Does Satan tempt Christians?
Answer: Yes, he does. In Matthew 26, Jesus encourages his disciples to watch and pray lest they fall into temptation. 1 Peter 5:7 teaches us that Satan prowls around like a lion seeking someone to devour.
Can Christians be demon possessed or demonised as the deliverance movement suggests?
Answer: No. The central issue of the deliverance model of spiritual warfare is the belief that a true believer can be demon possessed or controlled if he does not resist. The basis on which they hold this is not Scripture but what they refer to as “clinical experience”. One text popularly used to support a Christian’s demonisation is Lk. 13:10–18.
The cases cited in this text may not be that of a Christian. The daughter of Abraham may have been a female descendant of Abraham, not necessary a saved one. See Romans 9:6; John 8:37, and 8:56.
The Scriptures clearly indicate that a Christian cannot be demon possessed (Jn. 17:15; 1 Jn. 4:4; 1 Jn. 5:8; 1 Cor. 6:15, 16; Col. 1:13; Acts 26:18, Matt. 12:43–45).
3. How can a Christian deliver a person who is demon possessed from demons?
Answer: We will unpack our answer by contrasting it with the answer that those in the deliverance movement provide.
The deliverance movement’s answer
According to Dr Neil Anderson (a principal teacher in the deliverance movement), the authority of a Christian is the same as that of Christ and the apostles. He builds his case from Ephesians 1:22 and 2:6. On the basis of this, he believed that all of Christ’s authority has been conferred on the believer. He must simply learn to exercise it. He believes that a believer must come to understand and exercise the authority he has in Christ over the demonic realm. The lack of knowledge and practice in this area is a primary reason for much of the spiritual defeat and lack of power amongst Christians today. The man of God must “take authority over the devil” by identifying, commanding, and binding the demons.
The biblical answer
It is true that the believer is identified with Christ and positionally seated with him in heaven (Eph. 2:6). It is also true to say that Christ has been given as head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:22). But it does not follow that the believer is equal in authority to Christ. Christ’s authority is unique. He is the Lord of glory. Every knee will bow to him (Phil. 2:11), not to believers. Christ will judge the living and the dead (1 Pet. 4:5), not us. As already mentioned in the editorial, we are indeed under the umbrella of Christ’s authority. We benefit from it and, in that sense, we share in it. However, the direct display of it over nature and the demonic realm was Christ’s unique prerogative. It clearly demarcated him as the messiah (Mk. 1:24; 1:27; 3:11). Furthermore, the terrified response of the demons was to Christ’s authority.
Apostolic authority was also unique. It was something delegated to them by Christ specifically (Mk. 3:15; Lk. 9:2, 3), and to those working closely with them (Lk. 10:17–19). Their direct power over the demonic activity identified them with Christ.