Let me begin by explaining there’s a difference between demon possession and demonic oppression. When a person has a demon it’s when a demon controls this person; but when a demon has a person the demon owns a person. To answer your question, yes a christian can in fact have a demon and need deliverance. Again, a demon can not own a christian because they belong to Jesus Christ.
A christian can have an area of their life influenced, tormented or even controlled by a demon. You must understand their spirit is owned by Jesus Christ therefore they can not be owned or possessed by a demon.
Look at it this way when Joshua led the Israelites by the Lord’s grace and instructions to take possession of the Canaanite land. Only gradually The Isrealites were able to conquer and expel the Caanites from out of the land. Still for a time they occupied the land; but they no longer owned the land although they lived in the land for some time. This is sort of an illustration of when a Christian has a demon.
Christians can still have areas of their life with hurts, pains, trauma, areas of bondage, strongholds and areas where they have a demonic influence or a demonic presence that needs to be expelled or removed.
Here are common push backs circulating around whether or not a Christian can have a demon.
The Holy Spirit and demon can’t live in the same person Or Light and darkness can’t live together
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2Co 6:14)
The Holy Spirit lives in our spirit but demons can live in our soul and in our emotions.
As the bible says our body is a temple. Think of the temple as a house with many rooms and your master bedroom being the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies is a place that is so sacred that only particular people are allowed to enter in this room. This is where The Holy Spirit will dwell. Again, your body is a temple, a house with many rooms. Now think of your soul being the basement or other parts of rooms in that house; this is where those demons will reside.
When a person becomes a Christian and becomes baptized with the Holy Spirit and there’s evidence of them speaking in tongues. Demons do not leave on their own. They have to be commanded to go. Oftentimes demons do have legal right to be there. Those legal rights are more than likely due to previous sin. So again, think of your house and you giving someone access to your home to live in your house freely. This is how it works with sin; through sin we give demons a legal right to live in our house and pretty much do whatever they want because you gave them the keys to your house.
So, if they have a legal right to be there they will continue to reside in your house reeking havoc in your life and those around you. Again, even though light and dark aren’t supposed to co-exist a Christian can have demons and need deliverance. If you haven’t confessed your sin as we’re told to in James 5:16, renouncing the demonic agreements you’ve come into agreement with sin and destroying the legal rights they will continue to dwell in your house.
- Jesus’ first deliverance happened in the Synagogue (Mar 1:23-26).
- Satan bound a daughter of Abraham for 18 years with the spirit of infirmity (Luk 13:16).
- Deliverance is a children’s bread (Mt 15:26).
- Children in the Lord’s prayer ask to deliver us from the evil one (Mt 6:13).
- Jesus said to His disciples who believed in Him, you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (Jn 8:31-36).
- Christians are exhorted to not give place to the devil (Eph 4:27) and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Gal 5:1).
- The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer (2Sa 22:2).
- Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all (Psa 34:19).