seducers call their doctrine deep things, great mysteries revealed to them; as there are the deep things of God, 1Co 2:10, so these seducers would pretend their doctrines also were deep things: Christ calls them the devil's mysteries, deep things of Satan. Oh we can free you from demon possession. Who joins in the conflict by doing this? The ones giving the power to Him. Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?

Get peoples mind on Jesus and the devil will flee. He can do nothing else, he is already defeated on the Cross.

Stay away from the depths of Satan's mysteries.
Rev 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

Eph 5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

This Jesus Christ did at the Cross.

Phl 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.

We are not exorcists, we only give power to Satan to oppress the one we are exorcising.

In Christ: Phillip

i dont think i was possessed, in that i wasnt in control of myself & would lose control,
it always seemed that when i was in a very real sense & tangible presence of the Lord it manifested as being oppossed to Gods presence being there.

though i will say i know it was in me aswel. again im only relating what happened to me,
i nearly vommited it, i felt it move from my stomach up my throat & i started to choke. this lead me to reevaluate my last 6yrs walking with God & seeking him for the answers,
which is when he set me free.
my stance is that my spirit is born again, but my mind & my body is not.
my mind ineed to renew with the word of God & bring it into line with what his word says & let it wash me.
my body i need to submit to my spirit, it is a vessal that needs to be brought under control,

What does this say? Persuaded, what is that?
i.e.-to rely (by inward certainty):--agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) conflent, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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.

Where are w persuaded? It is the mind that controls these things that Paul is saying cannot separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. The Love of God makes us One with Christ, the opposite is separate. If nothing can separate us, How could principalities and powers do anything to take us away from God? Nothing. In our minds we must be completely persuaded that Satan has no power over anything we are in Christ. The only power he has is the power of our minds. He is still the liar and has been from the beginning, don't be deceived any longer, as Jesus said, "Satan has nothing to do with Him". Where is Jesus right now? Christ is in you. Satan has no access unless we give him access and that is in our mind only, he cannot invade our spirit for that is the Spirit of Christ. Who is in our Soul-mind? The Holy Spirit who is in us forever, don't grieve the Holy Spirit by allowing your mind to put Satan's power in the same realm as the Holy Spirit. The war is in your mind. Ephesians 4:29-30 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Speak Christ by the Holy Spirit and all corruption must flee. Don't speak Satan's power and He has no power. Satan has no mind he can use, unless you give to him. Just like Jesus Christ needs your mind, give it to Him and He will manifest Himself in you, for you, with you, through you, and by you to other's, to free them from the slavery of the mind kept not on The Things Above. Christ in you the Hope of Glory.

In Christ: Phillip