Can a Christian be Demon Possessed?

 

Can a Christian Be Demon Possessed?

Segmented CD Teaching from the late Dr. Lester Sumrall

(Portions transcribed with permission from the Lester Sumrall Evangelistic Association.)

 

I have had more persecution directed toward me on the message of demon possession.

[The late] Derek Prince, a good friend of mine, began teaching that all Christians have a devil. Well, I would go behind him to all the cities he was preaching in and preach myself that it absolutely was not true.

We cannot believe that a Christian has a devil. This is not true. [This insane doctrine] has people believing that they should bark em' out, cough em' out, spit em' out, and it's a devastating teaching-and they have no Bible to back it up.

We're living in the end time, and we must do something to get these poor people free. We must do something. [But teaching that Christians have demons is not something we should be doing].

There are so many people teaching that Christians have devils.

Can a Christian have a demon? What is a Christian? It all comes down to the principle of definition. I would agree with Derek Prince if he would change one word. If he said church goers have demons, well, then, yes, I'd say I probably know some of them.

Ananias and Sapphira [Acts 5] were both in the early church; they were liars, deceivers and self-promoters. [Did they have a demon? Don't know. But they certainly weren't living Christ-like].

To be Christian means to be Christ-like.

I encounter people all the time that say things like, "I'm afraid I still have a few devils inside."

[The Bible says] He whom the Son sets free is free indeed [John 8:36]. Not half free, fully free.

Yes, churchgoers can have demons. You can have churchgoers who aren't following Christ. They can be religious, but they are not Christ-like.

I encountered a full gospel pastor's wife one time who told me that her husband maybe had just two little devils still inside him. She went to say that if these other women would just leave him alone, that devil of lust wouldn't rear his ugly head and cause him to commit adultery.

Can you believe it-a Full Gospel minister? This man was a churchgoer.

How can a demon penetrate the blood of Christ if you are covered in His blood? You need a revelation of His blood.

How can you expect to go out into the world and preach the Gospel if you think you have a demon? That contradicts the Great Commission. You can't go to Africa and cast out devils if you are constantly at the altar.

People in ministry think they can just say whatever they want. Speculation is the wrong attitude. We've got people seeking after spiritual warfare and neglecting preaching the Gospel. [A true Christian cannot have a demon].

1. Sweet water and bitter water cannot come from the same fountain (Jas. 3:11). You cannot have the devil roaring out of you one minute and Christ the next. Christ won't do that. He comes in to a place where He is sovereign.
2. When we were born again we became apart of the family of God...We cannot believe that we belong to the God's family and the devils also. We are Sons of God...we do not have the family of the devil in the same house. You don't have two fathers living in the same house. Jesus said in John 8:44 that the Pharisees were of their father, the devil. Either God is your Father, or the devil is. There cannot be two kingdoms inside you.
3. [Fig] trees cannot bear [Berries]. Each tree produces like fruit (Jas. 3:12).
4. Death and life are not present in the same house.
5. You cannot get out of the car before you get in it. Do you hear me?
6. You cannot be setting up one kingdom and tearing down another. Jesus said this about Himself in talking to the religious leaders.
7. You cannot be healing someone and destroying someone at the same time.

There are plenty of churchgoers who have devils, but a Christian cannot.

Rev. 2:20...a church can be contaminated, God cannot.