ICS Daily Devotions
Can Born-again Christians be Demon-possessed
Matthew 12:28-29 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
A born-again Christian (i.e one who understands the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, acknowledges that he is a sinner, repents of his ways and needs God’s grace for his salvation) cannot be demon possessed. The Holy Spirit in us cannot coexist with any unclean spirits for God is a Holy God. Our “house” is no longer empty, and the demons cannot tie up the “strong man” who is the Holy Spirit in us in order to plunder/take control of us. Furthermore, evil spirits cannot jump into a Christian when he is ministering to another demon-possessed person and therefore, there should be no need to fear.
Demons are fallen angels and not departed spirits of humans. They need a physical body to express themselves and they can enter through the spirit being of a man, which is the heart. When people do things such as dedicating their children to deities, idol worshipping, seeking help from mediums or occult practices, they open a door for demonic spirits to influence their lives. But praise the Lord that when someone accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, the demons no longer have any position or rights to remain in the new believer because this person has chosen to leave the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God! They must then renounce all previous allegiances and remove all idols, objects of worship, new age or occult practices from their homes and offices when they make the decision to receive Christ as their only Lord and Saviour.
We either belong to God or to the devil. Christians cannot be demon-possessed because:
1) God owns us (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We were bought at a price and redeemed by the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18);
2) God dwells in us so the devil cannot enter the heart of the believer (John 14:16,23; 1 Corinthians 3:16);
3) Our position in Christ is far higher than the demons (Ephesians 1:20-21, 2:6). The devil is under Jesus’ and our feet and he has no power over us;
4) God’s love will never allow us to be separated from Him for He is a jealous God (Romans 8:38-39).
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit reside in the heart of the born-again Christian and demons cannot overcome the “strong man” who is God. Therefore, it is not possible for Christians to be demon-possessed. Glory to God!
Sermon Series: CG Campaign – Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow
