Before we begin-

 I could give you “my” answer right here, right now, ...and save you both time and effort. I will not however, as this would not have answered the question for you, but rather it would have only informed you of “my” answer.  You can read an article or two, or listen to that speaker, or your friends may have said this or that, or your pastor may have answered a quick little bit on that other subject. It is not the same. The answer may be on your lips, but the words do not live in your heart, unless YOU do the work, and unless YOU follow the scriptures and then understand the topic. In this way, you will KNOW the answer, not simply parrot what somebody else thinks about it. And unlike the shortcut answers that  change from moment to moment, forged by the “skills of persuasion” of the last speaker you listened to, this honest truth will last forever. It will be yours! So, get out your Bible, get a paper, a pencil, and an eraser, and follow along. Before you get too far on this quest, make sure you have a good environment, and the time to spend doing a really good study. And finally, the most important part- ...

 Take a few moments, clear your head, get comfortable, and ask God to open your mind, your heart, and your spirit for anything He wants to share with you regarding this study, and then

WAIT..............

 Give God a chance to be a part of this equation, by letting the Holy Spirit work in  your heart.

Great, let’s begin-
 

 The controversy-

 There is much controversy about the topic of demonic possession, especially in whether or not a Christian can be possessed by a demon. Some of this confusion is simply an honest difference of opinion between biblical scholars, while some by a lack of study. Some of the confusion is brought on by people that begin this study, with their mind already made up. Still, much of the confusion is brought on by false teachers following their own selfish personal agendas and greed. There are several ministries that claim their entire reason for existence is to help nonbelievers and Christians alike in their battle with this “condition”.  Entire Internet websites are dedicated to this narrow subject, like “DemonBusters.com”1. DemonBusters.com, unlike several others on the Internet, doesn’t have anything to sell. They offer their “information”, such as it freely.

Recently, in my own town, a famous radio personality, and traveling “exorcist” Bob Larson, spoke at a local church, and offered workshops on demon possession for $49 for the “First Family Member”, and $30 for “Each Additional Family Member”..2 This is not, however, some isolated incident. There are numerous “exorcisms” performed each month. Daily, Televangelists are watched by millions while they routinely teach things that are not scripturally accurate. They teach on demon possession, and just about every other Christian doctrine imaginable. The Trinity Broadcast Network, is literally oozing with them. Millions of people watch these teachers daily, and these powerful so-called “ministers” shape the thoughts and beliefs of believers and nonbelievers alike. Why? Because these people  listen to the television instead of reading their Bibles. They don’t compare these teachings with the scriptures. Benny Hinn, a known necromancer, and a “Minister of God”, is one of the most prolific speakers and teachers on the network. He likes to visit the tombs of Aimee Semple McPherson and Kathryn Kuhlman at Forest Lawn Cemetery in California. Here Benny Hinn explains his fascination with these tombs.
 

Can you believe these “teachers”? You will if you judge them according to the world’s standards because they’re rich! Benny Hinn teaches that “Demons can not touch you, or your family”3 He must be “right” because he makes over $500,000 (plus benefits) per year, and lives in a $650,000 house and stays in $2,200 per night hotels. He even charges $100 just for his autograph.5 But then again, Bob Larson has a ministry valued at over $2,000,000 back in 1990, and had an income of $1,200,000 from 1990-936. Even in his lean years he averaged over $200,000 per year while divorcing his first wife. He lives in a stunning $1,295,000 mansion, in Colorado’s playground: the Vail Valley! In an “exclusive gated community, right on a private golf course, with a ski area in the back yard.”10 Certainly then, he must be right? Bob Larson teaches that Christians CAN be possessed by demons, even if you don’t know you’re possessed. How can both of these teachers teach opposite views, and become millionaires by doing so? Because Christians sit back and watch television instead of reading their Bibles. They sit and they watch, and then they send money. Lots and lots of money. Those criticizing these “ministries” are met with absolute hatred and the “fierceness” of demons. Benny Hinn said of a person critical of his “ministry”, “Sometimes I wish God would give me a Holy Ghost machine gun; I’ll blow your head off!”8  “Lord, don’t forgive them, let ‘em have it!”9 It seems that the “wolves” (false teachers) have divided the “flock” (the Church) like a “hunting pack” in this age. Robert Tilton is the “expert” of “finances”, Bob Larson is the “expert” of “demons”, Benny Hinn is the “expert” of “healing”, and Kenneth Copeland is the “expert” of witchcraft, (by teaching others to say their “word” into the universe so that it can manifest reality). Clearly Paul and Jan Crouch have cornered the market as the “experts” of  “Tacky”. And we, as Christians have rewarded these so-called “ministers” for leading us astray by making them millionaires.
They contradict each other, and they can’t all be right! Why doesn’t TBN prevent these false

teachers from using their International network as a vehicle to spread this “false news” to the entire world. Truth is not the determining factor of this two billion dollar enterprise, greed is. TBN is not the only place where false teachers congregate, but it is one of the most popular and most viewed. Entire congregations are formed around false teachings regarding the question of whether or not, Christians can be “demon possessed”. John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship taught many things that are straight from occultic practises, rather than from the Bible, such as “aura reading”, “aura manipulation”, “inner healing”, “astral projection”, and contact with “familiar spirits”.12 Yet thousands of Christians followed John Wimber into these false teachings.
 
 

 If we can’t believe those that stand up in front of the world as “experts” and tell us wrong
things, where can we get the “right” information? The Bible!

Preexisting ideas....

Where do they come from?
Don’t mix passive and active ideas-

 There has been a long history of belief in demonic possession. Secular views on satanic or demonic possession, should not be adopted by Christians as a basis of faith. They should be investigated and understood, so that informed Christians can determine what the truth is regarding these confusing beliefs, and where they came from in the first place.

Passive Ideas, we learn from Society-

 I have heard the words “By Jove, I’ve got it”, several dozen times over the years, by many  different people. I almost always stop the person, and ask them “who” “Jove” is. In the two or so decades I’ve asked people this question, they can never answer me. Not one single time. These people are always surprised to find out that Jove was a mythical god of ancient times. When I ask them why they said this, they don’t know. I ask them how long they’ve been  studying “Jove” and they claim that they have never spend a minute studying this subject.  How did this idea get in their mind, and how did these words come out of their mouth? It seems that we are able to “absorb” ideas, answers, and beliefs without thinking about them very much. We just “hear” them, and they find their way into our memories. We are not really good at filtering the things that we “file away” in our memories. And many times, if not most,  we don’t bother to go through our thoughts and start checking on the things we believe, or even repeat without thinking about them first. Some things we have filed away, we heard as children, and were not at a point in our development where we even had the resources to examine or research these ideas. Some of this information we’ve collected in our minds from television, movies, things we’ve read, and things we’ve been told.  Some things we’ve learned subconsciously, by people’s attitudes, or by what people haven’t told us.

