161-Can Christians Be Possessed by Demons?#
161-Can Christians Be Possessed by Demons?
(JP Text Group - Guoguo Compilation)
Today, we will share on the topic: Can Christians be possessed by demons?
The scripture is from Matthew 12:43-45.
Let's read it together.
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
Alright, let’s start with a prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this time, allowing us, your children, to worship you and praise you together. Today, through your word, renew us once again, let us know you more deeply through your word, and guide us on how to walk in our lives. Help us.
Holy Spirit, please guide us personally, renew each of our hearts, let us look solely to Jesus, to your power, applied in our lives. Today, may Jesus receive glory here. Thank you and praise you. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen! Hallelujah!
Now, let’s look at our text today: Can Christians be possessed by demons? This is a rather special topic because recently, many have been asking this question. So, let me ask the brothers and sisters, can Christians be possessed by demons? You see, there is a saying among people: when a child has a fever, some say, “Your child has been frightened.” Think about where your child was frightened; maybe by someone, maybe by a ghost, or maybe by a dog. In short, the soul is lost, and they will do something to call the soul back.
Do you remember where your child was frightened? They might take a pig over there and call the soul back, right? Has anyone done this, and did it work? Right, brothers and sisters?
There is another saying; people particularly like to talk about demons. So, as Christians, we should not frequently discuss matters of the devil; this is not a good approach. Don’t let such topics about demons always come out of your mouth. Let me give you an example: if a person likes to drink, what do we call that person? A drunkard. If someone likes to gamble? A gambler. If someone likes to smoke? Ah, you see how it always gets tied to demons?
The question is, does a person who likes to gamble really become a gambler because a demon possesses him? What people mean is that a demon has attached itself to him, and he has become fond of gambling. In fact, this person cannot control himself, right? This is indeed the issue.
Many people, after believing in Jesus, still believe that Christians can have all kinds of demons. They say, do you know why some Christians fall asleep when they hear the word? Because there is a spirit of sleep on them. Do you know why this person always speaks filthy language? Because there is an unclean spirit on them.
Do you know why this person cannot speak? Because there is a mute spirit on them? Some even say, why does this person always lie? Because there is a spirit of lies on them. Have you heard of such sayings as the spirit of cancer or the spirit of a cold? At that time, I said, oh, it’s really painful. As Christians, we still have to discern all kinds of demons. So, do we all have them? Have you ever lied? That’s troublesome; does that mean there is a spirit of lies on you? What about those who like to smoke? Smokers? Then what’s the difference between us and the world?
The question is, after accepting Jesus, will you still be possessed by demons? If you do not understand our Lord Jesus, you will be deceived by the devil. The Bible mentions unclean spirits; didn’t it just mention the issue of unclean spirits? When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, this unclean spirit in the original text refers to evil spirits, just evil spirits, brothers and sisters. These evil spirits cannot work alone; they must attach themselves to something.
For example, they can attach themselves to animals or to people in order to exert their influence. Therefore, we see that in this world, there is something they call “fox spirits,” which we refer to as demons, right? These demons attach themselves to foxes or to people, speaking like beasts, or a female ghost attaches itself to a man, speaking like a woman. These are all the works of the devil, but we know that all of these are evil spirits, Amen?
There are two kinds of spirits in this world: one is the Holy Spirit, and the other is evil spirits. If you do not have the Holy Spirit within you, it is easy to be controlled by evil spirits. So, when an unclean spirit has a characteristic: it cannot find rest in dry places; it must be in a place with water, a filthy place. The filthier, the more it wants to stay there. So, you see, it mentions that when an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it wanders in dry places. Doesn’t that sound like the devil?
Do you remember their leader, Satan? In the book of Job, it says that Satan went to the place where the sons of God gathered. God asked him, “Where have you come from?” What did he say? “I have been roaming to and fro on the earth.” He has no place to go; he is just wandering around. Brothers and sisters, today, some people do not understand this matter and do not understand our Lord Jesus. They say that there is only one kind of person who can enter the kingdom of heaven: it is not just believers who can enter the kingdom of heaven; only those who are victorious can enter the kingdom of heaven.
So, how many people can enter? Some say, yes, you believe, but you are a defeated Christian; you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What is their reasoning? You are going back and forth between heaven and hell. I say, doesn’t that make you a wandering ghost? They say, that’s exactly how it is.
Brothers and sisters, is it because they do not understand our Lord Jesus? If you do not understand, you will refer to many other religious things. For example, today someone might tell you that in the future, the lake of fire is divided into 18 levels, and those who have sinned the most are in the lowest level. These are all things from other religions. Does the Bible mention these things? Therefore, we need to have a correct understanding of God and a correct understanding of our Holy Spirit.
