Discussions about devils and evil spirits generally draw a variety of

responses from people. In Western societies, many peoples

knowledge of evil spirits is limited to what they have seen in horror
movies or what they have heard about in stories involving ghosts
and haunted houses. Some people are fascinated with angelic
beings, but fearful with the idea that demons are fallen angels who
terrorize and do evil. Some Christians even dismiss the idea that
demons exist by explaining away the Gospel records of evil spirits,
saying the records are by people who did not understand sickness
such as epilepsy or mental illness like schizophrenia, and called
them demons. Nevertheless, we believe that the Bible is Gods
Word and as such that it provides instruction in all matters that
pertain to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3), which would certainly
include the existence and methods of demonic spirits.
Many Christians tend to become uncomfortable with discussions
involving demonic powers, especially those involving questions
concerning possession. Often, the sparse information people have
about evil spirits produces just speculation and falsehood. This is not
a surprise given that most of what people learn about dark angels
comes through folklore, hearsay, movies, and the media. When it
comes to the topic of possession, movies such as The Exorcist,
The Three Faces of Eve, and others, have left many with deep
false impressions about the demonic, what it is, how it happens, and
how to guard against it.
Relying on the world as our source for spiritual truth is very
problematic, especially when we recognize that this very world is
under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19). Looking to the
world for accurate information on the demonic is somewhat like
asking the fox the best way to protect the hen house. Our primary
source for learning about the spiritual realm must come from the
Bible. Gods Word is truth, and it will make us wise in the ways of the
spiritual world. Not only can we learn much about the kingdom of
the enemy through the numerous biblical accounts, we must also
recognize that the hidden nature of the spiritual realm also requires
that wisdom be gleaned from experience.
Proverbs 4:5-7
(5) Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or
swerve from them.
(6) Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and

she will watch over you.

(7) Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you
have, get understanding.
Demons go to great lengths to deceive, as well as to operate in a
covert and hidden manner. Because of this we must always be
careful when it comes to peoples experiences with demonic powers.
Despite their clandestine nature, peoples collective experiences
with these spirit beings over the centuries has provided a very
comprehensive picture of their powers and how they operate.
What is Demonic Possession?
Nowadays, most theologians recognize that the word translated
possessed in the Bible is not accurate. The term possessed was
first used in the King James Version of the Bible and is also found in
other translations, including the New American Standard Bible
(NASB) and the New International Version (NIV). The actual Greek
word that is translated possessed is daimonizomai, and means
demonized. For most Christians the word possessed implies that
an evil spirit is in a person and controlling them, whereas to be
demonized provides a much broader picture of the demons
activities. A demonized person can be someone who is under the
control of a spirit or has a spirit in them, but it can also be someone
who is merely oppressed or afflicted by demons. Consider the
different sense conveyed by these two different translations of the
same verse.
Matthew 9:32 NIV
While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and
could not talk was brought to Jesus.
Matthew 9:32 ESV
As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was
mute was brought to him.
To be possessed suggests that a person is held fast in the death grip
of a demon. However, if you are under the direct attack of evil
spirits, if you are afflicted or oppressed by evil spirits then you are,
biblically speaking, demonized. Christianitys failure to grasp this
simple truth has greatly hindered its ability to wage war against the
wiles of the Devil.
The mistranslation of diamonizomai has caused a number of
doctrinal and practical errors. For far too long people who have been

under demonic attack have failed to receive the freedom Christ has
made available because of the stigma that accompanies
possession. I once heard a man correctly say, If you have a
demon in you, on you, around or behind you, then you need
deliverance. [1] You need deliverance because you are being
oppressed by evil spirits. At the opening of Jesus public ministry he
called for the scroll of Isaiah and read the following description of his
ministry.
Luke 4:18 and 19
(18) The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to
release the oppressed,
(19) to proclaim the year of the Lords favor.
There are numerous records that tell of him freeing those oppressed
by demons, and he has given his followers the authority to do the
same.
Luke 10:19 ESV
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall
hurt you.
The news abounds of stories of people who dive into the waters to
help a person drowning. And the one drowning would never consider
not calling for help because of a stigma about being in the water
over their head. In the same way, we must work to remove the
stigma that is improperly associated with those oppressed by the
Devil. Christ desires that they be set free and he has given the Body
of Christ the authority and power to do it.
Experience versus Theology
Through the years I have heard a variety of opinions expressed by
Christians concerning whether or not a Christian can be demonized.
There are two main lines of reasoning when it comes to the topic of
Christian demonization. Simply put, on the one hand, there are
people who believe they can be demonized, and then, on the other
hand, there are people who do not believe they can. And then, there
are a large number of people in the middle who really have no idea
one way or the other. If in fact a Christian cannot be demonized,
even if we erroneously believe they can, then no real problem exists.

