Can a christian be possesed or begiled by a demon?

[glow]

I have known Christians that seem to be oblivious to consistent sin in twisting the truth regarding what they are doing in a blaming/negative response.They do not take responsibility for their action/but put blame elsewhere.Or they take full responsibility for all the negative going on around them.Otherwise they are caring people and attempt to grow with God.


I have spent virtually hours with them, trying to unravel what they are doing.Prayed for them/and fasted and had others pray for them also.

Is this just a normal human fallen state? Or can a demon be "stationed" by them , ready to deceive them when they mentally/emotionally are weak, fall? for whatever reasons they are ??

I know I have read and talked to Christian pastors in the past that have deliverance ministries and believe they can and do have possessions, even as Christians.

And as fellow Christians can we even make this kind of judgment?

Where is this supported in Gods word? thank you

[steve]

I believe that demons can cause a lot of different kinds of problems, where they are permitted to do so—whether in the life of a Christian or in that of a non-Christian. Some of the kinds of problems that demons can cause may, in some cases, be caused by factors that are not demonic. Deception, spiritual blindness, moral callousness, habitual sin, etc. may have demons at their source, or simply the wrong use of human nature. It is not always clear which is involved, though certain problems can be diagnosed as demonic with a fair degree of certainty—e.g., levitation, superhuman strength, clairvoyant knowledge and speaking in voices and languages unknown to the subject. However, these phenomena are relatively rare, and it would be hard to demonstrate that anyone exhibiting these symptoms is also a genuine Christian.

The Bible does not say directly whether a Christian can have demons or not. However, I have known people who were apparently demonized, but whom, on other grounds, I had believed to be Christians. There are many scriptures that suggest that Christians are locked in a life-and-death struggle against the powers of darkness (e.g., James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8; Eph. 6:10-13; 2 Cor. 2:11; Gal. 3:1; 1 Tim. 5:15; Rev. 2:10, 13; 12:17), and the clear implication is that, if we were to give up the struggle, there would be undesirable consequences—though the exact nature of those consequences is not clearly spelled out. There are hints that one consequence could be the receiving of malignant spirits (Matt.18:34-35; Acts 5:3; 8:22-23; 2 Cor.11:4; Eph.4:26-27)—whether this includes demonization or not, I can't say.

[glow]

Thanks Steve, A few questions to what you wrote,
What is the difference between a malignant spirit and a demon?

And is there a way beyond spiritual discernment to really tell, if something you are receiving very negative coments/actions from a person or you observe,is just struggling with the human sin nature of man vs demonic force? Even an anger denial problem.

Isn't "anything" not under God driven by demonic force? And if so, doesn't satan still have to have Gods permission to have access to a Christian?

I have a hard time understanding why God would allow that.But than I am only human.

My mother was a very devoted Christian , kind, beautiful woman who suffered from OCD most of her adult life.
I watched her be tormented but at the same time, blossom into the most loving sweet woman I have ever known.She is my human hero.

She died almost 2 years ago .I was at her bedside when she crossed over.It was the most beautiful death I have even been involved in.I was blessed.
I prayed for her for years and fasted. She prayed for deliverance too, yet she believed she was told by the Holy Spirit at times and believed she was worthy of this torment!, she was a horrible person the voices told her,I tried to help her fight her mental demons.She had times of peace,yet the demons? stayed.She was sweet though, which did make it more bearable vs angry people.

I am still surrounded by folks that struggle deeply in areas like this, yet differnt.Some blood relatives, some in Christ, some both.

Is there a time when after sharing the truth you believe you have seen, you need to just walk away, cut ties? Is that more loving? I feel so burdened by this some times.It seems to effect my walk and what I am producing for the Lord.
I struggle with this as there are so many scriptures all through Gods word to go "the xtra" mile so to speak.

And I have not shed blood for any of them? Thank you for any guidance

[glow]

I just wanted to add, I didn't think only Steve could remark on this. I am open to any ones knowledge. Thanks

[Aaron]

It seems to me that demonization describes a demon dwelling within a person and controlling them to some degree. In Matthew 12:44, the spirit refers to his host body as his "house." Similarly, Christians are referred to as the house, or temple of God. In the case of Christians, passages like Romans 8:9 show that a person must belong to God in order for His spirit to dwell in them. Why would it be different with demons. Ephesians 2:2 says that spirits of evil work within "sons of disobedience." On the other hand, we have the Spirit of God because we are sons of God (Galatians 4:6). I see from these passages the principle that a spirit can only dwell within the house that belongs to him. In Matthew 12:44, the demon can return to his house because it is unoccupied. If a person is a Christian, he is the house of God, and is therefore occupied.

This is on my mind because I have been discussing it with some Christians who teach otherwise. One local pastor I've talked to says he has cast out "thousands" of demons from Christians.

That is hard for me to grasp. I would want to question whether or not these people were really Christians. I would also want to know if what this pastor considers casting out a demon from these people is actually just resisting the attack of a demon on a Christian and sending it fleeing.