How does this unclean spirit leave a person? Jesus Christ’s disciples or Jesus cast out this unclean spirit, right? It is equivalent to saying that this person originally had many unclean spirits, and now they have been cast out by Jesus, cleaned up, and all the unclean spirits have gone out. Now, this unclean spirit wanders outside, having nowhere to go. It seeks a resting place but finds none. So, it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” It goes to take a look; it is not yet thinking of living inside, right?
Then it looks at the door; what does it see inside? It is clean, but there is no owner. Brothers and sisters, it is a house that is very clean inside but has no owner. So, what is a characteristic of an unclean spirit? It does not like clean places. Brothers and sisters, remember, unclean spirits do not like clean places.
So, when it sees that the house is so clean, what will it do? It will be very distressed; it will want to make the inside of the house look messy. So, it says, “Hmph, I need to find a few more wicked spirits, more unclean spirits, to come over, and we will all live together.” These things happen in the spiritual realm, but we see what the external condition of this person is. The Bible says, “The last state of that man is worse than the first.” Let’s first explain this matter.
Are there some people whose condition is like this? They have demons, and after we pray for them, the evil spirit leaves, but not long after, the evil spirit returns. Has this happened before? What is the reason? Why can the unclean spirit enter again? Why can the evil spirit return to him? The reason is simple: he does not believe; he has not accepted the Lord Jesus.
So, do you remember in the Bible, Jesus cast out over two thousand demons from one person? In fact, in the original text, it uses the term legion. There was a legion living inside this person, and the external appearance of this person was particularly different. He lived among the tombs, often took stones to harm himself, and others bound him with iron chains, but he could break them. The scripture says he had great strength, right? He was already different from normal people; his speech and behavior were already different from normal people. When Jesus cast out the demons from this person, those demons entered the pigs. Where did those pigs end up? They jumped into the sea, right?
So, this unclean spirit has a characteristic: it must find a place with water. When it sees that you are cleaned up inside, but there is no owner, that is extremely dangerous. So, why do we not suggest saying, “Today this person is sick; I will pray for you; Jesus can heal you.” This person says, “Okay, pray for me.” You must tell him one thing: let him accept the Lord Jesus; otherwise, this will truly harm him. You know? You have temporarily cleaned out what is inside him. If he has not accepted the Lord Jesus, his last state will be worse than the first. This tells us one thing: unbelievers are like this.
We share the first point: Not accepting the Lord Jesus will make you a dwelling place for demons.
You see, it says here that it sees inside is empty, cleaned, and put in order. Through the context of this text, we can know that Jesus is talking about the Pharisees, right? What he is saying is about religious people. Although they also cast out demons, after casting them out, they did not let people accept the Lord Jesus to dwell inside them. That is their problem, brothers and sisters. If today there is no Jesus dwelling inside us, you are very likely to become a dwelling place for evil spirits.
Let’s look at a verse, Ephesians 3:17 says, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love.”
Here it implies how can Jesus dwell in you today? By faith, right? When you believe in Jesus, Jesus dwells in your heart, and also, “that your love may be rooted and grounded.” Our love is not just any kind of love; it is rooted and grounded. What is the foundation? It is Jesus Christ, Amen!
Brothers and sisters, this means that we are completely different from those who do not accept Jesus Christ. Those who have not accepted Jesus seek good moral behavior. What is a characteristic of the Pharisees? They do not accept Jesus, do not believe in Jesus; they use rituals and rules to decorate themselves, but inside they have no Holy Spirit, no Jesus Christ. So, they are empty inside. How does Jesus describe them?
Jesus said to this group of hypocritical Pharisees,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs.”
What is the characteristic of a whitewashed tomb? It looks good on the outside, right? It is cleaned up very well on the outside, but what is inside? Dead men’s bones. Brothers and sisters, this means that you see many people who are beautifully decorated on the outside, but inside they have no Jesus; they may have unclean spirits, dead things that lead them gradually toward death. This is the current state of unbelievers. Then it says that these hypocritical Pharisees are filled with dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. This is the problem. When you are filled with uncleanness, what will want to enter? Naturally, it will be evil spirits, Amen? Brothers and sisters, can you understand this?
It is only when there is uncleanness that unclean spirits will take notice. Brothers and sisters, otherwise, they cannot enter. So, you see, the characteristic of unbelievers in this world is that the more they fear demons, the easier it is for them to be possessed by demons. There are some people who fear nothing: “There are no demons in this world; I am not afraid of anything!” Such people, on the contrary, are fine.
