Can a Christian be demonized?

Since the issue of demonization was raised in class this past Sunday and it generated a good deal of discussion, I thought I would attempt to clarify my view here (the class blog seems like a good place to enter into these types of dialogues).

I do not think it is possible for a Christian to be "possessed" or completely controlled by a demon. Colossians 1:13 assures us that God "has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves." Believers are filled with the Spirit of God (Rom. 5:1-5; 8:9). And "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Indeed, our bodies are the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19-20). We have been sanctified or set apart for God's use.

However, speaking in terms of "possession" is rather misleading; since, the Greek word usually translated "demon possessed" is better translated "have a demon" or "demonized" (diamonizomai). It simply means to be under the influence of a demon. In this sense, I do think it is possible for Christians to "have a demon," even to the point of needing deliverance. In other words, genuine Christians can be tempted, harassed, and/or oppressed by demons. Nevertheless, with this understanding there is no connotation of possession or ownership. Christians who "have a demon" or are afflicted in this manner - either through evil done to them or through their own immoral choices that have opened a door to the demonic realm - are still saved (their ultimate salvation is not in question). The following are some reasons why I hold this view.

There are several biblical passages that point to the possibility of demonic influence and attack on the church and in the lives of individual Christians (e.g., 2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 4:26-27, 6:10-12; 1 Thess. 2:18; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 2:26; 1 Pet. 5:6-8). There are also specific examples of believers who came under demonic influence due to their sinful behavior, for instance, King Saul (1 Sam. 16:14-23), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-3), and the Corinthian man involved in the incestuous relationship (1 Cor. 5:1-13). The strongest example in support of the view that a believer can be "demonized" is the case of the woman in Luke 13:11-16. There are three key things to note in this text. First, she was referred to by Jesus as "a daughter of Abraham," which indicates that she was a true believer (another indication is the fact that she immediately began to praise God upon being delivered/healed). Second, her infirmity is explicitly attributed to the operation of a spirit (demon) and ultimately ascribed to Satan himself. Third, we are told that Jesus freed her. In short, she was a demonized believer who needed deliverance.

Putting it all together, then, I think full "possession" is rare and cannot happen to a true Christian. Since the Holy Spirit indwells the spirits of Christians upon conversion, the enemy can never infest that dimension of a believing person. But I am equally convinced that "demonization" is fairly common and that it can even happen to real Christians. Evil spirits are capable of influencing people on various levels and to different degrees. Thus, the state of "having a demon" or "being demonized" may refer to physical attack (harassing, obstructing, or infecting), acute temptation (aggravating existing weaknesses or elevating the degree of ordinary enticements), or emotional oppression (heaviness or depression). I think the enemy can afflict a believer's body and even possibly gain control over certain aspects of a believer's soul (especially the facets of mind and emotions). However, the latter is only possible if the person provides the enemy an opportunity or what Paul calls a foothold in Ephesians 4:27. As Clinton E. Arnold observes, "It is likely that any sinful activity that the believer does not deal with by the power of the Spirit can be exploited by the devil and turned into a means of control over a believer's life. Therefore, Christians need to resist. For Paul there is no middle ground. There is no nominal Christianity. Believers either resist the influence of the evil one who works through the flesh and the world, or they relinquish control of their lives to the powers of darkness."

There is nothing contradictory about this position given a trichotomist anthropology (i.e., human persons have three main dimensions: body, soul, and spirit). Admittedly, this is a minority view among contemporary biblical scholars who mostly maintain a dichotomist view. That is, the human person is comprised of two parts: body and soul/spirit (soul and spirit being understood as synonyms). I readily acknowledge that there is a basic dualism between the material and immaterial aspects of human persons and that the terms for soul and spirit are often used synonymously in Scripture. However, there are a few instances where there is evidence of an additional distinction between soul and spirit within the immaterial dimension of the human person (see 1 Cor. 14:14; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12). Moreover, I think there are good reasons from experience to accept such a trichotomist stance, including the fact that it better explains the data pertaining to the issue at hand.