Deliverance is First and Foremost for Christians

(Following article is excerpted, by permission of Steve Bell, from “Why Cast Out Demons?”)

A common response from many Christians is, “ I don’t believe a Christian can have a demon.” This is followed with the statement, “A demon can’t be in the same place as the Holy Spirit.” Everyone who believes such did not receive their understanding from the Scriptures. They are just repeating what they have heard someone else say – usually a minister.

There is no Scriptural evidence anywhere in the Bible to support the theory that a Christian can’t have a demon; on the other hand, there are numerous passages confirming the reality of Christian demonization.

In two particular instances, the Apostle Paul was concerned that believers he had previously ministered to had been infested with unclean spirits. He was fearful that the brethren in Corinth had received another spirit other than the Holy Spirit when he wrote, “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it.” (2 Corinthians 11:4) He also rebuked the believers in Galatia saying, “ Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you” You have to receive a demon to be bewitched and the only different spirit, other than the Holy Spirit, is a demon spirit.

If a demon or demons can’t be where the Holy Spirit is, how could Satan himself come among the sons of God as we see in Job chapters 1 & 2? And there is Satan again in the Lord’s presence in Zechariah 3.

Here we see there is misguided understanding and pure deception by the very enemy himself. Christians have been duped by the very ones who should be leading them into the truth to make them free.

When Jesus told the Syro-Phoenician woman, who was asking Him to cast a demon out of her daughter, He told her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” Who are the children and what is their bread? Deliverance – demons being cast out of them. (Mark 7:24-30)

Furthermore, when Jesus explained where demons go when they go out of people and what they do when they can’t find rest, it is obvious an unbeliever would be defenseless to a greater infestation because he or she (the demon’s house) is left with empty space and nothing to fill it such as the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Jesus said this would cause an individual to end up seven times worse than before. (Matthew 12:43-45)

Can a Christian have demons?

Apparently Jesus and the Apostle Paul think so.