Those who worry every day about unclean spirits, those demons come to find them every day. Why? Because they already have uncleanness inside them, so they can become a dwelling place for unclean spirits. This means that they already have evil spirits inside them, so that is why there is a characteristic of evil spirits entering to dwell. This is also a kind of belief, brothers and sisters. If you do not believe in them, they cannot enter. If you accept them, they will indeed dwell inside you, Amen?
When you were young, did many of you play with things like Ouija boards or spirit writing? You know? This is inviting demons into your space, which is very dangerous. Why should we not do such things? Because when you do, you are believing in these things; you are inviting such things. Once they enter, can you sweep them out?
They cannot get out, brothers and sisters. So, people know that inviting demons is easy, but sending them away is difficult. The reason is right here. We should not let our hearts become a dwelling place for unclean spirits. Moreover, our hearts cannot become a dwelling place for unclean spirits. Of course, you can share this principle with those who do not believe, especially those who have been frightened repeatedly. You can directly tell them the simplest way: “In the name of Jesus, go out.”
Yesterday, Brother Liu came to my house and shared a testimony. He was evangelizing to a friend, and that friend’s child was frightened and repeatedly had a fever. The people said, “Your child is possessed by something,” and they even had a name for it; they said a certain demon had possessed the child, and you need to call it out. Then Brother Liu told him, “It’s not that complicated. Do you believe that Jesus can cast it out? In the name of Jesus, I command this demon to come out.” He went back and did this, and you know what happened?
At that moment, the child was healed! The name of Jesus has power! The name of Jesus has power. The problem is, this person now sees his child restored to normal, but he may not necessarily believe in Jesus. Just like this person, his house was cleaned up by someone else, but if he does not accept it, he is still empty inside. So, why do we want others to believe in Jesus? It is right here. He seeks Jesus for healing, or when we cast out demons for others, after a while, they return to this state because they have not accepted Jesus. The reason for not accepting Jesus is why we say that today we see some people, after we cast out demons and pray for healing, we must tell them, “Come to the gathering,” because through frequently attending gatherings, you will come to know the power of our Lord Jesus, Amen!
The deception of the devil cannot prevail over you. If you do not have Jesus in your heart, it is actually the same as being cleaned up on the outside but empty on the inside. So, this tells us what the history of the Jews was like in the past. They became slaves, and after much difficulty, they are now a colony with their own place of worship, but they do not accept Jesus. This era is also like this. What is the characteristic of this era that Jesus refers to? It refers to the Jews at that time who did not accept Jesus. What is their worse outcome? Even the temple will be destroyed. They do not accept Jesus; they are spiritually in darkness, so they are easily exploited by the devil. Brothers and sisters, we see that this is what this passage of scripture tells us.
This person, Jesus used a person to say, went and brought seven spirits more wicked than himself, and they all entered and dwelled there. Brothers and sisters, look at the scripture; how did these seven spirits enter? They dwelled inside. This is troublesome, brothers and sisters. Their dwelling inside represents what? That’s right, they do not leave. They treat that place as their home. Where do they dwell? They do not leave. You say, how can this person’s condition get better? So, this person’s condition is worse.
Brothers and sisters, this is why we say that first, let this person accept Jesus, and then we pray for healing for him. It is very important to solve these problems first by letting Jesus in. If Jesus does not dwell inside, unclean spirits will dwell inside. Why seven? Because “seven” is a number of completeness in the Bible, Amen? This indicates that this person is completely occupied by the devil, completely controlled by the power of the devil. Therefore, the last state of that man is worse than the first.
If today we have not accepted Jesus and only focus on the rituals of the church, your faith is worse than unbelief. Can you understand what I mean? If you come to church, believing in Jesus is just about keeping a Sabbath, participating in a religious ceremony, it is worse than unbelief because you have bound yourself; your heart has no freedom, no release. Why are many people under the law in great pain?
Because they dare not not believe, but they find that believing does not gain them anything. They are always entangled in this problem. Many people do not know what Jesus is for. Many people have believed for many years. Do you know that Jesus has died for your sins? They say, “Huh?” Do you know that today you are a righteous person? They say, “Huh?” Then you ask, “What do you believe in?” Year after year, day after day, going to church, still not accepting Jesus. Such people are actually very pitiful; they might as well not believe.
Brothers and sisters, we do not believe in a religion. You see, there are other religions in the world; they are also very devout. On the first and fifteenth of the month, they also go. You know? Their situation is worse; they are worshiping demons, and they are not as good as those who do not worship. Brothers and sisters, when you accept Jesus, your life is not like that. So, that person’s last state is worse than the first, brothers and sisters. We do not want our brothers and sisters to believe in a muddled way; I want you to know who you believe in.
