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CAN A CHRISTIAN BE DEVIL POSSESSED? BY RYAN HICKS © 1998-2001 Ryan Hicks |
A born-again believer cannot be devil-possessed. Devil possession means that a devil has control over you. If this were the case, you would not be saved any longer, because Christians have God dwelling in them (1 John 4:4). If you sin and allow a devil to control you, it can posses you, because your sin has cut you off from God (see Isaiah 59:2; Ezekiel 3:20-21; 18:4, 20; 33:12-20; Galatians 6:7-8; Romans 8:12-13). You can either have God or the devil dwelling in you. You cannot have them both!
Devil oppression is the act of the devils attacking you. When devils oppress, a Christian is attacked, but not possessed. The devil does not have any control over them, but is trying to gain control. That is why the devil is attacking the believer, in order to control the believer or get the believer to stumble. Paul experienced such attacks from a thorn in the flesh, or a messenger of Satan:
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
This fallen angels, or messenger of Satan buffeted Paul, but he was not possessed by it. It attacked him regularly, and the Lord even allowed it to continue buffetting him so that His strength would be made perfect in Paul's weakness.
The word does say:
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
All true believers have submitted themselves to God, and resist the devil at all times.
1 Peter 5:8-9
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Do not be one of the one's that the devil can devour. Resist him steadfastly in the faith!
1 John 4:4
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
The Holy Spirit is in believers, and the devil is in the non-believers. The devil cannot be in a Christian unless they backslide by committing sin, thus breaking their union, fellowship, and relationship with the Spirit of God and entering into union with the "spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2).
1 John 5:18
18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not: but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
Those who are born of God "sinneth NOT" and they keep themselves, and the devil and his devils do not touch them.
Mark 16:17
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils...
Jesus did not say that those that believe would have devils in themselves, or that they would be casting devils out of themselves, nor did He say they would be casting devils out of each other. Jesus taught that believers have power through His name to totally defeat the enemy! If you are devil possessed you cannot cast a devil out (Matthew 12:25-27; Mark 3:23-27; Luke 11:17-19), and you surely are not saved! Yes, a believer can backslide and become devil possessed, but they cannot be filled with the devil as long as the faithfully serve God!
[body, soul, and spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:23] are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Corinthians 7:23
23 Ye
So the old argument that the devil and his unclean spirits can enter and possess someone's body is also cleary false. The word of God is abundantly clear that the devil cannot even touch those that are born of God. You may say, "Where does the Bible say such a thing, because that would be proof enough that the devil and his spirits cannot get ahold of me if I am saved and living clean." The Scripture is the one mentioned above, 1 John 5:18 which says, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." The key to the freedom from the devil is being born of God and being a true believer who "sinneth not" and "keepeth himself."