More Passive
Ideas we learn from “family”-

 As a kid I’ve been to several “fun” houses, or “spook” houses. My parents allowed me to go to these events or places because they didn’t have any concerns about them. They seemed harmless. I also participated in “trick or treat” almost every year. They also had no concerns about this activity. These things were done at my public school, in my neighborhood, in the stores, on TV commercials, in the Newspapers. You stood out like a sore thumb if you didn’t participate in Halloween, because “everybody was doing it”! There was a much stronger concern about too much sugar than anything regarding the occult. There are several strong influences at work in these instances. I went to the “fun” and “spook” houses, or “haunted houses” as some called them, because I was hoping to get scared.  Getting frightened startles or shocks your system. Because of this, you tend to create long lasting memories from this experience. I haven’t been physically, spiritually, or mentally “damaged” by this experience. But what has happened, is I have subtly added this experience and the information I gained through this experience to that already existing pool of information in my mind. These experiences have added to the general view I held regarding spooky things like demons. I have several detailed memories of these experiences, but at the same time, I couldn’t tell you about more than 2 or 3 teachers I had until I reached High School, even though I only went to a “spook” house, for about an hour, once a year. I was in these teacher’s classes, most of the day, for the majority of the year.

Still more passive
Ideas we get from our own “experiences”-

 I also remember going to several movies, and watching my favorite television shows as a kid. Most of these memories have fallen out, or been crowded out by experiences that have since followed. I learned what the movie maker intended me to learn about “bad guys”, and “cops”, “cowboys and Indians”, and other such topics of the era, including objects of the “occult”. These subjects weren’t covered by my school curriculum, and the few that were mentioned, were not presented in the “fun” way they were in the media. I remember one such movie that disturbed my younger sister for some time. It involved a “spooky” house, and I remember that people seemed to disappear. Finally at the end of the movie, we were informed that the woman that lived in this creepy old house was a witch. She had this passageway about 40 or 50 feet long, that had smooth walls and a rectangular hole in the floor that made a small pool that reached from wall to wall and was about 10 or so feet long, being maybe a foot or two in depth. This pool was filled with acid. This very scary looking woman, or witch, was walking towards the last person remaining alive. I remember her walking towards the young and beautiful woman scaring her towards the pool of acid. Now I understand that the acid would have destroyed the floor, and that the attractive woman could have stepped into the pool of acid, run to the emergency clinic and survived this encounter. I was a kid, and I didn’t think about such things then. What I learned is that there was an ugly woman that was a witch, and a beautiful woman that was not. That the ugly witch had the power to scare you into doing things even though she had no weapon, but that the helpless but beautiful woman’s only power was turning her head, holding her arms in front of her face, and screaming a lot. I learned that witches wear dusty, oversized, weird black clothing, while the opposite of that was a beautiful woman with a terrific figure, that wore a “silkish” long gown, and had beautiful long flowing blonde hair. This experience has not damaged me either, but for many years I didn’t understand that people claiming to be witches, could look just like the attractive woman in the movie, while some poor normal woman could look just like the witch. Herein lies the danger of this kind of information.

The mixture of ideas- WARNING!

 Most people have several of these ideas or beliefs (mentioned above and below) set in their mind, either wholly or partially. Without ever checking the validity of these ideas, people seem  to mix  these ideas together randomly as the information comes across their path. They read a little, they watch a little TV, they go to a few movies, they listen a little. Gradually all of this information combines to make up what you believe about a subject.
My parents had a belief about “balance” that they never actually discussed with me. They portrayed it in my life daily, but there were never words. I could go to a Halloween event on Friday or Saturday, and then Sunday morning I had to go to the local Baptist Church for Sunday School. If I “got into” Halloween too much, that would be wrong, but if I “got into” Sunday School too much, then something also may be wrong. “Moderation in everything”, was the motto. This came right after “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. I learned that I should practise moderation in everything, even the good things. Apparently this even applied to using good “judgement”.

Four views regarding “demons”-

 There seems to be four possible views on demons. The first view is that they never existed, and that they’re “fable”, and “mythology”. This view can not be true simply by the incidents listed in the Bible. The second view is that they did exist, but that they’re “bound” now, and there have no demons in the world since the “time of Christ”. This view is also wrong as Acts 19:13 shows that there were still demons after Jesus ascended into heaven. The third view is that they do exist, but the facts surrounding them is wrong. The fourth view is that they do exist, and the facts surrounding them is correct. Still some will not come to a conclusion.

 An interesting article of this type is “Christians And Demon Possession” by Timothy Morton. This article states;
 

“Over the years, while reading and discussing demon possession with other Christian’s your author has found many are repulsed by even the suggestion that a Christian may be susceptible to demon possession. They talk as if one is extremely ignorant or even demented to even think such a thing, but when asked for their biblical proof that it is not
possible, their position becomes desperate. They simply cannot produce a passage or verse that PROVES their argument, yet they still cling to their belief. Over the years your author has found that all the arguments against demon possession of Christians are either based purely on emotion or on a misapplication of Scripture. You may be thinking, “Are you saying a Christian can be demon possessed”? No, I didn’t say that. What I am saying is there is no place in the Bible that conclusively says Christians can’t be possessed. But, on the contrary, there are passages that seem to indicate (though not conclusively prove) that demon possession of believers CAN occur. When asked for reasons why they think Christians can’t be demon possessed one will usually hear, “It’s not possible for the Holy Spirit and demon to dwell in the same body,” “It is unthinkable to believe the Holy spirit would let a devil in a Christian’s body, which is God’s temple,” “A born again believer has been redeemed by the blood of Christ and because of that no devil can indwell him,” etc., etc. But such arguments are purely emotional without a single  Bible verse to stand on. These people have convinced themselves of something that is not true because of the repulsiveness of the question, but emotion and feelings do not make “sound doctrine”.”14

 This pre-emtive, “non-position” is really just a negative argument and does not prove that there are not verses to support the view that Timothy Morton criticizes, it just shows that he has been given ample scriptural support, and that he himself has refused to accept these verses as what they simply are, Bible verses that support these people’s view. He chooses instead, to have a doctrine of “no doctrine”. This is a technique I see often, when those translating Bible verses into everyday applications for Christians refuse to do their job and research a subject fully, or they simply refuse to accept the research for what it is. “Proof”. This fortified “sniper’s view” is a great place to sit and watch while those you’ve tricked into bringing you scripture after scripture to support their views can be picked off without the slightest attempt to honestly determine what the Bible is saying. This  position shoots down BOTH sides of any doctrinal discussion, and prevents any progress. Each of the verses that have been presented to Timothy Morton, have offered him what he has been asking for. “Proof”. He simply chooses  to sit in his tower and shoot down the offerings people bring him. The truth is in the meanings of the words he has been presented with, not in the words themselves. Words simply convey thoughts, it is the meanings they convey that is important, not the individual words. In the following writing you will see that in every sense, God exists. And as God exists, Satan exists. Unlike our sniper friend above, there are only two options presented in the Bible for every single topic mentioned. There are only two masters that you can choose from, God or Satan. The two are opposite in every sense. To say that there is no way of knowing is totally preposterous.  There is no way NOT to know! God is light, Satan is darkness. The two are opposite. God is clean, Satan is unclean. The two are opposite. God is pure, Satan is impure.  The two are opposite. God is truth, Satan is untruth. The two are opposite. God is good, Satan is evil. The two are opposite. There is no “middle” ground to “snipe” from. To clean something, you “prune” it. If you mix something that is clean, and something that is unclean, it is only unclean, tainted, polluted, by the very nature of the word. It is impossible to have clean and unclean together, for to add uncleanliness to something clean, is by the definition of the word, to make it unclean again.  You can not have both, light and dark, because they are opposites. This concept is offered throughout the Bible in hundreds and hundreds of places, in both obscure and plain language. They are there for anyone searching with an open heart, and desire to seek God. You will find many of these verses and concepts to follow. Clearly the “meaning” of the words used in the Bible show that being a Christian and being “possessed by a demon” have “opposite” meanings.