The second point: Can believers be possessed by demons?
Can they be possessed by demons, brothers and sisters? No, are you sure? Sure, the answer is correct. Awesome, brothers and sisters, they cannot be possessed by demons. We need to have a basis for this; you must find the answer in the Bible. Let’s look at a verse, John 5:24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” Amen!
Here it says, “Most assuredly, I say to you: he who hears my word,” that is, hears the words of Jesus Christ, and then believes. Those who believe in Jesus have everlasting life. Is there any other condition? No, it is not that you have overcome; it is not that your behavior is good enough; only then do you have everlasting life. It is that you believe, and you already have everlasting life. What does God give you afterward? You shall not come into judgment; God will no longer judge you.
You have a characteristic, “you have passed from death into life.” You have come out of death and entered into life. Jesus is life, right? So, you have come from past death into Christ. So, this is your current state of life. So, do not misunderstand; it is absolutely not that you have to overcome to not be possessed by demons. It is that you have believed in the Lord Jesus, and the devil has no opportunity, Amen?
Now, there is a passage of scripture that many people may misunderstand. For a long time, many people have been frightened by this passage of scripture. So, I am willing to clarify these scriptures for you to remove your fear! In 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, many people insist on applying it to marriage, leading many brothers and sisters, especially sisters, to have difficulty finding partners. Let’s look at this passage of scripture.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18:
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?”
Now, do you see the comparison here? One is a believer, and one is an unbeliever; one is righteous, and one is lawless; one is light, and one is darkness; one is Christ, and one is Belial; one is the temple of God, and one is the temple of idols. But why do some people insist on applying it to marriage? If you look at the previous and following chapters, is Paul talking about marriage? No, do not misunderstand, brothers and sisters. At this time, many people say, “I cannot marry an unbeliever; I cannot date an unbeliever; I cannot associate with unbelievers.” Then you might as well not live.
When you take the bus, do you have to ask the driver, “Are you a believer?” If not, I won’t get on your bus. What fellowship do you have with unbelievers? Isn’t that a misunderstanding, brothers and sisters? What does it mean here? “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” means do not do the same things as them. Those unbelievers, today, they have a hard-earned holiday; they are at the KTV, and you are here praising God. Isn’t that different? So, you are not matched with them; that is the meaning.
“Do not be unequally yoked” also means the same here. “What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?” It does not mean you do not associate with them; it means you do not need to be consistent with them in certain behaviors, Amen? Because it is impossible to be consistent. “What communion has light with darkness?” This proves that if today evil spirits can dwell in a person’s heart, evil spirits are a representation of darkness, right? What is Jesus? Light!
You see, when the light is turned on, where does darkness go? Isn’t it a result of negotiation? Does anyone come home at night and turn on the switch and say, “Darkness, go away”? Is there anyone living like that? No matter how dark it is, as long as you turn on the switch, darkness goes where? It disappears. This is the meaning of this passage.
You are children of light, so you have no communion with darkness. It is impossible for both to dwell in the same place, Amen! Since you now know that you have accepted Jesus, then you know who dwells in your heart? Isn’t it the Holy Spirit dwelling in your heart? Isn’t the Holy Spirit light? How can light and darkness coexist? Otherwise, either light exists, or darkness exists, right? When light comes, darkness disappears. You are people who have light in your hearts, so darkness cannot dwell in your hearts. Do not be deceived. Even if you get sick today, it does not mean that darkness dwells in your heart. These are two concepts; do not misunderstand.
Let’s look further. It says, “What agreement has the temple of God with idols?” This proves that the two are completely different, right? We are the temple of God, right? Is the temple of idols the same as us? The way of doing things, the words spoken, the objects of worship are completely different, right? This is our characteristic.
This passage of scripture tells us that you are righteous, you belong to Christ, you are light, and you dwell in the temple of God. It emphasizes what your identity is.
Because we are the temple of the living God, as God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
It emphasizes your identity, not what you should do, not that you cannot date unbelievers or cannot do this or that with unbelievers. Some people ask me, “Can I marry an unbeliever?” Do you know how I answer? If you can believe in the Lord before marriage, that is best. But if you really cannot find anyone, what should you do? Should you get married? Go ahead. That is my suggestion. This passage of scripture is not about marriage. Amen. So, many people ask me, “How should I choose my partner?” I say very simply, I give you a secret: when you are dating, can you stand looking at this face for 12 hours? Can you endure it? That is the bottom line for marriage. Can you understand?
