Luke 11:24-26, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
Someone recently asked, “Can a Christian be demon possessed? Or can they be demonically oppressed?”
A born-again Christian cannot be possessed by demons. Scripture makes it clear that at the moment of salvation, a believer is permanently indwelt and sealed by God's Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13; Romans 8:9; 1st Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19; 1st John 3:24). We are bought with a price and belong to God (1st Corinthians 6:20). That price is the precious blood of Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19). Possession implies ownership and control, but believers are now under the authority of Christ and have been transferred from the domain of darkness into His kingdom (Colossians 1:13). Since God and Satan are not co-tenants, demon possession of a believer is categorically impossible (2nd Corinthians 6:14-16).
However, believers can be oppressed by demons. While demons cannot indwell or possess the child of God, they can certainly harass, attack, influence or bring external pressure. Inspired Scripture records that Paul was given a “messenger of Satan to torment” him (2nd Corinthians 12:7), and Peter warns that our adversary the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1st Peter 5:8). This kind of oppression may come in the form of spiritual, emotional, or circumstantial attacks—but always from the outside, never from within.
Believers can also be influenced by demons, particularly through false doctrine, worldly ideologies, and subtle deception. Paul warned that “in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1st Timothy 4:1). The battlefield is the mind, which is why we are commanded to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2nd Corinthians 10:5-6), and to renew our minds daily by the inspired Word of God (Romans 12:2). Demonic influence comes when we neglect the truth and fail to walk by faith.
In summary, while a born-again believer cannot be possessed by a demon due to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, he or she can be afflicted through external spiritual attacks and influences by lying false teachers and slanderers. That’s why we’re commanded to put on the whole armor of God, stand firm in His strength, and remain alert (Ephesians 6:10-18). Christ has already won the decisive victory at the cross (Colossians 2:15); and though we still face battles, we fight from a position of security and strength in the Lord.
A born-again Christian cannot be possessed by demons. Scripture makes it clear that at the moment of salvation, a believer is permanently indwelt and sealed by God's Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13; Romans 8:9; 1st Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19; 1st John 3:24). We are bought with a price and belong to God (1st Corinthians 6:20). That price is the precious blood of Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19). Possession implies ownership and control, but believers are now under the authority of Christ and have been transferred from the domain of darkness into His kingdom (Colossians 1:13). Since God and Satan are not co-tenants, demon possession of a believer is categorically impossible (2nd Corinthians 6:14-16).
However, believers can be oppressed by demons. While demons cannot indwell or possess the child of God, they can certainly harass, attack, influence or bring external pressure. Inspired Scripture records that Paul was given a “messenger of Satan to torment” him (2nd Corinthians 12:7), and Peter warns that our adversary the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1st Peter 5:8). This kind of oppression may come in the form of spiritual, emotional, or circumstantial attacks—but always from the outside, never from within.
Believers can also be influenced by demons, particularly through false doctrine, worldly ideologies, and subtle deception. Paul warned that “in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1st Timothy 4:1). The battlefield is the mind, which is why we are commanded to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2nd Corinthians 10:5-6), and to renew our minds daily by the inspired Word of God (Romans 12:2). Demonic influence comes when we neglect the truth and fail to walk by faith.
In summary, while a born-again believer cannot be possessed by a demon due to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, he or she can be afflicted through external spiritual attacks and influences by lying false teachers and slanderers. That’s why we’re commanded to put on the whole armor of God, stand firm in His strength, and remain alert (Ephesians 6:10-18). Christ has already won the decisive victory at the cross (Colossians 2:15); and though we still face battles, we fight from a position of security and strength in the Lord.
The Origin Of Fallen Angels (Demons)
The Bible teaches about demon possession. I believe that demons originated from the fall of Lucifer before the human race was ever created. I strongly believe in an old earth. That is, I believe that God remodeled the earth during the literal six days of creation approximately 6,000 BC, but the earth itself is billions of years old. Science tells us that the earth is about 4.5 billion years old. I have no problem with that estimate. They tell us that the universe is about 13.7 billion years old. Again, I have no problem with that claim. What saith the Scripture? Psalms 102:25, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.” The psalmist (Pastor Jack Hyles thinks it was likely Daniel the prophet) made a definite distinction regarding the age of the earth from all else. I humbly think that fact is significant.