What is a demon?

 Greeks believed that every mountain, every tree, every stream and river, every rock and every place had its demon.15

 Some Jews believed in the “shedim”, evil spirits who haunted empty houses.15 Other Jews believed that demons were the spirits of the wicked dead.16 Some also believed that these demons could be exorcised using roots and herbs and by invoking the name of Solomon.3

 The Book of Tobit claims that the odor produced by roasting the heart and liver of a fish will keep demons away.17

 Egyptians kept amulets, incantations, and strange formulas to avert “evil” and attract “good”.15 The ancient Egyptian “Book of the Dead” mentions many examples of these so called  “charms”, as well as written information regarding “spirits”.15 These spirits were thought to have their own will, intelligence, personality, and a distinctive character of its own. People believed that diseases were caused by these demons, which in some way had been sent to man by various gods for the punishment of sins.

 In ancient times, Mental disease was often explained as a consequence of demon possession. The plight of those referred to as imbeciles, idiots, deaf and dumb, and demon-possessed, and especially those thought to be witches became desperate with the rise of Catholicism. These people were put into prison, burned at the stake or tortured in some other manner. A fairly common practise was to drill holes in the head of the victim which would allow the “evil spirit” to escape. Many considered anyone with bizarre behavior to be possessed by an evil spirit, even when those effects were brought on by what was discovered later to be the result of common poisoning. The term Mad as a Hatter actually came from the fact that the people that made hats, usually of felt, often became brain-damaged from inhaling mercury that was used to condition the felt.19

 One rather bizarre theory states that the male hyena becomes a bat, then becomes a vampire, then becomes a nettle, then becomes a thorn, then finally becomes a demon. With each mutation taking seven years to complete.18

 Still others claim that demons are spirits of a now extinct race of giants that were a crossbreed of Angels and human females. I’ve talked to many people that believe that when humans die, the “good” ones turn into angels and the “bad” ones turn into demons. I’ve talked with other people that think that angels and demons are the spirits of humans, with the same general two categories of “good”  and “evil”. I’ve talked with still other people, that don’t have any idea of where demons come from, or that doubt their existence, but they are positive that angels are the spirits of babies and children that die.

 It seems that just about every culture has some mention of “demons” in one shape or
another. It is little surprise that these stories, and beliefs have filtered down to us through the years as these cultures gradually mixed with each other. These ancient ideas, have been recently exploited by Hollywood, and as a result, we have some new combinations of these old ideas about what demons are, and what they can do. The movie The Exorcist seemed to bring the idea of demonic possession to the forefront of people’s minds several years ago, and the idea simply has refused to return to obscurity. These are just a few ideas regarding demons, but there are literally thousands of these cultural and religious ideas. Many writers use confusing terms, while others intermix various terms while speaking or writing about demonic possession. The term “demonized” is use by some writers to describe “demonic possession”, or the condition of having a demon residing within a person. Other writers use the term “demonized” to describe the condition of being affected or tormented by a demon from the outside of the person. Still other writers consider a condition of partial demonic possession, or having a demon empowered to effect (or “be in”) the mind of the person, without being “within” the physical being of the person.

 Many writers begin their study of demonic possession by consulting a Bible Reference book such as a concordance or dictionary. There is a fault to beginning a study in this manner. You  may find the term you are looking for in a Bible Dictionary, and then you may look up it’s meaning. But you will not find out how this word is used in the Bible, IF it is used in the Bible. You must start by seeing what the Bible says.

 There is a great majority of Americans that truly believe that the words “separation of Church and state” actually exist in the Constitution of the United States of America. They do not. They will argue with you regarding this fact too! Bible issues are no different. “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”, is a good example. Check the words out for yourself.

Can a demon possess a human being-

 Yes. Human beings can be possessed. Although every form of demonic contact is not possession. There are demonic influences, and there is demonic possession. Demonic possession is a condition where the “unclean spirit” resides within the person. This can be a permanent situation, a semipermanent situation, or a temporary situation. The next logical question is; Can a human being that is a Christian be possessed? No! Note... I didn’t say “I don’t think so”, or “probably not”.  Being a Christian and being “possessed” by an unclean spirit or demon are opposites to each other. A Christian being possessed by an unclean spirit is as opposite as Christ and Antichrist! Being a Christian means that the Holy Spirit is within us. I also did not say a “clean” spirit, as compared to the “unclean” spirit spoken of when discussing possession. I said the “Holy Spirit”.  There is absolutely no way an unclean spirit and the Holy Spirit will live in the same place, namely within a human being. There are many true Christians that claim Christians can be “demon possessed”. There are many more people merely claiming to be “Christians” that tell us that Christians can be possessed.

 One Christian writer  offers us a list (shown below)19 of “declarations” that believers can say to “refuse” an evil spirit;
 
 

 While this writer seems to be genuine enough, there is much confusion regarding terms and phrases  used in the bible. This writer goes on to list several distinct spirits;

 A spirit of divination.19
 A lying and deceiving spirit.
 A spirit of infirmity.
 A spirit of fear.

 Clearly the Bible is talking about a “mind set” and not an individual spirit. Much confusion comes from the application of lists like this. Unclean spirits are doing the work of their master, Satan. As such, all demons lie, just as their master does. The same is true of these other “spirits”. This belief comes from pagan beliefs, not from the Bible.

Christians are the “Temple of God”-
 
 

 The word translated as “temple” used in 1 Corinthians 9:13 is not the same word that was translated to mean “temple” used in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:16-20, and Ephesians 2:10-22. The word used in 1 Corinthians 9:13 is the Greek word, “hieron” (hee-er-on’) means the entire precincts of a sacred place. The word naos (nah-os’) means the central sanctuary itself, and is derived from the word “naio”, or “to dwell”. Clearly there are two distinct meanings here. The word “temple” when it is used to denote “believers”, is speaking of “dwelling”, and of the “inner sanctuary” of a believer, not in the “precinct” or “district” around a believer. This is a point of confusion today. Possession by an unclean spirit is when the spirit is “within” the believer. Being tormented, tempted, deceived, or otherwise afflicted by an unclean spirit because it is “near” you, is not at all like being “possessed” by an unclean spirit!

 The temple described in the Old Testament was built to God’s exacting specifications. There were many ceremonies required before it could be used. Only certain people could enter, wearing only certain clothes, and literally hundreds of requirements had to be fulfilled for worship to be acceptable to God. In 1 Kings we are told that the temple in the Old Testament even had “offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.” Even “noise pollution” was not allowed at the temple, “and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.” Nothing impure was allowed to enter the temple. The idea that the “temple” of the New Testament, that is “Christians”, (the “home” of the Holy Spirit) would be an acceptable place for the mixing of “cleanliness”, (God), and “uncleanliness”, (Satan), is totally absurd!

Ownership of Christians-

 Christians have been “bought” by the blood of Jesus. We belong to Him. We can not be “stolen”, or “inhabited”, or made “unclean” without our own free will.
 
 

Christians are the “Vessels of God”-

 Throughout the Bible (both the Old Testament and the New Testament) believers are compared to clay pots. We are made of clay, and fashioned by the hand of God into useful utensils for His purpose. Our use is “holy”, which really means wholly. Not “partly”.
 
