Demons, Part 2

My discussion on the subject, 'Do Demons Exist?' created a stir among readers. It is, indeed, not only a fascinating topic but one which is prone to much confusion due to the fact that secular sources spread much misinformation about it in movies, books, and so forth.

Today I want to focus on one single aspect of this subject that is crucial for Christians--demon possession. Is it possible for a Christian to be 'possessed' by a demon or even the devil himself?

I will break this down into segments so that it is more easily understood.

First, the term 'Christian' in itself presupposes that a person is possessed by no one other than Jesus Christ. To be a Christian a person must open up their lives to Christ, inviting Him to take up residence in their inner being. Once that is done, it is Christ who resides within, not a demon nor the devil or any 'force of evil.'

Second, a person whose life is that in which Christ resides is automatically off limits to demon possession. It cannot happen. Why? How can a demon, or evil forces, possess a person when Christ resides there? The 2 are mutually exclusive. Think about it. A glass that has even some portion of milk in it cannot be filled or 'possessed' with Coca Cola. The presence of milk in the glass excludes the possibility that any other substance can 'fill' that glass. It already has something in it.

Third, a person who has Christ in his/her life may not necessarily be filled with the presence of Christ. It is possible, according to the Bible, to possess the Holy Spirit and yet not be completely filled by the Holy Spirit. This means that although a Christian cannot under any circumstance be 'possessed' by demons or the forces of evil, that person may well come under the influence of that evil because they are not 'filled' with the Spirit.

This is why Christians are not perfect. We are prone to come under the influence of evil in this world. That is due to two things. First, we are human and will remain so. We are flawed. We have a sinful nature. That is not erased when we become Christians. Second, as Christians we are not always filled with the Holy Spirit. That filling comes and goes and depends on how dedicated we remain, how sincerely we wish to follow Christ, and how consistent we are in the daily prayerful petition to be filled with the Spirit.

Thus, due to our sinful nature and the fact that we are not always filled with the Spirit, then we can, indeed, be influenced by the force of evil, or the demonic, but we will NEVER be possessed by it.

This is why Christians essentially have nothing to fear from demons. We will not be 'possessed.' We belong to Christ. But even so, we must be diligent in our daily walk with Christ. If we are derelict in our pursuit of spiritual union with Him, then there will be areas which are vulnerable to evil.

Going back to the glass analogy, in order to make sure that you will have a glass full of pure milk and nothing but milk, you will need to make sure there is no Coca Cola in the glass. Even a small portion of the soft drink will taint the milk when it is poured in. The goal is to make sure you have a clean vessel within so that only Christ can take full possession or control.

That way we can avoid inadvertently participating in any evil that pervades this world.

But be assured, if you are a Christian, you will never be 'possessed' by any form of evil.