Can a Christian Be Possessed?

[MatthewG]

Can a Christian be Possessed?

Fully by the flesh I suppose.

By demons? Dont believe so anymore.
By the devil? Dont believe so anymore.

Thoughts in your head? That keep you in the same state or place that could be dark, even in temptation? Yes.

Influence of spirits of the world? Spirit of Hatred, Spirit of Greed, Spirit of Lust, Spirit of Manipulation.
Sure, those things effect us as soon as we are born, being as Children - you are given the world pretty much, socks, shoes, pants, shirt, toothbrush, comb, shower, ....

Those are things that are in the darkness though, that can really effect a person spirit - or soul.

 

[marks]

2 Corinthians 11:4
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. Do genuine believers ever enter that realm of deception?
Now the most likely response is Oh they were never saved. Yet Paul is talking to believers here.
We all have a religious past determined by how we maneuvered through various denominations and religions. And because we are talking about false spiritual ministry we are also talking about levels of control over our person. Now I don't intend to leave you there; The books I offer for free highlight a journey out from various levels of religious possession.

This verse doesn't teach that a Spirit-filled Christian - someone baptized into Christ - can be possessed by an unclean spirit.

I think we need to talk more about walking in the Spirit. In Christ you are made free, according to the Bible. Do you believe that?

Much love!

 

[marks]

When things start to own us it can invite spiritual manipulation of our person. For the believer we are also then talking about various degrees of control.

But if you are a Christian, you are owned by God. Plain and simple. You are sealed by Him, His sign of ownership.

Is it your idea that we are compelled to commit evil by demons?

Much love!

 

[marks]

I'm not sure this is a good way to go about this. Possession usually results in violent people that are sinners. That is usually how you can recognize them and the bible supports that. But I would caution anyone claiming someone is possessed as no one can truly know that except for the spiritual discernment that Jesus had. I'm really not sure what you're after with this thread. But calling someone possessed is obnoxious at best. Similar to claiming people don't have the spirit.

I think demons are commonly blamed for personal failings. All the different versions of "the devil made me do it". If we are seeing a demon behind our own fleshy lusts, maybe we are fighting the wrong fight. Thinking we need to "take power over the evil spirit", when what we need to do is deny our flesh, and devote ourselves to God.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Because we are the Bride that makes herself ready for her husband.

Interesting thing to say. What does that mean to you? Do you apply this to the church throughout the centuries? Do the church at the end of the age? And how do you "makes yourself ready"?

I'm interested in discussing this should you want to.

Much love!

 

[marks]

But I have to tell you its a remarkable liberty when Jesus shows us where spiritual influences still own us and we take such ownership to the Cross..

If you are a real Christian, God bought you, God owns you, and He's put His seal of ownership upon you. Not even you own you. No one other than God Himself owns you, if, that is, you are a true Christian, born again child of God.

Much love!

 

[Gordon]

This verse doesn't teach that a Spirit-filled Christian - someone baptized into Christ - can be possessed by an unclean spirit.

I think we need to talk more about walking in the Spirit. In Christ you are made free, according to the Bible. Do you believe that?

Much love!

It really goes back to free will and how we choose to engage the world, the flesh and the Devil. A man is a slave to whomever he calls master. Since we all come to Christ at different times in life (Some Young and Some old) we have opportunity to experience the all three of these worldly experiences. Likewise if the Church teaches us to submit to a foreign power it is still no less the demonic masquerading as an angel of light. In fact "spirit filled" needs to be challenged as a point of compromise when it manifests in ways that shake and move upon our flesh . Charismatic faith is right to exalt the Holy Spirit as our source of the Gifts of the Spirit, but it doesn't mean that all our spiritual encounters are of God. If you have ever heard of the hindu practice of kundilani then from experience I can tell you that it has creeped into the Church as believers are looking for greater supernatural experiences to compete with the last experience. I speak from experience when I say I used to be an anointing junky; but I also have found freedom based on what Jesus did for me on the Cross.

 

[Gordon]

Interesting thing to say. What does that mean to you? Do you apply this to the church throughout the centuries? Do the church at the end of the age? And how do you "makes yourself ready"?

I'm interested in discussing this should you want to.

Much love!

We are often encouraged to repent as we see the day of Christ coming. In that simple word is a hearts desire to stop sinning and turn from our evil ways. However it is also something we will have to do time and time again if we don't understand what makes us do the things we do. So repentance is one thing but turning away from a lifetime of destructive sin patterns is another matter. This is where Paul the Apostle invited us to embrace what Jesus did on the Cross. see video above
By agreeing with what Jesus did for us "back there" we can literally uproot physical, emotional and spiritual behavior that has been with us for years. Ive got three books that cover much of what plagues the Human (Christian) condition.

 

[marks]

We are often encouraged to repent as we see the day of Christ coming. In that simple word is a hearts desire to stop sinning and turn from our evil ways. However it is also something we will have to do time and time again if we don't understand what makes us do the things we do. So repentance is one thing but turning away from a lifetime of destructive sin patterns is another matter. This is where Paul the Apostle invited us to embrace what Jesus did on the Cross. see video above
By agreeing with what Jesus did for us "back there" we can literally uproot physical, emotional and spiritual behavior that has been with us for years. Ive got three books that cover much of what plagues the Human (Christian) condition.

Did you understand the questions I asked?

Much love!