 

 Clay pots (or vessels) are mentioned with rules of cleanliness.  If a “dead” thing, or a “serpent” or any unclean thing falls into a clay pot, the pot is to be broken or destroyed, not merely “recleaned”. It is not acceptable for the “uncleanliness” to remain in the pot. There is no room for clean and unclean. * (Note, the entire price paid for the life of the Son of God, 30 pieces of silver, was enough to buy the potter’s field which redeemed all the broken pots, and provided a burial place for strangers).
 
 

Christians are “Holy” (Wholly)-
 Christians are holy. hagios (hag’-ee-os) pure, blameless. The Holy Spirit is what makes Christians holy. When the Holy Spirit “enters” a person, it is not a measurement or partiality, it is “total”. It is a “filling”. The Christian believer is fully encompassed by the Holy Spirit. There is no room for another spirit. Christians are “filled” with righteousness, and there is no room for unrighteousness. This word is used in Luke 5:6-7 when describing a boat of fish, where the boat is beginning to sink because it is so full.
 
 

 If Christians could actually be “possessed by demons” like many of the demon deliverer’s claim, then Christians would be prevented from “The Lord’s Cup”, or “Communion”.  These “teachers” go on to explain that Christians can be possessed without knowing it. They have all sorts of methods where a demon can enter your body. Reading certain books, watching certain movies, practices of the occult, etc. Bob Larson even teaches us that we can have a “demon” from previous generations.

Christians are “Caster outers”-

 What is to happen to those Christians that profit by casting out demons? Those that have made millions of dollars by casting out “demons” have either forgotten or overlooked a very important element of their so called ministry. If Christians can “get” a demon by reading the wrong type of book, or movies, or from their ancestors, or if a demon can just come over you, what is protecting the exorcist? Certainly if reading the wrong book can cause you to become possessed, then being around demons constantly, talking with them, arguing with them, and taunting them must put these exorcists at great risk. What is to prevent one Christian from casting out a demon, and then having that demon turn right around and inhabit the exorcist? Not one of the so called ministers, pastors, or exorcists I’ve been able to find has any answer to this question. When Jesus cast out the unclean spirits at Gadarenes, why didn’t the spirits simply enter the disciples? Why didn’t they enter the watchers of the pigs?

 The answer? The answer is that no demon, evil spirit, or unclean spirit can “possess” you, or be within you without your approval and permission. Free will! Humans have free will. We can choose to sin, or not to. WE decide who we will follow. As Christians we CHOOSE to follow Christ. Those that CHOOSE to follow someone else, may be at risk, but not Christians. He that is greater in us, is greater than He that is in the world.
 
 

 What that means for the Christian is, there is no power on the earth, or in the Heavens that can overcome us, without us allowing it to happen. Unclean spirits are subject to the power of God. This is shown time and time again in the scriptures throughout this writing. The unclean spirits know this, and this fact is betrayed by their actions, their words, and by the things they do not say and so. These unclean spirits can only do what God allows them to do. And God will not allow them to tempt, deceive, harass, or overpower, or torment us beyond what we are able to bear.
 
 

Christians are “The Light of the World”-
 
 

 This verse clearly shows that Satan is certainly opposite from God, and that darkness is opposite from light. It also shows that light is the way of God, and darkness is way of Satan. Darkness is a “lack” of light. There is no way to mix the two because they are opposites. Christians have the light of God in them, and unclean spirits have the “lack” of light in them. As soon as you add light to the lack of light, you have light. There is no way to have them both because the contradict each other.
 
 

 Christians are full of the light of the Holy Spirit. If demons were to “occupy” or “inhabit” a Christian, they would be blinded by the light.

Seven cases of “Demonic Possession” in the New Testament-

Seven major incidents of demonic possession we are going to study, listed in the New  Testament are;
_________________________________________________________________
1 [“Legion” possession at Gadarenes]
  Matthew 8:28-34 Mark 5:1-20      Luke 8:26-37
_________________________________________________________________
2 [“Dumb” possession]
  Matthew 9:32-34
_________________________________________________________________
3 [“Blind & Dumb” possession]
  Matthew 12:22        Luke 11:14
_________________________________________________________________
4 [Syro-Phonecian daughter]
  Matthew 15:22-28 Mark 7:24-30
_________________________________________________________________
5 [“Lunatic possession]
  Matthew 17:14-21 Mark 9:17-29      Luke 9:37-42
_________________________________________________________________
6 [Synagogue possession]
     Mark 1:23      Luke 4:33-36
_________________________________________________________________
7 [Phillipian slave possession]
               Acts 16:16-19
 

 In this version, two demon-possessed men are living either in or among the tombs. The pigs are not  numbered. The whole town was so frightened that they pleaded with Jesus to leave their region. The demon possessed men came towards Jesus and met Him. The words used in this example are “possessed with devils”, the word “devils” being daimonizomai (dahee-mon-id’-zom-ahee), that is “to be under the power of a demon”. The voices coming from the possessed men, ask Jesus questions as they relate to their understand of supernatural things. “Have you come here to torture us”, shows that Jesus had the ability to control these  spirits. “Before the appointed time”, shows that the spirits understand that this “torture” is going to happen at some time in the future, but they were not counting on that time being at that point in time. These spirits also asked Jesus to send them into the pigs, understanding that Jesus had both the authority and power to do this. These spirits also could recognize that Jesus was the “Son of God”. Something the Pharisees were  unable to recognize.  The spirits were also to recognize that Jesus was the Son of God, without this being pointed out to them, and in fact, without Jesus even being pointed out to them. These spirits were quite afraid  of Jesus and His power over them.
 
 

 In this version, there is one demon possessed man. The pigs are numbered. The whole region asked Jesus  to leave the region. The demon possessed man came towards Jesus to meet Him. The spirits again recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God, without this fact being pointed out to them. They also recognized Jesus, without anyone telling them who He was. In this example, the spirits were very afraid of Jesus, and of the power He had over them. This example gives us more detail about the supernatural strength of these possessed men, being to break their shackles and chains, and also being able to resist attempts at “binding” them. There is also an inference to an increasing strength, by the words “no one could bind him any more”, showing that they were bound at one time, but that they could break, and could keep breaking the bindings now, even chains! These spirits were extremely afraid of Jesus commanding them to leave the region. This area was called Gerasenes, or also known as Gadarenes.
  The words used in this example are “a man with an unclean spirit”, the word “unclean” being akathartos, and the word “spirit” being “pneuma”. This is the same incident as that written in Matthew 8:28-34, yet different words are used. The word “unclean” is the Greek word akathartos (ak-ath’-ar-tos) and is used as a negative particle and is a presumed derivative of “kathairo” (kath-ah’-ee-ro) which means to cleanse or specifically “to  prune”. The word spirit “pneuma” (pnyoo’-mah) literally means “breath” or “breeze” and is derived from the word “pneo” (pneh’-o) which means breathe hard or to blow. The words “unclean spirit”, or a “hard, foul breath”, brings a very strong image to my mind. It is interesting to notice that these unclean spirits seem to like to hang around unclean or foul places like graves and pigs. The New Bible Dictionary by Douglas says; Contact with a dead body rendered the individual unclean (Numbers 19:11-22). The human corpse was the most defiling according to Old Testament regulations. These “unclean spirits” didn’t end up living among the tombs accidently, they chose the most “unclean” place they could find. When they were cast out, they begged to be cast into the next closest “unclean” place they could find, namely the pigs. It is clear from this description, that the “unclean spirit” in this example is within the possessed man, and is not merely affecting him. Clearly this man, or these men, were possessed by an unclean spirit, or in other words, the unclean spirit was “within” them.
 
