Can a Christian have a demon?

[Dave L]

Can I ask what churches you refuse to go to? Please don't answer if it puts you on the spot.

I've been reading through "War on the Saints" and she talks about believers being deceived by doctrines of demons.

Here's some basic traits I avoid in seeking fellowship. Divorce and Remarriage tolerance, Oneness, Anti-Trinitarianism, Dispensationalism, Pentecostalism, infant baptism,

 

[Soverign Grace]

I still think that there is a big difference between possession and influence, most addictions begin with temptation, and many are a means of dealing with things - they become addictive by relying on the very thing that enables them to run away from whatever they are running away from.
Some see things as being From God or from Satan, with nothing in between. We are people who are also influenced by our environment, culture and our own protective reactions to things. Drink, for example, can be no different to pain relief - accept the pain is often emotional, same with food and cigarettes.
I went through a phase some years ago of seeing a demon in everything , I have to say that was also down to reading quite a bit of material about the subject - I had to stop because it was making me paranoid!
Rita

I do too - because I don't believe that Satan can exercise full control over a true believer, because of the Holy Spirit. But I'm beginning to think that evil spirits can attach themselves to a believer, through an open door (I've been reading up on this). The door is opened through sin, trauma, and even through generational sin. Since we don't know what our ancestors did, to be on the safe side, I worked through a deliverance.

I am a little concerned about your son having those thoughts. I know we all get thoughts from the dark side - our pastor admitted it one time and I was glad that he was honest. Some thoughts are shot into the mind that you know come from the evil one's fiery darts. But to be on the safe side, I'd have him work through a deliverance. What concerns me is that someone years back in your family lineage could have sinned and the "legal right" was established for them to attach themselves. I read that's why we often see the same sin show up in parents and children such as a gambling addiction. I just think believers have to be very careful because we know that "the serpent was more subtil than all the beasts of the field" and we don't want to be "ignorant of his devices." I'd rather err on the side of caution and do a deliverance.

 

[Soverign Grace]

Here's some basic traits I avoid in seeking fellowship. Divorce and Remarriage tolerance, Oneness, Anti-Trinitarianism, Dispensationalism, Pentecostalism, infant baptism,

We're on the same page with a few of them. I left the Catholic church I was raised in, and early on we went to a Pentecostal church where it was all emotionalism that just didn't sit right with us. Divorce and Remarriage is a tough one because I know true believers who were divorced and there was infidelity. I don't know about several of the others you mentioned.

 

[Dave L]

We're on the same page with a few of them. I left the Catholic church I was raised in, and early on we went to a Pentecostal church where it was all emotionalism that just didn't sit right with us. Divorce and Remarriage is a tough one because I know true believers who were divorced and there was infidelity. I don't know about several of the others you mentioned.

My avoiding these groups comes from years of independent bible study. But Some avoidance I strictly adhere to and others I'm more tolerant, but will not become an official member. Ironically, I've learned from some of these groups over the years, taking the good and laying aside the bad.

 

[Soverign Grace]

Those that are truly born from above(Again) have both The Father and The Son by way of The Holy Spirit. This is the handful out of the hundred. The Gift of Discernment of Spirits discerns the Good and the evil. As I am One With my Father, I am One with all that are truly born from above as they are One with Him. As I said before, The Spirit bares witness to The Spirit. There is no fooling The Spirit of The Lord. So it is even on these boards. Even when we write words, it is easily discerned, for who we truly are goes down on paper or in this case, a keyboard. The words spoken through you those three times will not come back void. They will bare fruit in its season.

I've been told that I have the gift of discernment, but I don't think that I've utilized it for the good of the church. In fact a family member had told me that I was like the person in the bible who buried the talents. I had backslid over anger at God but then I came back and began growing again. I know that some can talk the talk and 'look like' they walk the walk, yet not be spiritually reborn. Billy Graham said that there are people firmly entrenched in pulpits across America who have not been spiritually regenerated. I also believe that there are those who may be spiritually reborn, yet are still babes in Christ "though you should be teachers by now..." Still others can be spiritually reborn yet be deceived before they develop discernment. I was misled early on by the prosperity pastors on radio and TV. And others belong to the group of the "tares."

