This is an important doctrine, because when born-again Christians believe they’re immune from demons, many think it’s impossible to overcome sins like lust, because the desire is “too strong.” But it’s that strong because evil spirits drive lust once we let them in through willfully sinning, giving them a place.
Some “Christians” justify their thoughts of hating and wishing evil on people as being from God, because they’ve been taught that evil spirits can’t give us thoughts and desires if we have God living in us; even though, the Bible says those who hate people can’t inherit the kingdom (Gal. 5:19-21).
Many born-again Christians have trouble hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit because they hear familiar spirits giving them thoughts and ideas that lead them astray. When we’re free from these demonic voices, we’ll only hear one voice: the H0ly Spirit’s. If we hear more than one voice giving us ideas, only one can be the Holy Spirit.
I will show what the Bible specifically says, what the Holy Spirit has revealed and how this works in real life.
* * *
Many Bible teachers claim that John’s broad statement: “greater is he who is in you than he [Satan] who is in the world” (1 John 4:4) means that Christians can’t be directly affected by demons. They believe that wherever God is (indwelling in Christians) demons can’t also be present. John was speaking of Satan, not demons, and didn’t specifically say that evil spirits can never be in us.
Satan spoke with God in heaven, which is 100% holy, where there is no sin (Job. 1:6-7, 2:1-2). If we compare the holiness of heaven to most Christians’ bodies, who don’t keep themselves holy in every way.
I was told the safe-zone border that demons can’t cross into is the person’s skin; though, the Bible nowhere say that.
Because of this one verse, mainly, they claim that personal experiences, even clinical tests that seem to show that demons affect Christians directly must be invalid.
On the other hand, many Christians have had revelations from God showing them how demons directly influence Christians (who have given demons a place – Eph. 4:26-27), either by giving them thoughts (very common), driving sins (like lust, hatred, unforgiveness, lying, self-hatred, etc.), and causing sicknesses.
I absolutely agree that if the Bible states something clearly as fact, and personal experiences and/or revelations show something differently, we must go by what the Bible says. But the Bible nowhere says that evil spirits can’t be in Christians under any circumstances. In fact, it says the opposite, as I will show.
The Bible states that the Holy Spirit will lead believers into all truth (John 16:13). And His leading is supposed to be so capable that John says this in 1 John 2:
27 As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.
Sola Scriptura (Bible alone) is not a biblical concept. It’s actually a false doctrine, a doctrine of demons that discourages people from seeking God for truth and revelation. Many of us have been shown by God ways in which demons affect Christians, which absolutely should be considered, because God wants us to know more specifically what is taught only generally in the Bible. But the Bible also says a lot on the subject.
A well known example is Paul’s thorn in the flesh, “a messenger of Satan to torment me,” Paul said in 2 Cor. 12:
7 By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. 8 Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
This could hardly be written any clearer to mean this messenger (angel in Greek) of Satan was in fact a demon. And in the flesh probably means exactly that — inside his body. And the word torment is similar to the word Jesus used in Matthew 18, describing what would happen to us if we don’t forgive everyone from the heart; though, this is translated differently in the NIV.
Much of the reason that today’s theologians disbelieve a Christian can have a demon is because of how the NIV and many of the other modern translations changed what the Bible really says. This is discussed here:
NIV alterations that greatly affect Christian doctrine — including my pet peeves. The NIV is destroying the church! Here’s proof.
Look at what the NIV did to Matthew 18 and Ephesians 4. From the third article above, NIV alterations that greatly affect…:
I’ve been harping about this forgiving-and-the-NIV subject for decades. Try to teach the importance of forgiving out of the NIV.
In the NIV, forgiving our brother 77 times is good enough? It’s definitely a reachable number — unlike 490 times.
And in the NIV, the “jailers” don’t sound like demons to me. “Tormentors” (KJV) certainly do though. If we don’t forgive everyone from our hearts the tormentors have a right to torment us.
God allows this so we get so disgusted with living in torment so we learn to always walk in love towards even our enemies when they curse us, hate us and mistreat us (the phrases the NIV left out, above).
It’s hard to even know what real Christianity is when we read the NIV. And we won’t learn enough about how Satan’s kingdom really works so we can learn how to be free. Many NIV readers don’t even realize that they have demons directly affecting them. The NIV puts people in the dark. Here is what they’ve done to parts of Matthew 18 and Ephesians 4:
Matthew 18
21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven [seventy seven times].
