Demon possession

[kwikphilly]

"In the New Testament, the Greek word 'daimonizomai' is used to express the presence of demonic spirits within a person. What this word means is: 'to be demonized; to be under the power or influence of a demon in certain areas; to have a demon.' The word 'possessed," however (in the KJV, for example), is a misleading translation for this Greek word. To English speaking people the term 'possessed' implies total ownership of something. This concept, as pertaining to the relationship between a demonic entity and a person, has no support in the scripture or in the original intent of the Greek word. There is no suggestion in the scripture that a demon has totally taken over a person as the word 'possessed' implies. (Can A Christian Have A Demon", Chris Simpson, 1995)"

Just to give you a little background -- I am not one of those people that attribute everything to satan in this life including all disease, disability, tragedy, and sin. He is only one force at work -- there is also the flesh and the world. And above all forces there is God, the only constant force of grace, righteousness, faithfulness and purity. But we as Christians must also not rule out demonization in our lives. If we ignore the workings of the enemy and remain complacent, it can give satan an occasion to deceive us. Be careful ... the enemy walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

1 Pet. 5:8   Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

This was spoken to Christians!        (http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/demon1.html)

 

The question is,Can light & darkness occupy the same space,,,,,,,well,think about this the flesh & the spirit occupy the same body & as we are told in Gods Word ,our struggle is with flesh against spirit,,,,,,,,as we are indwelled with Gods Holy Spirit by Jesus abiding in us ,it is our spirit that is indwelled ,,,,,,,but what about our flesh????? Our flesh is what we must submit & surrender onto the Cross,forsake it that we may WALK in Spirit & in Truth                         With love-in Christ,Kwik

[Big-Guns]

Thanks for the info kwikphilly

[Rationaltheology]

Not everything relates to the spiritual realm. Are you sure these spirits are real entities and not the product of your brain? Many cases of "demonic possession" are often non-diagnosed mental issues, schizophrenia often being one of the major cases.

In other words, don't seek spiritual healing for a mental condition. The Bible tells us that demonic possession is real but those who were demonically possessed inhibited the same symptoms. They were actually possessed and demonstrated supernatural strengths. Unless you also observing external occurrences alongside your family (i.e furniture moving, things being thrown about etc) there is really no reason to believe these spirits are real.

Perhaps try the medical remedy before dealing with it spiritually. If medication or therapy does not cure any of the symptoms then you know you're dealing with a case of possession. If however, you've already accepted Jesus into your heart and prayed, then likely the symptoms are of a mental nature rather than spiritual.

As Christians, we must remember that there are things beyond heaven and Earth that are real but we must also apply common sense to our evaluations. Not everything should be attributed as spiritual or a miracle if there remains another explanation. The scripture instructs us to be wise not hasty.

[Matt_FiF]

I know I'm a little late on this topic, but I think Rationaltheology gave sound advice.

My suggestion would be to exhaust your medical options first. Continue to pray and study, certainly, but I would hesitate to jump right into a spiritual conclusion. There's nothing wrong with praying for healing, but I think it's important to keep in mind that the Lord uses doctors and medicines for our healing, as well. Seek help in the medical realm first.

Praying for you.

 

[woundeddog]

it is a good idea to check out the possibility of a mental health issue. where as demonic possession can occur hearing and feeling voices is symptomatic of health issues---  the Lord can heal by spiritual means- or he can heal by physical means. be sure you dont torture yourself by seeking a spiritual cure when you may be having a physical issue

[CATerri]

I agree with Wazzup in that this is an issue better taken up with a real pastor in your local area.  A pastor that can get to know you and observe you will be much better suited to helping you sort out this issue than here on our forum.  It is a serious issue and I am so glad you have sought advice, but I think the best advice here is to seek the help of a local pastor.  We'll certainly be praying for you.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings Big_Guns....

    You are very welcome,it is my pleasure to offer Wisdom & Knowledge of Gods Word & especially to one who is aware & with an open heart & mind willing to RECEIVE,,,,,,,seeking God & recognizing the little cracks & crevices in our lives(lifestyle)is the key

   I'm sorry to disagree with anyone but we have decisions to make,,,,we are either going to be OF the world or in it,,,,we can choose mans,medical,scientific,carnal,flesh,facts or Gods Truth......be eternal minded,think Godly,Heavenly,Renew your mind & the holy Spirit will lead you,guide you & REVEAL to you w4hat you need to see ,,,,,& hear,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,believe me my friend,if I accepted medical facts & diagbnosts I would be in the grave,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Trust God,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it is all spiritual vs flesh                     

Quote

Ephesians 6:12King James Version (KJV)

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

There is always controversy when it comes to mental/emotional issues    just remember this the heart & mind are made of FLESH (emotions,thoughts,feelings)            Pray the Heart & Mind of Christ,,,,,,,,,,,,Jesus gives us a "sound mind"as a NEW CREATURE IN HIM

Quote

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
                                                      2 Timothy 1:7

 

[HAZARD]

On ‎1‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 7:04 AM, bopeep1909 said:

A born again Christian has the Holy Spirit living in them. It is impossible for them to be possessed by a Demon. I truly do not know if a demon can indwell a nonbeliever.

