Dr. Couch, can believers be possessed by Satan?
ANSWER: No, they cannot. Also, remember, he is not omni-present, that is, he is not everywhere, though he certainly may send his spiritual lackeys, the demons, to do his biding and mislead the believing community. Paul, James and Peter speak in many places about such deception.
1 Peter 5:8. Peter told the Christians to be sober and alert because their "adversary, the devil" prowled about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." The word "adversary" is the Greek word "antidikos" meaning "the opponent in court." How can he so devour? First, the word devour means "to swallow, overwhelm." William Baker ties this to Romans 12:3 where Paul points out that many Christians, by their false pride, can lose "sound judgment" in the spiritual life. This means that Satan can worm his way into the life of believers and sell them on false views, like charismatic beliefs.
James 4:7. How can Satan trap believers? He can do this if they have not submitted themselves to God in full and complete trust. Therefore James say, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." What would he be doing that was causing the believer to be weak? James does not say, but certainly this would include certain false beliefs, or misplaced doctrines. "To resist" Satan means that he is influencing the Christian in doctrinal issues or in doing things that are wrong. In verse 8 James addresses the issue of having dirty hands, but also of being "double-minded" or "double-souled." This would more than likely have to do with what the Christian is thinking in terms of doctrine or beliefs.
Hebrews 13:9. Though the writer of Hebrews does not speak of Satan in this verse, he does say: "Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace ..." This could be translated as "by different colored and foreign (alien) doctrines." The writer then adds, "for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace ..." The heart or the emotions are being sidetracked. While charismania is not in view here, any strange and different teaching is! And this could certainly include the strange views of the charismatic folks.
On Hebrews 13:9 Nicoll writes: "These teachings were 'various,' inasmuch as they laid stress now on one aspect, now on another of doctrine. They were 'foreign' both as being novel and as being irreconcilable with pure Christian truth." Again, one cannot help but think of charismatic false doctrine! The BKC says this passage is speaking about those who hawked "strange teachings and tended to idealize these beliefs by their wilderness [wild] experiences."
Ephesians 4:14. Believers are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming. Notice "every wind of doctrine" no matter what that doctrine or doctrines might be about!
On this verse the BKC well says: "blown here and there (whirled around, like in a violent swinging that makes one dizzy) by every gust of wind of teaching, by trickery (dice-playing)." And "moving toward a system of error. False teachers cause this kind of confusion regarding the truth in order to try to bring believers into their erroneous schemes." This is exactly what takes place in the charismatic teaching!
Galatians 5:20. The charismatic movement can also inspire "disputes, dissensions, factions." Satan would have to be behind this kind of confusion. He loves to split churches and bring about false belief systems. These last three words imply "quarreling, selfish ambition, and heretical sects." The charismatic movement often spawns what the BKC calls "self-aggrandizing" in attitude, working to get ahead at other's expense. There is a competition in the charismatic movement. "I am better than you," or "I know more than you." Satan certainly loves to fan such attitudes!
Acts 20:17-31. The Ephesian elders were going to depart doctrinally someday in the future, according to Paul's thinking. He warned the elders of this happening in their group. He said that "among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them" (v. 30). Notice that this would happen between elders, and the purpose was to cause some of them to be drawn away to higher teaching! "Perverse things" is a Perfect Passive Participle verb. The word "diastrepho" refers to a "twisted teaching," as with a misshapen potter's wheel, or a wheel that is "twisted, crooked."
With the Perfect Tense the idea is that this teaching took a period in which it came up to being twisted and distorted. It did not happen at once. This would absolutely be applicable to the charismatic teachings.
While Satan is not mentioned in all of the above verses he certainly likes to fan false beliefs. He does not sleep when it comes to confusing and sidetracking the doctrines of the believers in Christ.
—Dr. Mal Couch (2/11)