23 Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. 24 When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ 27 The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’ 30 He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’ 34 His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors [turned him over to the jailers to be tortured], until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”
And “a foothold” in Eph. 4, what’s that! The Greek word here is topos, which means “place,” like in topography. There is nothing in the text that indicates the Devil just gets a little foothold if we stay angry. The demons go right in, because we’ve given place to them. We’ve given them the right to torment us because we disobeyed God by not forgiving everyone from our hearts.
This is how lust demons work too. No lust, no lust demons. Whereas, lust just a little bit and they have the right to enter and drive lust from then on until we repent — cold turkey. 100% repentance, 0% lust = 0 lust demons — lust freedom!
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another [body]. 26 “Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 neither give place to the devil [do not give the devil a foothold].
Evil spirits can’t affect us if we don’t sin, but in the areas we do, like Paul with his pride, the demons have a right.
God gave me a prophecy, which I call Let Us Be ONE. In part 20, God explains what was going on with Paul:
Give Up the Ghost of Pride and Settle for Nothing Other Than Love
Let them be your friend, those who disobey. Don’t judge. Let them see your life. Show it around. Let them see how good it is—a Trumpet call for all to see—you in the flesh—but in the Spirit, giving you life. What an oxymoron. They think you are crazy when you give up the ghost of pride. The two don’t go together. They don’t fit in a sentence. What does life have to do with darkness? How can we be one? The whole house must be clean, swept from inside. Give up the ghost of pride, and settle for nothing other than love, pure love from above.
Do not let it get in, your pride. Don’t take it. Don’t accept it as your own. It is not from above, but from the father of lies. He remains inside of most who disobey. The demons are thick as muck, all over, festering. There is much confusion, and it is not right. They can get in. Many don’t believe they are filled. It is them, part of their personality. Yes it is, but it is not Me. You are full of them, those yukky things that wreak inside My body, making it unclean. Paul did not have these. He walked tall. They made him obey, for he learned how to live above the fray. He hated disobedience and shunned sin. He still had a spirit of pride that held him back, but it was not from Me, and you know it.
You know you are like him in many ways, hurting, because you haven’t given your all. He overcame. Sin had taken him for a ride. He had hurt many, taking them into prison, putting them in chains—people like you who proclaim the Gospel. He took time to pray and overcame His grief. He was amazing, and is with Me, happy, because he fought and won—not at first. It took time. He needed to be holy. Righteousness came, and he grew until he became great in My thinking, full of Me, pride no longer. He humbled himself, and slowly became obedient until the point of death. He hurt.
Many are in dismay. They think he is great, that no one can be like him, but you will do better. He faltered. You, as a body can do much better. You can be one, you in Me, all under authority, all led by Me, all together, all one, hand in hand, much better than it was. Can you believe it?
This can happen. You can watch it, and see it in your own life. Start now. Don’t wait; then temptation will cease, and you will be one. It will happen. All of a sudden you will see that I am in you and life has come, making you one in Me. It will click.
Here’s how: watch and pray. It’s that simple. Study, see if this isn’t so in My Word, My living testimony that you can read to give you life any time of day as long as you live here on this planet, away from your home for a season. Then there will be life that you’ve never seen before, but tasted. You will be glad that you stood the course, that you built from above. It will be eternal. Seek this, eternal life, your eternal home, above, Me in you, and we are one. It will be this way, starting now if you let it. It doesn’t have to wait. See it; watch it fill you with life.
So it seems that God is telling us that Paul got to where he was demon free except for a spirit of pride, and then he eventually got free from that: “he grew until he became great in My thinking, full of Me, pride no longer.”
So if Paul did actually have a demon tormenting him physically, how could John have then written “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world?”
Let’s look at 1 John 4-5:
1 Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world [this is actually similar to Paul’s concept of grace, which gives us the power to overcomeThe meaning of “Grace” (χαρις) in the Bible: It’s not what you think?]. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God. 8 He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. 9 By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. 16 We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 17 In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. [I discuss this concept in [WordPOWER!] 1 John 4 “Perfect Love Casts Out Fear” means us perfectly loving, not us perfectly accepting His love for us (as is commonly taught). Let’s love perfectly!] 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three who testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God’s testimony which he has testified concerning his Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. 11 The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. 15 And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request concerning this. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.
