Can Christians Be Demon-Possessed?
August 2nd, 2007
(By John MacArthur)
We must remember, first of all, that God’s Word is our only reliable source of truth about Satan and demons.
Princeton theologian and scholar Dr. Charles Hodge rightly warned:
No amount of learning, no superiority of talent, nor even the pretension to inspiration, can justify a departure from the . . . truths taught by men to whose inspiration God has borne witness. All teachers must be brought to this standard; and even if an angel from heaven should teach anything contrary to the Scriptures, he should be regarded as anathema, Gal. 1:8. It is a matter of constant gratitude that we have such a standard whereby to try the spirits whether they be of God (Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972], p. 395).
What does God’s Word, the touchstone of truth, say? Can demons inhabit or spatially indwell a true believer? Can they walk through an open door and become a squatter? Proponents of today’s spiritual warfare movement say yes, but they base their answer on subjective experience, not on God’s Word. The Bible makes it clear that such a claim has no justifiable basis.
There is no clear example in the Bible where a demon ever inhabited or invaded a true believer. Never in the New Testament epistles are believers warned about the possibility of being inhabited by demons. Neither do we see anyone rebuking, binding, or casting demons out of a true believer. The epistles never instruct believers to cast out demons, whether from a believer or unbeliever. Christ and the apostles were the only ones who cast out demons, and in every instance the demon-possessed people were unbelievers.
The collective teaching of Scripture is that demons can never spatially indwell a true believer. A clear implication of 2 Corinthians 6, for example, is that the indwelling Holy Spirit could never cohabit with demons:
What harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (vv. 15–16).
In Colossians 1:13, Paul says God “delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” Salvation brings true deliverance and protection from Satan. In Romans 8:37, Paul says we overwhelmingly conquer through Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15:57, he says God gives us the victory. In 2 Corinthians 2:14, he says God always leads us in triumph. In 1 John 2:13, John says we have overcome the evil one. And, in 4:4, he says the indwelling Holy Spirit is greater than Satan. How could anyone affirm those glorious truths, yet believe demons can indwell genuine believers?
DEMON POSSESSION AND TRUE CONVERSION
Many of the leading voices in today’s spiritual warfare movement are too quick to hail every profession of faith in Christ as proof of salvation. That reflects the easy-believism that has swept this generation.
A thorough biblical understanding of the doctrine of conversion makes it clear that demons could never indwell or possess a believer. Jonathan Edwards wrote about true conversion:
Scripture describes conversion in terms which imply or signify a change of nature: being born again, becoming new creatures, rising from the dead, being renewed in the spirit of the mind, dying to sin and living to righteousness, putting off the old man and putting on the new, becoming partakers of the divine nature, and so on.
It follows that if there is no real and lasting change in people who think they are converted, their religion is worthless, whatever their experiences may be. Conversion is the turning of the whole man from sin to God. God can restrain unconverted people from sin, of course, but in conversion he turns the very heart and nature from sin to holiness. The converted person becomes the enemy of sin.
What, then, shall we make of a person who says he has experienced conversion, but whose religious emotions soon die away, leaving him much the same person as he was before? He seems as selfish, worldly, foolish, perverse and un-Christian as ever. This speaks against him louder than any religious experiences can speak for him.
In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, neither a dramatic experience nor a quiet one, neither a wonderful testimony nor a dull one, counts for anything. The only thing that counts is a new creation (The Experience That Counts! p. 99).
In Matthew 12, Christ rebuked those who were following Him just for the sake of witnessing great signs and wonders:
When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came” ; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation (vv. 43–45).
Instead of responding with spectacular signs and wonders, Christ addressed their need for salvation. Many people appear to have their lives in order. But in reality, they have not trusted Christ as Savior and Lord. Their souls are “unoccupied” — that is, the Holy Spirit does not indwell them. Thus they are open to demonic invasion. That cannot be true of those whose bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 6:16).
According to 1 Peter 1:5, when Christ reigns in a person’s life, that person is kept by God’s power. As a result, “the evil one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18). When the Holy Spirit inhabits a person, no demon can set up house as a squatter. Indwelling by demons is only evidence of a lack of genuine salvation.
