Can a Christian have a demon?

[Episkopos]

Sound's like the Devil saw you coming...............

I think we all need to be sober minded on how easily we can be deceived into thinking we are more advanced than we actually are.

 

[Nancy]

And there is grass growing by his feet.

I cannot see the grass! Jesus Knocking At The Door Of Our Hearts...Painting By William Holman Hunt | Jesus Is My Rock | Jesus pictures, Jesus painting, Jesus christ

 

[Nancy]

That article is taking Scriptures out of context to prove an invalid point. I could tear it apart, but that is a very misleading article, not worth wasting time on. Christians can be (a) influenced, (b) deceived, (c) oppressed, and (d) attacked by Satan, evil angels, or demons, but NOT possessed. Why? Because they are the PURCHASED POSSESSION of Christ.

Perfectly put Enoch.

 

[farouk]

Too much idealism in Christianity?

Is this the result of elevating experience over Scripture?

Much love!
Mark

Interesting comment...

 

[farouk]

Is anyone truly born of God as this is defined by 1 John 3:9?

The new birth's great passage is John 3. :)

 

[marks]

It is a fact. There is no need for the enemy to attack a person who is not advancing spiritually. So that's why so few people understand the kinds of attacks that are possible. They walk in the realm of theory...having no practical experience of the spiritual walk.

It is unsettling at first to come to grips with the depths of the enemy's deceptions. As in...why does God allow the devil so much wiggle room?

The truth is that we get smug and forget to remain humble and fearful. God preserves them that fear Him. All others will be deceived by the devil...whether they realize it or not. The ones who realize the enemy's ways are the ones who walk in the life of Jesus.

So the right formula is to walk in the fear of the Lord AND the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

It's amazing to me how much is overcome simply by our faith.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Interesting comment...

Hi farouk,

I'm curious . . . what is it you find interesting?

Much love!

 

[farouk]

Hi farouk,

I'm curious . . . what is it you find interesting?

Much love!

I agree with what you said, about people not elevating experience over Scripture; it's against Sola Scriptura.

 

[marks]

I agree with what you said, about people not elevating experience over Scripture; it's against Sola Scriptura.

I see this so often. People attempt to understand their experiences, and then try to impose that understanding into the Bible. Rather than letting the Bible inform their experiences.

I get it.

I was treated horribly as a child. I don't say that for sympathy, I don't want that. Fact is, what I call horrible treatment was what man intended. What God intended was my salvation, and my fruitfulness.

I was treated according to what was needed to insure my salvation and fruitfulness. The mind of the flesh wants to say that all this was bad for me. But the Bible says it was all good for me.

Can child abuse be good for me? God says that's what it is.

We can go by how much it hurt - experience - or what God said. I'll go by what God said.

Much love!
mark

 

[farouk]

I see this so often. People attempt to understand their experiences, and then try to impose that understanding into the Bible. Rather than letting the Bible inform their experiences.

I get it.

I was treated horribly as a child. I don't say that for sympathy, I don't want that. Fact is, what I call horrible treatment was what man intended. What God intended was my salvation, and my fruitfulness.

I was treated according to what was needed to insure my salvation and fruitfulness. The mind of the flesh wants to say that all this was bad for me. But the Bible says it was all good for me.

Can child abuse be good for me? God says that's what it is.

We can go by how much it hurt - experience - or what God said. I'll go by what God said.

Much love!
mark

In unbelief, so many ppl are 'Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.' (2 Timothy 3.7). But faith is the perspective that changes it all.

 

[Lady Crosstalk]

I see this so often. People attempt to understand their experiences, and then try to impose that understanding into the Bible. Rather than letting the Bible inform their experiences.

I get it.

I was treated horribly as a child. I don't say that for sympathy, I don't want that. Fact is, what I call horrible treatment was what man intended. What God intended was my salvation, and my fruitfulness.

I was treated according to what was needed to insure my salvation and fruitfulness. The mind of the flesh wants to say that all this was bad for me. But the Bible says it was all good for me.

Can child abuse be good for me? God says that's what it is.

We can go by how much it hurt - experience - or what God said. I'll go by what God said.

Much love!
mark

In my role as a Biblical counselor, I have spoken to many women who came out of abusive homes. When they can get to the point of saying that what humans meant for evil, God meant for good, they are well on their way to healing. It doesn't at all excuse the abuse but it puts it in perspective. Even if those who have been abused forgive their abusers, it doesn't mean God has and the abusers will pay the dreadful consequences for their terrible deeds, unless they come to Christ. The catch is that anyone with a heart so hard as to abuse a defenseless child is unlikely to come to repentance and faith.

Good for you, Mark, that you have come so far.

 

[marks]

In unbelief, so many ppl are 'Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.' (2 Timothy 3.7). But faith is the perspective that changes it all.

I find that faith is the one and only true cure. Faith in God overcoming my flesh overcomes my flesh. It may seem self-evident, just the same, while we can 12 step ourselves from now into eternity, 1 simple step - believing God - transcends all that is wrong.