18 We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
1 John 5:18 is the key to being demon free. Willful sinning gives demons a place (Eph. 4:26-27), and willful unforgiveness from the heart towards anyone allows evil spirits to torment us ( Mt. 18).
1 John 4-5 is the converse: When we walk in perfect love (1 Jn. 4), we’re not sinning. We keep ourselves safe so then the evil one can’t touch us. “Perfect love casts out fear.”
It’s not us perfectly accepting God’s love, as is commonly taught. It’s us perfectly loving “Perfect Love Casts Out Fear” means us perfectly loving, not us perfectly accepting His love for us (as is commonly taught). Then, and only then are we guaranteed freedom from demons.
According to John, perfectly loving others is supposed to be the normal Christian life. This is our standard. “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
When we are walking this clean these signs [including miracles that most of us aren’t seeing often yet] follow them that believe…, Jesus said in Mark 16. And believe means more than belief in Jesus’ atonement on the cross.
When we are walking this Christlike 1 John 5:15-16 will be evident:
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. 15 And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
But until we are walking in perfect love we can’t claim immunity from evil spirits, biblically — and we’re not going to see many miracles either.
The Bible all fits together. We can’t take one verse that applies to those who have overcome and apply it to current ‘believers’ who mostly don’t even believe that we’re even supposed to walk in perfect love, which casts out fear.
Being demon free is far from being automatic just because we prayed a prayer to be born-again. Being born-again is just the start of being equipped, empowered so we can overcome, perfectly loving so we can then be demon free.
And because almost every ‘Christian’ in America has demons influencing their thoughts and their feelings directly, BIG-time, it’s hard for them to see clearly enough to see the kingdom.
Life has ceased in most because we’re so far from walking in perfect love where we can be free — and where signs and wonders will follow.
We need to get our doctrines right so we can then learn how to walk in perfect love together, demon free — overcomers.
Then we’ll all be resting. We’ll all know for sure, deep down that we have eternal life. Belief won’t be a struggle — and signs and wonders will follow. We will have whatever we ask according to His will.
And He wants great things to happen. He stays away because we’re staying away (James 4).
Let’s move in close to Him where we can be ONE. Then the world will know, and life will be FUN!!!!!!! JOY will be off of the charts — no matter what is coming down the pike — which doesn’t look good, since the ‘church’ hasn’t been salt and light.
We’re going to reap what we’ve sowed. But there can be a GREAT ending to this story when we finally overcome and actually live 1 John 4 and 5!
The Devil LOVES to have his minions planted within ‘Christians,’ who think all of their thoughts are their own, and everything that is going on in their bodies is naturally caused — though it’s demons that drive much of what many ‘Christians’ do. And demons are probably the number one cause of illness; though, they are influencing ‘Christians’ to accept what isn’t really food as though it is too.
Dark forces inside of ‘Christians’ influence them to even hate those they disagree with, those who make them feel uncomfortable, who may even teach them they can have demons inside. That’s why there are so many fights in religion. Religious spirits compel ‘Christians’ to believe certain things strongly and without question. And anyone who would say otherwise must be off his rocker!
Check your hearts, you all. What’s going on inside of you? Are you free? Can you totally relax when you discuss doctrine? Are you at peace, really? Check your heart, specifically, not just your head.
There should be peace, 24/7.
Instead of Partysville, which I call the overall state of the church — “I’m okay; you’re okay. Ha, ha, ha,” we need James 4: [WordPOWER!] God’s Remedy for James-3 Cursing & Partysville in Today’s Church is James 4. I’ll just quote some of James 4 here. James 3 talks about ‘Christians’ cursing Christians, which happens all the time in today’s partysville atmosphere where anything goes.
James 4:
1 Where do wars and fightings among you [speaking to Christians] come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members? 2 You lust, and don’t have. You kill [James just got done talking about ‘Christians’ cursing Christians, which is like killing — anyone who hates his brother is a murderer], covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war [James showed in chapter 3 that ‘Christians’ were cursing Christians from their hearts (3:14)].
You don’t have, because you don’t ask. 3 You ask, and don’t receive [opposite of 1 John 5:14-15], because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.
