Can demons affect Christians?\u00a0 Can a believer have a demon?\u00a0 Can a Christian be possessed by a demon?<\/p>\n
These questions come up very often when I teach on spiritual warfare and casting out demons.\u00a0 They are good questions.\u00a0 The answer, in my mind, mainly comes down to the definition of words.\u00a0 In this post I hope to explain this in a way that makes it very simple and obvious to understand.<\/p>\n
Let us begin with one of the Apostle Paul’s most famous passages related spiritual warfare:<\/p>\n
Ephesians 6:10-12<\/p>\n
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In this passage, Paul informs us that there is a wrestling match going on.\u00a0 He chose an interesting word to describe the battle…the Greek word <\/strong><\/span><\/a>p\u00e1l\u0113<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 <\/i>This word describes a violent hand-to-hand combat that involves trying to throw your opponent, choke him, pin him to the ground, etc.\u00a0 For more on this, read the Wikipedia entry here<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n
Since this passage is written to Christians, we know that we Christians are in a violent wrestling match.\u00a0 However, our opponents are not people.\u00a0 We are not wrestling against “flesh and blood.”\u00a0 We are not in a battle against physical human enemies.\u00a0 Rather, we are in a wrestling match against some other kind of enemy.\u00a0 That enemy is a not physical enemy, it is a spiritual enemy., i.e. demons.<\/p>\n
We are in a battle against demons, and we have been given armor and weapons to use in this battle.\u00a0 If demons are not able to affect Christians, then the instructions in Ephesians 6 would be needless and irrelevant.\u00a0 But the Letter to the Ephesians was written to born-again Christians who were involved in conflict with demons, and therefore it should be obvious that it is possible for demons to affect Christians.\u00a0 Otherwise, what is the point of saying that we are in a wrestling match, and then giving us instructions on how to win?\u00a0 So to answer the first question…can demons affect Christians…the answer from the Bible is yes.<\/p>\n
Possessed?<\/h2>\n
At this point I want to be very clear.\u00a0 There is a huge difference between being affected<\/em> by a demon, and being possessed<\/em> by a demon.\u00a0 I am not saying that a Christian can be possessed by a demon.\u00a0 I am saying that a Christian can be affected by a demon.\u00a0 Let me explain.<\/p>\n
The word “possess” implies ownership.\u00a0 If I possess something, then it is mine.\u00a0\u00a0 My car is my possession.\u00a0 It belongs to me.\u00a0 I possess my car.\u00a0 I own it.\u00a0 It is possessed by me.\u00a0 The Greek equivalent to this word is “ktaomai<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.”\u00a0 That word means ownership.\u00a0 It means “to possess something.”<\/p>\n
If you are a Christian, then you belong to God.\u00a0 Jesus purchased you (Rev 5:9).\u00a0 You are his possession.\u00a0 You are possessed by Jesus.\u00a0 Therefore, a Christian can never be possessed by a demon.\u00a0 A demon can never own a Christian.<\/p>\n
And so it should not come as a surprise that this Greek word for “possess” is not used when describing the activities of demons.<\/strong><\/span><\/em>\u00a0 In the Greek, demons are not said to “possess” people.\u00a0 The word “ktaomai” is not used in this regard.\u00a0 Rather, another word is used.<\/p>\n
Demonized<\/h2>\n