Question
Recently, I was at one of our prayer and healing nights and saw you praying over a person for what appeared to be demon-possession, yet that person claims to be a Christian. Can a Christian be demon-possessed?
Answer
Dear friend, first of all let me say that I don’t have a definitive word on this subject. I have arguments and done research on both sides of this discussion but although I lean to one side, I am not certain because the Bible is not clear.
So let me share with you what I know and what I believe to be most accurate (educated guess).
I do not believe that Christians can be possessed, mostly due to the definition of possession. Possession means having total access and control. If someone is a true believer and child of God, the Bible says that we have the Holy Spirit as a guarantee with his seal upon us. The way that the ancient world worked, an empire (i.e. Roman Empire) would put a seal on their material/cargo that was being shipped and if anyone messed with it, they were messing with the whole of the Roman Empire. So, in the same way, I do not believe that total possession of a thriving believer would be allowed. Additionally the concept of being indwelt by the Holy Spirit (which is evidence of our salvation) means we are ‘possessed’ by the Holy Spirit in a sense.
Now, whether or not you can lose your salvation, or how salvation totally works (i.e. Is it a process through life, or a one-time act, etc.) is a whole other conversation but it plays into it. Because if you can lose your salvation or if you can step outside the control of God willingly and invite the enemy in, then we have a case for ‘Christian’ demon-possession again.
But let’s suppose that salvation is a time when you are adopted into the family of God, which seems most clear in Scripture, and that you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (that’s how you are saved), then there doesn’t seem to be a logical way that the Holy Spirit is going to share residence with a demon, much less give over full control.
So, what was occurring with that person with the demonic issues that I was praying over at the worship, healing and prayer night remains a mystery. Although she is a professing believer, there seems to be a series of issues going on in her life of bondage and there seems to be a heavy demonic presence that keeps her down. How all that works, I have no idea.
However, I do know that despite knowing the details I went into that spiritual warfare as if she was possessed, and then using most of the time to demand that the demonic presence leave her and that God would bring her peace. Was that right? I don’t know, technically, but God gives a lot of grace to his simple believers, to correct what they don’t seem to understand (thank the Lord).
What is clear to me is that despite demons probably not allowed to possess, they can oppress and harass, and it many times will feel like the same thing.
Consider how we talked of ‘brainwashing.’ What we are saying is that due to mental games, someone takes control over someone else. Now we know that one human can’t possess another human but they can practically do the same things. They have taken over the steering wheel of the car, so to speak. So, I don’t think that demons need to possess to really, really attack and harass.
I believe that even due to the Job story, demons are sometimes given extraordinary access to believers at times, but there’s always a line that God won’t let them cross.