(For more on what the Bible says about Satan and demons, see John’s book How to Meet the Enemy.)
I was once an advocate of a certain branch of these teachings.
I zealously studied the works of Derek Prince, Frank Hammond, Frank Marzullo, and others.
Once thing they teach is that when you sin you give the demons “legal” rights to enter the you and your children. They use the old testament verses on curses and generational curses to justify this. They believe that all such curses are demonically energized.
It should be pointed out that this is a way to sneak in justification by works thinking, which makes these teachings quite dangerous. Justification is all about our legal standing before God.
They also teach that minor personality defects are caused by demons, and much sickness too. This holds out the (false) hope that such things can be cured by “deliverance” methods.
A big problem is you have to identify the demons by name, lists of names are published in book form. You have to research your ancestors sins too. It is notable that a lot of these names come from modern psychology, which is laughable when you think about it. I used the shotgun approach, and prayed through every list I could get my hands on. The end result was no change whatsoever.
I think it can also be pointed out that a true understanding of sin would leave Christians with no hope of ever ridding themselves of demons if such thinking were true. We would incur every curse in the OT continually.
IMHO they teach:
o - Deficient view of the cross and the atonement.
o - Elements of justification by works.
o - Deficient view of sin.
o - Ignores the fallenness of the flesh and blames it on demons.
o - Substitutes “deliverance” for repentance of sins.
o - Substitutes fear of demons for fear of God.
o - Dualism, good things are from God, bad things are from Satan.
It wasn’t until I thought it through that I understood why the Devil seems to go to so much trouble to promote these teachings. Several damnable heresies are present here in embryonic form. Perhaps not enough to call it apostacy yet, but certainly several steps are taken in that direction.
I have also noticed that latter-rain teachings often accompany “deliverance” thinking, the idea that one day the super-anointed will have the full power to cast out demons as described in the NT. They do admit they seem to lack this “full” power today. Branham’s occultic impartable annointing practices are also widespread as far as I can tell.
I now subscribe to Bob DeWaay’s theory on this, that the few genuine “manifestations” are a Satanic con to further false doctrines of demons about demons.
Since many professing Christians aren’t actually converted, especially in the latter-rain and word of faith camps, it is easy for the deception to be maintained since apparent “Christians” manifest demons frequently.
I also see it as a judgement of God on those who have abandoned scripture for the subjective.
I was like that lady too, lived in fear of the Devil. I was also deathly afraid of commiting the unpardonable sin.
Now I am a Calvinist cessationist like MacArthur and company who I praise God for.
Later guys.
- Kurt
One phrase that was used in this article was “demons can never spatially indwell a true believer.”
What does “spatially indwell” mean? Demons are spirits. How are they related to physical “space”?
Functionally, what is the difference between being “possessed” (not an actual biblical term in this context) and being attacked?
Sometimes there is misunderstanding on this whole subject brought about by poor use of terminology. The word ‘possessed’ is used when the NT word is better translated ‘demonized’ ; we might say ‘affected by the influence of a demon or demons’. Now clearly anyone Christian or not can be demonized. It has to do with the way we think and what or who influences us. Consider the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness following his baptism. An evil spirit (Satan himself) spoke to him, took him to places and made suggestions. Jesus didn’t follow any of Satan’s suggestions but defeated him with the ’sword of the Spirit’. Suppose some other newly baptised believer had a similar experience with a demon and being inexperienced in the scriptures fell for the enemy’s tricks would it not be correct to say that he/she had been demonized and may indeed require deliverance from the influence that the demon(s) may have gained over them? Would that deliverance not be effected by the use of scripture and a word of command ‘in the name of Jesus’ that the demon(s) ‘cease and desist’ their activity. The person also would need to confess and renounce his/her error, repent and seek forgiveness from God and from anyone affected by their actions or speech.