If you say, “I sit with you for an hour, and I am in great pain,” then you should not get married. The time is long in the future. If you find, “Hmm, sitting with him for 12 hours is quite joyful,” then that is enough qualification for marriage. Simple, isn’t it? Do not be bound by these wrong interpretations, brothers and sisters!
Then it says, “And I will receive you.” What does it mean? Brothers and sisters, think about this question. If you have already believed in Jesus and then go back to touch the things of idols, does that mean God will not receive you? Then what does it mean to receive you?
Actually, when I first read it many times, I did not know what this receiving you meant. Because this passage mentions some behavioral issues: you must come out from among them, do not touch the unclean things, and then I will receive you. I said, does this mean that if I touch it, God will not want us? Many people interpret these scriptures this way, saying that if you touch unclean things, God will not want you, God will leave you, God will abandon you. In fact, this interpretation is wrong. Later, I specifically checked the Greek text, and when I checked, I suddenly discovered that God’s grace came. The “I will receive you” in the original text uses another word, which means “I will treat you with grace.” Amen! You can write this verse down. The receiving you here refers to “I will treat you with grace.”
Let me give you an example. Today, if you have believed in Jesus, but you go to the idol temple, God cannot bestow His grace upon you there, Amen? Today, God is particularly willing to give you His peace and joy, but if your heart is filled with this darkness, filled with anger, filled with unforgiveness, God cannot give you His joy; He cannot bestow this grace upon you.
So, what should you do? You must separate yourself from them, do not touch those unclean things. I want to forgive him; although I cannot do it, Jesus, give me the ability. Jesus says, “Okay, I will treat you with grace. I will give you strength to overcome him. I will give you peace to overcome him. I will give you the power to forgive.” Amen! This is what God means.
When you are willing in your heart, God will treat you with grace. But if you say, “I must worship that false god,” God cannot treat you with grace. This is the meaning of this passage. When we believe and accept the Lord Jesus, we come out from these idol things, from Belial, which is another name for Satan, and we have already separated ourselves from them. The Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts, and evil spirits cannot dwell in us.
It is impossible for both to dwell inside. Brothers and sisters, this is us under the New Covenant. When you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, Amen!
Now, in the Bible, under the New Covenant, there are two very special people. Satan has also dwelled in their hearts. We need to look at these scriptures, which will also clarify some doubts for you. Luke 22:3 says, “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.”
He was one of the twelve disciples. Now, did Satan dwell in Judas’s heart? Brothers and sisters, pay attention. Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot. At this time, they were still under the Old Covenant, right? Because Jesus had not yet gone to the cross; they were still under the Old Covenant. So, why could Satan enter Judas’s heart? That’s right, because he did not accept Jesus. Because he did not believe in Jesus at all.
Brothers and sisters, even at this time, when Jesus said, “One of you will betray me,” the others would say, “Lord, is it I?” Only Judas said, “Rabbi, is it I?” The titles are different. In Judas’s heart, Jesus was just a teacher.
In John 6, it also tells us that Jesus said, “I have known from the beginning who would betray me and who does not believe in me.” Amen. Referring to Judas Iscariot, because he did not accept Jesus, that is why Satan could enter Judas’s heart. Amen.
This is something we need to be particularly cautious about today. It is not that following Jesus means you are saved; you must believe in Him to be saved. Judas followed for three and a half years, but he was not saved because he did not believe in anyone. Satan entered his heart, and he could do things against God. What does Satan mean? Satan means adversary. He is the one who opposes God, the one who is against God, so he is called Satan. Therefore, Satan means adversary.
It is not that God created Satan; God did not create adversaries. He was originally an angel, but later he became an enemy of God, a person who opposes God, so he is called Satan. That is the first. We know that it is always unbelief. When you believe, it is impossible, remember.
The second person is also in the New Testament. In Acts 5, Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?” This is a relatively controversial scripture. Some say, “Look, why did Ananias and Sapphira sell their house and lay it at the apostles’ feet? Isn’t it just a little less? Why were they struck dead?”
Some say this is too unfair for God’s children. May I ask, were Ananias and Sapphira believers? No, they were not believers. If you think they are, why are they believers? Because they brought money to the church, they are believers? Many people have a wrong concept. You see, they sold their house and brought the money to the church. Just because they brought money to the church, does that mean they are believers? Not necessarily, right? But today we want to give a conclusion to this relatively controversial scripture.
Ananias and Sapphira were not believers. Why were they not believers? We have already made it clear earlier. If you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart; how can Satan fill your heart? So today, brothers and sisters, if your heart is to be filled with something, it must be the Holy Spirit, Amen.