4 You adulterers and adulteresses [adultery = lusting in the heart (Mt. 5)], don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously“?
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy [partysville joy, not fruit-of-the-Holy-Spirit joy] to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
In this passage, James is talking about demons in ‘Christians’: your pleasures that war in your members — and how to get totally free!
In the preceding chapter, James talks about ‘Christians’ cursing people from their hearts. But to help us understand that James isn’t giving a license to sin in chapter 3, I’ll quote James 1 first.
James 1 helps us understand James 3
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings. 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord. 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; 10 and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away. 11 For the sun arises with the scorching wind, and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
* * *
In chapter 3, pastors usually say the source is the tongue, but if you dig further, verse 14 shows that the heart is the source that drives the tongue. And what is driving the heart are demons. Verse 15: the wisdom not from above that is demonic, verse 14.
Demons drive the heart, which drives the tongue of these ‘Christians’ brothers to curse men — which is why I call it James-3 cursing.
James 3 — Blessing and Cursing?
1 Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment. 2 For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn’t stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. 3 Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body. 4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires. 5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna. 7 For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. 10 Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.
Wisdom from Above
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
So we see the Bible really does show that demons can affect Christians directly unless they walk in perfect love. James-3 curses can and usually do stick. I’ll talk about speaking in tongues and forgiving to get free in a minute, but it’s actually God’s will for us to be tormented so we learn to walk in perfect love.
It’s a way of being spanked, disciplined. Demons can cause pain, sickness, irritability. They Instead of getting mad at those who curse us, we need to pray for them (especially in tongues) and actively forgive them from our hearts. Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. Many people are so greatly influenced by demons they really don’t know what they’re doing, including many ‘Christian’ pastors!
There is no doubt that Paul was tormented by at least one demon for a time, and perhaps this is the greatest reason he prayed in tongues more than anyone (see the tongues articles below). Paul was on the front lines. Many hated him, and the curses stuck because he hadn’t yet learned how to walk in perfect love. But according to what God said in my prophecy, he did learn how to walk in perfect love — and so can we!
Praying in tongues is the greatest spiritual warfare gift, in my opinion, based upon many thousands of hours of praying in tongues during the last 30 years.
A Gift that Will Set Many Free! (A Death Warrant is Out for Your Souls)
And fully forgiving everyone from the heart is the place of immunity, and it’s a lot harder to accomplish than most people realize. I have yet to meet anyone whom I know always forgives everyone 100% from their heart. Many are close. We’re getting there, but until we shut the door 100% the demons still have a right.
Forgiving-Others, Freedom Prayer!
This is an important doctrine, because when ‘Christians’ think they’re immune they often go with however they feel. And many have been hurt by demon driven ‘Christians’ and James-3 cursing pastors — including themselves.
Leaders Who Have Hurt People But Refuse to Repent
Let Us Be ONE, Part 11 of 33
Leaders Who Have Hurt People But Refuse to Repent
Do not give the time of day to those who control, to those leaders who have hurt people but refuse to repent, who live in sin. They are in error, in danger of losing their salvation.
Pray for them, and help them obey. We must be ONE. This is the key—that we be ONE.
The key really is ONE. When ONE happens it will be easy to walk in perfect love nonstop. And we can help ONE happen by praying in tongues and learning to walk in perfect love now.
God bless!
Jeff Fenske
Anchorage, Alaska
Related:
WordPOWER: Repay No One Evil for Evil — Don’t Curse — Give Place to God’s Wrath
Many Curse Others From Their Hurts Deep Within
Martin Luther Cursed from His Heart Catholic Leaders ‘Every Day’
[WordPOWER!] Romans 12: Repay No One Evil for Evil — Don’t Curse — Give Place to God’s Wrath
(audio) Ex-witch: Why Many Worship Mary, Not Jesus — Mary is “embracing, loving, forgiving & tolerant.” But if you come to Christ you’re going to have to give yourself up. And when we stand in front of His thrown He will judge us. And people are scared of that. So they would sooner have a pseudo-Jesus (Mary is just a person who can’t really be prayed to, so demons can impersonate…)
Who-Goes-To-Heaven Scriptures — Narrow is the Way | Who are the Children of God?