 

 In this version there is one demon possessed man. The pigs are not numbered. Then all the people of the region asked Jesus to leave. The demon possessed man met Jesus as He stepped ashore. This example uses the words “unclean spirit” also, in difference to the words used in the Matthew account of this incident.  One thing that is obvious from these passages, is that either everybody, or nearly everybody in the region was extremely afraid of this situation, namely that of demon possession, and Jesus’ ability to order the demons to leave  with the power of His words. Another obvious point is the differences in the accounts. Matthew tells us that there were two possessed men, while Mark and Luke tells us that there was one possessed man. Why the difference? I believe that everybody witnessing this must have been at quite a  distance to be unable to tell the difference between one man and two men. Also, the account of the pigs  seems to vary a bit. I, personally believe, that everybody that witnessed this event was so absolutely terrified of the situation, that their fear forced them to remain a long distance away. I also believe that this is supported by the action of the crowd after the fact, of their being “overcome with fear”, and their asking Jesus to leave them. It is also obvious that Jesus had authority and power over the demons. Notice also, that in each case, the demon possessed met Jesus alone. Where were the crowd that had been following Jesus  day and night? Where were the disciples? Where were the Pharisees trying to entrap Jesus with their crafty  plans?  On each of the listed accounts, the possessed man/men met Jesus by themselves.
______________________________________________________________________________________ Matthew 8:28 says ...two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him.
The possessed men met “him”, not them.
____________________________________________________________
Mark 5:2 says
“When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.”

Again, the possessed man met “him”, not them. Also notice that in this account, the pigs were feeding on a “nearby hillside”. This is where the men attending the pigs would have been also.
______________________________________________________________________________________

Luke 8:26 says
.....he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. Here again, “he” met the  possessed man, not “they” met him.
______________________________________________________________________________________

 Where did the disciples go? They were there just a minute ago. They got into the boat with Jesus in Capernaum to cross the lake. A big storm arrives without warning, and the disciples all fear that they’re going to drown. Jesus calms the storm and the water, and tells them they have “little faith”. Then they (Jesus and the disciples) get to the other side. The man possessed with an unclean spirit is face to face with Jesus almost immediately after the boat lands on the other side of the lake. Matthew says “when he arrived at the other side”, Mark  says “when Jesus got out of the boat”, and finally Luke says “when Jesus stepped ashore”.  This verse doesn’t say when he saw Jesus and His disciples, it just says when he saw Jesus. Where are the disciples?
 
 

 Here’s a picture you won’t forget soon. Here are the disciples sitting in a boat that just landed, and Jesus steps out. You then see a known “demon possessed”, naked man (or men) running at you, screaming loudly, already being infamous in the entire region for being so fierce that nobody could pass; and this man, having cuts and bruises all over their body, and looking like they had been living outdoors among the tombs for a long time; and this man has broken his shackles and chains. Would you get out of the boat? If you had just gotten out of the boat, would you have gotten back into the boat? This is just after the disciples had just been nearly scared to death in the boat during a fierce storm where  Jesus just commanded the storm to “be still”. I have no doubt that just about everybody in this situation, would run for their life in the opposite direction. Clearly the idea of demon possession, as well as Jesus’ ability to cast the demons out of people, seriously scared all of the people. This is genuine demonic possession. Contrast that with today’s accounts. Bob Larson sells tickets (months in advance) to audience members to attend his “workshops”, where he shows supposed “real” encounters with persons “possessed by demons” on television shows, and on the radio. Did you notice in the situations listed in the Bible that people were unable to pass by the area where the naked, screaming, moaning, demon possessed man lived. Yet, “demon possessed” persons can attend the Bob  Larson Show, fully dressed, groomed, and pay for a ticket, wait in line to be seated, and then wait patiently  while “the show begins”. These same people can fit in with all of the other people, without bringing attention to themselves. These same people can also be completely composed until Bob Larson approaches them. Another curious thing happens, these “demon possessed persons” are rarely, if ever, censored. They are somehow able to speak well within the acceptable norms of behavior for television, radio, and church meetings. Yet Bob Larson, is the only evangelist to be bleeped out on the Phil Donahue show for using “colorful metaphors”.6   These supposed “demons” are apparently better behaved than the evangelists that are trying to cast them out. Or, are they really “demons” in the first place? Bob Larson want us to believe that these “demons” are comfortable sitting in church, surrounded by Christians, listening to Bible verses? Why then were the demons in the Bible so apposed to habitating “clean” places? Bob Larson demons don’t seem to be afraid of the things that Biblical demons are. Bob Larson Christians don’t seem to be afraid either. These workshops and the radio show where demons are routinely “cast out” are very casual, in contrast to the reactions listed in Matthew, Mark, and Luke where entire regions asked Jesus to leave their town because they were so fearful of demon possession. These shows are so casual in fact, that “Bob” doesn’t think anything about taking a “commercial break” in the middle of an exorcism.7 If it isn’t amazing enough, that Bob Larson would take a commercial break in the middle of a (so called) exorcism, it will truly amaze you that he knew prior to the fact how things would be going, that he would be doing an exorcism this day, and that he would have a “lull” in the activity of the exorcism at this point that he would have a chance to play his specially recorded commercial created for this moment! But in the same breath, he can’t predict the end of this “sale” with any degree of accuracy, nor can he predict the financial needs of his “ministry”?
 

        (commercial break)20
        “I’m gonna let the audience slip away from this exorcism just a moment and I’m gonna
        continue with what I’m dealing with and I’ll be back with you in a moment with more of this in-person
        exorcism”.
 

        (recorded message)7

        “On the Tuesday of the in-person exorcism I recorded a special announcement before the
        exorcism started so I wouldn’t have to interrupt what I was doing here and that’s why I’m
        coming to you and letting you know this is a critical week for this ministry. Our future is at
        stake, I’m battling the forces of darkness and I’ve got to know that you are there and you
        care about me remaining behind this microphone to deal with the devil and expose what
        the forces of evil are doing to destroy your home, your church, and your family so back me
        now. Try to be a $1,000 Hero or a $500 Champion. And by the way, the S.W.A.T. sale
        continues. Just a few materials left! It could end any day. For a gift of $40 videos, $100 - 4
        books and 3 videos (including my book “In the Name of Satan”) AND if you kick in an extra
        $10 today I wanna add a fourth video bonus and that is my video “Lucifer’s Library” about
        Satanic books people read that open them up to demons. So kick in that extra $10. do what you can and
        back this ministry and call 1-800-223-CLUB.”

 Does it seem that the Bob Larson “ministry” is all about money? Bob Larson and many of his supporters hold him out as the premier expert on demonic possession. Enough of Bob’s “tacky” ploy for money. Perhaps in the “heat of the moment” Bob temporarily had a moment of weakness, and succumbed to a lower state of mind. Let’s now leave the whole radio issue, and concentrate on the Bob Larson webpage. This is a better method of measuring what somebody truly believes, as you have time to design, craft, and perfect your message on a webpage. You are not forced by the immediacy of time like a radio program. This is a much cheaper form of media anyway. Webpages can be pages and pages long, with lots of information for curious readers. You are able to present much more information without the expensive cost of radio shows, television shows, and all of the travel related costs of
visiting churches, and offering workshops. In fact, in many cases, websites can be free or nearly free. Let’s visit his website to see what Bob Larson has to say about the subject. Let’s get down to basics. Let’s see what Bob Larson’s views are. Let’s ask the one basic question everybody wants to know, and this from “the expert”.

