Spiritual warfare: Can a Christian have a demon?
In a short answer, yes! I am going to briefly touch this question here, and point you in the direction of much more information with much more Biblical understanding of this subject at the bottom of this teaching.
Many of the people Jesus cast demons out of where church-going believers:
Mark 1:39, “And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.”
The Bible even gives us a very solid case where a believing woman had a demonic spirit. The teaching is titled The daughter of Abraham.
What does it mean to be possessed?
Contrary to modern belief, to be possessed with a demon in the Bible was NOT referring to a demon owning a person at all. The phrase ‘possessed with a devil’ actually means the person has a demon, is under the power of a demon, or is vexed (harassed, tormented or troubled) by an evil spirit. A far cry from ownership. The Bible is clear that all souls belong to God, therefore making ownership impossible:
Ezekiel 18:4, “Behold, all souls are mine…”
“Light cannot dwell with darkness”
This is perhaps the most common of the ‘cases’ presented on why a Christian cannot have a demon. Let me ask you this, can a Christian be in bondage to pornography? Is pornography light? How can a Christian, who has the Holy Spirit be in bondage to such a thing then?
If light could not dwell with darkness, then Paul would have been unable to have to Holy Ghost. Take a look at this verse and tell me how Paul could have had the Holy Ghost in him, and yet been controlled by evil like this?
Romans 7:21, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”
Wait a minute, I thought evil could not dwell in the same person as the Holy Ghost? Apparently, the two can coexist… or Paul didn’t really have the Holy Ghost. :o)
What is the point in casting out demons?
Let’s just imagine that a Christian was unable to have a demon. That would mean that when a person accepts Jesus, their demons automatically leave the person. Either that, or anybody with a demon would be unable to come to receive eternal life… which doesn’t make sense. So if all we had to do was get a person to accept Jesus, and their demons went away on their own, what point would there be in casting them out? {Answer not found}
There is a very good reason Jesus and the early church drove out demons… they simply don’t leave on their own when a person comes to Jesus! There is a great teaching on this very subject titled, Why cast out demons?
A highly recommended e-book
If you want to learn more about the Biblical approach to this ministry, you owe it to yourself to read a powerful and Biblically sound e-book titled A Biblical approach to the ministry of deliverance.
Additional reading
– Can a Christian have a demon?
(From MinisteringDeliverance.com)
– Can a Christian have a demon?
(From GreatBibleStudy.com)