Jennifer
Wonderful post! Thanks for taking on this topic. Many of us (believers) are ignorant regarding spiritual matters such as the ones you are speaking of. I have been dealing with a “messenger” of Satan for the last three years so I speak from experience on the matter and I totally agree that we as “Christians” can be affected by demonic activity but not actually possessed as long as we are walking in the “Spirit” of GOD. A lack of forgiveness can be a cesspool for demonic activity in our lives but sometimes Satan comes like in Paul’s and my case to “buffet” and GOD uses this to keep one dependant and leaning on HIM!! Any of us can be afflicted, burdened or deal with oppression from demons. We must remember that the battle is fought in the mind. The way that we think, deal with and process information. Every thought is to be taken into captivity and processed through the mind of Christ. I often will hold my thoughts up to the Lord and ask HIM is this of You? If HE says no, then I confess it as “sin” and seek deliverance!! So, it is our thinking that first and foremost must be “renewed” daily and moment by moment so that we can experience “transformation” life and abundance in our day to day walk as believers. On another note I do like some of the new bible translations like The Message Bible and The New Living Translation but I am careful to cross-reference them with the KJV or the NKJV. You are not the first person that I have come in contact with that has reservations about the NIV. Once again, I do own a copy of The NIV but It is not read minus some serious cross-referencing with either the KJV or the NKJV.
May GOD continue to bless the work HE is doing through you!
Jennifer
PhileoTruth
@Jeff,
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1 ESV).
Your teachings continue to be dangerous and subversive from the truths of the Bible. As I have said on other posts of yours, your conclusions are false.
If you can believe that a person indwelt by the Holy Spirit and still possessed of a demon, how is that so? Can a demon bind the Holy Spirit? It is unfathomable how you can conclude that the Holy Spirit can co-habitate with a demon. Christians may be afflicted or influenced by demonic activity, but no way can a Holy Ghost-filled Christian be co-inhabited by both.
You blaspheme when you say that Christians are driven by demons. How can you be Christ-like and driven by demons? Either you are of Christ or you are not.
Your false teachings are extremely dangerous to anyone deceived by them. By your lengthy posts and excessive uses of selected Scriptures, you try to establish credibility, but in fact, are producing a lot of logically flawed and Biblically inaccurate conclusions.
—
Whether it’s your peeve about the NIV, second marriages, or me allegedly being of some “anti-trinitarian cult,” you are propagating deception that is utterly unfruitful to the body of Christ.
And if you choose not to respond to me because you “don’t care what I say” as you claim was spoken to you by “God” (ala a recent reply that you posted to my comments), then you prove that you are a false teacher who can not handle being confronted on the destructive teachings that you package for (true) Christian audiences. My sympathies to anyone who believes your posts.
Ruth Thompson
Please read this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Demons-Will-Share-Temple/dp/1468195689
Thanks.
Truth Preacher
Hello Jeff. The thing that troubles me about your article is the Roman Catholics claim that Sola Scriptura is a false doctrine. NONSENSE! So, anyone claiming a revelation from God is to be listened to? No? Why not? How do we KNOW if they are telling us truth IF WE DON’T APPEAL TO THE ONLY INFALLABLE, FINAL AUTHORITY, THE BIBLE? We can’t. Your position is loved by rebels, cults, and anarchists. We judge and test everything by the Scripture. That is Sola Scriptura
Jeff Fenske
Truth Preacher,
I’m fully aware of your position, and I agree that if the Scripture clearly states something as fact it is. Then our experiences must line up with that, or we’re not being led by the Holy Spirit. I believe that, and have taught that on this site.
Many believe the Bible teaches that a Christian cannot have a demon because of the “Greater is He Who is in you…” passage. People run with their one interpretation of that verse, and then refuse to consider they have demons speaking to them in their own thoughts, and/or driving sins of lust and hate, and others, thinking they are somehow okay doing this. Then they don’t understand why they can’t seem to be able to stop if they do admit it’s serious sin.
Jesus said to the disciples in John 14 and 16, it was better that he would leave, because He wouldn’t leave them as orphans, and would send the Holy Spirit, Who would lead them into “ALL truth.” You being a “truth preacher” should appreciate that, especially.
John said we don’t even need teacher, because the anointing is real and can teach us all things. That’s how capable this teaching relationship can be, if need be; though, the Bible also teaches about the 5-fold ministry in Ephesians 4:11-16, and elsewhere about teachers.