          =============================================================================

“What is a demon”?

 The very mention of the word demon conjures images of gargoylish creatures of the night –  complete with fangs, claws, and back hunched by the weight of depravity.  Many victims
of possessions claim they can see such creatures.  Whereas our “normal” eyes cannot
behold the spirit world, those who give themselves to the occult can somehow see beyond  this veil or else have demon-induced visions. On some occasions when demons have   appeared during an exorcism, the victim has described the spirit as incredibly beautiful.
This reminds us of Paul’s warning in II Corinthians 11:14: When it suits his purposes,
the devil can transform himself into an “angel of light.” But this visible manifestation
of a demon says nothing about the actual nature of these fallen angels.  Both secular
and religious histories are filled with references to demons.  The ancients, who were   untouched by the Jewish scriptures, held demons in superstitious esteem. The Greeks   believed demons were the spirits of departed wicked men.
 

       Recommended Resources:

 Larson’s Spiritual Warfare Book
 Larson’s Video of Spiritual Warfare
 Four Part Videos Handbook of Spiritual Warfare
 How To Beat The Devil At His Own Game (video)
 Devil-Proofing Prayers (video)
 Every Day Demon (cassette album)
 Spiritual Warfare Workshop (6 one-hour cassettes)
 S.W.A.T. (6 one-hour cassettes)
 Can A Christian Have A Demon? (cassette)
 The Devil:  Who He is and What He Does (cassette)
 Five Ways to Deal with the Devil (cassette)
 What is a Demon? (cassette)
 What The Devil Can’t Do To You (cassette)

           ========================================================================

 That’s it. That’s the information, the world famous Bob Larson, demonic “expert”  is willing to publish on the Internet for those seeking to find out what a “demon” is. There is a total of 10 sentences, which included one Bible verse. Along with this wealth of information are several Bob Larson products you can purchase. Over 18 cassettes, two videos, and three books. 10 sentences, and 13 products. It looks like if you want any  information, other than the “teaser”, then you are going to have to pay for it.

 It seems that the disciples in the Bible didn’t make money for “casting out demons”, nor did they give “casting out demon lessons” for money.8 Bob Larson seems to take a very long time casting out demons while things seemed to go much faster in the Bible.

Demons are mentioned 11 times, and the Devil is mentioned 6 times.

 Of the ten sentences that Bob Larson carefully crafted and presented to his public, he has forgotten to mention God even one time. There is no mention of Jesus, and there is no mention of the Holy Spirit.  There are however 13 (thirteen) opportunities to mention money, simply by clicking an a hyperlink. Yet, it is by God’s power that he supposedly casts demons out. It is by the Holy Spirit that these demons  must listen to him, and it is in the name of Jesus Christ that these demons can not resist his commands.
 
 

This one webpage clearly reduces the Bob Larson down to a central theme.

God is not found here!
The path chosen here does not point to Christ.
The focus of this page is not sharing the Gospel, offering help, or sharing information.......
it is simply to make money for Bob Larson!
 
 

Every man must choose which master he will follow. Clearly in this case, Bob Larson has chosen to love money, and to hate God.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Jesus cast out demons “with a word”.
 

______________________________________________________________________________________
Jesus said “Go”, and cast out demons.
 

______________________________________________________________________________________
Jesus casts out a demon, without saying a word, and the possessed person wasn’t even in His presence.
 

______________________________________________________________________________________
Jesus says “Come out of him!”
 

______________________________________________________________________________________
Jesus seemed to treat those with disease, and those possessed in a similar manner.

I’ve never heard of Bob Larson healing anyone. The command Jesus gave regarding casting out devils is  found in Matthew.
 
 

 Bob Larson doesn’t raise the dead, or cleanse people from leprosy either. Bob seems to take a really long time to cast out his demons in comparison to those events listed in the Bible. Another thing that contrasts from Biblical events and the Bob Larson Show, is that some of the same people come to have the demons cast out time after time. Somehow, these poor demented souls are able to take quite a bit of time off from work to attend these exorcisms, they can afford to find lodging and dining services, and even travel expenses to get from one location to another. These locations are not near to each other either. Some of the shows are separated by many states, and the frequency of these shows, would almost make air travel a necessity. Bob Larson flys to these events. KCBD TV, the NBC affiliate, in Lubbock, Texas reports that “two of the three random people we interview appeared at other shows”. When these interviewees were asked about participating at previous exorcisms, they answered “Yeah, more than once...”11

 In comparing the approach that “disciple” Bob Larson uses, with that of the disciples listed in the Bible, there are some notable differences.

 The numerous Bible verses clearly establishes the fact, that “unclean spirits” can inhabit a human being. But, what about “unclean spirits” inhabiting a “Christian”? Clearly, the demons begged and begged Jesus to send them into the pigs rather than to some other place. There were other options available in that circumstance. The men watching the pigs were available, Jesus could have sent the unclean spirits into those men. Removing an unclean spirit from one human being to another human being, isn’t much of an improvement, even if it did give provide a temporary break for those first possessed. Clearly the unclean spirits strongly desired to remain in an unclean environment, if they begged “again and again” not to be sent out of the area.

 In this case, a man with an unclean spirits could not speak, and Jesus drove out the unclean spirit, but the Pharisees claimed that Jesus was the prince of demons. Many of those today that claim to be casting demons out of Christians tend to taunt the supposed demons into speaking to put on a good show. When Jesus cast out this demon, we see the picture of healing. There is no growling, rolling on the floor, or dialogue between the demon and Jesus.

 In this example, Jesus casts out an unclean spirit that has made a man both blind and mute, but the  Pharisees claimed that Jesus was doing this by the power of “Beelzebub, the prince of demons”. Jesus corrects them, and then warns them of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Jesus uses the example of a “tree  and it’s fruit”. The examples says that a good tree will bear good fruit, or a bad tree with bear bad fruit. This is simple and plain language. There is not a “mixing” idea here that is allowed to stand. Jesus says there is no combination of a good tree with a bad tree, or good fruit with bad fruit. A bad tree can not produce good fruit.

Clearly, Jesus has addressed demon possession, and he give only two scenarios. One good, and one bad. There is no mention of a tree being good and bad, or the tree bearing good and bad fruit. There is only one possible situation. It is good, or it is bad. That’s it. Are we to believe now, that the Holy Spirit is willing to inhabit a person while an unclean spirit also resides within him? Jesus also talks about entering a house and biding the “strong man” before he can carry off his possessions. The power of God can bind an unclean spirit, but the power of an unclean spirit is nothing compared to God. In several of the verses included here, we can see that unclean spirits are very afraid of Jesus, to the point of begging for mercy. Yet, there are Biblical teachers that tell us that these same spirits, or others like them, are willing to inhabit a person where the Holy Spirit resides? This clearly is not the case in any of the scriptures. Within these same scriptures there is mention of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and also mention of “judgement of every careless word”. Teachers of the Word, must exercise extreme care in what  they present to others as doctrine. Jesus links the Holy Spirit with the topic casting out of demons. When a Christian is redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, they are cleansed, “made clean”, “pruned” of impurities, and they have been purchased by Jesus. Claiming that the Holy Spirit is willing to live in an “unclean” vessel, or in a vessel with something “unclean” goes against every verse of scripture, and violates the entire  meaning of “clean”. You can not take a vessel and put in something “clean”, and then put something “unclean” in and maintain the character of the “clean”. It is now all “unclean”, or “unpruned”.
 
