SETTING A cHRISTIAN CAPTIVE FREE.

WHAT IS A DEMON?

The easiest way to answer this question is to discuss the term "spirit." Even
though we are humans, the essence of who we are is that we are souls, each human
having an invisible spirit. The soul and spirit of each of us inhabits a body in
order to function in a material world. There are other forms of spirit who are
without material/physical bodies such as we have. These beings are angelic, either
good spirits or evil spirits.

Evil spirits are called "demons." Where do these demons come from? According to
the bible and the book of Enoch, some of the fallen angels/demons from the days
of Noah are chained in hell. These are angels who once had the power of sleeping
with humans and procreating, conceiving giants. The giants are the offspring of
angels and women in Noah's day. The flood came not only to wipe away human life
but to eradicate all life that was affected by fallen angels. The book of Enoch
states that demons are the evil spirits of the giants of Noah's day.

There is also speculation from various old testament scriptures that the demons
of today are the spirits of the fallen race of beings that inhabited the planet
earth BEFORE Adam and Eve was created. What we know is that demons "specialize."
Their objective is the mission of their Master"--- to kill, steal and destroy. As
we watch Jesus Christ cast them out through the gospels, particularly the gospel
of Mark, we learn various things about their characteristics. One major
characteristic is that most demons love to dwell in warm, human or animal flesh.

CAN A CHRISTIAN HAVE A DEMON?

The answer to this question is a resounding "NO!." The real question is "is the
professing, apparently faithful Christian with a demon really saved? In most
cases, I have found that many who are being tormented by demons, who seem out of
control, never got saved in the first place. In fact, they received a religious
demon.

Furthermore, the issue is not one of "possession." Very few of even unsaved people
are actually completely possessed, spirit, soul and body. I myself had a demon of
witchcraft before I was saved, a demon that could not stop me from being saved.
The witchcraft spirit of divination left me from being "IN" me at the moment that
I got saved. They could no longer enter my body and speak at their own will.
However, that same demon used deception so as to remain a hidden influence in my
life for the next 20 years, causing me to believe that various supernatural
experiences were from the Lord, when they were really counterfeits. In my private
counseling practice, I am running into professing Christians that are in a
complete state of torment, when even their physical bodies are under the partial
control of demons.

Then on further examination, I have found that as faithful as they are to the
Jesus of their understanding, they really never got saved in the first place. Many
professing Catholics and Pentecostals fall under this category. Also those who
have been indoctrinated by the properity gospel. Not that I am writing doctrine
from my experience, but on the other hand, experience must be explained somehow.
When you see one sincere professing Christian after the next have demons cast out
of them, it's hard to ignore what you are seeing.

So what is going on? I believe that in lots of instances, sincere believers have
been presented with "another Jesus" and they believe that they are saved, when
they are not. I have found that many of these sincere believers do not understand
godly sorrow that leads to repentance, nor do they understand the real truth of
resurrection.

So were they saved? Not according to 1 Corinthians 15:17, their faith is vain and
"they are still in their sins." All Christians are attacked by demons through
accusations, temptations, condemnation and the like---we all must participate in
spiritual warfare with them as we tear down strongholds and deal with the weights
that easily beset us.

But to have a demon IN us as Christians? My inclination toward that belief is to

answer "NO." Yet, a Christian can have a demon as a heavy burden on his or her
back, trying to tear him down. A Christian can also have a spirit of infirmity,
which is a demon of sickness and disease, ie. cancer, arthritis, etc. I've seen
the lives of sincere people changed so drastically that it's a day and night
difference before and after their deliverance! I can't begin to tell you what it's
like to have demons then be freed from them... it's one of the greatest blessings
that is rightfully ours in Christ Jesus! I am not only speaking from my own
personal experience with clients in counseling, but the experiences of many other
believers who have had demons cast out of them. It's like healing, even though it
was paid for on the cross, it's not automatically manifested the moment we say 'I
do' to Jesus. Sometimes we need to use the authority Jesus gave us to take
advantage of the freedom that He bought for us. As Psalms 44:5 tells us, "Through
thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that
rise up against us."

Bonafide Christians can also open up themselves to demons by not resisting them
through humility and keeping themselves free from sin. According to various
scriptures in the new testament, we pray that God grant them repentance so that
they can be set free. If He does not, then that person will continue to be
tormented. It will not matter whether or not the demon is inside of them or
outside. The torment will be severe. If they humble themselves and resist pride,
God will grant them the repentance they need to be set free.