Jesus also told the disciples that the Holy Spirit will remind them of what He said:
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.”
Part of what Jesus told them is what we have in the gospels. The Holy Spirit helped them understand after Pentecost what they couldn’t before, because they had the Holy Spirit teaching them, which is one of the main differences between the old and new covenants, why Jesus actually increased the standard in Mt. 5, because now we can overcome willful thought sins.
The Holy Spirit is a big deal!
Paul said in Romans 8: “Those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God.”
And: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Somehow, the today’s church got this unbiblical idea that the Holy Spirit, “God Himself in us” is okay to be ignored and not followed — AND that we can only learn truth from the Bible, not from the Holy Spirit or experiences with the Holy Spirit.
Many have been deceived with these erroneous teachings.
What happened to me and many others is that the Holy Spirit helped me understand that demons were affecting me, in a vision he gave me, while I was seeking God in a multi-day fast, while I was wide awake. My number one purpose for fasting was to try to find out why I was so sick and what I should do. God showed me, and that’s when I started to pray differently, and learned how to free myself and others. And I also learned how important forgiving is too, which I’m still learning. I’ll be writing about an experience I had today on Facebook, soon. http://Facebook.com/ONEcanhappen
It took me decades of thinking and Bible reading to understand what the Bible really said about demons in Christians, so that I could write this article, which shows the New Testament does show evil spirits can be in Christians, and because of rampant willful sinning in the church, today, most Christians have many. God allows the tormentors to torment us and even drive sin so we’ll get sick of sinning and live holy. But if we won’t even acknowledge the tormentors can be in us, or if we still read the NIV or other translations that change these texts to be misunderstandable then we may never come to the truth on this subject on earth. And these willful sins will keep many from going to heaven, because of what the Bible really says about who goes.
That’s another example of how the Holy Spirit corrected my doctrine, telling me I was in danger of going to hell for lusting while watching TV during a short period. See: “Who-Goes-To-Heaven Scriptures — Narrow is the Way | Who are the Children of God? — “There is therefore now *no condemnation* to those who are IN CHRIST Jesus, who don’t WALK according to the flesh, but ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT.”
http://onecanhappen.com/2008/01/14/who-goes-to-heaven-scriptures
It’s supposed to be normal to be led by the Holy Spirit, but the deception in the last days is so great that few people successfully do. Either they don’t try, or they have so much willful sin that they’ll hear evil spirits’ voices, speaking in first person, by the way, often, so people think it’s their own thoughts. And that’s a mess.
Few people are making sure they’re clean and are right with everyone (Mt. 5). Few pray in tongues enough, which helps drive out demons. Many completely ignore this gift; even though, the Bible says a lot about it, and how it will only stop when we see face to Face, knowing fully even as we are fully known (1 Cor. 13).
The deception is off the charts today. We’re supposed to not be drunk with wine but filled with the HOLY Spirit. Most are settling for a dead version of Christianity in which they don’t even try to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, the GREATEST COMMANDMENT. How can we be real Christians if we’re not even doing the Greatest Commandment?
Things are so off, so upside down.
Doctrine is a BIG deal. Incorrect doctrines are behind what’s destroying the church and our country, so now I believe it’s too late to stop the fall of America, because once-saved-always-saved is now mainstream, and the Christians are no longer salt and light, salt being a preserving agent.
We must be holy. It’s not just about what Jesus did, which is a doctrine of demons the people are buying, Romans 8:1a without 8:1b and the verses that follow, and John 15 read backwards, where Jesus will “never let go.” WHAT? John 15 says the opposite. We must abide in Him so His sap flows through our branches and we bear fruit; otherwise we’ll be cut off, thrown into the fire and burned.
Pastors no longer teach the numerous warning scriptures, and they don’t consider the kindness and the severity of God, the balance Paul taught in Romans 11.
The church is messed up and out of balance because of false teaching. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit so that wouldn’t happen. And if we ignore God’s leading, and tell others to also, false doctrine will be rampant.
The opposite is also true, thankfully.
We’re not commanded to love a Book, but love the Author of the Book. How did things get so out of whack?
The Book is all true, and must be defended, but it doesn’t contain all truth. The Holy Spirit does, and Jesus said the Holy Spirit will lead us into ALL TRUTH.
