CanBelieversBeDemonPossessed

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Can Believers be demon-possessed?

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Take the following with discernment. Consider what is being said in light of Scripture....

This question comes up from time to time, and I believed the issue has become convoluted do to deception from the enemy/satan and his forces of darkness. First of all, let me state as a premise that NON-Believers can be possessed and oppressed to various degrees, and the same would hold true of false-Believers/tares of course. - But I believe that as a Believer in Yeshua Messiah's your very framework has been changed, so that possession in the sense of what non-Believers go through is not possible. - Though admittedly oppression from the enemy can reach the point where it mimics possession, and the mind-control from the enemy for all intents and purposes displays the same exact characteristics as possession. Some might say then, well if that's the case that they are virtually the same thing, then why even bother bringing it up? - I bring it up as I believe that there is a very subtle difference that is introduced as a false wind of dogma/doctrine by the enemy that is designed to attempt to limit the faith of the Body of Messiah as a whole, and so attempt to diminish the authority of the Body of Messiah, by presenting a view of what is "seemingly" reality, but in actuality is contrary to God's reality and Truth.

I'm not going to make this a detailed study, only give you a few things to pray about. And I'll try not to go off into too much of what I believe God has showed me on these matters, nor give personal experiences in dealing with demons and demon possessed people - as that I believe is what can lead to dogmatic problems in the first place - when personal experience is presented and then an attempt is made to align that experience with the Bible, instead of letting God use the Light of Scripture to examine the experiences - and then we will see where our experiences align with the Bible from His perspective, not ours.

First of all a couple of more things: I believe that children, till the age of accountability - and even latter on if according to God's will, have guardian angels that stand full time between them and the kingdom of darkness. This can be seen for example where Yeshua says that the children's angels do always behold the face of the Father - they are good angels. And that after the age of accountability a person who hasn't made a decision for Yeshua Messiah, short of God's providence and protection, will encounter the kingdom of darkness. Now, this entire world is in darkness, and under the power of the evil one as Scripture tells us [the "world" but not the earth - but I digress. "world" = the kingdom of darkness, but the earth is YHVH's and the fullness thereof] - but yet, YHVH Elohim is in control of everything, and Yeshua Messiah said to fear not - that He has overcome the world. This seems like a paradox, but it isn't at all. Now, being somewhat simplistic, there are two "realities". - The evil reality is constantly trying to impose itself upon creation and mankind here on earth. There is God's True Reality; and satan's false "reality". When confronted with the reality of satan, which has NO truth, the unregenerate man who himself is evil tends to believe these lies. - So, then these lies become tangible, but they are never in the Truth at all. Satan is a liar and the father of lies, and there is NO truth in him. So... when unBelieving man, who's spirit is dead, confronts the lie of the false god of this world that lie is believed and they enter a "reality" which is perceived as true, but yet has no Truth in it, as it is a perversion of their perception and ability to perceive of what is real - [as in Romans 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.] For example: YHVH Elohim created the bodies of man and woman distinct and separate from angels, and so any attempt to violate this by possession from evil-spirits would be contrary to the fabric of the universe, contrary to God's Laws built into creation. But, without any type of covering, we see that this is what happens to people who are demon "possessed". What then? God has permitted a lie and a falsehood to exist for a time. - But, what has happened is totally outside of God's Truth - so in a very real sense, what is perceived as being "real", but is outside of God's Truth, is totally illusion and devoid of substance. While we see God allowing for the moment {for a time until the Judgment} things that are contrary to Him in creation - YET - we know that outside of God everything is void and without form - and except for being permitted by God for a season to exist - everything that is apart from Him Who is Life and True - is dead and doesn't exist in True reality and so has no form nor validity nor even True substance. What YHVH Elohim says is True is True.

So... having said that: I simply believe what Scripture says concerning the "new creation", our state of being as Believers in Messiah Yeshua.

Now, there are dogmas that state that a Believer can be possessed in the body only, other dogmas states they can be possessed in the body and soul but not the spirit. One of the main "proof" texts that those who hold to this belief use is in showing the possession of certain people in the New Testament, pointing out that they were Jews, and then saying since God has a Covenant with the Jews - they are Believers. Well, this is a far stretch right off - while God made a Covenant with Israel in Scripture - all of Israel has not always followed the Covenant, the just shall live by faith - not all of Israel are/were "Believers" in the Biblical Messianic-Judaic understanding. So... was wicked queen Jezebel a "Believer" then, what about king Herod - maybe he was only half a "Believer" because he was only half Jewish?! - Absolutely no validity to this type of argument at all. So then if you throw out this argument, which has I believe has no merit whatsoever, you are left with the plain fact that there are NO concrete examples in Scripture of someone being possessed AFTER coming to Yeshua Messiah. We do see though that all those who came to Him were delivered!