However if they can be demonized, despite us believing that they

cannot, a very real problem persists because we end up denying
demonically oppressed people the spiritual help and deliverance
they so rightly deserve.
The Bible must always be our rule for faith and practice.
Unfortunately, there are times when the Word of God is not clear on
a subject, as happens to be the case in this matter. Concerning
scriptural support of either position, Peter Horrobin states the
following in his book, Healing Through Deliverance:
This whole issue cannot be discussed at the level of finding proof
texts to justify ones viewpoint. For, try as you may, and others
before me have looked very hard, you cannot come up with any text
which uncompromisingly wins the point for either side of the
discussion! [2]
Whenever experience runs contrary to our understanding of
Scripture, we must stop and do our best to examine both. If we are
honest we will acknowledge that either we are deceived by our
experiences or have a wrong understanding of Scripture.
It must give us pause when we consider that there are numerous
experiences from countless individuals over many decades that
seem to indicate that a Christian can be demonized. To uncover the
truth on this subject we first need to uncover the rationale for our
positions, as well as any assumptions that we are relying on.
Why Some People Believe Christians Cannot be Possessed by
a Demon
There are two common reasons why some conclude that a Christian
cannot be demonized. We believe both beliefs are the result of
drawing false conclusions from erroneous assumptions.
We are Gods property and cannot be owned by the Devil
Some people assert that every Christian has become Gods
property, or possession, and therefore cannot be possessed, i.e.,
owned, by a demon. The problem with this reasoning is that it is
built upon a mistranslation of the Greek word diamonizomai, and
has therefore resulted in people drawing wrong conclusions. The
proper translation of diamonizomai is not possessed or owned,
but demonized, which simply means to be under the influence or
control of a demon. Since every person who is born of Gods spirit

was purchase by Christs sacrifice, people rightly assert that they

are Gods property.
1 Corinthians 6:19b and 20a
(19b) You are not your own;
(20a) you were bought at a price.
While it is true that a Christian can never be owned (possessed) by
a demon, it is false to say that they cannot be influenced or
controlled by one. Had the translators of the Bible never used the
word possessed as a translation of diamonizomai, but instead
used demonized, or even oppressed by a demon, this argument
that a Christian cannot be possessed by a demon may have never
existed in the first place.
God has given mankind free-will, but it is our personal responsibility
to retain it and not turn it over to another. My owning a car does not
prevent a thief from illegally stealing and operating it. Despite being
Gods property, a Christian may also come under the influence or
control of a demonic spirit. Christianity abounds with examples of
men, women, and children who are being oppressed and afflicted by
Gods enemy. Certainly the degree of influence and control varies,
depending on a number of factors, but nevertheless when this
occurs, from a biblical standpoint, they are demonized.
We are the temple of God and unclean spirits cannot be in
the temple
A second popular reason that some people believe a Christian
cannot be demonized is based on the scriptures that indicate that
they are the temple of God because of the presence of the holy
spirit. These people assert that since demons are unholy spirit
beings, they cannot be in the presence of the holy spirit. We agree
that the Word of God clearly teaches that all Christians collectively
make up the temple of God because of the presence of the holy
spirit (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19). However, when speaking of individuals we
do not believe the Scriptures support this thinking.
It is true that Moses established some very strict Tabernacle rules
concerning the priests and the peoples behavior. The High Priest
was the only one permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, and then
only once a year after making sacrifice for his own sins and the sins
of the people. Nevertheless, there are numerous examples that
demonstrate that men violated these regulations, even going so far
as setting up false idols in the Temple and tearing down Gods altar.

The following is a record of God telling Ezekiel about what the

Israelites were doing to Gods Temple.
Ezekiel 8:5b and 6
(5b) So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I
saw this idol of jealousy.
(6) And he said to me, Son of man, do you see what they are doing
the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here,
things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see
things that are even more detestable.
Many people have the impression that God jealously protected the
borders of His Temple, making the Holy of Holies off limits and killing
anyone who violated His regulations. The record of the Old
Testament actually reveals quite a different story. What is clear is
that when men bring abominations and idolatry into the Temple, God
departs, as we can even see in the above record from Ezekiel. There
is also the record of the Israelites improperly taking the Ark of the
Covenant into battle against the Philistines and the Philistines
capturing it and putting it into the Temple of their idol god. The Ark
was to be placed in the Holy of Holies and it was not to be used as
some type of magical box to bring about military victory (1 Sam.
4:3).
Something else that we must consider is that nowhere in the
Scriptures does it ever say that a demon cannot be in the presence
of the Holy Spirit. To the contrary, we must take note of the record
of Job where even Satan himself comes and presents himself to God.
Job 1:6-9
(6) One day the angels came to present themselves before the
LORD, and Satan also came with them.
(7) The LORD said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan
answered the LORD, From roaming through the earth and going
back and forth in it.
(8) Then the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered my servant
Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright,
a man who fears God and shuns evil.
(9) Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied.
Not only did Satan come and present himself to God, the record
indicates they had a discussion about Job. This seems to contradict
the assumption that demons cannot be in the presence of the Holy