I suggest that the whole ‘easy gospel’ movement is the result of demonization. Untruth sets up a stronghold in the way we think, a stronghold is a ’safe place’ for an enemy and it is within our mind or emotions. It may be something like ‘I am a Catholic or Salvationist therefore I cannot consider any form of baptism other than that taught or not taught by my Church’. Usually it is more subtle and hidden so that the person feels that they dare not question the teachings of their Church for fear of losing the respect of those in leadership or of losing their position within the Church or society.
On the subject of ‘possession’; are we not, as Christians, possessed by God? Did Peter act and speak ‘in character’ at Pentecost or was the Holy Spirit which he had just received ‘using him’. How would we view a John the Baptist figure today, living out in the desert, eating insects and wild honey and calling highly respected religious leaders ‘poisonous snakes’. Many would want to have him certified, they would say ‘he has a demon’ but in actual fact he was possessed by the Holy Spirit, he was God’s man for the time.
Just maybe we should consider that we have got this whole subject upside down and we should be more concerned that we are not ‘driven by the Spirit’ just as Jesus was (Mark 1:12).
It is amazing that the mainstream medical community believes in miracles and that God heals people BUT many in the church DO NOT!
When you’re done here, please read this article from the University of Chicago:
http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/050714/doctorsfaith.shtml
I absolutely do not believe that a Christian can be possessed by a demon for that clearly implies ownership. I do believe a Christian can be troubled by a devil or evil spirit especially if they are giving in routinely to some temptation.
I don’t think anyone here including John MacArthur is claiming perfection yet so let’s be honest and admit we all have areas where we are working out our faith.
We all have areas of light and dark in us unless someone here is claiming full sanctification.
Scripture says light and dark cannot have fellowship not that they can’t be present in the same person at the same time.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness?
They can both be there; they just don’t play well together which can explain a lot of a person’s internal or external conflicts.
Can a believer be influenced by the devil or his agents?
How about Ananias:
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Humm…Satan provided the lie or urge to lie or capatilized on Ananias’ willingness to lie.
Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit.
Ananias couldn’t lie to the Holy Spirit unless he was indwelt by Him.
Ananias didn’t lie to men but to God.
Ananias was a believer who was foolish enough or fooled enough to listen to the devil and paid for it with his temporal life.
God took immediate action in this case to show us how crafty the devil is and just how serious the fight is.
We should be asking why hasn’t God struck us dead as well!
How did Peter go from “first” to “worst” in just 8 short verses???
Matthew 16:16-17 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
WOW! Way to go Peter! You heard straight from the Father’s mouth!
But wait, there’s more…….
Matthew 16:23 But he turned, and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.”
Bummer dude! From Spirit filled saint to Satan decieved sinner. Ouch!!!
How about those that fall from the faith?
1 Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
Why didn’t Paul point out these people never were believers if that was the case?
You can’t fall from something unless you’re actually in a position to do so.
I already know the standard Calvinist response and I don’t believe it.
We’re saved by faith ALONE - these people will fall FROM faith ALONE through deception.
No amount of linquistic gymnastics will change that simple fact.
Instead of creating theology to explain what we think isn’t happening today (cessationism), we should be asking our Heavenly Father why we aren’t seeing some of the same things today as the 1st century church did?
Maybe, just maybe, it’s us and not God who has turned off the “faucet”.
By the way, I have never spoken in tongues, I am furious at anyone who tries to make merchandise out of hurting people (false faith healers) but I have observed repeated cases of individuals over a long period of time that were healed/delivered or whatever you choose to call it.
As a scientist and an engineer I deal in repeatable evidences.
For the people whom I know were healed, it was a result of repentance to righteousness not some random event.
And just what did Jesus Christ mean when He said in the Lord’s prayer, “deliver us from evil”?
Does anyone here think He only meant we needed that once or frequently?
Kurt said he is a cessationist. Is that a total or partial cessationist? If it’s total then I guess you believe that no one today has a Holy Spirit inspired gift of teaching, helps or governments (1 Cor. 12:28).
This means that all of today’s teaching, administration and service is just from the hearts of men and not a divinely anointed ability.
I’m disappointed to know I’m only listening to men - saved men no doubt - but not divinely gifted men of teaching.
