Hey everybody. I am at love. Welcome to Ask the Pastor. And we have been counting down the most listened to episodes in the history of the podcast. So we're taking a break from new episodes in the summer,

but we're just wanting to go through some of the most listened to episodes we've ever done.

These are just questions that seemed like were really particularly impactful,

and so we're just going to go through them. And so we are on number eight. So this is the number eight most listened to episode of Ask the Pastor, and it is about spiritual warfare.

So number eight, can a Christian be possessed by a demon?

So for today, JD, the question is, can a Christian be possessed by a demon? And if not, can demons influence us?

Well, the answer to that first question, can a Christian be possessed by a demon? I guess it depends on what you mean by demon possessed. The word demon possessed, this is a common misconception. The word demon possess is not actually, it's never

used in the Greek language that I know of, and it's not in the Bible. People think that that's

a biblical terminology. The word that is used in the Bible is the word demonized, which actually

broadens it a little bit. So if you mean,

if you mean, can a demon so overtake a Christian so that they have no will left and no

ability really to choose right from wrong anymore, the answer is definitely no for the Christian.

I mean, for multiple reasons, Romans guarantees us that in Christ, no sin or evil power can

ever have ultimate dominion

over us. And so even what we see with Judas, because that is kind of what we think of as

demon possession, where Satan enters his heart and takes him over. Yes, I don't think that can

happen to a Christian. But if by demonized, the word demonize, you mean can a demon influence or control us or afflict us?

The scripture, I think, indicates yes, even for the believer.

But his entry, his entry into our lives is because we allow him to come by saying no to him in some area or we allow ourselves to be influenced by listening to the lies that he whispers

into our hearts. Let me start where I always start with questions like this. It's with C.S.

Lewis's famous statement. He said humanity always falls into two, what he called equal and

opposite errors concerning demons.

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