Much love!
Mark

 

[marks]

In my role as a Biblical counselor, I have spoken to many women who came out of abusive homes. When they can get to the point of saying that what humans meant for evil, God meant for good, they are well on their way to healing. It doesn't at all excuse the abuse but it puts it in perspective. Even if those who have been abused forgive their abusers, it doesn't mean God has and the abusers will pay the dreadful consequences for their terrible deeds, unless they come to Christ. The catch is that anyone with a heart so hard as to abuse a defenseless child is unlikely to come to repentance and faith.

Good for you, Mark, that you have come so far.

For some it is hard hearts, but I think for some it comes from their own brokenness.

People wonder how a loving God could allow such terrible things, but I can readily imaging a "me" who wouldn't give God the time of day, much less trust Him with my life! And I can readily see how God would in fact allow terrible things, if those things bring me to eternal life.

And agree - the abusers have to answer for their crimes, just like those who murdered Jesus. But just like those who murdered Jesus, my abusers' actions were used by a greater God for a greater end.

Much love!
Mark

 

[Lady Crosstalk]

For some it is hard hearts, but I think for some it comes from their own brokenness.

I understand that abuse travels down through the generations but, I think it IS hardness of heart that is always behind it. That must be why the Bible tells us to guard against having a "root of bitterness" in our hearts. For some, the abuse that they suffered led them to develop stony hearts--bitterness develops so easily. That you have been able to resist that bitterness is a testimony of God's grace in your life.

Blessings,

Lady Crosstalk

 

[marks]

I understand that abuse travels down through the generations but, I think it IS hardness of heart that is always behind it. That must be why the Bible tells us to guard against having a "root of bitterness" in our hearts. For some, the abuse that they suffered led them to develop stony hearts--bitterness develops so easily. That you have been able to resist that bitterness is a testimony of God's grace in your life.

Blessings,

Lady Crosstalk

Yeah, OK. It can happen to many, but not all have the same response.

The psychologists talk about repeating abuse in an attempt to control it, even if after the fact, such as in Repetition Compulsion. The abused turns to self-abusive behaviors, such as self-destructive acting out, or in putting themself into the same situation. The abused marries an abuser. Or lives a high-risk lifestyle. I know there's a lot more to this.

For others the repetition is to become the abuser, to take power over the pain. "No more that I'm going to be mistreated, now I'll be the one mistreating others."

One even told me, this was done to me, now I'm going to do it to you, and you will do it to others. Pure evil.

Ok . . . now you know what I really think!

But not all were pure evil. Just that one.

OK. Stopping now.

Much love!
Mark

 

[Nancy]

Okay, well one of the examples that is given is the incident with Simon, the sourcerer ( acts 8::9- 24 )
There is no reference to him being baptised with the Holy Spirit ( it mentions that the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them - that they had only been baptised ) It is when Simon sees that the apostles laid hands on the believers , and they recieved the Holy Spirit that he wanted to ' buy ' the gift. This is when the apostles tell him to repent and seek forgiveness - he still has a heart that was influences by the occult practices that he was involved with.
Rita

Have you ever wondered about those who are born into a faithful and loving Christian home and raised as the Bible instructs us to do? "Raise them in the way they should go....
Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it."
They have only the testimony of Christ! So, does that mean that they have not much along the lines of "testimony" of their lives? I know there is no perfect family but, there are those who follow in the footsteps of their fathers...good or bad. JMHO ♥

 

[Butterfly]

Have you ever wondered about those who are born into a faithful and loving Christian home and raised as the Bible instructs us to do? "Raise them in the way they should go....
Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it."
They have only the testimony of Christ! So, does that mean that they have not much along the lines of "testimony" of their lives? I know there is no perfect family but, there are those who follow in the footsteps of their fathers...good or bad. JMHO ♥

Sorry Nancy, not quite sure of the connection with what I posted about Simon !

 

[Nancy]

Sorry Nancy, not quite sure of the connection with what I posted about Simon !

Oh gosh! The post I was replying to was:

"I have often wondered about the things in a person's life before coming to faith, things that can come in as a result of lifestyle, choices, influences- I mean many need ministry after coming to faith, often many times- so it must be possible for certain things to remain with the In dwelling of the Holy Spirit. We all have pasts prior to coming to faith- and we don't get free of everything ( although some are dramatically released )"

I think this part is what prompted me to reply: "We all have pasts prior to coming to faith...
I'm sorry, don't know how that happened!!!

 

[Butterfly]

Hi Nancy,
Figured that you may have meant the other part of my post, but wasn't sure X
You know I have had many Christian friends who grew up in true Christian homes and some just haven't got that ' day ' where they can say ' they came to faith , they were aware of change but because they held the truth in their hearts already , they just grew. Some are aware of something deeper happening at very young ages.
Rita

 

[Pearl]

I cannot see the grass! Jesus Knocking At The Door Of Our Hearts...Painting By William Holman Hunt | Jesus Is My Rock | Jesus pictures, Jesus painting, Jesus christ

Perhaps it's weeds. I haven't actually seen it for a while. And I've never seen that one before, definitely no weeds on that one. I'll try and post the one I know. It's called the Light of the World by Holman Hunt.