 

[marks]

I speak from experience when I say I used to be an anointing junky; but I also have found freedom based on what Jesus did for me on the Cross.

God teaches us in Romans 6 that if we've been baptized into Christ's death we are dead ourselves, and being dead in Him, we have been made free from sin. Do you believe you are made from from sin in Christ's death?

Much love!

 

[dev553344]

I think demons are commonly blamed for personal failings. All the different versions of "the devil made me do it". If we are seeing a demon behind our own fleshy lusts, maybe we are fighting the wrong fight. Thinking we need to "take power over the evil spirit", when what we need to do is deny our flesh, and devote ourselves to God.

Much love!

Yes I was kinda thinking the same thing as people cannot be partially possessed as the OP is claiming.

 

[Gordon]

God teaches us in Romans 6 that if we've been baptized into Christ's death we are dead ourselves, and being dead in Him, we have been made free from sin. Do you believe you are made from from sin in Christ's death?

Much love!

Yes, freed from sin and made the righteousness of God through Jesus/Yeshua. But please remember there is no condemnation for those in Christ that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:1
​

 

[Gordon]

Yes I was kinda thinking the same thing as people cannot be partially possessed as the OP is claiming.

Every stronghold in a believers life is the result of two things. 1. freewill choice that conditions the mind to go after what it deems as good. Sin is perceived as good for those that want to sin until it becomes a burden. 2. a spiritual realm is called upon to empower/supercharge such sin in our lives. Freedom comes as you deal with both aspects of bondage in Christ and at the Cross.

 

[marks]

Yes, freed from sin and made the righteousness of God through Jesus/Yeshua. But please remember there is no condemnation for those in Christ that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:1​

​

Who is it then who would enslave you? How can anyone except God Himself own you? If you are His child, that is?

Much love!

 

[dev553344]

Every stronghold in a believers life is the result of two things. 1. freewill choice that conditions the mind to go after what it deems as good. Sin is perceived as good for those that want to sin until it becomes a burden. 2. a spiritual realm is called upon to empower/supercharge such sin in our lives. Freedom comes as you deal with both aspects of bondage in Christ and at the Cross.

I don't agree with that assessment. There is much assumed in your statements.

 

[Gordon]

I don't agree with that assessment. There is much assumed in your statements.

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Romans 8:11-14 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

 

[dev553344]

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Romans 8:11-14 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

The part your missing is that man cannot be possessed when they have the Holy Spirit sealed to them. They can however be afflicted and harassed by Satan, and they can be tempted. Paul was afflicted by Satan that way. And the scripture you posted above supports my claim. Read it again.

 

[Gordon]

The part your missing is that man cannot be possessed when they have the Holy Spirit sealed to them. They can however be afflicted and harassed by Satan, and they can be tempted. Paul was afflicted by Satan that way. And the scripture you posted above supports my claim. Read it again.

I'm sorry, but Paul is clarifying the freedom that exists in the Holy Spirit and the reason to avoid the fleshly sinful actions. So if by that same HS you put to death the existing misdeeds of the body, you will live. What are fleshly actions anyways? That which appeals to the fallen nature and manifests in physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual ways.

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

I'm sorry, but Paul is clarifying the freedom that exists in the Holy Spirit and the reason to avoid the fleshly sinful actions. So if by that same HS you put to death the existing misdeeds of the body, you will live. What are fleshly actions anyways? That which appeals to the fallen nature and manifests in physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual ways.

It comes down to weakness and lack of faith that leads one to Sin. for they are lost !

One may talk about a subject and that person or persons can not handle the truth ! for it's too much for them to handle, for they are of this world ? but only religious ! caught up in religion and this world, because they have not been truly Saved ! when one has become truly born again then we start to learn and progress forward in Christ Jesus ! not religion, as religion is not the standard, it's the norm ? Even an atheist is religious regardless even if he does not believe such, that does not make it so.

Atheist is the most easy religion, for such just say they don't believe regardless, simple as that ! but who are they talking to ? themselves or at people ? that's all.
Now with the church goer or any other religion, one may ask why are they their ? do they know what they are on about? who is it that they serve ? the Church denomination ! or Christ Jesus as the Head their of ? So most are serving their religion in fact ! but have nothing to do with Christ Jesus in fact. because they have not been truly Saved. some claim to be Saved or demand that they are saved but in their ways i can clearly see that they only use such as a crouch. for they are looking for conformation from me ? or others, but i look too no man to conformation, because it does not come from them, but from Christ Jesus ?

I say that once Saved one is not under the power of this world, That being Lost to such temptations and delusions for i understand such workings, but i still do repent ? for if one does not repent you are lost or on the path that will lead to temptation, one repents to keep yourself in check as this will strengthen you in fact. i know of ones who claim to be saved but they reject to repent ? because they claim to be saved regardless ? they are possessed ! i have seen such in them for they are evil and work to lead others astray, with religion ? For they know not Christ Jesus ! That's why they love the end of times, because they are weak !

 

[Gordon]

What I have discovered is my previous history with religion was not without its spiritual baggage. In fact every layer of submission to man made religion confounded my relationship with the One True Lord and Savior. How then was I able to find a true standard of relationship with Jesus? I asked Him to come find me. You see man made ideals in faith are limited at best because they require an endless persuit of gaining acceptance and proof of loyalty. Yet this is where the heart remains compromised until we clear the religious slate away at the Cross.