 

 We, as Christians, are told are told not to associate with those calling themselves Christians but are really sexually immoral, greedy, idolaters, slanderers, drunkards, and swindlers, and we are further instructed “with such a man do not even eat”! Here God has commanded us not to have anything to do with a false brother, not even to eat with him. Still there are those that tell us that this same God would allow a demon, a workman of Satan, to inhabit a Christian. The scriptures tell us in the strongest way possible that God tells us not to associate with evil, and God does not allow evil to inhabit The Body of Christ. For it would not be us, the individual believer, because we collectively make up The Body of Christ. Those teaching that Christians can be possessed, make no less claim than that The Body of Christ can be possessed by a demon.

 In this example, Jesus cast out an unclean spirit from the daughter of a woman begging Jesus for help, without Jesus even going to where the daughter was. This was not a difficult task for Jesus. The possessed person was set free instantly by a thought of Jesus. Today, it is still the power of God that is at work in believers. We can pray for others, even though we are not there with them, and God can still heal them. There is no need to take a person to an exorcist to have them healed.

This incident is written about by a great many authors. Many claim that this is some type of disease, and not demon possession. There is great danger in second guessing what is written plainly. This is a case of demonic possession, as the condition was not constant, and it showed intent. Clearly the demon tried to kill this person several times by throwing them into the water and into the fire, and even onto the ground. There is no disease that tries to kill a person by throwing them into fire to burn them, or water to drown them. There is also a statement by Jesus to have faith. Jesus heals the boy and returns him to his father.

This passage is used frequently by those that claim Christians can be possessed by a demon, even though Christians are the “Temple” of the Holy Spirit. Here is a demon possessed person “at the synagogue”.  As explained elsewhere in this writing, this demonic possession is in the area, or the district of the synagogue, and not in the interior of the synagogue. In this incident, the demon started talking, and Jesus demands that the demon stop speaking. This is contrasted by those exorcists that taunt the suppossed demon and coaxes them to speak to enhance their show. This incident also shows that the demons in this and other incidents can recognize Jesus without others telling them who He is.

This incident is also interesting because of several elements mentioned. This incident is used by many people trying to show that demon possessed people have supernatural powers of fortune telling. This is not shown by the verses at all. What is said is that this girl earned a great deal of money for her owners. Recently the Psychic Friends Network made millions of dollars by suppossedly telling the future. Apparently this so called psychic fell to the same end as the Psychic Friends Network, by going out of business without any prior notice that this would happen according to their psychic abilities. Notice also, that the authorities did nothing about a demon possessed person in their midst, or that she was telling the future. But the loss of income, now that’s reason to contact the authorities. This also seems to be true today. There are a great many evils surrounding us in our modern world, many of which do not see any official action, until someone’s income is reduced.

Final Thoughts -

The position that demons never existed clearly is not true, as demonic possession is mentioned several times in the Bible.

The position that demons used to exist, but they have been bound after Jesus arose from the grave. This is also clearly not the case as demonic possession is mentioned in Acts, after Jesus arose.

The case against demonic possession of Christians -

Christians are filled with light, from which darkness flees. TOTALLY!
Luke 11:36
Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.

Christians are the temple of the Holy Spirit, which no demon can enter.
God required so many cleansing ceremonies for a priest to enter the temple, that they can’t even be listed here. Certainly He would not allow a demon to enter His new temple.

Christians can not be demon possessed, because there would be no way to cast out the demon. If a Christian can cast out a demon from another Christian, they would risk  the demon possessing themselves. Christians are vessels, shaped by the hands of God for His purposes, which God protects from uncleanliness. Christians are holy, which no unholiness can inhabit.  Christians are owned by God, being paid for by His Son, Jesus, which no demon is powerful enough to wrestle from His hands.

These are just a few of the many illustrations spoken of in the Bible. This is one side of this debate.

The other side is......

The case for demonic possession of Christians -

The two instances most proponents of this teaching rely on are
Ananaias, and Paul’s thorn.
 
 

In this case, we are asked (by those that tell us Christians can be demonically possessed) to believe that Ananias and his wife were possessed by a demon or demons, and that they sold their property and divided the money before they gave it to the church. The phrase “how is it that Satan has so filled your heart”, is talking about a frame of mind, not a case of demonic possession. We’ve seen demons cause a person not so speak, to blind a person, to try and kill a person by throwing them into fire and water. We’ve seen a demon so fierce that they would let nobody pass through the area in which they lived. We’ve seen demons that couldn’t be bound with shackles and chains, or be overpowered by anyone. In this case, we see none of these behaviors. We see somebody that decided to lie to the Holy Spirit because they were tempted by greed. Their minds were not on God, but these two people were not possessed either.
 
 

God is a fair God!

If these two people were possessed by demons, then the evil that was caused, was caused by the demons and not by the people. There was no attempt to cast any demons from these two people. There is no discussion of such a plan. Certainly it would be unfair to kill a person that was acting involuntarily because of the influence of demons. This is not the case here. In no case mentioned in the Bible, did Jesus, God, or the apostles kill the possessed person. In every case the person was delivered from the control of the demon. In this case the two people that lied to the Holy Spirit were struck dead. If their actions were the fault of the demon, then to strike the person dead would by contrary to every other teaching in the Bible. These two people brought the results they deserved upon themselves. The name Ananias (an-an-ee’-as) is from katagnumi (kat-ag’-noo-mee) to rend in pieces, crack apart. From kathairesis (kath-ah’ee-res-is) which means demolition. To lower violently.  This is not the work of a demon, or demons, this is the sinful human nature at work.

This incident also shows a contradiction of intent, if the person was truly possessed. Demons are out to destroy the Kingdom of God. Certainly they would not allow these two possessed persons to give any of the money to the Church, moreless the lion’s share.

Many of those that make their ministry casting demons out of Christians often identify these
so-called demons with names such as bitterness, hatred, fear, anger, resentment, abuse, and many other similar names. Galations 5:19-21 lists sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like as results of the “sinful nature”. Calling these sins  demons contradicts the Bible, and denies the Christian’s responsibility for their own sin.

We now have the case of Judas. Judas was possessed by Satan when He betrayed Jesus. This was not an instant situation however. Judas had been planning to betray Jesus for some time, and at this point, his heart became so hardened that it became a great place for Satan to inhabit.  Clearly the betrayal of Jesus was not the act of a Christian, which means there is still no evidence of a Christian being possessed by a demon. Judas was possessed by Satan, not by a demon, and this was of his own choosing. At the point when Jesus is establishing the first Communnion, Judas chooses to leave and commune with the Pharisees. Jesus even prompts Judas to leave this gathering of “true” Christians, showing that Judas didn’t belong with the group. Jesus addresses Judas, the person, not Satan. He even calls him “friend”.  Judas, on the other hand, asks Jesus, “Is it me”? all the while knowing that he was about to make all his plans come to pass by betraying Jesus into the hands of the Pharisees.

