Can a Christian have a demon?
As the subject of deliverance and demons have come front and center recently, I wanted to state clearly what I do and do not believe, in keeping with my views for decades. Then, toen, to help simplify the discussion, I’ll answer a series of standard questions. (For those who don’t believe in the spiritual realm, this article will strike you as either exceedingly odd, irrelevant, or foolish. If so, I’d encourage you to check out C. S. Lewis’s little book, Screwtape Letters.)
1. Can a Christian be demon possessed? Certainly not. A Christian (in the true sense of the Word, not in the sense of a believer in name only) cannot be owned or entirely under the devil’s control since Jesus owns that person and is their Lord. Therefore, if Satan possesses that person, they are not owned by the Lord.
2. Can a Christian be demonized? Yes, meaning that, in a particular area of their lives, they can allow themselves to come under the power of Satan. (Note also that many Greek scholars would argue that the Greek verb daimonizomai should be translated as “to be demonized” rather than “to be demon possessed.”)
3. Can a Christian “have a demon”? That depends on what you mean by “having a demon.” If you ask if a demonic spirit can dwell within the born-again human naSpiriture, the answer is no. If you ask if a demonic spirit can enter a stronghold in a believer’s mind or attach itself to a believer’s body, the answer is yes.
4. Do Christians ever need deliverance? Yes, in some cases, when they open the door to the devil and cannot break free, they might need saving. By this, I mean they would need to receive ministry from another believer who would help break the devil’s power in their lives. In such cases, we can order that Spirit to leave in Jesus’ name, recognizing that the demon is somewhere in that person’s life where that demon does not belong.
5. Is deliverance only for Christians? Certainly not. Demons can be driven out of non-believers, as in Acts 16:16-18, and presumably was very common in the ministry of Jesus, who was frequently engaged in driving out demons (see, e.g., Matthew 8:16-17; Luke 13:31-33). This is sometimes part of that person’s salvation experience. They are set free from Satanic dominion and then come to faith in the One who set them free. For a classic example, see Mark 5:1-20.
6. Should deliverance be a standard practice in the life of a believer? Certainly not. Deliverance should be the exception to the rule for many reasons, including 1. It is certainly not a New Testament emphasis for believers. Very little can be found about deliverance in the letters written to the churches or the instructions written to leaders. Repentance from sin is emphasized far more than deliverance from demons. 2. We are called to cultivate intimacy with Jesus, crucify our flesh, and renew our minds. Doing this will take care of the vast majority of our problems. 3. We are overcomers in the Lord, indwelt by the Holy Spirit and bought with the blood of Jesus. Unless we continue playing games with the enemy (which is an unsafe practice for believers), we should not need repeated deliverance.
7. Do some Christians underestimate demonic activity? Absolutely. Satan and his demonic forces are authentic and active, and we are at war with them whether we recognize them. (This is most clearly stated in Ephesians 6:12.)
8. Do some Christians overestimate demonic activity? Absolutely. We are to be God-conscious, not demon conscious, and our identity should be found in being followers of Jesus, not ministers of deliverance. We should not be looking for monsters hiding under every rock, nor should we attribute all (or most) of our problems to demonic infestations. The more we look for anomalies, the more we open the door to demonic deception and even purely emotional (and fleshly) manifestations.
9. Are there common errors in the deliverance ministry? Yes, just as there are common errors in many forms of ministry, especially when they become prominent after being dormant for some time. Some mistakes would be: 1. making deliverance from demons a central issue; 2. being more conscious of demons than of the Lord; 3. attributing too much power to the devil; 4. making deliverance a regular practice for believers; 5. they are expecting common manifestations and responses (such as the “deliverance churches” which have “barf bags” by every seat — or in every pew — to aid all the Christians coughing up demons; this is not an exaggeration).
10. Should deliverance be put on public display? No, it should not, meaning, to the extent it is our decision, deliverances should not be displayed, which is why Jesus silenced the demons, professing that He was the Son of God. And even though there were instances in the New Testament when demons screamed when they left people or caused their victim’s bodies to convulse or collapse, there are no examples of protracted deliverances which became spectacles. In the lengthy account in Mark 9:14-29, Jesus immediately drove the Spirit out when he saw a crowd running to watch what was happening. Likewise, those who engage in mass evangelism meetings where people under demonic power suddenly begin to act wildly have their teams ready to immediately remove such people from the crowds. They do not want the demonic activity to be a distraction, and those under demonic power are brought to a separate, private area to receive ministry.
11. Can we glean spiritual information from demons? Unfortunately, not. We do not give heed to lying spirits; we do not learn the truth from the darkness; we do not gain information about the spiritual realm by listening to Satan’s minions. This is a sure path to deception.
12. Can any Christian be engaged in the deliverance ministry, or is this only for Christian leaders? On the one hand, theoretically speaking, any Spirit-empowered believer can drive a demon out of someone, as the more extended ending of Mark indicates (see Mark 16:15-18; the signs mentioned here, beginning with driving out demons, were to follow all believers; also note the ministry of Phillip, who was not an apostle, in Acts 8:4-8). But, on the other hand, we should not approach the subject of deliverance in a cavalier way, nor should we glibly challenge the devil to “bring it on.” That is as foolish as it is arrogant (In Catholic circles, of course, exorcism is only to be carried out by qualified clergy.)
Let us then preach the Gospel, lift Jesus in our praises, be people of prayer, renew our minds by the Word, be filled with the Spirit, crucify our flesh, and resist the devil. Then, we will be ready when we need to drive him out from places he does not belong.
(Those wanting a more in-depth treatment of the subject can listen to my 12-hour, scripturally-based teaching series on “Angels, Demons, and Deliverance,” recorded more than 30 years ago but still representing my position today.)
