Christ Healing the Two Demoniacs in the Country of the Gadarenes Cornelis Saftleven (1607-1681) National Galleries of Scotland
Demonisation: A Continuum of Demonic Activity
There is no word in Greek for 'demon-possession' as is often found in English language translations of the New Testament. Instead, individuals are said to 'have an impure or evil spirit,' 'having a spirit making mute,' 'be in (the grip of) an evil spirit' or to be 'demonized' (from the Greek verb daimonizomai). Such mistranslation has led to confusion about whether a follower of Jesus Christ can be affected by demonic spirits or completely controlled by them.
A careful reading of the New Testament will show that Jesus not only cast out demonic spirits from people but also gave his disciples his authority and power to do the same. But we can also see that individuals can be affected by demonic spirits from 0 (in the case of Simon Peter) to 5000 (in the case of the Gadarene demoniac named Legion because he was in the control of 5000 demons). It is important therefore to recognize different degrees or levels of demonic attack, which fall into three main categories.
Three Levels of Demonic Activity
A. AFFLICTION involving the attack of demonic spirits from outside a person. This is the most common form of enemy attack that can affect all three levels of a person - Body, Soul and Spirit. An example here is to be seen in Matthew 16 where, after confessing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, Simon Peter moments later says he will not allow Jesus to go to the Cross. This earns the strongest rebuke from Jesus: "Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me. You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." (Matthew 16:16-23) One moment Peter was speaking under the unction of the Holy Spirit. The next he was being used by Satan to try to abort God's plan of salvation!
B. INFILTRATION is where a demonic spirit, or spirits, have gained entrance inside a person through spiritual doorways, involving sin committed either willingly or unknowingly by or against an individual. These include generational iniquity (for example, occultism or idolatry down a family line); false religions; idolatry; sexual immorality; rejection; satanism; witchcraft; accidents and trauma.
C. INFESTATION where an individual is so demonized s/he is now controlled by a whole group or groups of demonic spirits. This is true of addictions and all spiritual activity that involves deliberate invitation to demonic spirits involved in the different levels of occult healing and beyond the third level of initiation in Freemasonry, Hinduism, New Age, Reiki, Witchcraft, Yoga or Satanism. This is the level of demonic control of the Gadarene demoniacs.
The Christian & The Demonic
It is clear from the above that a Christian who has been born anothen and filled by the Holy Spirit cannot be controlled by the unholy spirits, but can and may often find herself/himself afflicted by such spirits. S/he may even at times be infiltrated by demonic spirits, where the individual has willingly invited them in through deliberate sin. They can also enter unwittingly as a result of sin committed against the person by others, through abuse of various kinds, or through accidents and trauma.
The Christian Fights From Victory, Not For Victory
It is important to remember that Christ won the victory over sin, death and Satan by his death on the Cross for our sins and by his glorious Resurrection from the dead and Ascension back to heaven. Every born again Spirit-filled Christian has the authority and power over all demonic spirits when submitted to the LORDship of Jesus Christ and protected by the whole armour of God, as Paul describes in Ephesians 6:10-18.
In Revelation 12:10-11 we read: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."
A Prayer Against Demonic Attack
In the Name and authority of the LORD Jesus Christ I come against you wicked spirit, whoever you are, and command you to leave my body, soul and spirit, go to the place appointed for you by Christ and don't return.
I ask You, LORD Jesus, to deliver me from this enemy attack and fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit to expel whatever it is the enemy has been trying to inflitrate me with. I ask this in Your name, which is above every other name in heaven, on earth or under the earth and for your glory. Amen.