How can the Holy Spirit dwell in your heart and then be filled with Satan? That is like turning on the light in your house at night; it must be either all dark or all bright. What kind of scene is that? Can such a situation occur? No, it must be all dark or all bright. The meaning of filled is that it is all filled. So, at night, either your living room is all dark, or it is all bright. It cannot be bright one moment and dark the next. What state is that? Please remember that when you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, Amen. Satan cannot dwell inside you, nor can he fill you.
Recently, many people say, “Oh, Pastor, you told me to receive the gift of tongues, and suddenly I feel like I am filled with evil spirits.” Since you have received Jesus, how can you be filled with evil spirits? How can you be filled with Satan in your heart? Unless you are an unbeliever, Amen? So, do not worry. You seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit; the devil cannot fill your heart. Only look here; do not say, “Peter said to Ananias, ‘Why has Satan filled your heart?’”
What did he do? He lied to the Holy Spirit, brothers and sisters. Then he would say such things. So, we have a conclusion here: this couple was not believers, Amen. They were not believers. We need to have a correct understanding of this passage of scripture because when you accept Jesus, Satan cannot fill your heart. Both of them were unbelievers, so the devil could dwell in their hearts.
Now, let’s share the third point: Believers who do not use their authority will be disturbed by evil spirits.
I will solve a problem for you. Since our hearts and spirits cannot be filled with Satan, why do we still often hear things like, “You hypocritical thing, look at what you have done today”? Why do such thoughts come out? You have been disturbed by Satan. Why do such things appear? The reason is where?
If a person has already believed in the Lord Jesus, you must remember one thing: the devil cannot dwell inside you, but the devil will disturb some people from the outside. Do you remember that in the New Testament, it tells us that the devil roams around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour? He does not say he can eat anyone he wants. If the devil’s power were greater than the Holy Spirit, he would seek whom he may devour. What kind of person is this “may devour”?
Let me tell you a story, for example. When I was young, did you ever shoot at birds, especially the brothers? I did such work when I was young. Using a shotgun, there were many sparrows, a bunch of sparrows. Just shoot once, bang! A few will definitely be shot dead, and some will fly away, right? The remaining few that are half dead, which one do you think I would catch first? Isn’t it the half-dead ones? Why not catch the dead ones? They are already in my hands. Whenever I want to squeeze them to death and roast them, it is not a problem.
Now there is only one kind, the half-dead ones, that are my targets for attack, Amen? So, brothers and sisters, why does the devil not attack those who do not believe? They are dead; he can fix them whenever he wants. There is another kind that he cannot attack; they have already flown away. Just like us, we recognize our authority and our ability, so he can only find those who have doubts about themselves, those who are unclear about God. They are exactly the targets the devil wants to attack.
Isn’t it true that you all have such experiences? The newly believing person is particularly easy to become a target for the devil’s attack. When you just come to Jesus, we generally say that this week, you must be certain. No matter what happens at home, you must tell me in time, Amen. Why do we advise others like this?
Because during this week, the one who is most likely to doubt is the one who has just accepted Jesus. The devil will not let him go, creating many illusions to disturb him. If there is any problem, tell me; I will pray for you. Isn’t it true that many have such experiences? This is the reason. Why? At this time, you are the target the devil wants to devour because you have many doubts and do not know your authority or who you are.
So, the devil is most likely to find such people and disturb them. Of course, the devil will also attempt to disturb those who have faith; the purpose is to prevent you from having faith. So, he will do everything, but generally speaking, the doubting person is the easiest to fall. I want to tell you that those who are easy to be devoured are those who do not recognize their authority or do not have a comprehensive understanding of the Lord Jesus. Can the devil enter these people’s hearts? Can he? No, even if he is the weakest, he is the most helpless, the devil cannot enter inside. He can only scare him from the outside.
I want to explain this with a story. What story is told in 1 Samuel 17? Even children can remember this story: David and Goliath!
I want to analyze this passage of scripture from another angle. Let’s read this passage of scripture together. 1 Samuel 17:1-2,
“Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah. They encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.”
The problem arises here. It has been 40 days, and the two armies have not fought; they are always cursing each other. Have you seen such armies? Always cursing. Let’s look at verses 10-11, “And the Philistine said, ‘I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.’ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.”
Wow, what happened, brothers and sisters? Let’s make a hypothesis and think about this question. Is Goliath very strong? He is too strong. The Bible says he has been like this since he was young, and he is very tall and fully equipped. That equipment is worth a lot. You see how heavy that spear is, right? With David’s small frame, one spear, and David would be gone. The problem is, such a powerful Goliath, with his army, why are the Israelites so scared?