The Holy Spirit wants to help us understand the Bible, as well as things that are not in the Bible. Will we let Him, and appreciate when He leads others into truth too?
Christianity isn’t mainly about a relationship between a man and his Book. It’s a relationship between a man or woman and their God, directly: life in the Son.
And when a group of people are in proper relationship with each other in Christ, then ‘ONE’ will happen, Jesus’ heart-cry/prayer for us in John 17, “that the world will know.”
Now, most people smell a rat when they think of “Christians,” but we’re supposed to be filled with the Spirit, Jesus sharing His joy with us (John 15), transforming society into an environment of positive change. He promised to give us His glory so we’d be ‘ONE’ with each other in Him (John 17). This has happened many times in church history, but now the church is so dead, willfully sinning at all-time record levels.
We need to get rid of the demons and be filled with the Spirit, the greatest two commandments being our greatest two priorities.
Jesus wants us to be ‘ONE’ “that the world will know” — and we’ll be so happy, no matter what comes down now, because of the church’s rebellion, because they think they can just say a little prayer to be born-again, and then willful sin won’t make them feel guilty now, or when they see Jesus face to Face.
Many are getting trauma shock after they die, now, having been taught they didn’t have to be that holy.
We need to find out what the Bible really says, and the Holy Spirit is in us to help us know all of the truth we need do know.
There is not one verse which says demons can’t be in Christians, but there are many that say they can be.
There is also not one verse which says we can keep on willfully sinning after being born-again and then go to heaven, but there are dozens that say we can’t.
In the last days the deception will be great, and this is what we’re experiencing because pastors across America teach their people that it’s okay that we don’t feel the presence of God or our directly led by the Spirit. Pastors spend much of their time convincing people they’re okay when they don’t feel okay, because they’re not okay.
K-LOVE does the same thing, 24/7, across the land. Most of their songs aren’t even real worship-to-God songs. They’re “He loves us and we’re His legitimate sons no matter if we never fully repent” songs — the opposite of what Paul teaches in Romans 8 and elsewhere.
Life in the Son
jeff
Diane
Wow I’m amazed to have stumbled upon another believer who thinks as I do. I want to sing songs praising God. Most music doesnt glorify or praise God and churches arent teaching the truth. I was lead astray into the prosperity gospel. I’m now seeing even though I was a Christian and still am I wasnt living obedient to Gods word. I have repented and still feel ashamed of my walk with God but thankfully now I fear God and no longer want to be apart of this world. Tv grieves my spirit, most things on the internet too unless its about God. Ive never in the past made the Sabbath an all day event holy unto the Lord. Thank you for sharin your thoughts with us. I enjoyed everything you posted.
Jeff Fenske
Diane,
Thanks for sharing. Encouraging to hear. Sorry that I just saw this now, which sometimes happens, but not often.
Fearing God is a huge key, since most pastors actually say we don’t have to anymore.
One thing: the sabbath is no longer a mandated requirement in the new covenant, now that we have the Holy Spirit in us to help us know what to do. But if you feel led by God to do so that’s the right thing to you to do.
To me, it’s super important to pray in tongues a lot (which I have a category on here), as well as not to let myself willfully sin even a little bit. And the more we abide in Christ the easier it is — the more we focus on loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.