Now, I know that at this point some people are saying: yea, but [-------fill in the blank-------]. And I'll just ask you to contemplate that perhaps what you saw or experienced appearing as being "possessions" AFTER being a Believer - was in fact severe-oppression and demonic mind-control and illusion/imagination - BUT FROM THE OUTSIDE pressing in, NOT FROM THE INSIDE! -- I believe that this difference then, though in experience it may appear and feel the same, has an extreme implication regarding our Spiritual authority and God's reality. And that this is one reason that this type of "dogma" keeps coming up. Not to mention the false religions that are constantly promoting the idea of: "within you and without you" - but these false-religions, are ever so slightly promoting a mental perversion of reality, introducing doubt and fear. - It's out there alright, but it is a lie and is not true! I believe that when one accepts Yeshua Messiah into their heart, the demons leave the body - period! But, the demonic-infrastructure is still out there, so to speak, and satan tries to re-impose the prior deception, especially on those who haven't fully repented and only have Yeshua Messiah as their Savior, but have not yet made Him the Lord of their lives - by submitting their all to YHVH. But don't think I'm promoting a false religious 'power of positive thinking', or a 'reality is what you make it' shtick, etc.; - quite the contrary: to be Spiritually minded is life and peace; but to be carnally minded is death.

Some may think - but how can something that appears real be not factual? Don't use that one as a yardstick - the majority of the Body of Messiah due to about 1800 years of false teaching over and over thinks God's Law is something bad that needs to be cast aside!

Why then would satan go to the effort to mimic possession in Believers? Because it introduces a level of doubt, however subtle, in Believers in general, saying: perhaps "I have a demon" - and even though you may not think you have a demon, because one holds to this dogma, that doubt still lingers - because part of this dogma is that Christians can have a demon and not even know it! - So... when you attempt to walk in faith I believe this becomes a subtle stumbling block. - Thoughts coming up like: How do I know I don't have a demon? - If one Believer can have a demon, what stops me from having a demon, etc. - and so you're constantly on guard against something that is Heavenly impossible, and so your attention is diverted away from the real sources of the attacks which are mind-control spirits and seducing spirits coming against your mind and seducing your flesh to sin - and so placing you under bondage when you sin - being led away of your own lusts - from the outside coming under a control of satan to one degree or another. Some will go then to "deliverance" services, and the oppression does leaves, but they believe it was a possession that left them - and then they can feel free for a time, as they can point to a specific occurrence of deliverance - which in a sense is valid - the demon left. But this can become then: deliverance service after deliverance service after deliverance... yet sadly then there has been a loss of an understanding and knowledge of our positional reality in our authority from Above as Believers against the kingdom of darkness.

It's horrible to be bound and lost; but as a Believer it's a very sad and fearful thing to think you might be bound when you are actually not, or even worse - to let yourself be bound in any degree - when you were and even still are in Yeshua Messiah really free.

Since there are no direct Scriptures that address the issue of Believers being possessed from the inside; let's look at just a few of very many Scriptures I believe show that once you become a Believer - all demonic activity against you is from the outside [even if it appears as if coming from the inside]. While not all these verses address the subject directly, I believe they show a new reality of position in the life of all true Believer - at the moment of Salvation becoming 180-o from where they were as non-Believers - even though unsanctified carnal Believers still have not moved away from and entangle themselves with the world they still exist IN, even though they are now not OF. {The NOTES below I'm putting for consideration purposes - not necessarily to establish doctrine - the verses in and of themselves are what is important.}

Col.1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
NOTE: translated: to transpose, transfer, remove from one place to another

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
NOTE: Does it make any sense to even begin to think that the Holy Spirit would dwell in the same physical location as a demon?!

1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Messiah, and members in particular.
NOTE: Does it make any sense to even begin to think that Messiah would let a demon inhabit Himself?!

1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.
NOTE: Showing our new reality in Truth - with the world and the enemy on the outside, God on the inside. Where as before Messiah the "within you and without you" was the world sin and the devil - after we are born from Above as Believers in Yeshua Messiah the within is the new man in Messiah Yeshua the without is the world. - Even though we still may hear the echo of the lie of the enemy and his false reality back when we were dead in sin, yet we have been translated out of that into the True reality.

Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Joh 17:14 I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
NOTE: Even for the weakest Believer, I believe this is a positional reality. - Though carnal Believers willfully intermingle themselves with the world they still live in, but are no longer of.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
NOTE: all things are become new - the very framework of our entire being has changed.

CONCLUSION:

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Mt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Part of the reason is that ALL demonic activity is false - everything the devil does and says is false and contrary to God's Word and reality. But when confronted with demonic activity, certain things that are of the devil show up, and we try and fit that into what the Bible tells us about such things. But - the devil knows that too, so will manifest in ways that look tangible, but in reality it is totally a deception and designed to promote a "wind of doctrine" that is false - and try and get the Body of Messiah to repeat that false-doctrine/dogma, till most - or even all - believe it. We've all seen this with the anti-nomia/Torah false-doctrine that permeates the "Church" today. And as times wax worse and worse, the deception will increase. There are other demonic things coming down the pike to try and deceive if possible even the very elect, and those lying signs and wonders will also be believed by the apostate church with the "great falling away" as Scripture tells us. There is no doctrine in the Bible that states Believers can be possessed. Yet, by "experience" of those who are Believers and having had this type of "manifestation" many have concluded that they can be. - This is a secondary and greater deception - that oppression is equated with possession in the Believer, and so attempting to poison the waters. Let me share the following and maybe by example you can see what I mean....