And I’ve barely scratched the surface of this topic…sorry to be so long winded.
It seems that we are getting mixed up in semantics here. There is a stark difference between deliverance and “deliverance ministries”. Yes all Christians need deliverance from sin. Christ delivered us from the penalty of sin trhough his death on the cross, but we still need deliverance from our own tendency to run into the arms of depravity. That is called sactification and it is a process that will only be complete when we reach heaven.
The problem with deliverance ministries is that they try and offer a quick fix to the problem of sin through bad theology. “Come to us,” they say, “and we will cast out your demon of lust, or pride, or gambling, or addiction.” Their entire theology is based on the belief that sin is caused by spirits inhabiting believers. It is not the believer’s fault, it is the demon’s fault. This theology is attractive because it offers a quick fix to the normally slow sanctification process. They cast out the demon, you are rid of your sin, and everyone is happy. Unfortunately that’s not the way sanctification, or Satan for that matter, works.
Satan cannot inhabit a believer but what he can do, and does regularly, is influence a believer’s thoughts and actions through temptation. He tempts us (just like he tempted Jesus in the desert) and then we have the choice to follow him or God. What we choose to do is always up to us and therefor always our responsibility. If we choose to sin, we have no one to blame but ourselves. Casting demons away does not remove temptation, therefore from a spiritual warfare standpoint, it doesn’t have any real effect.
When all this is taken into account, what you have are deliverance ministries who promise people immediate sanctification and then produce no lasting change in their lives. The truly effective and theologically sound warfare ministries are those who advocate combatting the attacks of Satan by putting on the spiritual armor of Ephesians through the spiritual disciplines. That is the only effective way to win the spiritual battles of the mind and heart.
Steve,
You are correct that any ministry or person offering a quick fix has missed it.
God can and does heal/fix some problems instantly but mostly what we should be talking about is discipleship - advanced discipleship - strong meat.
As I said in my previous post repentence to righteousness is the long term solution and that requires constant submission as a disciple - submission to accountabilty partners, the Word, the Holy Spirit, wise spiritual shepards, etc, etc.
Ultimately, God is more concerned with our state of righteousness/holiness than our finances, health, etc. and those things when they come are more of a by-product.
There are legitimate healing/deliverence ministries out there emphasizing discipleship. They don’t say “the devil made me do it” but don’t be misled that when a believer gives darkness an opening, darkness will try to capitalize on it.
Whether or not the demon/dark influence is across the room, on my shoulder or in my head makes little difference when the negative results comes.
Scripture is clear our fight is not with flesh and blood so it must be with spirits somewhere somehow in our realm.
Fortunately our armor/weapons are superior and when we resist the devil, he has no choice but to flee.
Blessings
I had been involved in this deliverance ministry for some time. I agree with this post but I would like clarification on something or if you have already address this issue where I can read it.
What about oppression and what is that influence if any at all in a believers life?
This thread was posted on one of our forums, and I responded to that person, with this reply, and my comments is also a reply to this thread, in Jesus’ Name.
Jeff, we all believe and know that God’s Word is our only reliable source of truth about Satan and demons, and most of us also know that ALL those THINGS that are “earthly and heavenly” of HIS Kingdom and the kingdom of darkness are prevalent in these latter days of perilous times, and His Word is silent on much of those THINGS.
As Dr. Charles Hodge and yourself has warned us about: learning: or superiority of talent: or any pretension to inspiration that can justify a departure from the . . . truths taught by men to whose inspiration God has borne witness. On this point that I have “underlined”, I claim that those good GOD-anointed men and women of God who are in the healing and deliverance ministries have borne witness to their inspirations and personal experiences and revelation from their ministry as they worked with the Holy Spirit in healing the broken-hearts; delivering from evil; setting free; healing sicknesses; and casting out demons from all Christians who are struggling with those THINGS of the supernatural realm.
