Can a Christian Be Demon Possessed?

Dr. Michael Brown

Right now in the body of Christ, a great deal of attention is being paid to the issue of deliverance. The compelling new movie by Greg Locke, "Come Out in Jesus Name," debuted in theaters this week and is taking the nation by storm. Charisma News has brought you complete coverage of this phenomenon and of miracles happening on site.

However, this is one burning question that has left many in debate about the spiritual gift of deliverance: Can a demon possess a Christian?

https://www.charismanews.com/culture/91783-michael-brown-can-a-christian-be-demon-possessed

Hi,
I think the questions that needs to be answered to clarify "demon possession" are

1.What is the original meaning of demon possession in the first place
2 Can anyone be demon possessed (whether they are a Christion or Non Christion) as in a demon possessing a persons "Spirit" or put another way:Can a demon possess a person's Spirit if they are a Non Christian?
3
Where are the scriptures to show that a demon possessed non Christian is possessed in or off his Spirit?

urs staff

Hi All Again,
You can see why these questions are important can't you?
If we cant show scripturally that a non Christian can have a demon that inhabits his/her Spirit then the whole question of "Whether a Christian can have a demon?" becomes moot.
Why?
Because the whole problem people have with Christians having a demon is that the demon is inhabiting a Christian's Spirit and that is the residence of the Holy Spirit.

urs staff

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=12482

Perhaps this will help to clarify,… if not there’s plenty more where this came from here on SI ✝️

Derek Prince used an awesome analogy for this. When he ministered in Chicago, IL, he asked, "Does Mayor Daly and the Chicago police have control over every neighborhood in Chicago or are there neighborhoods where he and the police cannot go b/c of gangs? The gangs do not possess ALL of Chicago but they have control over certain neighborhoods.

And it's the same with Christians, the enemy may have control over certain areas of "a" Christian's life while the Holy Spirit does not.

They are NOT "possessed" by a demon(s) but there are area's where they are certainly controlled by one or two.

God bless,
Lisa

PS: Some Christian's had trauma when they were children and that caused resentment, jealousy, envy, hatred that they may not know they have or they have become comfortable with. Familiar spirts that they keep around.

Staff-

What do you mean by a person’s "spirit?”

Demons possess bodies/minds.

The man in the tombs was able to break iron chains (body) and when the demons were cast out those who knew him saw he was in his right "mind.”

The pigs ran over the cliff(body) as their instinct for self preservaton (brain/mind) was overcome.

I think it is actually more helpful to talk about persons being INFLUENCED by demons rather than POSSESSED. The translators of KJV chose to translate the greek word which means "demonized" as "demon possession" and immediately we think in absolute black and white terms of "possession" = "complete control" of a person by a demon very much like what was portrayed in the movie, The Exorcist. We need to realize that anyone can be influenced by demons to some degree, starting from slight and then ramping up to very much, if they are not on the lookout for deception, temptation or attack. There are plenty of NT passages that warn us Christians about the wiles of the devil and him being a roaring lion on the prowl looking to devour us. But that unfortunate terminology of 'demon POSSESSED' causes problems because it is true that demons cannot own or possess a Christian, this is not to say that Christians have nothing to be wary of and no demon can cause problems to a Christian. Paul even mentions how we are not to 'give place' to the devil Eph. 4:27. He would not say something like that if it was not a possibility. All confusion is gone when we stop talking about demon possession and instead talk about demon influence that can scale from slight to great.

-Daniel

Good points Daniel.

Hi TMK,
Yeah Im in total agreement with you ,if you read my posts again.
Im just trying to show that if you cant scripturally show that a demon can inhabit the Spirit of a Non Christian then the question asked "Can a Christian have a demon?" becomes non contraversial.Its a non issue as the answer is yes.
The reason some Christians argue that a Christian cannot have a demon is they think that a demon inhabits the Spirit of a man/woman,
urs staff

Hi Daniel ,
Good points however I think that differentiation should be between Demon Possession and having a demon as well as influenced by a demon.To say that a Christian can be influenced by a demon waters down the physical control and attachment a demon can have in a Christian.You can have a demon without being totally possessed or having complete control.However saying "influenced" is bypassing or taking away from a Christian "being inhabited" in some physical area or way.It is perhaps implying that they are being influenced from without rather than within.
So I would say that a person can have a demon whether they are a Christian or Non Christian and that this ranges in influence.Can a demon inhabit a Christian ,yes.
Again we have to understand that people have different intrepretations in what possession is and this causes confusion,
urs staff

Is it possible for the Holy Spirit and a demon to dwell in the same vessel?
Derek Prince

Derek Prince uses William Branham as an example of Holy Spirit and evil spirit
dwelling in the same person.

I believe that Lonnie Frisbee was an example of this also.

https://youtu.be/px8Z_V9ttE0

Yes, I know it, because I had a conversion experience and weeks later after a prayer session they drove out demons from me.
I was not demon-possessed, but Christ possessed, although these demons dwelt in me, yet not as owners but as squatters who just had to be evicted by assuming the owners authority.

I think we are making too much of exactly where the demon is residing, whether inside the physical body or attached to a person but not inside the body per se. I'm not sure it really matters. The fact is that a demon is present with the person and is causing problems. Now the semantic word salad we use to describe this problem causing: harassment, oppression, deceiving, tempting, enticing, causing offense or any combination of these and there are probably other things I'm leaving out here. But the minute someone says the Christian is possessed, a warfare of words is launched in the most polemical way where one side says no, demons aren't a problem for Christians and the other side says yes, exorcism is in order. I do believe that we as Christians have authority in Christ to command demons to leave but again I think the problem in this case should be thought of as oppression or spiritual attack rather than "possession" but this is a distinction of semantics. The actual presenting problem looks for all the world like what we all think of as "demon possession".

-Daniel

To understand how Christians can be oppressed by demons, one needs to know the functions and the difference between spirit, soul, and body.

It is the Spirit of man that is receives the life of Christ, and is born again. However, the soul being the mind, will, and emotions is progressively being saved through the process of sanctification.

If Christians give ground to the occult or to sins of the flesh then they can be oppressed by demons. For example, Christians that watch pornography will be oppressed by demons.

Hi AbideinHim ,
I think that this is where the problem on the subject lies.
Its not about the evil Spirit dwelling where the Holy Spirit is.The Holy Spirit dwells in our Spirit.

Thats why I asked the question Can a Non Christian have a demon dwelling in their Spirit? and show me the Scriptures?

Why because as far as I can see we dont have any examples of an evil Spirit occupying any persons Spirit whether they are Christian or not,
urs staff

Hi TrueWitness,
your qoute :I think we are making too much of exactly where the demon is residing
I think the exact opposite...
I think this is a Mechanical question or how do the Mechanics of demon possession happen.How does it work basically.A

Also Jesus thought it was important where a demon was residing and why when he said

Matthew 12
43When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there; and the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”…

Finally it is clear it wasnt sematics whether it was oppression or possession.Jesus was clearly saying their is an occupation involved,

urs staff