The devil inside of me - NOT!

[over the rainbow]

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[PStephens]

No idea. That's not true. If you're a true, regenerated believer in Christ, then you are filled with the Holy Spirit, not the devil or any other demons.

In the book of Job, God allows Satan to harm Job's life and it is used as a test of Job's faith and his love for God. Satan was not allowed to kill Job though. In the end, Job came out more in love with God and more faithful and he was blessed with more than he had before.

So the devil and demons have "legal rights," but they will not possess you or be in you if you are a believer in Christ.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

I agree - the Holy Spirit seals you permanently and a demonic spirit can never enter you after that.

 

[childofmercy]

What does "having the devil inside of you mean?" Like if you say something bad about yourself or have an insecurity or just don't quite feel right about life, and then someone says that you have spiritual warfare and you have the devil inside of you. What does that mean?

I don't invite the devil. I don't want the devil. I want God. I want God to be right here beside me. I don't want the devil to have any part of me.

So why is it that people say that?

Cindy

That's an interesting question My brother years ago said to me one day, "Have you ever did something you know is wrong but just couldn't seem to help it?" I thought of that when I read your post. The other thing that came to mind was, isn't there a scripture (can't call up the exact verse number) that says we sin and know it not.

I'm thinking (and it's just a guess) that the saying you gave relates to this sort of thing. I think the thing to remember is God looks at the intent of the heart, not the action so much. He also knows we are weak and He is strong. In those moments we repent and ask for forgiveness and it's over.

The enemy can't come to reside when the Holy Spirit resides, but I do believe we are never free from sin entirely in this age. If that were true we would no longer need Jesus covering. I think the enemy pays little sneak attacks in our weak moments. But reside no.

My friend, you are a much loved child of God. The enemy will try. The thing to remember is he also will fail. Give your worry to God. He is your Strongtower. If you ever feel that enemy pressing, you just run to God and He will shelter you under His wing and He will take over and no worries remain.

Wise men still seek Him. And you do And God is right there with you. He will never leave you nor will He forsake you. God chose you. Jeremiah 1:5

 

[andreha]

I agree - the Holy Spirit seals you permanently and a demonic spirit can never enter you after that.

Exactly.

No devil can overpower the living God - now or in eternity. That includes the Holy Spirit inside you. I have encountered demons - and none could get past the Holy Spirit, no matter how they tried.

 

[over the rainbow]

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[heron]

When people told you this, were they serious, or was it just a saying?

If you look through the gospels, you will find many instances where Jesus refers to spirits dominating people, injuring them. The blame was not placed on the person, but on the harassing spirit.

Jesus told spirits to leave the victims alone, and He set people free from this bondage. Then He asked His disciples to do the same for people.

 

[over the rainbow]

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[childofmercy]

I think they were serious because one person said that he was tempted to ignore/dismiss me because he saw a spiritual warfare inside me.

But don't we all have that? But God wins out every time.

The way I understand it (and I may be dead wrong here because I really don't know) the devil will put doubts, fears, insecurities in my head. These cause me to ruminate about things that are usually not even real. I then have the control and power to get angry, hurt others, or dismiss these things as "lies from the devil." When I dismiss them, the devil has no power. There are times I have trouble dismissing them, but if I give the doubts and paranoia to God, then God can help me feel secure. God can show me the truth. I just have to give the lies to God. God will help me see what's happening clearly.

I forget that part (a lot). But the devil only has power to whisper lies. The choice to act on those lies is in my own free will.

Right?

I kinda need guidance here.

Cindy

I think you have an absolute grasp of the Truth here. Most excellent! Keep up the battle. The enemy can't win, because the Lord gave us power over him. You're doing wonderful.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

The struggle inside ALL of us isn't with a demon or Satan, it is between our fallen evil nature that we were born with, and the Holy Spirit that has sealed and lives inside us now. We win that fight on a day by day basis, as we choose to obey God's commands rather than sin. We won't be perfect until we reach Heaven, but we can apply ourselves to the service and obediance of the Lord to the maximum of our human capabilities. Prayer, worship, bible study, Christian fellowship - these are a few of our tools to win the fight.

 

[PStephens]

To be a Christian is like putting on armor, picking up a sword and shield, and running out into the midst of battle to fight for the sake of our King. Everyday is a battle and our strength in this battle can only come from Christ. It is through becoming weak and humble before God's throne that we are made most strong and able to fight this fight.

 

[Macx]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luobOzreRq4

While Devil Inside is a great song, the essence of it is bad theology based on personification of that original sin that is in all of us til we are fully regenerated in Christ (something that definitely doesn't happen until after death and maybe not until after the final judgemment). Yes there is a Devil, Satan . . .. but what this song I linked and that phrase are talking about is sin nature, nothing to be afraid of, but also not something to dwell in or take too much time thinking on. Christ is King, the victory won, that sin nature has a limited time and a limited power.

 

[over the rainbow]

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[JCFantasy23]

I've never been one to lay all the blame like that on the Devil...we are people, not tools. We struggle against our own natures and choices. Some Christians seem very focused on the devil being inside people, even people being possessed... I'm thinking that's where this saying came from.

 

[heron]

I think they were serious because one person said that he was tempted to ignore/dismiss me because he saw a spiritual warfare inside me.

But don't we all have that? But God wins out every time.

The way I understand it (and I may be dead wrong here because I really don't know) the devil will put doubts, fears, insecurities in my head. These cause me to ruminate about things that are usually not even real. I then have the control and power to get angry, hurt others, or dismiss these things as "lies from the devil." When I dismiss them, the devil has no power. There are times I have trouble dismissing them, but if I give the doubts and paranoia to God, then God can help me feel secure. God can show me the truth. I just have to give the lies to God. God will help me see what's happening clearly.

I forget that part (a lot). But the devil only has power to whisper lies.

I have known of instances where Christians internally heard lies about other Christians, and inaccurate assumptions were made. Negative spirits will steal, kill, destroy, deceive, discourage, and accuse. They will divide and conquer.

A spirit doesn't need to be inside someone to influence them. Scripturally, we resist the devil and he will flee. Just as you said. The thoughts will float in, but when you resist them and keep God your focus, you have won the battle.

I see a lot more competition than real discernment in people who say things like that. The person probably sees you as a threat to their religious prowess.

If a Christian sees evil attacking another person, it is up to them to do the spiritual warfare, not to place blame. They could have chosen to set you free from oppression, but instead they chose to oppress.

 

[over the rainbow]

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[over the rainbow]

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[spidergains]

That person's statement threw me for a loop for awhile, but after reading what you guys have written here and talking to Christian people whom I trust, I realized that the statement the devil was inside me was a false accusation. The problem was that while growing up, my mother who had problems, often said that I had the devil inside me. That triggered all kinds of warped thinking on my part from then on.

But I've settled down, talked to God A LOT and read as much as I could understand in the bible and now understand.

Thank you for offering me some insight.

Cindy

Matthew 10:34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.
35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 Your enemies will be right in your own household!’
37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.
38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

"Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." Pr. 1:7
Once you realize this, you won't worry about the devil.

 

[spidergains]

If you are attending a church where the pastor and parishioners obsess about spiritual struggles with the devil, I suggest that you find another church.

By obsessing about demons and Satan, these people unwittingly invite evil into their lives. They are trapped in a type of gnostic dualism where Satan is seen as a worthy adversary of God.

1 John 1:4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

 

[over the rainbow]

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