Question: Can Christians be demon possessed?

Question: Some writers claim that a Christian can be demon possessed. Do you agree with this?

Response: Concerning demonization of Christians, I’m not sure what that might mean, but I don’t find it in the Bible. I have spoken with those who can recite amazing stories from experience, but when I ask them for either biblical doctrine or example, they can give neither. Usually, they also admit that it can’t be supported from Scripture, but they then say that we must therefore look to experience. But experience that has no example in the Bible is dangerous and should not be relied upon. Of course, the Bible doesn’t include every kind of experience to which man is subject, but for something as important as demonization of a Christian the Lord would surely give us careful directions.

The Bible contains many examples of the demonization/deliverance of unbelievers, yet not one example involving a believer. This fact is practically conclusive evidence against the alleged modern experience of the latter. And to say that since the Bible doesn’t specifically state that a believer can get cancer, and therefore it need not state specifically that a believer can be demonized, simply doesn’t follow—the analogy fails.

Moreover, I can tell of believers who were confused and harmed by allegedly being “exorcised.” It seemed real and convincing to them at the time, involving even the manifestation of other voices speaking out of them. Looking back on the experience later, however, they concluded that under the power of suggestion they had been hypnotized to act that way but that actually there had been no demons involved (although hypnosis can open one to demonic influence).

Some people also claim that demonization is no different for a believer than falling into sin. If that is the case, why are there no examples in Scripture when there are plenty of examples of believers sinning? We can no more show from Scripture that demonization is theologically in the same category as falling into sin than we can show demonization of believers in the Bible.

If anyone has really gotten information from demons, then that person has embraced “doctrines of demons,” much of which was learned from demons themselves, who are “lying spirits.” That is a major weakness in many such claims—what can’t be supported from the Bible is justified because “demons said so.” Gathering information from demons is forbidden in the Bible.