Can a born-again Christian be demon-possessed?

Can a Christian be demon-possessed?

By John Chopores

First: what do I mean by demon-possessed? I mean that the person possessed: has no will of his/her own. That the demon inside: has total power and control over the person possessed.

 
I would say that a Christian couldn’t be demon-possessed in this way: for the following reasons:

1. A demon spirit is a fearful thing to have inside you!

Cf. 2TI 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (KJV)

      Faith and fear cannot live together. Cf.

ROM 1:12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. (KJV)

ROM 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (KJV)

ROM 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because {he eateth} not of faith: for whatsoever {is} not of faith is sin. (KJV)

AMO 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (KJV)

And the Christian life is a life of faith! Cf. Habakkuk 2:4  "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. 

Luke 7:50  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." 

Acts 6:7  Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. 

Acts 11:24  For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 

Romans 3:26  to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 

 

      If a person continues to walk around with a demon inside, that person will be destroyed! Cf. PRO 13:20 He that walketh with wise {men} shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. (KJV)
Mt 8:29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"
Heb 10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
For spirits that war against God; are doomed. Cf. Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;

Also, the Spirit of God sets us free! Cf. ROM 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (KJV)

 

2. God would not allow a demon to live in His Temple! The Holy Spirit would not live with an unholy, unclean and evil demon! If, a demon were to enter and defile the temple of God, God would destroy the demon!!

(1Corinthians 3:16-17 KJV)

(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.

      The Holy Spirit will not have "fellowship" with demons! Cf.

1CO 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. (KJV)
The "Lord's table" has to do with the body of the Lord. And all Christians are part of that body! Cf. (Ephesians 1:22-23 KJV)

(22) And hath put all {things} under his feet, and gave him {to be} the head over all {things} to the church, (23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

EPH 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: (KJV)

(Ephesians 4:4-6 KJV)

(4) {There is} one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (5) One Lord, one faith, one baptism, (6) One God and Father of all, who {is} above all, and through all, and in you all.
      Demons, want to come into a body "free" of the Holy Spirit and godliness! The demon may come in, when; the human is at ease, not seeking God. Cf. Matthew 12:43-45  ⁴³  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. ⁴⁴ Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it [i]empty, swept, and [1][2]garnished. ⁴⁵ Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

3. Nowhere in the New Testament, does Jesus ever cast a demon out of one of the disciples! Nor, does St. Paul.  In the only three verses, in the writings of Paul, in which his fellow Christians are said to be sick, Paul does not say that they needed to have any demons cast out! Cf. Phil 2:26 (KJV)  For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

Phil 2:27 (KJV)  For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

2 Tim 4:20 (KJV)  Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.

      Paul was always willing, in the book of Acts, to cast out demons, when it was called for! Cf. Acts 16:16  And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Acts 16:17  The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation.

Acts 16:18  And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

4. In the "prayer of faith" mentioned in James 5:14-16, the elders are not told to cast out a demon, first! Cf.
 (James 5:14-16 KJV)

(14) Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: (15) And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (16) Confess {your} faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
And the "prayer of faith" mentioned here, is for sick Christians! Cf." Is any sick among you?"

5. Rev. 9:4, says that the evil spirits, coming out of the pit, could not harm the people with the seal of God on them! Christians are the ones with the seal of God on them! Cf.2 Tim 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this [ii][i]seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 
 Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

      Christians are sealed (as long, as they remain Christians), so that evil spirits cannot take domination in the Christian' life! Cf.

Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

Rev 9:5  And to them it was given that they should not [[iii]]kill them, but that they should be [iv]tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

Cf. Song 8:6  Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

Isa 8:16  Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

2 Tim 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

6. A person with a demon cannot be a friend of God.  Cf. 1 Sam 28:16  Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? James 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
And Christians are friends of God! Cf. John 11:11  These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. John 15:13 you. ¹³ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  James 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

7. A demon spirit inside a person, will not give that person, a "sound mind" cf. Mat 17:15  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is a [2][5]lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.  You will notice; that, the person with the demon, does not use "sound judgment"!

But, we have been given, a Spirit of "sound judgment"! Cf. 2TI 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a [3][6]sound mind. (KJV)

8. The “Spirit” that a Christian receives, is the Holy Spirit of God, not a worldly spirit! Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 

 

9. God gives light to His people, and an evil spirit, would not want to live in a person who has the light of God in them! Cf. John 3:20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. And where the Holy Spirit, is, is light! Cf. Acts 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

2 Cor 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2 Cor 4:5  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

2 Cor 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 

      Only After a Christian falls away from the Faith, he/she can be demon possessed!

(1Samuel 16:14-15 KJV)

(14) But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord [4][7]troubled him. (15) And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

      It would seem to me, that this evil spirit, caused Saul much fear! Cf. 1 Sam 28:15  And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

]1 Sam 28:20  Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.  Where as the Holy Spirit, is our comforter. cf. John 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

2 Tim 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
     

10. God’s Spirit is a Spirit of liberty, not of bondage.  Cf. 2 Corinthians 3:17  Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty

Heb.2:14 ¶ Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

15  and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Romans 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:15  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."