"POSSESSION"
(The Devil Made Me Do It!!!)
Article taken from the magazine: ANSWERS Issue 8
By CHUCK SMITH
The question has been forced upon us: "Can a born-again Christian
be possessed by a demon?" The answer based on the Scriptures and logic
is an unequivocal NO!
The proponents of this unscriptural doctrine use such terms
as Christians being "invaded by demons" rather than demon possessed.
This is nothing more than word games and a smoke screen to hide the
Scriptural weakness of their position.
They also present an illogical supposition that the demons can
invade or control the mind or body, but not the spirit. God's Word
declares that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in
us. We are told to glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits,
which are His (1 Cor. 6:19,20).
In 2 Corinthians the question is asked: "What communion has light
with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial... And what
agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple
of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them..." (6:14 -
16).
To say that a Christian's body or mind can be possessed or invaded
by demons is to contradict the Word of God and declare that
there is a communion of light and darkness, that God and Satan are
dwelling together.
The Scriptures also teach us that Christ is seated in the
heavenlies far above all principalities and powers and mights and
dominions (Eph. 1:21,22). These are references to spirit beings - and
Christ is far above them. Where am I as a believer? According to
Ephesians 2:6, I am seated together with Christ in the heavenlies.
As Christians we are in a warfare against these principalities
and powers (Eph. 6:12). We need the help of God to stand, for these
rulers of the darkness can and do attack us in a variety of ways. But
they cannot come in and take control of our lives.
The Scriptures also teach that we are in Christ, and that He is in
us (John 14:20). It is Christ in us which is our hope of glory (Col.
1:27). Christ said concerning Satan, "The ruler of this world is
coming, and he has nothing in Me" (John 14:30). If I am in Christ and
Satan has nothing in Him, Satan can have nothing in me - praise the
Lord!
We also read in 1 John 5:18, "We know that whoever is born of God
does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the
wicked one does not touch him."
What about these experiences of Christians having demons cast out
of them? What are the voices that name themselves, the writhing
on the floor, and the regurgitation? I do not know. I am thankful
that since I do not engage in these unscriptural practices, I do not
have to explain them.
Some of the names given by these supposed demons which are more
popular are: lust, hatred, liar, gluttony, envy, fear and jealously.
These things are classified in Galatians 5:19-21 as works of the flesh.
We are to "put off all these" (Col. 3:8) or by the Spirit to "mortify
the deeds of the body" (Rom. 8:13, 6:3-14). Not once are we
commanded to have them cast out.
It seems to me that this whole demon trip is a cop-out for the
flesh. I would like to find some easy way to get rid of my fleshly
nature, and rather than the painful process of crucifixion, I would
just like to have it cast out. It is also a way of escaping the
responsibility for my fleshly actions. How can I be blamed if "the
devil made me do it"?
In the Scriptures there does not exist one piece of evidence that
Jesus Christ, His apostles, or the early Church once sought to cast
demons of the flesh out of anyone in the body of Christ. The
works of the flesh were recognized, and we are instructed how to deal
with them. Never are we taught they are to be exorcised.
Even in the supposed cases from the Scriptures that would confirm
that demons could inhabit a Christian - Ananias and Sapphira, "Why
hath Satan filled thine heart" (Acts 5:3); or Simon the sorcerer,
"Thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity"
(Acts 8:23) - Peter did not practice exorcism. Instead, there was
instant judgment of death in the first case and a call to repentance
in the other.
It is sad that many Christians and non-Christians seem to
have a greater interest in Satan and being possessed by demons than
they do in Christ and being possessed by His Holy Spirit.
Those who fall into the practices of exorcism soon seem to be
looking for and placing a greater emphasis on the power of Satan to
attack than on the power of Christ to keep. Demons become the
center of their conversations and teachings rather than Jesus Christ.
We can rejoice in God's Word, "Greater is he that is in you, than
he that is the world" (1 Jn. 4:4). Thanks be to God Who gives us the
victory through Jesus Christ our Lord! We as Christians are told in
James 4:7 to "resist," not "cast out," the devil, and he will flee
from us.
HELP FOR NEW CHRISTIANS
OK! New Christian...What Now? | Bible verse for every letter of the alphabet.| Church History Summary.| The Christian Message.| Election. | Is Hebrews 6 a warning? | Seven Incontestable Questions. | Ironside: Agnosticism. | Issues Of The Heart - J. MacArthur. | Natural Laws and God's Laws. | Possession: The Devil Made Me Do It! | The Preisthood Of All Believers. | Why Jesus? | Knowing Why You Believe - Evidence - Bible. | Discussions With Unbelievers. | Inerrancy. | What Does It Mean To Be A Christian? | First Adam; Then Eve; then what? | What Will People Think? | Perfect For All Time. | Jesus Is Lord. | Spiritual Strength And Power. | The Biblical Calendar Of History. | Studying Your Bible. | Computer Analysis Of The Books Of The Bible. | Early Christianity - Is The Record Sound? | The Bible - The Most Popular Book. | Credentials Of The Bible. | Doomed - to Hell. | Faith And Works In The Plan Of God. | Others Can But You Can't. | Impositions - giving to God and by God. | Why Did Christ Die? | The Successful Christian - #1. | The Successful Christian - #2. | Is It What We Say Or What We Are? | Forty-day Bible Study. | Is Baptism Necessary For Salvation? | How To Overcome Sin - Charles Finney. Death. | Why We Reject This Version. | How Does God Keep His Promises? | Radical Genesis Evangelicals.
This article is from www.BelieversCafe.com