"By their fruits ye shall know them..."

 

[Dave L]

I've been told that I have the gift of discernment, but I don't think that I've utilized it for the good of the church. In fact a family member had told me that I was like the person in the bible who buried the talents. I had backslid over anger at God but then I came back and began growing again. I know that some can talk the talk and 'look like' they walk the walk, yet not be spiritually reborn. Billy Graham said that there are people firmly entrenched in pulpits across America who have not been spiritually regenerated. I also believe that there are those who may be spiritually reborn, yet are still babes in Christ "though you should be teachers by now..." Still others can be spiritually reborn yet be deceived before they develop discernment. I was misled early on by the prosperity pastors on radio and TV. And others belong to the group of the "tares."

"By their fruits ye shall know them..."

Scripture replaced the gifts. I have discernment too, but it is grounded in faith that comes from hearing the word. It would be interesting to compare the original imperfect gifts to the perfect gifts derived from scripture.

 

[Soverign Grace]

My avoiding these groups comes from years of independent bible study. But Some avoidance I strictly adhere to and others I'm more tolerant, but will not become an official member. Ironically, I've learned from some of these groups over the years, taking the good and laying aside the bad.

I too study independently the way we're told as in being a Berean. Experience has shown me that there are just bad churches - the leadership gets puffed up and all kinds of evil ensues. We went to one church one time where there were so many nice people, but I had a nagging feeling about it - something felt "off." I wish I had listened to my instincts - or I guess it would be the Holy Spirit warning me. The leadership turned out to be extremely egotistical and prideful. We left and I later learned there were problems there and the pastor left.

 

[Dave L]

I too study independently the way we're told as in being a Berean. Experience has shown me that there are just bad churches - the leadership gets puffed up and all kinds of evil ensues. We went to one church one time where there were so many nice people, but I had a nagging feeling about it - something felt "off." I wish I had listened to my instincts - or I guess it would be the Holy Spirit warning me. The leadership turned out to be extremely egotistical and prideful. We left and I later learned there were problems there and the pastor left.

The Holy Spirit rings my alarm bells frequently. But more so with the more I learn from scripture. Dark humor works along with scripture revealing our apprehension and thoughts at a spiritual level.

 

[Soverign Grace]

The Holy Spirit rings my alarm bells frequently. But more so with the more I learn from scripture. Dark humor works along with scripture revealing our apprehension and thoughts at a spiritual level.

I guess the key is learning to pay attention and act when those bells ring. I had been warned about a church but my husband wanted to go. I learned that it's harder to discern when you're young in the Lord. Discernment develops as you mature "have their senses trained by reason of use..." I told him I heard bad things about it, but he became friends with the family who ran the church and he was really deceived. That time I wished I had paid attention to the warnings of other believers. The family turned out to be absolutely corrupt. They became ensnared in a huge illegal operation and the pastor called us over and really told us just how bad they were and he left - so we did. So many people were hurt - including us. From what I hear they're still misleading people. I don't know why God didn't permanently cripple them and close their "church" down. They lost their business and their name is mud but I spoke with someone who worked for them and she was horrified that they were misleading so many people. I just have to leave that in God's Hands but if someone asks me about them I'll tell them the truth. The last I heard, they've bought themselves a pastor. Money talks.

 

[Dave L]

I guess the key is learning to pay attention and act when those bells ring. I had been warned about a church but my husband wanted to go. I learned that it's harder to discern when you're young in the Lord. Discernment develops as you mature "have their senses trained by reason of use..." I told him I heard bad things about it, but he became friends with the family who ran the church and he was really deceived. That time I wished I had paid attention to the warnings of other believers. The family turned out to be absolutely corrupt. They became ensnared in a huge illegal operation and the pastor called us over and really told us just how bad they were and he left - so we did. So many people were hurt - including us. From what I hear they're still misleading people. I don't know why God didn't permanently cripple them and close their "church" down. They lost their business and their name is mud but I spoke with someone who worked for them and she was horrified that they were misleading so many people. I just have to leave that in God's Hands but if someone asks me about them I'll tell them the truth. The last I heard, they've bought themselves a pastor. Money talks.

