Love Has a Name

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a post for you. If you are not in Christ, please continue to read on, but we warned, you may not like this one.

Recently there is a growing group of people who are calling themselves “Demon Slayers”. They are a group of professing Christians who are traveling the world to supposedly cast out demons from Christians. Some go so far as saying that as a Christian you should have demons cast out of your every 3 months. This group worryingly has an increasing following on social media and are deceiving, no joke, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people.

Check out the link below for a clear, biblical, explanation of deliverance.

Shawn – Revealing Truth – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MKeCiUBxjE&list=PLdfV2mAc5MAIYen_Xq0KPCoshuqBjpLRH

What I want to discuss today is about believers being possessed or oppressed.

Here are the definitions I am working from.

Possession: to be totally controlled by demonic forces, without your permission, or by way of action to have allowed demonic influence into your body, soul, and mind.

Oppression: to be oppressed from external demonic forces that attempt to influence your behaviours, actions, and/ or decisions. Temptation arising from external factors is a good example.

1 John 5:18 – Greek

Οἴδαμεν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει, ἀλλ’ ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ τηρεῖ αὐτόν, καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς οὐχ ἅπτεται αὐτοῦ.

1 John 5:18 – New International Version
“¹⁸ We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.”

Very briefly, I post the greek, because the original language here clarifies we are “kept”, “guarded”, and “watched over” by God.

I wish that I could post just this verse and leave it there, unfortunately there are millions of believers who are being deceived into believing this. They are believing that as a Christian, fully indwelt by the Spirit of God (only Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit), that they are also susceptible to having demons in them that requires them to be cast out.

Unbelievers are being told that demons are able to occupy a place that is occupied by God (The Holy Spirit) . This is contrary to 1 John 4:4, which teaches us that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. If God who lives within a Christian is greater than the enemy, Satan, why would we think then that demons could take up residence in any form for any amount of time inside a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Many of the “demon slayer” folks will also say that by our actions or inactions we give “legal permission” to demons to enter us. Yet this is once again contradicted by the Holy Scriptures.

Ephesians 1:14 tells us that for those who have heard the gospel and believed and received salvation, are sealed by the Holy Spirit. This comparison biblically is a legal type of comparison that we are signed and sealed by God for no other person, spirit, or deity to take possession of. Saint Paul writes in Romans that nothing can separate us from the love of God, including demonic forces.

Finally, Matthew 12:43-45 further tells us that if a person is subjected to a demon being cast out of them, that they must be filled with something. In the event that that person is not filled by God, upon their hearing and believing (Ephesian 1:14 again) that the demons will return and they will bring reinforcements. It appears that these reinforcements are to become stronger within the person so that they are tormented even greater than before.

Additionally, Matthew 12:43-45 says “when it <the unclean spirit> returns and finds the house empty, swept, and put in order…” This clearly means that if the “house” meaning the person, is NOT empty that it will not remain within that person.

Personally, this is as clear as it can get. POSSESSION by demons of a born again believer of Jesus Christ is impossible. OPPRESSION by demons toward a born again believer of Jesus Christ is inevitable.

James 4:7 tells us to submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee. There is no obscurity here, we are to obey God, resist the devil. This is not a “maybe” or “if” we encounter the devil, this is going to happen as a believer in Jesus Christ.

Unbelievers, if you have made it down this far, there is hope. Repent of your sin and place your faith and trust in the finished works of Jesus Christ, that is His death and resurrection. You too can be indwelt by the Spirit of the Living God and protected, kept, and watched over by God.

Believers, if you are believing that you are able to be possessed, be encouraged that you are not, if you are born again. If you are being oppressed, rejoice, and give thanks to God for His saving grace and possession of you for Himself, eternally.