I consistently encounter Christians who assume that demons cannot afflict believers because we belong to Jesus and have the Holy Spirit living within us. They usually say something to the effect that they don’t believe Christians can be “demon-possessed.” I agree with them. I also don’t believe that Christians can be “possessed” by Satan. “Possession” implies ownership and we are certainly owned and possessed by Jesus Christ who purchased us with his blood.

However, possession and affliction (oppression) are two different things. The only character we see in the gospels that comes close to possession is the man who lived among the tombs who had “Legion” camped out inside of him. Even that man would have been more accurately described as “demonized” rather than possessed and there are many levels of demonization. Mary Magdalene had seven demons cast out of her. Others in the gospels seemed to be afflicted by single spirits.

While we all agree that believers cannot be possessed by demons, many would argue that no demon can attach himself or take up residence within a believer because light (the Holy Spirit) cannot tolerate darkness (the demonic) and so would not allow any demonic presence to abide in the believer. I remember one woman who had witnessed a number of believers experience deliverance at a weekend where we were ministering to the church. She was amazed that so many non-Christians had been in church that weekend seeking deliverance.

Let me say a couple of things about demons taking up residence with believers and, thus, sharing a space with the Holy Spirit. First of all, we need to understand than demonization is not a salvation issue but a sanctification issue. People come to Jesus all the time with tons of sin and baggage in their life that is just as offensive to the Spirit as a demon. We believe that upon their confession of faith they are saved and the Spirit takes up residence within them while sin still remains. Then, the Spirit begins the process of conviction and transformation that will uproot the sin in a believer’s life over time. In the meantime, many immature believers are still struggling with addictions, crazy theology, and sinful behaviors including sexual sin, abuse, lying, etc. The Spirit hates all of those things and yet coexists with them inside the believer. Even mature believers can fall into deep sin and addictions but the Holy Spirit does not abandon them. How different is that from some demonic spirit who has found a foothold within a believer because of free will choices made by that believer or someone who has had authority over that believer?

Remember Paul’s admonition to the church at Ephesus to be angry without sinning. He then warns them not to let the sun go down on that anger, otherwise their refusal to deal with that anger through the cross might well give satan a foothold in their life. The word translated “foothold” carries the idea of a sanctuary for worshipping false gods. When Christians persist in sin without repentance, they can give the enemy a place in their life – a legal right to establish a foothold which can then become a stronghold. The Holy Spirit will not revoke our free will or the consequences of our free will. Just as he remains in the midst of our offensive sins he will remain in the presence of a demon we have chosen so as not to abandon us to the enemy.

The demon does not possess us; he has just carved out a place for himself from which to operate in our lives like a terrorist cell in a city. The terrorists don’t own the city but they will harass, torment, and oppress the city as long as they can. If you have ever had squirrels gain access to your attic, you know that they don’t own or possess your house but they can create havoc there and torment you in the middle of the night with the sounds of chewing and small feet running across your ceiling.

Demons afflict and oppress many believers because they have not been taught how to recognize their presence or how to deal with them. When we should be exercising the authority of Christ to regain the freedom that is ours in Jesus, we send believers off to secular counselors and therapists who will not or cannot touch the spiritual realities that are keeping their clients in bondage. My belief is that the church has a great deal of demonic oppression in it because we have let the enemy go unchallenged for generations. (More about that on Wednesday)