I experienced the same as I shared in my brief article Escape from a Death Cult:
Looking back it was a culmination of errors taught by relatives, mainline churches, and Pentecostal churches, that made this situation seem biblical. But in the testimony I show how God opened my eyes and delivered me from all of it and the previous errors I had been duped with.

 

[justbyfaith]

I've been reading several online sites by deliverance ministers and they say that it can. The pastor at our bible study just said that a believer cannot - it's funny that he brought up this very topic. But the more I read those in the field, they mostly say it can happen.

It is written,

Mat 7:21, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23, And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

There are so many people today who think they are Christians because they live in America or go to church or pray.

Jesus taught that being filled with and being obedient to the Holy Spirit is what makes a real Christian.

And real Christians cannot be demon-possessed (1 John 4:4).

As for the nominal, lukewarm, and shallow type, I think that they are very likely fair game for the enemy.

 

[Dave L]

It is written,

Mat 7:21, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23, And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

There are so many people today who think they are Christians because they live in America or go to church or pray.

Jesus taught that being filled with and being obedient to the Holy Spirit is what makes a real Christian.

And real Christians cannot be demon-possessed (1 John 4:4).

As for the nominal, lukewarm, and shallow type, I think that they are very likely fair game for the enemy.

It's a treacherous position to think we are invulnerable. All of the warnings say otherwise. And even Paul had an angel of Satan to afflict him, for good reasons of course.

 

[aspen]

Demons are everywhere, vying for attention. Ignoring them is probably galling for them....how dare the maggots of humanity ignore Gods greatest creations.....

 

[justbyfaith]

It's a treacherous position to think we are invulnerable. All of the warnings say otherwise. And even Paul had an angel of Satan to afflict him, for good reasons of course.

We are only invulnerable if we are wearing the full armor of God; and if we are fighting the battle offensively.

 

[Butterfly]

I do too - because I don't believe that Satan can exercise full control over a true believer, because of the Holy Spirit. But I'm beginning to think that evil spirits can attach themselves to a believer, through an open door (I've been reading up on this). The door is opened through sin, trauma, and even through generational sin. Since we don't know what our ancestors did, to be on the safe side, I worked through a deliverance.

I am a little concerned about your son having those thoughts. I know we all get thoughts from the dark side - our pastor admitted it one time and I was glad that he was honest. Some thoughts are shot into the mind that you know come from the evil one's fiery darts. But to be on the safe side, I'd have him work through a deliverance. What concerns me is that someone years back in your family lineage could have sinned and the "legal right" was established for them to attach themselves. I read that's why we often see the same sin show up in parents and children such as a gambling addiction. I just think believers have to be very careful because we know that "the serpent was more subtil than all the beasts of the field" and we don't want to be "ignorant of his devices." I'd rather err on the side of caution and do a deliverance.

Thank you for your concern for my son, he would not be open to any kind of deliverance at the moment, he is an athiest - there are many people praying for him xx
Rita

 

[Butterfly]

Here's some basic traits I avoid in seeking fellowship. Divorce and Remarriage tolerance, Oneness, Anti-Trinitarianism, Dispensationalism, Pentecostalism, infant baptism,

Be careful DaveL, I am divorced due to my husband being unfaithful , the church did not turn away from me, or disagreed with my discision , in fact I had biblical grounds, it did not make that church a bad church to have fellowship with xx
Rita

 

[Soverign Grace]

I experienced the same as I shared in my brief article Escape from a Death Cult:
Looking back it was a culmination of errors taught by relatives, mainline churches, and Pentecostal churches, that made this situation seem biblical. But in the testimony I show how God opened my eyes and delivered me from all of it and the previous errors I had been duped with.

I too was misled early on. I wondered why God allowed it and other things. I guess He has His purposes. I was misled by the name it and claim it ministers. Your experience was another level. We got out of a few bad churches.

