You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 (NASB)

Many people today question whether demons are even real, seeing them as a throwback to earlier times before science provided a framework for understanding many seemingly mysterious diseases such as epilepsy. Others who do accept the existence of demons would argue that Christians cannot be afflicted by them. Their rationale is that once a person is indwelt by God’s Spirit, there can be no room for an evil spirit to cohabit the same individual. They might also argue that a Christian is “possessed” or owned by God; therefore, it would be impossible to also be “possessed” by an evil spirit.

If we dismiss the existence of the demonic on the grounds that it was an accommodation to mankind’s ignorance at the time the Bible was written, we end up dismissing a fundamental theological truth. The Bible teaches that there are fallen angels who aligned with Satan when he revolted against God in ages past. These angels were expelled from heaven and constitute a Satanic host of evil arrayed against the church.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NASB)

Scripture does not clearly reveal whether demons are fallen angels or some other beings, but we do know that they are aligned with Satan for evil purposes. Demons afflict people and dwell in them at times.

Apparently, the human body is quite inviting to evil spirits and gives them a medium through which to perpetrate evil acts. Jesus said that demons find “rest” in a human body.

"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44  "Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45  "Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation." Matthew 12:43-45 (NASB)

In addition, by hijacking a human body and personality, demons dishonor God by marring or distorting his creatures and our God-given purpose to glorify him.

Jesus understood the reality of demons, using his authority as God’s Son to confront and expel them on many occasions.

Jesus, being God, knows far more than any mere mortal; so, whatever He declares is true, I feel perfectly safe believing the same. Otherwise, we find ourselves pitting our very limited intellects and experience against the wisdom and knowledge of God Himself.

If we accept that demons exist, which is the Biblical position, then how do they gain access and how does Jesus set us free from their power?

As previously mentioned, Adam relinquished to Satan the authority God gave him when he succumbed to temptation in the Garden. Satan gained access to oppress and harm humanity as a result and became a vicious oppressor. Because of our own sin and that of others, demon hosts gained access to people, who were somewhat defenseless against their onslaught. The Bible does not explicitly tell us how demons gain ability to oppress us, but observation plus analysis reveal some key insights.

Demons gain access to oppress us when we “open” the following “doors,” allowing them to come into our lives. Sometimes we deliberately open these doors, sometimes others open them for us, and at other times we naively open them.

• Our own sin, especially bitterness,
• Participation in the occult, whether innocently or not. This can include initiation into and participation in various secret societies, such as the Masonic Lodge.
• Experiencing severe trauma during which or afterward we may open ourselves up to demons, which pose as our friends and offer help or comfort,
• Abuse,
• Generational strongholds and sins that are passed down from one family member to another, and
• By believing lies that give demons a “hook” or “landing place” in our lives.

When Jesus healed and delivered people, about half the time he “healed” them and the other times he “delivered” them from demons.

We learn from our Lord that it is vital to discern whether an affliction has a physical or demonic basis.

When Jesus laid down His life at Calvary in perfect obedience to the Father’s will, he took back from Satan the authority Adam had ceded to him. Jesus became the Second Adam, the Progenitor of a new race of humans, who come into existence via the second birth. After his resurrection, Jesus told us that He alone now has “all authority” in heaven and earth. (Matthew 28:18)

The Bible also reveals that Christ’s victory over Satan and his minions extends to us who have voluntarily put ourselves under his authority by acknowledging him as our Lord.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:15 (NIV) 

Jesus used his authority as the Son of God to deliver people from demons when He walked the earth. His authority now is connected to his being the crucified and risen Son of Man, the Lord of Lords. He shares or delegates his authority to his church which represents him on planet Earth.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. Luke 10:19-20 (NASB) 

These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17 (NASB)

Believers now have the authority of Christ that enables us to cast out demons. The Holy Spirit backs up our commands to these evil beings and forces them to obey.

But what about the other question? Can a Christian have a demon? The answer to this question hinges upon our understanding of what it means to be oppressed by a demon.

The King James Version of the Bible translates the Greek word “daimonizomai” as “demon possessed”. A better translation would simply be “demonized”. Nowhere is the idea of possession communicated in the Greek.

Once we divest ourselves of the possession aspect of the word, we no longer must answer, “How can a Christian be possessed or owned by an evil spirit since he or she now belongs to the Lord?” No evil spirit can own a Christian; however, I believe a Christian can be “demonized”.

Demons can harass, afflict, and oppress Christians, if we do not take the steps to either protect ourselves and/or rid ourselves of this problem.

Demons can gain access into our lives through the same ways they access an unbeliever’s life. For example, if a Christian has had occult involvement either before or after becoming a believer, there is a good chance that there is some level of demonization going on. If a person suffered severe abuse as a child, it is highly likely that some demonic oppression is present. It does not matter if the activity was naive or deliberate, the devil will take advantage of any open door.

Demons seek to hide their activity as best they can, especially from Christians who would not tolerate their presence, were it known. It often takes experienced ministers who rely upon the gift of discerning of spirits (1 Cor.12:10) through the Holy Spirit to identify and root these beings out of our lives.

It is crucial that we close every possible door of access to prevent their return.

Once a demon is found and the access “portal” closed through repentance and renouncing whatever let them in, it is a simple matter to expel them in Jesus’ name. There is no reason a Christian should suffer from demonic oppression.

Sometimes demons hide behind the lies we believe. These lie-based strongholds are more important and more difficult areas of bondage. Once the lie is identified and removed, any associated demonic oppression is easily remedied. We will talk more about this later.

If you desire further insight into deliverance from demonic oppression, a great resource to study is Neil Anderson’s Bondage Breaker. I have also written a series of articles on the subject, which can be found at the following link: https://thirdpeter.com/articles/discipleship-essentials/biblical-healing-and-deliverance/ . Part 21 begins the section on deliverance.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion

• If you become aware of a demon in a person, what will you do?
• Put the following steps in order.
  • Lead the person in prayer to repent and renounce whatever allowed the demon access into his or her life.
  • Command the spirit to leave and never come back.
  • Pray for the protection of all persons involved. Command the spirits not to try to attach themselves to anyone involved.
  • Thank God for freeing the person.
  • Command any evil spirits to identify themselves.
  • Confess that everyone taking part in the deliverance is under the authority and protection of the Lord Jesus.
  • Bind any evil spirits and forbid them to manifest or act in any manner contrary to the Lord’s will.
  • Lead the individual in prayer to surrender to the Lordship of Christ, especially in the area under demonic oppression.
  • Advise the individual how to avoid reinfestation.
  • Discern if the spirit is gone.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to give discernment and wisdom as to how to proceed.
  • Identify any spirit oppressing the individual.
  • Acknowledge that all parties are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
• Are all these steps necessary each time you expel a demon?