Victoria Bingham
Hello Jeff, Thank you for the important post! Too many people who might be otherwise helped, are left to suffer because of the ignorance and pride associated with this subject. What is misunderstood is the difference between being ‘possessed’ and ‘afflicted’. YES. A Christian can be demon afflicted in ways that are little understood even by the church. One of the people who speaks wonderfully to this subject is minister Thurmond Scrivner. (www.tlsm.org) He was for some 25 years a Baptist Minister and this subject came up in his church. Most of the elders and ministers swore up and down, (like a few people commenting here) that a Christian can’t have a demon. Scrivner did what all should do, and went to the Lord with the question. When Scrivner asked the Lord, ‘Can a Christian have a demon?”, Jesus answered him, ‘Son, YOU have a demon. That Athletes Foot you’ve had for 30 years (since he served in Vietnam!) is a demon’. Imagine the joy of the man, when after so many years of pain and torment, he had the solution to his problem. Scrivner cast the demon from his feet in the name of power, Jesus Christ, and the affliction disappeared and never returned. Demons go after Christians at least as much as anyone else, to rob them of their blessings,, peace, health, and testimony. I’ll add my own testimony to this.. After I heard Scrivner’s story, some time later, I had the chance to be in the room with my husband, who had for many years, a horrific smell in his feet. If he took his shoes off, you’d hardly be in the same room with him. A sock left on the floor could fumigate an entire room. So, enlightened by Scrivner, one day, I put my hand on his bare feet (he was in my room with our son, relaxing, but the whole room reeked of his feet).. and I said “You foul demon from the pit of hell, get out of my husband’s feet now and never come back!”. Within an instant not only did his feet lose their smell, the WHOLE ROOM lost its heavy reeking smell. It was just GONE. Instantly. Now, a normal smell does not do that. You have to air it out. But this one did, at that name.. and to this day, it has never come back. Demons enter Christians and afflict them, through open doors to the soul,. A very wide door is lust. When a Christian sins, and opens doors, demons are only too happy to pour into the diseased flesh.. just like bad bacteria. They can remain and do damage as long as they are permitted to remain. And certainly, permission is equal to ignorance in this respect. For if they were recognized and then removed by the power of that name, the affliction, whatever it is, would go with them. When Christians are afflicted in myriad ways and don’t ask the Lord if there is a demon behind it, all the sweet prayers they offer will avail little. Thank you again Jeff, for tackling a sensitive subject and taking a stand. Victoria Bingham Editor The-Parallel-Universe.com
Jeff Fenske
Victoria,
Quite a testimony! *Very good reminder.*
I find it baffling that so often in the New Testament, Jesus and the believers cast demons out of sick people and they were totally and instantly healed, yet the evangelical church hardly ever considers that anymore. Many take prescription drugs to solve something that’s actually demonic — but the drugs often just mask the symptoms and cause nutritional deficiencies and more problems.
Regarding this study: I usually don’t recommend people trying to find texts in the Bible to agree with their experience, but sometimes it’s the way to go. It’s usually best to be as unbiased as possible when doing a Bible study on a subject, but in this case, for me, we were taught in our church over and over how a Christian could *not* have a demon, and the scriptures were pounded into our heads over and over (though not one text actually said we could not have a demon).
I had such a powerful vision while fasting in the early ’80s, along with a very clear word. And then I found my prayers could instantly free myself and others from physical sicknesses and oppressions. This happened hundreds of times with complete consistency that there was no way I could ever believe evil spirits could not affect Christians directly.
It took me over a decade and many discussions with my pastor at the time (who disagreed with me) to finally be able to Biblically prove Christians can have and often do have demons — especially in these days when hate and anger is so rampant — where many “Christians” even pray against (James-3 curse) people — which I’ve found is a major source of illnesses and depression.
There are also doctrines of demons, like once-saved-always-saved, which is an emotionally based, feel-good doctrine that requires extensive manipulation of Scripture to make it sound Scriptural.
But the other factor is pastors and others James-3 cursing (“praying”) that people believe OSAS without question, and being against anyone who says otherwise.
Many pastors run their churches through James-3 cursing those with discernment of spirits gifts who see through their facade. They actually hate those who are sent to balance them out, instead of recognizing the body of Christ who are all supposed to work together so real Christianity can happen with Jesus being in control of our lives.
Our church used to teach so much truth back in the ’80s. We learned about the body of Christ working together under Christ in 1 Corinthians 12, but then the founder refused to get right with those he hurt badly, even after the person confronted him with their elder.
But this founder also believed a “Christian cannot have a demon.” So he thought his “righteous” anger (actually hate) was justified, and the resulting actions he committed: yelling at them, etc.. He would never apologize. Some of these people are now dead. He’ll be age-91 soon.
He mentioned once in a sermon that he had a word from God while waking that if he’s not sure it’s a demon rebuke it anyway. I set up a meeting with him and his son to discuss this. I proved to him that these demons are actually affecting him directly, so a Christian really can have a demon.
He said nothing, walked out of the room and never did apologize to me. And never did publicly change his doctrine. His son finally did, though, after I presented him with my study. He’s the one whom I had many hour-long discussions on this topic with.
I believe revival can and will still happen at our church. But right now it’s pretty messed up that I can’t even attend but rarely.
The consequences of a person thinking that demons cannot affect them because they have the Holy Spirit in them can be very serious.
Thanks again, Jeff.