possessed by a demon, related biblical truths make it abundantly clear
that Christians cannot be demon possessed. There is a distinct
difference between being possessed by a demon and being oppressed or
influenced by a demon. Demon possession involves a demon having
direct/complete control over the thoughts and/or actions of a person
(Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 4:33-35; 8:27-33). Demon oppression or
influence involves a demon or demons attacking a person spiritually
and/or encouraging him/her into sinful behavior. Notice that in all
the New Testament passages dealing with spiritual warfare, there are
no instructions to cast a demon out of a believer (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Believers are told to resist the devil (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9), not
to cast him out.
Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11; 1
Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Surely the Holy Spirit would not allow a
demon to possess the same person He is indwelling. It is unthinkable
that God would allow one of His children, whom He purchased with the
blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19) and made into a new creation (2
Corinthians 5:17), to be possessed and controlled by a demon. Yes, as
believers, we wage war with Satan and his demons, but not from within
ourselves. The apostle John declares, "You, dear children, are from
God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater
than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Who is the One in us?
The Holy Spirit. Who is the one in the world? Satan and his demons.
Therefore, the believer has overcome the world of demons, and the case
for demon possession of a believer cannot be made scripturally.
With the strong biblical evidence that a Christian cannot be demon
possessed in view, some Bible teachers use the term "demonization" to
refer to a demon having control over a Christian. Some argue that
while a Christian cannot be demon possessed, a Christian can be
demonized. Typically, the description of demonization is virtually
identical to the description of demon possession. So, the same issue
results. Changing the terminology does not change the fact that a
demon cannot inhabit or take full control of a Christian. Demonic
influence and oppression are realities for Christians, no doubt, but
it is simply not biblical to say that a Christian can be possessed by
a demon or demonized.
Much of the reasoning behind the demonization concept is the personal
experience of seeing someone who was "definitely" a Christian
exhibiting evidence of being controlled by a demon. It is crucially
important, though, that we do not allow personal experience to
influence our interpretation of Scripture. Rather, we must filter our
personal experiences through the truth of Scripture (2 Timothy
3:16-17). Seeing someone whom we thought to be a Christian exhibiting
the behavior of being demonized should cause us to question the
genuineness of his/her faith. It should not cause us alter our
viewpoint on whether a Christian can be demon possessed / demonized.
Perhaps the person truly is a Christian but is severely demon
oppressed and/or suffering from severe psychological problems. But
again, our experiences must meet the test of Scripture, not the other
way around.
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