Having said that, I absolutely reject all forms of evolution. I recently met with a young whippersnapper local Baptist pastor in Pensacola, who took issue with several of my website articles. He disagreed with me that women shouldn't wear pants (his wife shamefully wears sexy tight blue jeans in public), that the government should execute sodomites, an old earth (he teaches a young earth), et cetera. It was not a pleasant meeting. He had a bad attitude, defiant against the truth, and admitted to me that he is a neo-evangelical pastor (in sharp contrast, I am a born again fighting fundamentalist Bible preacher).
Anyway, that local pastor made the false accusation to me that adherents of an old earth (aka, Gap Theorists) lean heavily upon science rather than the Holy Bible. I immediately told him that he was very wrong. Legitimate science and the inspired Holy Bible agree! Dr. Einstein said it well...
“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” —Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Young earthers are in the same sinking boat as those lunatics who still think the earth is flat. The Bible warns against false science. 1st Timothy 6:20, “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.” The best examples of FALSE SCIENCE that I can think of are: The fallacies of evolution, a flat earth and Geocentricity (the lie that the earth is stationary and our solar system rotates around the earth).
It matters what we believe! RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!! Intelligent unsaved people won't listen to an ignoramus pastor who bizarrely believes the tomfoolery that the earth is flat. Scientists tell us that there have been at least 300 species of dinosaurs unearthed and identified. You'd have to be a darn fool to believe that over 300 species of dinosaurs just died off about 5,000 years ago for no apparent reason, while the rest of God's creation flourished.
Dear reader, there were NO DINOSAURS in the Garden of Eden! Dinosaurs didn't coexist with humanity!!! Noah didn't leave them behind as Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) foolishly taught. Nor did Noah bring dinosaurs aboard the ark with stunted growth for one year, as foolishly taught by Dr. Henry Morris III (1918-2006). It is so clear to any honest student of the inspired Holy Bible and science that dinosaurs simply could not have lived 5,000 years ago. And if they had coexisted with mankind, just for the sake of argument, why did over 300 species all just die off from the planet? Dear friend, use the brain that God gave you to think. Dinosaurs lived 60 to 220 million years ago, just as science confirms. The inspired Holy Bible concurs with legitimate science!
When Lucifer rebelled against God, one third of the angels chose to side with him. God in His wrath destroyed the earth, rendering it without form and void.
Jeremiah 4:23-28, “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.”
It humbly seems to me that this passage is speaking about creation. I humbly believe that God in His wrath destroyed the earth. Astronomers and geologists alike tell us that a large asteroid collided with the earth approximately 66 million years ago, which was an Extinction Level Event (E.L.E.), just like in the 1998 movie “Deep Impact.” The dinosaurs and all life on earth were annihilated, leaving the earth without form and void, just as we read in Genesis 1:2, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
It seems logical to me that the angels lived in cities upon the earth before mankind was created. Notice what Lucifer said in his pride in Isaiah 14, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” I agree with Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) in his 6-part Demonology series from 1974, that in order to ascend ABOVE THE CLOUDS, Lucifer had to first be below the clouds upon the earth. Dr. Hutson also believed and taught an old earth view, as did my long time ministry friend Pastor Max D. Younce (1935-2023).
When the earth was destroyed, all of the fallen angels became disembodied. That is, their bodies were destroyed in the aftermath of the destruction. They were now spirits without bodies. That is why in the inspired Holy Scripture, demons always needed to find a human or animal to be a host to possess. Whereas God's obedient angels always appeared in their own physical bodies. And by the way, angels appeared as humans. Hebrews 13:2, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” If it is possible to entertain “angels unawares,” then they must appear so identical to humans that we cannot distinguish them apart from humans. That is very interesting!
I hope you have enjoyed this brief Bible study on demons. This is speculation of course, most of which I cannot prove with the Bible. That being said, I can tell you with all confidence that a young earth makes absolutely no sense at all! The only other option is an old earth, so that is where I firmly stand. Thank you for reading my blogs. To our faithful God and Savior alone be all the credit and praise.