Spirit, after all, God is the Holiest of all spirits and Satan is the most
unholy. It seems we can conclude that evil spirits can indeed be in
the presence of the Holy Spirit. A final point to consider is that
nowhere does the Bible ever indicate that the Christian is
impervious to the influence or control of demons. On the contrary,
God clearly warns us that the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). The Scriptures also
provide numerous warnings, as well as encouragements to be
vigilant in keeping up our defenses against him.
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you.
Not Ignorant of His Devices
Gods archenemy, the Devil, seeks to harm Gods children any way
he can. God warns us that Satans very nature is to steal, to kill, and
to destroy (John 10:10). With an enemy out there always seeking to
harm us, God assures us that He does not want us ignorant of the
Adversarys schemes. Our failure to be properly educated about
these attacks will most likely result in the enemy gaining a foothold
into our lives, which is something God does not want for us (Eph.
4:27). Many people who are ignorant of Satans schemes are
ensnared and held captive, and some even naively do his bidding.
This is why God warns us not to be ignorant of his schemes (2 Cor.
2:11).
The Devil is a master of deception and two fundamental tactics he
employs are convincing people that he does not exist, and
persuading them that he is more powerful than he actually is. When
it comes to the idea of demonization, the view that a Christian
cannot be demonized is merely a version of the He Does Not Exist
tactic. From Satans perspective, this is a highly effective strategy.
Most military experts would agree that it is very hard to fight an
enemy that you do not believe exists. In fact, operating in a covert
manner and using the surprise attack is one of the most effective
tactics an army can employ. When Christians deny the possibility of

demonization, they act like pawns on a chessboard subject to the

moves of a hidden enemy as he works to take advantage of them.
On the other hand, the Devil has also worked aggressively to
condition people to believe that possession is something much
more drastic than it usually is. The image of a crazed and wild man
of the tombs described in the Gospels, or someone who is totally out
of control and destructive, such as the girl in the movie, The
Exorcist, dominates peoples image of what it means to be
demonized. A wild-eyed naked man covered in gashes with the
strength to break chains and living among the tombs is a frightening
picture.
Mark 5:2-5
(2) When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came
from the tombs to meet him.
(3) This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any
more, not even with a chain.
(4) For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the
chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong
enough to subdue him.
(5) Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out
and cut himself with stones.
The Devils promotion of the word possessed instead of the proper
translation, demonization, has led many to believe that when people
are under the control of dark spirits they lose their ability to control
themselves. This is a version of the More Powerful Than He Actually
Is scheme, and while there are certainly times when demonization
can happen like that, this is the extreme exception and far from the
rule. Fear is a powerful force. It is a great immobilizer, sapping the
strength of the prey that is frozen in its tracks by the tremendous
roar of the lion before it pounces and devours. We never want to
lose sight of the fact that the Adversary is a very powerful and
formidable foe, but he is not as powerful as he would like us to
believe.
Set the Captives Free
Jesus opened his public ministry in the synagogue of his home town
Nazareth. He read aloud the following Scripture from Isaiah for
everyone to hear:

Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to
preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the
oppressed,
Jesus came to release the oppressed and set people free. In
contrast, the Devil always enslaves and always oppresses. The
Gospels give us numerous examples of Jesus setting the captives
free as he cast out spiritual vermin.
Acts 10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who
were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
It is now our task to help those who are oppressed and held captive
by the forces of darkness. Denying that Christians can be demonized
only promotes an environment for unclean spirits to operate without
resistance. On the other hand, seeing a devil behind every wrongful
behavior or every bad thing that happens in life is not beneficial
either, and only serves to glorify Gods enemy. We must stand fast
on the accuracy of Gods Word, submitting ourselves to God,
resisting the Devil, and then he will flee from us (James 4:7).
Endnotes
[1] Deliverance Ministry is the term used to describe the ministry of
freeing those oppressed by the Devil.
[2] Peter Horrobin, Healing Through Deliverance: 1.The Biblical
Basis, (Renew Books/Gospel Light, Ventura, CA 1994), p.295.
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