If I know you are so afraid of me, I can just go over and crush you, right? Why do I need to keep cursing for 40 days? It is too complicated, isn’t it? The problem is, why doesn’t he go in? Why doesn’t he go in? Have you read these scriptures? Have you thought about why Goliath does not go in? He could just lead his army and rush in, right? The Israelites are so scared; who cannot see that? Why doesn’t he go in?
In the Bible, names of people and places are not meaningless; they all have significance. Ephes Dammim means the edge of blood. Where are they encamped? Gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes Dammim. Pay attention. I am now Goliath. There is a boundary, see? I am encamped in a place called the edge of blood. Where are you? Inside the blood, Amen? This is why the devil seems so arrogant but cannot directly come in and kill you. Because you are under the protection of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Where are the Israelites? Saul and the men of Israel were gathered in the Valley of Elah. This Valley of Elah, I checked the Hebrew meaning, means the place of rest. Where are the Israelites? In the place of rest. Where is Goliath? At the edge of blood. Because of this, no matter how he calls out, he cannot rush in, Amen?
Brothers and sisters, today, who is your protection? The blood of Jesus Christ is your protection, right? Today, the devil cannot accuse you because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Isn’t this the reason? So, no matter how he calls out from the outside, if you do not pay attention to him, the simplest way you know is what?
If Goliath says, “You are unjust; look at your behavior; I will eat you,” can he come in? Can you see that look? Come in! That is the meaning of disdain. You know your identity; can he come in? No! But the Israelites believed wrongly.
When Saul and all Israel heard the words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. May I ask, what are you afraid of? He cannot come in! If he cannot come into your house, why are you afraid? Isn’t it like having an enemy at home? Your door is locked. Can he come into your house? He cannot come in. He curses you every day, and you are extremely afraid. He cannot come in; isn’t that a waste of time? Let him waste his breath; it is useless.
So, you need to realize where you are. You are in Christ, Amen? You are in Christ, and the devil cannot enter. He cannot enter, so no matter how he calls out, he cannot enter. Do not be scared by him. The devil cannot enter the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit dwells in you, so he can only scare you from the outside, deceive you, and lead you out. Then what? Then he can defeat you. You go out, scared by him, and you can be defeated by him. So, he cannot enter you. Therefore, you must truly recognize that the devil is of no use, Amen.
Let me give you a few examples of how Paul overcame the devil. When Paul was preaching in a certain place, Acts 16:16-18 says, “Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us and cried out, saying, ‘These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.’ And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And he came out that very hour.”
Did this demon enter Paul’s heart? It is in a person’s body, but this person follows Paul and says he is the servant of the Most High God, proclaiming the way of salvation. Did Paul fear this demon? What did he do?
He was greatly annoyed and turned to the spirit, saying, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And the spirit came out at that very hour.
Did Paul fast? Did he cry out? Did he use special dances? It was not that complicated. Just this one sentence, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out,” and that was it. So, some time ago, a sister asked me if I had seen someone cast out demons. I said I had. She asked, “Do you need to fast to cast out demons?”
A few days ago, our pastor said he went to cast out demons, and he said that the demons had to be divided into three batches to come out. He had to fast. What does that really mean? Can you tell me how to cast out demons? “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command the demons to come out of this person.” Then I finished. She kept waiting and said, “Is that it?” I said, “What else do you want to hear?”
Brothers and sisters, isn’t it that people add a lot of things? That way, the devil can deceive us. In fact, it is very simple. How did Paul do it? He was greatly annoyed, turned to the spirit, and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out.” That was it. Did he say, “You are a witch spirit? A mute spirit? A lying spirit? What is it?” Was it that complicated? No matter what you are, this is the power of the name of Jesus, Amen.
So, the devil has two ways to attack us, disturb us, and hinder us. Two ways: the first way is to scare you, making you afraid. The way Goliath did was to scare you into fear. The more you fear, the more you forget your own power. The second way is to exalt you, making you proud.
These are the two ways of the devil. The first way cannot scare you, so he uses the second way. Many people fall because of the second way. Because if you understand your authority, the devil cannot scare you, but the devil uses the second way, and many people easily fall.
He exalts you. Paul was most afraid of falling into the second problem, which is that every day he was followed by someone saying, “Your power is great; you are the servant of the Most High God.” Do you know? Wherever you go, many people are saved. Ah, how about you? You see, he fell.
So, you know that in the Corinthian church, there are many gifts, but these people forget that their power comes from Jesus. So, they all become proud. Today, we must understand that this is the devil’s trick; he wants to disturb you, Amen. Recognize today that I will not be scared by you because Christ dwells in my heart, Amen. Or today, no matter how great the gift is, remember that this is the power of the Holy Spirit upon you. So, you must know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, right? 1 Corinthians 6:16 says,
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?”