Besides being teachers they are HIS Disciples who work at the coalface, and keep within the standard; and not allow an angel from heaven to teach them anything contrary to the Scriptures. To label or put these great men and women of God or even regard them as “anathema” is beyond any Christian rational or intellectual capacity, and unwarranted to judge them on what is stated in Gal. 1:8. No doubt, they do “try the spirits whether they be of God”. And to judge them on an article that was written over thirty years ago is still living in the past, and unfair.
Today, the 21st Century there is much going on in the Body of Christ in these latter days of perilous times as the “fowler’s snare” seduces and deceives, and “cheats the Body of Christ through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to our Lord Jesus Christ” (Col. 2:8)
You ask, “What does God’s Word, the touchstone of truth, say? Can demons inhabit or spatially indwell a true believer? Can they walk through an open door and become a squatter?” So what do you class as a “true believe” as in accordance with the “Parable of the Sower”?
Is a Wayside Christian a “true believer”?
Is a Stony Christian a “true believer”?
Is a Thorny Christian a “true believer”?
I believe that the 30-fold, 60-fold, and 100-fold Christians are! But, the 30-fold can be a half-hearted.
No proponents of today’s spiritual warfare movement have ever claim that a “true believer”, that is, a 30-fold, 60-fold, and 100-fold Christian, can have “unclean spirits dwelling in their house” as per Matthew 12:43-45. Yes, His Word does make it clear in Matthew 12:43-45 about what happens to a wayside, stony, thorny Christian, or possibly to a 30-fold Christian whose “house is empty, swept, and put in order”. There are many in the Body of Christ!
Therefore, it’s NOT subjective as you say, and its’ clear that such a claim has a justifiable basis, as per the inspiration that God has borne witness to the many great men of God, such as Francis MacNutt, Derek Prince, Neil Anderson, Tom Jewett, Peter Toth, etc. But, no doubt they are all human, and are not fallible, but they are truly great men of God.
I agree that there isn’t any clear example in the Bible where a demon ever inhabited or invaded a “true believer”, because they inhabited or invaded those lukewarm and half-hearted Christian, such the wayside, stony, and thorny Christians, who are present in the Body of Christ, in churches no different to what is written in Revelation 2 and 3, such as the” loveless church; persecuted church; compromising church; corrupt church; dead church; faithful church; and lukewarm church. Have you seen any of those sorts Christians and churches in your travels?
You said:
“Never in the New Testament epistles are believers warned about the possibility of being inhabited by demons. Neither do we see anyone rebuking, binding, or casting demons out of a true believer?” (Mmmm, I wonder what we would call a “true believer” at the time of His, His disciple’s, and Paul’s ministry?)
“The epistles never instruct believers (What about His disciples?) to cast out demons, whether from a believer or unbeliever (I would never cast a demon out of an UNBELIEVER!). Christ and the apostles were the only ones who cast out demons, and in every instance the demon-possessed people were unbelievers.” (Where they, are you sure that they were not a wayside, stony, or thorny believers, that is Christians, who had heard the message and had the seed planted, when HE taught the “Parable of the Sower” to the multitudes?)
Now, the whole point that you are making is that: “The collective teaching of Scripture is that demons can never spatially indwell a true believer”, stops there, because no good God-anointed minister or counsellor in the healing and deliverance ministry has EVER stated that!
I haven’t either!
You said:
“Many of the leading voices in today’s spiritual warfare movement are too quick to hail every profession of faith in Christ as proof of salvation. That reflects the easy-believism that has swept this generation.”
Sorry Jeff, you are probably talking about the “new emerging church”, and the many over-zealous and confused Pentecostal and Charismatic self-anointed counsellors, or some high-flying TV evangelist who preach many distorted and watered-down Gospels.
Yes, there are many questionable ministries around, but at same time there are many legalistic ministries as well, who cause many unnecessary debate that go on forever and ever.
Personally, I agree with many things that you say, but you have this thing about the “true believer” syndrome, which I NEVER heard any good, GOD-anointed men and women of God say that about a “true believer”!
BUT—a 30-fold Christian is half-hearted at times, and they can leave themselves open to oppression, suppression, and possible control through seduction and deception of the doctrine of demons.