“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son…” – Colossians 1:13
Now that we’ve been talking about signs/wonders and demonic deception you may be wondering, can a Christian be demon-possessed? My answer is based on a book called Win Your War that I wrote with my wife Grace, and you can pick up a copy at RealFaith.com for further study. On this issue, as they say, the devil is in the details. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the following as the first three definitions of the word possess:
1. Have as belonging to one; own.
2. Have possession of as distinct from ownership.
3. Have as an ability, quality, or characteristic.
Definition #1
In the first sense, a Christian cannot belong to Satan; he cannot own us. Colossians 1:13 says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son…” Salvation is a miracle of God where we “…turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God…” (Acts 26:18) A Christian is forever “sealed” with the Holy Spirit as the “guarantee” of eternal life. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
Definition #2
In the second sense of the word “possess,” a Christian can be internally influenced by the demonic without ownership of their soul transferring to the devil. Think of your life like your home, since you live in both. You are the legal resident of your home, and no one else has the right to move in unless you give them permission. Now, let’s say that some bad people come to your house. You open the door to welcome them in, and they decide to stay and make your life miserable. They possess no legal right to be there, but they are willing to squat until you exercise your legal authority and demand that they vacate your home. On rare occasions, through habitual sin, deep unbelief, dark addiction, or occult activity, a Christian can open the door to internal demonic influence that does not have any legal authority and can be evicted in Jesus’ name.
Definition #3
In the third sense of the word “possess,” a Christian can manifest demonic character or say things with demonic origins. As Jesus was teaching about His death, “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’” In response, Jesus “turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan!’” (Matthew 16:22-23)
Peter was a believer, but, in that instance, he echoed what Satan was saying and rebuked the Lord as if Jesus were sinning. Jesus identified Satan as the ultimate origin of what Peter was doing and saying.
In summary, a Christian can be lied to, tempted by, and attacked by Satan just as Jesus Christ was. However, a demon can’t own a believer as its possession.
It’s important to remember that becoming a Christian is both receiving Jesus and rejecting Satan. The key to living free from demonic influence as a Christian is twofold. One, you must receive Jesus Christ and His defeat of the demonic. Two, you must renounce any ground you give to the demonic through such things as sin, rebellion, unbelief, pride, and the other matters we discuss throughout this book. This is precisely what James 4:7 means when it says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God [receive]. Resist the devil [renounce], and he will flee from you.”
Read Galatians 5:19-21 and simply list each thing that has been a habitual sin for you. Repent of it and renounce any demonic work in your life.
Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. Visit https://realfaith.com/faq/ for privacy and terms info.