Not that many years ago there was a popular "Charismatic" church here in Denver. Many attended it, and even some of the youth from certain Messianic Congregations in town went there on sunday. I personally knew folks who went there, even from Messianic Congregations and others who have been in Charismatic Churches for years as Believers. Well... one sunday as the folks went to service, they were given cute little barf-bags as they went into service. And the reason was as the leadership said they not only had a deliverance ministry - but that because Christians have demons inside them [not oppression - possession - inside] that they needed to get rid of. Now, imagine the witness to non-Believers who happened to be there that day, as they saw the Body of Messiah hacking up flem and barf into little bags en mass! - What a witness right?! NOT!!! Ask yourselves in your heart of hearts - do you really think that Spirit filled Believers after years and years of walking a separated life, praying for the sick, etc... are inhabited by demons! This is as a type of mass-hysteria! Sure, there was plenty of hacking up going on - and that just further fed the false-doctrine - 'see - look at all this hacking-up - it's real folks - just keep hacking-up and you'll be free!' - Come on people! Doesn't your spirit cry out against this?! This false-doctrine is almost exactly the same as the cult scientology - only instead of charging per demon that is cast out, the plate is passed at the end of the service!

Were there folks delivered that day - possibly - God's Word does not return void - but while a few might have been delivered of demonic oppression that day, I'm sure there was plenty of laughter in the demonic realm that such a false-dogma/doctrine is being promoted over and over. You know when Messiah Yeshua led captivity captive the devil was out of a job as far as the Body of Messiah was concerned as far as inhabiting them and having direct control, - but this doctrine gave him an inroad - causing people to not just doubt God's Word, but believe things that aren't even stated in God's Word at all.

You know, many of the big-names in the deliverance ministry used to say years ago that a person had to be delivered from all demonic possession before they could Believe and accept Jesus/Yeshua into their lives. - That was almost a given. So how is it that in 20 or 30 years it's gotten to: sure man, you can be possessed as a child of God, just take this little barf-bag follow me and you'll be free?! Even just on the surface alone consider: don't we see Jesus/Yeshua casting out the demons THEN the delivered people wanted to follow Him - before they were delivered they just wanted Him out of there!

Now to those of you who have had experiences like this - yes, you had that experience, and I Believe that God can and does set us free - and those of you who are set free by Yeshua Messiah - praise God. But if a demon can get a Believer to feeling weird, do a few weird things. and get a him to say: I'm inside of him and I'm not coming out - watch out folks - there is more deception here than you know of.

Kind of strange how Believers will say that satan is skillful and powerful enough to physically inhabit a part of the Body of Messiah, but don't stop to think that he is cunning enough to make it only "appear" as though he is possessing the Body of Yeshua Messiah! - Wake up! For the priests of the tares took manifestations of the profane - and mingling it with the dogmas of men and the doctrine of demons in their censors ran among the wheat with strange smoke that clouded the eye and brought confusion.

O Body of Messiah! - Don't you know that it is the very fact that the Body of Messiah cannot ever be possessed that delivered you in the first place! For in the moment you cried out to Him you were transformed - you were translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light, the angels rejoiced at that moment, and the Blood of the Lamb that cannot be crossed over by the evil-one entered your life, you were then at that very moment not your own for you were bought with a price. From that very moment on when you Believed from the heart and confessed with your mouth - you were born from Above and became a new creation - all things became new, you were enrolled in the Book of Life, you passed from death unto Life. God Himself inhabited you and you became His possession from that very moment! What then, you will say, was the possession I felt come upon me - even days after I made this confession of faith? - The enemy of our souls, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, the one who kept you captive even for years, the evil-possessor as a roaring lion returned as the evil-oppressor, to see if he could again ensnare you with the same lies and deception he held you captive with so many years - as a raging bird to see if he could devour the seed that was sown in the good ground of your heart. Then you went to be prayed for, and there was laying on of hands, and words of prayer, and even oil on your brow - but it was not the hand of man, nor any word of mankind, nor the oil on the forehead, that delivered - for it was the Hand of Messiah Yeshua on your life, and the Living Word of YHVH Elohim in your heart, and the Oil of the Holy Spirit of YHVH that delivered you! And though 1000 demons that once possessed you came or should come again to you with their experiences and voices and evil manifestations from when you were lost, and even though 10,000 demons should accuse you and say he belongs to us and not to God - yet you were set free from the very first moment you believed in your heart that God has raised Yeshua Messiah from the dead and you confessed it with your mouth. And now you experience the reality of It and the Liberty of It that you already had obtained from that very moment - for by faith in maturity you know more day by day what was oh so real from that very first moment - though your understanding was dim: greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!

In Yeshua Messiah's Name, Amaine.