 

[Soverign Grace]

Thank you for your concern for my son, he would not be open to any kind of deliverance at the moment, he is an athiest - there are many people praying for him xx
Rita

We have some in our family not open to salvation also. I was told to keep praying which I do regularly. Pretty much throughout the day.

 

[Soverign Grace]

It is written,

Mat 7:21, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23, And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

There are so many people today who think they are Christians because they live in America or go to church or pray.

Jesus taught that being filled with and being obedient to the Holy Spirit is what makes a real Christian.

And real Christians cannot be demon-possessed (1 John 4:4).

As for the nominal, lukewarm, and shallow type, I think that they are very likely fair game for the enemy.

Hi justbyfaith,

I know of the Scriptures warning that not everyone who says they are a believer is truly regenerated and that some can be pretty convincing. But I do believe that there are truly reborn deliverance ministers who have experienced demonic entities being attached to Christians since I have looked into this. One that I respected was Rev. Don Basham. He was a pastor who told of his own deliverance from the spirit of fear.

I don't believe that a person who is regenerated can be fully possessed as the demoniac of Gadara, but there are instances it seems where Christians can be oppressed or have certain areas of their lives not brought under control. I'm still trying to determine if it is only from without or if it is within. Apparently Satan can speak through a believer since we read of Christ rebuking Peter: "Get thee behind me Satan!" I'm sure most of us have experienced believers doing terrible things and yet we believe they are true believers.

There is apparently much confusion about this. In our bible study the pastor brought it up and he said that a demon cannot be in a Christian. But he is not in the deliverance ministry and I've learned through hard-won experience not to take any pastor's word as sacrosanct. I have seen well-meaning but misinformed pastors claim other things that I knew experientially were wrong which is why I would not take someone's word for it. How much disservice could we do to our fellow believers who may experience a problem for which they would be advised to go home and pray harder, try harder, yet they fall again and again? What if a simple deliverance might help? These are questions that I'm seeking answers to.

Someone in church told me a relative has anorexia. I know that there could be a physical component, but all the learned doctors have been unable to help this woman and now she's in her 40's having suffered for many years. I'm not claiming a demon behind every bush - that would be foolhardy. But I do think that Satan operates in darkness; he doesn't want his work known and so I believe that he may darken the understanding of well-meaning believers so that they parrot the phrase: "A Christian can't have a demon. The Holy Spirit cannot occupy the same space as a demon." But what if this isn't true? These are things that I think we cannot take lightly and we have to be careful repeating what has been told us by pastors. In my own personal experience a number of pastors were wrong about things. What is concerning about it is that there is often a root of pride in some whereby they refuse to listen to a lowly everyday Christian. Satan goes after leadership the hardest because if he gains entre into their lives then he can operate through them to deceive many. I've been reading this in "War on the Saints."

I think this is worth looking into more.

 

[Truth]

Be careful DaveL, I am divorced due to my husband being unfaithful , the church did not turn away from me, or disagreed with my discision , in fact I had biblical grounds, it did not make that church a bad church to have fellowship with xx
Rita

I too was married before I came to the Cross, In fact only two couple's & the Pastor came to Our wedding, at the Church Cheryl & I Attended!! At the Time I didn't realize it was because of being Married before! I always wondered about this! Yet the Scripture declares that there is but one unforgivable Sin, and when one comes to the Cross, are not the sin's of the past forgiven??
I also believe that there are people out there, I call them Confidence men, They use the Faith to gain access in and about believer's, to elevate themselves! weather they were ever granted Salvation, or if they are influenced by evil spirit's, only time and the fruit they bare will expose them.
I am experiencing a new member at my workplace, that seems to do all that he can to shed doubt about me to my employer's, and has also joined their Church, ??????????????? It seems to me that they claim to be Believer's, Him & his Wife, yet there is a feeling of deception that I get from them!!
I can not be troubled with the action's of other's, I Know Who has my Back, and the Just One, Blessed be He, will weigh the situation!!
Any way, not all those that claim to be believer's are in fact Believer's! For even know there are Wolves in Sheep Clothing secreting in to pervert the Gospel.