There are no recorded instances of a Christian being demon possessed in the Bible. All instances are that of being influenced or harrassed by a demon or an unclean spirit.

There are no instructions, warning, or information regarding casting demons out of Christians.

When Jesus left us to ascend into heaven, He left us with instructions. The apostles left us with instructions, the Old and New Testaments also left us with instructions. The idea that God left us in a dangerous situation, namely that of having demons roaming the earth, with the power to possess Christians, is absurd, at best! God has told us how to organize the Church, how to deal with widows, children, false teachers, diet, money, faith, wine, love, fear, pride, envy, lust, confusion, death, beatings, insults, and far too many other topics to mention here. The idea that He left us on our own regarding demonic possession is totally rediculous.

Finally we are at one of the most interesting verses in the Bible. 2 Corthinians 12:7.

                King James -   And lest I should be exalted above measure through the  abundance
               of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the
               messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above
               measure.

This is an interesting verse in many different ways. Some of the words used in this verse are very rare. I am including this verse because many supporting the idea that Christians can be possessed, use this verse to show that even well established Christians can be affected by demons, and that they can deliver damaging blows to Christians.

Paul mentions getting “buffeted” by using the word kolaphizo (2852 Wigram’s Greek Concordance) (kol-af-id’-zo) which is used only five times in the Bible. The first is when Jesus is being scourged in Matthew 26, then again during the same incident recorded in Mark 14.  This word is used only three times when discussing anyone other than Jesus. In all of these instances, the writer is showing the connection that Christians have to the suffering of Christ. (1 Cor 4:11, 2 Cor 12:7, and 1 Pet 2:20).

Another word used in this verse is huperairomai (hoop-er-ah’-ee-rom-ahee) (5229 Wigram’s Greek Concordance). This word means  “be exalted above measure”. This word is used only three times in the Bible. One time in 2 Thes 2:4, and both of the other times, it is used in this one verse. The other time it is used, it is talking about the Anti-Christ. Paul statement is a sandwich of this word, with a phrase in between and then this word again. There is no way for Paul to phrase this statement in any stronger terms than this. He is saying that God allowed this affliction he was suffering from so that he wouldn’t become puffed up, and he uses the most extreme case of “puffed up” he could name, that of the Anti-Christ.
 
 

Christians are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Allowing a demon into this human temple, would be the same as Satan entering the Temple in Jerusalem. The temple would be defiled! So we now have a verse that begins with a statement, and ends with the same statement. Then we have a word that is used in only one other verse in the Bible, and we have a word that is only used in four other verses in the Bible. Paul also uses the word skolops (skol’-ops) (4647 Wigram’s Greek Concordance) which is used as the word “thorn”, but this word actually means a tent stake. This word is used only one time in the Bible. Paul has an affliction as big as a tent stake in his side that God hasn’t removed even though Paul has asked for this three times now. Paul understand the reason that he has this affliction is because it keeps him humble, and prevents him from becoming puffed up with ego. Where does this “thorn” come from? Paul tells us that this affliction, his thorn, was brought by an aggelos (ang’-el-os) (32 Wigram’s Greek Concordance) or an angel. This word for angel is used 32 times in the Bible.
 

In each of these verses, angels are messengers of God. Paul told us that a “messenger of Satan” had given him his thorn. If this was the case, and this is argued by many people teaching demonization, then Paul would have become unclean. This is not the case. Paul is afflicted by a messenger of god, sent from Satan. This also is the only time this word is used in this manner. The word Satan (sat-an’) (4566 Wigram’s Greek Concordance) is used only one time in the Bible.

So we now have a verse that begins with a statement, and ends with the same statement. Then we have two words that have been used only one time in the Bible, we have a word that is only used in four other verses in the Bible, and we have a word that is only used three times in the bible, and finally a word that is used thirty two times in the Bible, but only once in the manner mentioned here. That’s quite an unusual verse.

Paul is saying here that he would have had a natural inclination to be puffed up by all of the revelations he had been given by God. Paul understood that God sent an angel, to him, from Satan, with an affliction (“withered at the front”, bodily annoyance or disability), that would prevent him from becoming puffed up.
 
 

Paul was not made unclean by this affliction because a demon never had access to either Paul, or his “side”. Paul’s affliction was from an angel, not from a demon. Paul continued to be a clean vessel, and continued to be used by God, through this affliction. So, rather than this being a verse proving that Paul had received a thorn from a demon, showing that Christians are at the mercy of demons, we clearly see that demons can do nothing without the permission of God. Even in this affliction, all things for the good of those that love God.
 
 

I hope and pray that this study has made it abundantly clear that Christians can not be possessed by demons, the devil, or any other person or power in the universe without our will. Do not be deceived by false teachings, or by false teachers. Do not be confused by those that do not understand the scriptures, or that do not listen to the Holy Spirit.
 
 

It is up to YOU to listen to the shepherd’s voice, by praying, reading, studying, and waiting. Learn what His voice sounds like. Understand what He is telling YOU. Do not put it on someone else to listen to His voice and then tell you what it all means. YOU read YOUR Bible. YOU pray.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Franz Sigel Shroy

Can a Christian be demon possessed? http://www.biblefacts.org/cult/dempo.html

Can a Christian be possessed by a demon? http://www.webspawner.com/users/gmc139/

† Gentle Ministries - Devotionals - Sermons > > News > > Got Demons?  http://www.gentle.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=754

Possession or Suggestion? by Don Matzat  http://www.issuesetc.org/resource/journals/v2n2.htm

Possessed or Obsessed? - Christianity Today Magazine  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/011/1.46.html

Possessed or Obsessed? - Christianity Today Magazine  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/011/1.46.html

Spiritual Warfare - False Cliches  http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/warfare/warfare.htm

Spiritual Warfare - Can a Believer Be Demon-Possessed?  http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/warfare/demonp.htm

Can Christians Be Possessed?  http://www.genesistreehouse.org/christianspossessed.htm

1 http://www.DEMONBUSTERS.COM
2 February 17,  2001 Anchorage AK.htm, BobLarson Website
3 page 7, DemonBusters.com “index.htm”
4 “John Wimber”, General Teachings / Activities, http://www.pacinter.net/users/chawman/
5 “Benny Hinn Exposed” page 7, DemonBusters.com
6 BC Christian News “Bob Larson battles Satan and legions of critics
7 The Christian Sentinel, 1992
8 Praise-a-thon, November 8, 1990
9 Orlando Christian Centre, August 12, 1992
10 http:www.cris.com/Ranger57/blm.htm
11 statements and ref's removed as not needed.
12 “John Wimber”, General Teachings / Activities, http://www.pacinter.net/users/chawman/
13 statements and ref's removed as not needed.
14 Christians And Demon Possission” by Timothy Morton
15 “The latter rain” http://www.latter-rain.com/theology/demons.htm
16 War vii. 6,3
17 Tobit 6:7, 16, 17
18 Everymans Talmud p. 261
19 A perspective on Disabilities, Jerry Whitworth, Ed.D. Abilene Christian University
     http://www.cu.edu/academics/education/disabilities.htm
20 “Concerning Demons”, http://www.new-life.net/demons.htm
21 The Exorcisms are FAKE! Film at 11... KCBD-TV Report, (May 1999)

The views expressed here are my own opinions, and may or may not be held by the ISP hosting this page or any page linked to it.
 

Can Christians be Possessed by Demons            © 2000  Franz Sigel Shroy MCM