Are Spiritual-Filled Christians Exempt from Demonization?
Some might argue that we do not see any Spirit-filled New Testament Christians getting delivered in Scripture. Some would say this is an argument from silence, meaning just because the Bible doesn’t state something clearly, doesn’t mean it’s not real. I would agree with that, but I would also say it’s clear some believers received deliverance in Scripture. For example, all seven of the deliverances mentioned in the Bible and concerning Jesus’ ministry involved people who believed in Him in one capacity or another. Were they Spirit-filled New Testament believers? The answer is no because Jesus had not died and the Holy Spirit had not been poured out yet. But did they believe in Him? Yes. Let’s look at the biblical model of evangelism for a moment.
There is only one man in all of Scripture who is an evangelist by title, and that person is Philip. This doesn’t mean there weren’t other evangelists. It simply means the Bible only states clearly that Philip was an evangelist. Acts 21:8 says, “The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food.” We know Philip is an evangelist, so let’s see how he evangelizes. Acts 8:5–8 (NKJV) says,
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city.
OK, so let’s get this straight: First Philip preached, and then with one accord the people heeded the things he spoke, and then Philip prayed for the sick and cast out demons. If Christians couldn’t have demons, why would Philip even waste his time casting out demons? Wouldn’t he get everyone saved, and the demons would automatically leave? Here we see in the early church, in the New Covenant, a need for deliverance.
Let’s look at another instance where I believe the Bible makes it clear Christians can be demonized (not possessed, mind you). In Acts 4:31, some of the early disciples had a prayer meeting, and then something remarkable happened. The text says, “After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, they preached the word of God with boldness.”
So, now, we know for sure they are Spirit-filled. Later in the chapter, they start selling all their property and giving the money to the apostles to distribute and meet needs. A couple named Ananias and Sapphira decide they are going to keep some of the money from the property they sold but claim why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself.’” Here we see that in Acts 4 they were filled with the Holy Spirit, but one chapter later, Peter says Ananias has let Satan fill his heart. This shows the possibility of a Spirit-filled believer being filled with something demonic. The word filled in Acts 4 is the same Greek word used in Acts 5. The example is clear: A Spirit-filled believer chose to lie to the Holy Spirit and in turn, allowed himself to be filled with an unholy spirit.
Paul warns the church in Corinth that he’s afraid they are going to receive a demonic spirit.
But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.
—2 Corinthians 11:3–4
If Christians cannot have demons, why would Paul worry about them receiving a different kind of spirit? It’s clear if you open yourself up to other spirits, they will come in whether you’re a Christian or not. In 1 Timothy 4:1 (NKJV), Paul warns Timothy that in times coming, Christians will give in to demons. He says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” Once again, if Christians can’t have demons, why would Paul feel the need to warn of giving heed to deceiving (demonic) spirits?
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