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Glory · The Unseen Realm
Scripture never says a demon can dwell in someone the Spirit of God indwells, but it is clear that believers can be attacked from outside: tempted, accused, harassed, and hindered. The difference is the one Jesus drew: possession is being seized by a power that rules you, while the Christian is ruled by the Spirit and stands against the enemy with armor and the name of Christ. The battle is real; the victory is already decisive.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/can-a-christian-be-tormented-by-demons · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Luke 8:26-39
As you read: What possession looks like at its worst, and what Jesus' word alone does to an army of demons.
26They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.
27When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn’t live in a house, but in the tombs.
28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!”
29For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bands apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.
30Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered into him.
31They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.
32Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. He allowed them.
33The demons came out of the man, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned.
34When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.
35People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
36Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed.
37All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned.
38But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39“Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you.” He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
Acts 19:11-20
As you read: The limits of spiritual authority: demons yield to Jesus and Paul, and mock everyone else.
11God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul,
12so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the evil spirits went out.
13But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
14There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.
15The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?”
16The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds.
19Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted their price, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.
Ephesians 6:10-20
As you read: Paul's description of the fight: not against flesh and blood, and the armor for standing.
10Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.
11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace;
16above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:
19on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,
20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
As you read: A messenger of Satan allowed to torment a faithful apostle, and the grace that sustains him.
7By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively.
8Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
9He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
10Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.
The demonized man of the Gadarenes lived among the tombs, wore no clothes, and was driven by demons into the desert; at Jesus' word, 'Legion' left him, and the city found him 'sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind.' They saw the power of the demons in his bondage and the greater power of the Son of God in his freedom. Where Jesus is Lord, demons do not own the house.
“When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn’t live in a house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!” For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bands apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.”Luke 8:27-29
“People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.”Luke 8:35
““Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you.” He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”Luke 8:39
Paul makes the boundary a matter of residence: 'You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you,' and he asks, 'Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit... which you have from God?' John's word for the whole church is decisive: 'You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.' A spirit of darkness cannot share the temple the Spirit of God has claimed; that is not a promise of comfort but a fact of ownership.
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.”Romans 8:9
“Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own,”1 Corinthians 6:19
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.”1 John 4:4
“Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”1 Corinthians 3:16
The same New Testament that promises the Spirit's residence warns that 'our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers... against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places,' and Peter pictures the devil as a roaring lion walking about, 'seeking whom he may devour.' Even Paul had 'a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me.' The believer's battle is real; the question is not whether the enemy attacks, but whether he rules.
“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”Ephesians 6:12
“Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.”1 Peter 5:8-9
“By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively.”2 Corinthians 12:7
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”Ephesians 6:11
James gives the two-part move: submit to God, and 'resist the devil, and he will flee from you.' Peter links resistance to faith: 'Withstand him steadfast in your faith,' knowing the same sufferings are shared across the world. Paul's armor is the counter-terror: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God, with all prayer. Jude adds the humility of Michael the archangel, who dared not bring an abusive condemnation against the devil but said, 'May the Lord rebuke you!' We do not fight the enemy in our own authority; we fight in the name and word of the One who has already defeated him.
“Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”James 4:7
“Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.”1 Peter 5:9
“Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”Ephesians 6:13-17
“But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!””Jude 1:9
“with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:”Ephesians 6:18
The cross was the defeat: through death He brought to nothing 'him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,' and having stripped the principalities and the powers, He 'made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.' John's reason for the incarnation is blunt: 'To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil.' So the believer's posture is not foreboding but perseverance: stand, pray, resist, and rest in the One whose resurrection is the final word. The devils had their hour; it ended at the cross and the empty tomb.
“Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”Hebrews 2:14-15
“having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”Colossians 2:15
“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”1 John 3:8
“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom; to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”2 Timothy 4:18