Let’s read together, “and you are not your own.” Amen. Now, tell the person next to you, “The Holy Spirit dwells in you.” Amen. Do you know what it means to dwell inside? He does not leave; He does not depart; He cannot be driven away. Amen. The Holy Spirit dwells inside; can the devil dwell inside? No, because he cannot enter at all.
When your house light is on, no matter how dark it is, he cannot enter. He cannot overcome this light, right? This is our true identity, brothers and sisters. Then 1 John 4:4 also tells us something that will let you know your authority can simply use the name of Jesus to overcome all disturbances from the devil.
Let’s read 1 John 4:4 together: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
You must memorize this verse, so do not worry about any demons, witch spirits, lying spirits, spirits of cancer, or spirits of colds. You do not need to discern these things; just know they are evil spirits, and in the name of Jesus Christ, go out. That’s it. Amen. Little children, who do you belong to?
Who told you that you belong to a snake? You do not belong to a snake; you do not belong to a dog; you do not belong to a pig. You belong to God, and what does it tell you? You have overcome them. Who are they? That’s right, Satan. No matter how many there are, you have already overcome them. What is the reason? It is not because your ability is great; it is not because your fasting time is long; it is not because you have believed in the Lord for a long time. There is one thing that dwells in you: the Holy Spirit, Amen!
Because He who dwells in you is greater than he who is in the world. What is in the world? The devil, right? Is the Holy Spirit greater or the devil greater? Of course, the Holy Spirit is greater. Ask yourself, “What are you afraid of?” How many churches do not tell this message to believers? As a result, believers come and are always afraid of the devil. Do you not know that the devil’s power is great? What is he great at? Who is great? The Holy Spirit is great. The one who dwells in you is greater, Amen!
So, remember such things. For example, someone might say, “You know, this house is hard to sell because someone died in it; there are ghosts; there are fierce ghosts.” When you hear others describe it, you might feel scared when you enter that room, right? At this time, you need to change your mindset. When you go in, say, “I am here; go out!” Do you understand? First, know who is inside you, Amen?
Like light, wherever it goes, darkness goes out, Amen? So sometimes, you know, when you are on a business trip and stay in a hotel that feels eerie, do not be afraid. What are you afraid of? You say, “In the name of Jesus, all little demons listen and go out because I have come. The one who dwells in me is much greater than you; do not challenge me.” Isn’t that how you fear the devil? You do not fear him.
In fact, this way can also help you overcome many suppressions and problems in your life, especially mental illnesses. You just need to declare this passage of scripture to overcome it. The reason is simple: you are children of light. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:5, “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.”
So, can light and darkness dwell together? Therefore, the devil is darkness, and you are children of light. You are all children of light! Children of the day; you do not belong to the night or to darkness. So, they should fear you. Then verse 8 also says, “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” It is very important. If you do not have faith, what will protect you? What do you believe in?
Believe that the Holy Spirit dwelling in you is greater than the one in the world, Amen. Take the hope of salvation as a helmet; do not let the devil enter your thoughts and scare you. Do not be like the Israelites, trembling at Goliath’s words. Did David ever fear? Why did David not fear? When David was talking to Goliath, you go back and read 1 Samuel 17 carefully. How does it say?
David knew very clearly that you rely on what you have, but I rely on the name of the Lord of hosts, Amen. Today, you rely on the name of Jesus. His name is enough to make the devil tremble in fear. Hallelujah! So, congratulations to you. Those who believe in Jesus cannot be possessed by demons, nor can they dwell in you, nor can they come in and take you away because you are in Christ, Amen.
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for your words today, once again letting us recognize that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We cannot be possessed by the devil; no demon can dwell in me because the Holy Spirit who dwells in me, the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, is greater than any power in this world.
He loves me; He is my strength. He who dwells in me is greater than he who is in the world. So, I believe that this week, no matter where I go, He dwells in me and is with me. I will no longer fear my environment; I will no longer fear my current problems because I know God will help me. The Holy Spirit dwelling in me will help me overcome all of this.
Jesus, I thank you because I have accepted you as my Savior in life. I know I have eternal life; you no longer condemn me. I have passed from death into life. I will become a blessing to others because I belong to Christ.
I am a child of light; I can bring the light of Christ to many who are in darkness, so they can also be released. Jesus, I thank you for adding this power to me.
Thank you and praise the Lord. Bless every brother and sister who comes to seek you today. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen, Hallelujah!