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NASB | 1 John 4:4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 4:4 Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind]. |
Bible Question: how would a person know if they are possessed an a belever at the same time |
Bible Answer: Dear Phebe, The incident with the demoniac of Gadera shows even the most demonized of people still retain an element of free will. The KJV version unfortunately translated the Greek word meaning 'possessing' (or having) demons as being demon possessed and the devil has done much evil in convincing people they cannot have a demon if they are a Christian. Assuming you are a Christian in good standing with God (not practicing sin, submitting to His lordship, etc), good indications of having a demon tormenting you are when your prayers for a 'problem area' in your life never get answered. What areas? For example: emotional problems (resentment, hatred, anger, fear, rejection, self-pity, worry, depression, etc), mental problems (indecision, compromise, confusion, doubt, etc), speech problems (outbursts of anger, lying, cursing, criticsm, mockery, etc), sex problems (unclean thoughts about sex, fantasy, masturbation, lust, homosexuality, adultery, etc), addictions (nicotine, alcohol, drugs, medicines, caffeine, food, etc), physical infirmities (many diseases are caused by demons), religious error (involvement in false religions, cults, the occult, false doctrines, etc). Some reason that according to 1 Cor 6:19 you cannot be a believer and have a demon. However, while the Holy Spirit indwells your own spirit, demons can and do indwell the bodies of believers. A good support is the fact that anyone could enter the Temple, even gentiles, while God's presence dwelt in the Holy of Holies. In Acts 5:3 we find the devil having filled Ananias, although he was a believer. Further, Mark 16:17 states believers shall cast out devils in Jesus' name. If devils just left after a person is born again, why not simply get those troubled by devils born again? Further, Ja 4:7, 1 Pe 5:8, Eph 6:12, and others tell us to resist the devil. "Resist" means active opposition, not passively stating he cannot be bothering you. Paul warns believers in Eph 4:27 not to give place to the devil: holding onto anger will permit demons to gain entrance and begin torment from within. If you have problem areas, Phebe, I suggest you read Derek Prince's book, "They Shall Expel Demons" or Hammond's "Pigs In The Parlor" for excellent expositions and steps to lasting deliverance. May Jesus grant you the help you are seeking! Hank-Alive! |