Can a Christian be spiritually, mentally, psychologically, or emotionally oppressed or demonized or hear demonic voices in his head?

By Ron Jones ©Titus Institute 2009


The Bible clearly states that Satan cannot spiritually harm us.

1 John 5: 18
Jesus “keeps us safe” and the evil one “cannot harm us.”

The Greek word which the New International Version translates “harm” means “lay hold of, get hold of, grasp onto, fasten himself onto”
In order to harm.

Satan has no power or control over us. He cannot spiritually lay hold of us and force us to do anything against our wills. He cannot possess us. Christians cannot be demon-possessed. He cannot influence us in a way that we cannot simply choose resist.

He can only tempt us by inciting our fleshly desires and trying to deceive us. Satan and the world cannot force us to do anything or mentally or emotionally or psychologically confuse us. The Biblical evidence is that Satan can only work externally regarding believers. All he and the demons can do is stir up our fleshly desires and try to deceive us.

What about when you feel spiritually oppressed, spiritually pressured, evil thoughts in your head? Should you address Satan and rebuke him or just pray about them?

Matt.15:18-20
Jesus clearly says that evil thoughts come from man’s fleshly nature. We need to turn from those evil thoughts as we would any other fleshly thought or desire that we felt.

There is no Biblical evidence that Satan can implant a thought in the mind of a Christian.

What about Paul’s affliction from Satan in 2 Cor.12?

2 Cor.12:7-10

The “thorn in the flesh,” the “messenger of Satan” was most likely a physical illness (see Gal. 4:13-16) in which Satan was inflicting Paul in a physical way as he did Job.

Paul realizes this and knows Satan has an evil purpose behind it, but his focus is not on Satan at all. He does not bind Satan or work some spiritual warfare formula. He simply prays to the Lord to remove it if it would be the Lord’s will.

The Lord said no because he wanted it to show Paul just how powerful the Lord is in his life through his working in Paul’s weakness. Paul trusts the Lord and moves on.