Hi bopeep,

Yes they can, here is just one example;

Mark. 5 : 1-9,  1,And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
    2, And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
    3, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
    4, Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
    5, And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
    6, But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
    7, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
    8, For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
    9, And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

Reading on in verse verse 15, we see the man who was possessed sitting and clothed and in his right mind, and in verse 18 we read where the man who was possessed goes and asks Jesus if he can join Him? Jesus tells him to go home to his friends and tell them how great things the Lord had done for him. The man went to Decapolis and made public how great Jesus had done to him.

Mark 5: 15, And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
    16, And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
    17, And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
    18, And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
    19, Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
    20, And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

 

[angels4u]

11 minutes ago, HAZARD said:

Hi bopeep,

Yes they can, here is just one example;

Mark. 5 : 1-9,  1,And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
    2, And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
    3, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
    4, Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
    5, And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
    6, But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
    7, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
    8, For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
    9, And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

Reading on in verse verse 15, we see the man who was possessed sitting and clothed and in his right mind, and in verse 18 we read where the man who was possessed goes and asks Jesus if he can join Him? Jesus tells him to go home to his friends and tell them how great things the Lord had done for him. The man went to Decapolis and made public how great Jesus had done to him.

Mark 5: 15, And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
    16, And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
    17, And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
    18, And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
    19, Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
    20, And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

 

 

 

11 minutes ago, HAZARD said:

Hi bopeep,

Yes they can, here is just one example;

Mark. 5 : 1-9,  1,And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
    2, And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
    3, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
    4, Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
    5, And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
    6, But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
    7, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
    8, For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
    9, And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

Reading on in verse verse 15, we see the man who was possessed sitting and clothed and in his right mind, and in verse 18 we read where the man who was possessed goes and asks Jesus if he can join Him? Jesus tells him to go home to his friends and tell them how great things the Lord had done for him. The man went to Decapolis and made public how great Jesus had done to him.

Mark 5: 15, And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
    16, And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
    17, And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
    18, And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
    19, Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
    20, And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

 

 

As a born again Christian you cannot be possessed by a demon,you can be oppressed but  not possessed because the Holy Spirit lives inside of you.

[missmuffet]

38 minutes ago, HAZARD said:

Hi bopeep,

Yes they can, here is just one example;

Mark. 5 : 1-9,  1,And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
    2, And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
    3, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
    4, Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
    5, And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
    6, But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
    7, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
    8, For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
    9, And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

Reading on in verse verse 15, we see the man who was possessed sitting and clothed and in his right mind, and in verse 18 we read where the man who was possessed goes and asks Jesus if he can join Him? Jesus tells him to go home to his friends and tell them how great things the Lord had done for him. The man went to Decapolis and made public how great Jesus had done to him.

Mark 5: 15, And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
    16, And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
    17, And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
    18, And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
    19, Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
    20, And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

 

You are wrong.

Question: "Can a Christian be demon possessed? Can a Christian be demonized?"

Answer: While the Bible does not explicitly state whether a Christian can be possessed by a demon, related biblical truths make it abundantly clear that Christians cannot be demon possessed. There is a distinct difference between being possessed by a demon and being oppressed or influenced by a demon. Demon possession involves a demon having direct/complete control over the thoughts and/or actions of a person (Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 4:33-35; 8:27-33). Demon oppression or influence involves a demon or demons attacking a person spiritually and/or encouraging him/her into sinful behavior. Notice that in all the New Testament passages dealing with spiritual warfare, there are no instructions to cast a demon out of a believer (Ephesians 6:10-18). Believers are told to resist the devil (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9), not to cast him out.

Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Surely the Holy Spirit would not allow a demon to possess the same person He is indwelling. It is unthinkable that God would allow one of His children, whom He purchased with the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19) and made into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), to be possessed and controlled by a demon. Yes, as believers, we wage war with Satan and his demons, but not from within ourselves. The apostle John declares, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Who is the One in us? The Holy Spirit. Who is the one in the world? Satan and his demons. Therefore, the believer has overcome the world of demons, and the case for demon possession of a believer cannot be made scripturally.

With the strong biblical evidence that a Christian cannot be demon possessed in view, some Bible teachers use the term “demonization” to refer to a demon having control over a Christian. Some argue that while a Christian cannot be demon possessed, a Christian can be demonized. Typically, the description of demonization is virtually identical to the description of demon possession. So, the same issue results. Changing the terminology does not change the fact that a demon cannot inhabit or take full control of a Christian. Demonic influence and oppression are realities for Christians, no doubt, but it is simply not biblical to say that a Christian can be possessed by a demon or demonized.

Much of the reasoning behind the demonization concept is the personal experience of seeing someone who was “definitely” a Christian exhibiting evidence of being controlled by a demon. It is crucially important, though, that we do not allow personal experience to influence our interpretation of Scripture. Rather, we must filter our personal experiences through the truth of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Seeing someone whom we thought to be a Christian exhibiting the behavior of being demonized should cause us to question the genuineness of his/her faith. It should not cause us alter our viewpoint on whether a Christian can be demon possessed / demonized. Perhaps the person truly is a Christian but is severely demon oppressed and/or suffering from severe psychological problems. But again, our experiences must meet the test of Scripture, not the other way around.
http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-demon-possessed.html