All Christians agree that demonic oppression is experienced by non-Christians and Christians alike. Yet, some Christians disagree with the notion that Christians can be demon-possessed. If you’re not familiar, oppression is from without (external influence) while possession is from within (internal influence). There are generally two arguments used against the notion that Christians can be demon-possession. I believe that when the passages for these arguments are examined in-context it becomes clear that Christians can experience demon-possession.

First, those who deny the notion that Christians can be demon-possessed will say that since the Christian’s body is the temple of God, light and darkness can not dwell together in it as per 2 Corinthians 6:14-16. However, if you look at the context, the passage is talking about how believers should not enter marriages with unbelievers. To emphasize that point, several rhetorical phrases such as ‘what partnership.’ ‘what fellowship.’ ‘what in common,’ and ‘what agreement’ can be found in the passage. I completely agree that the indwelling Godhead inside Christians has no partnership, no fellowship, nothing in common, and no agreement with demons. However, just like it is possible for a believer to marry an unbeliever, it is possible for light and darkness to dwell inside the same body. They should not, but it is possible.

Although Satan fell, he still had access to heaven as we see in Job 1:6 and 2:1. Referring to this in Luke 10:18, Jesus mentions that He saw Satan fall as lightning. However, according to Revelation 12:9 there is point in the future when Satan will be cast out of heaven. So light and darkness can be in a place as holy as heaven, but they should not have fellowship, harmony, something in common, or agreement.

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I will dwell in them and walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (2 Corinthians 6:14-16, NASB)

It is a matter of the Christian not exposing every area of his or her life to the light. As per Revelation 3:20, Jesus stands at the door and knocks. He wants to come in and fellowship with us but that is conditional on us hearing His voice and opening the door. He doesn’t burst into every area of our lives at the moment of salvation, we have to open up ourselves to Him over time. Yes, every Christian has already overcome the world the moment they responded to God’s free gift of salvation in the sense of 1 John 5:5. However, that is distinct from the process of overcoming sin in the sense of Revelation 3:21. I’ll leave a link to an article explaining the distinction (Link).

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to himand will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:20-21, NASB)

Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:5, NASB)

Second, they will say that since God possess’ the right to our body because He paid to redeem us from sin as per 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, it is then impossible for demons to possess the Christian’s body. While it is true that God paid to redeem us including our bodies, whether or not that payment is applied is within the jurisdiction of our own free will. God paid the penalty for each and every human being. Five-point Calvinists would disagree based on their belief in limited atonement, but four-point Calvinists and Arminians would agree. I’ll leave a link my article on Arminianism and Calvinism (Link). The point is that God paid for everyone but yet non-Christians, and even Christians who have not fully yielded their bodies, are not glorifying God in their bodies. In essence, they are again selling themselves into sin. They are separating themselves from the life of God due to the hardening of their hearts and have given themselves over to sin which gives the enemy a foothold as per Ephesians 4:18-19, 27.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NASB)

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. (Ephesians 4:18-19, NASB)

and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:27, NASB)