There are a number of accounts in the bible of demon possession, where Jesus or his apostles cast them out. Today, there are still genuine accounts although very rare of people who are or have been demon possessed, the majority being in south Africa and south America. So there does not seam to be any reason to be overly concerned with being demon possessed, unless you dabble in the occult.

However, I have often thought of the account of not demonic possession but demonic influence in Act 5:1-10. Ananias was clearly a first century Christian who was also born again with the holy spirit. Yet the bible tells us, Satan was able to influence this man through his pride and greed. So having the holy spirit does not necessarily protect you from demonic influence. It is after all due to free-will, God will protect you as long as you stay loyal to him. But in the case of this man, Ananias he clearly had no idea he was being influenced by Satan.

Clearly God gave Satan permission to influence Ananias and posses Judas, it was up to them to resist Satan's influence. It could quite easily be the same today, God has given Satan and his demons permission to test his servants on earth.

So, how can you tell if you are just yielding to some works of the flesh, or being influenced by Satan or a demon?

And, how can you protect yourself? Don't just write prayer! Ananias and Judas would have prayed regularly and also read the bible regularly and no doubt manifested some of the gifts of the spirit!!!

Excellent question. My personal experience from reading the scriptures to understand when I am fighting off advances of sin within me that is trying to have dominion and manifest itself in the world through me, versus a demonic influence from a devil who is tempting me to sin, has been that sin seems to react immediately through my eyes when they are in direct alignment with that which I can be tempted by. A devil on the other hand seems to work to fill my heart full of evil when my senses are not even involved. These attacks come in the form of thoughts that seem to originate out of nowhere.

I protect myself from sins attacks by strengthening my spirit through exercising myself unto godliness in direct communion of the Holy Spirit that dwells within me. Getting before the Word of God for the purpose of sanctification as prescribed in John 17:3. Increasing my faith by praying that God will impart more faith unto me through direct interaction with me in his creation.

Protection from a direct attack by a devil is through resistance alone as James spoke of. Devils have no patience with me. They want me to act immediately upon everything they offer. If I bring every thought captive unto the anointing within me, then the devil gets frustrated with me and leaves quickly.

The simple answer to all of this should be putting on the full armor of God right? But I must admit that I read it and did not understand what it meant to do such a thing. Experience is a great teacher. I experienced first hand how having my shoes shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace could help me when confronted with someone who had been demonically influenced themselves. How the breastplate of righteousness and having our loins gird about with truth keeps us from allowing Satan to bring Gods judgment against us as he is the accuser of the brethren. The shield of faith to fend off the fiery darts of the wicked, for example, knowing that God said that he will not allow me to be tempted above that which I am able I am able to withstand when the demon is whispering that I cannot possibly resist, but must sin.

I pray that God will bless each and everyone of you with the strength of the anointing of his Holy Spirit to carry you through all temptation faithfully enduring it and thus receiving at the end of your faith the salvation of your souls.

In Jesus Name,

Gary

hi Davy,

Ananias and Judas werent believers in correct sense.
They didnt have holy spirit. How do i know? Bible doesnt say they did have. So to assume ananias did is just assumption...

Judas certainly didnt as all the disciples did not receive Holy spirit until Jesus' resurrection.

and i dont think ananias would have tried to lie if he'd actually had holy spirit , he tried to lie because he didnt know the power of God.

A note about Ananias, he like Sodom and Gamorrah, was made an example unto us by God without mercy even though he could have supplied the necessary goodness to lead them to repentance. It will be more tollerable for Ananias in that day than for those who read his account but did the same thing he did anyway.

you mean try to lie to Holy spirit? why would person try to lie to God in first place...? I think he didnt believe.
can't think any other reason why person tries to lie to God than plain unbelief in existance of God.

Jari, over the course of my walk with God, I have seen this one from both sides, arguing that Ananias could not have been saved as well as that he absolutely must have been. I understand anyone who ends up on either side of that thought. Anyone who is willing to sell a house and give the majority of the money to a group that claims to be Gods people is a believer in my eyes. The idea of lying to the Holy Spirit when one possesses the Holy Spirit is on the same level as grieving the Holy Spirit in the possibility of being done. Believe as you may, I see more reason to believe that they believed than not.

Gary

I have dealt with many Devil type situations. There are many examples where believers acted on what the devil was telling them. Such as Peter, and Jesus rebuked Satan. Jesus did not cast the devil though out of Peter.

The dumb boy who wondered in the fire, the man in chains would be both cases for being possessed.

The fist time I cast a devil out of someone was someone that was born again, and filled with the Holy Spirit. He was out of his mind until the Lord had me get involved and tell that spirit to go. (Notice the Lord asked me, I did not act on my own.)

So certainly this man through disobedience and allowing the devil place gave complete control over, even though he was saved.

Ananias, Satan certainly killed both of them as Satan had filled their heart, both seemed to be of sound mind. Both however were drawn away and enticed by their own lust. Satan does not get the blame in this.
The question I ask as a believer is not if they where Possessed, but why was judgement so harsh?

Jesus Is Lord.

how do you know he was saved?
he spoke in tongues?

No, I did not hear him speak in tongues, He told me he gave his life to the Lord, and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. He had been going to church but was lonely. He met this girl somewhere who practiced witch craft, and in attempts to impress her he told me he sort of got in involved with her in a few things.

He soon stopped going to Church faithfully, and started to hear voices, things just got worse and worse to where he could not work, and lived in a men's shelter. He was soon completely gone mentally, coming in the shelter screaming about all kinds of strange things.

It was one of these days I was at the Men shelter he came in screaming again, that the Lord asked me to get involved.

So, I only have what he told me, and he was such a mess, I believed he told me the whole true story.

Jesus is Lord.

He lied to the Holy Spirit in Peter. He was a believer, he knew Go existed.

Acts, Chapter 5

³But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land

⁴Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Some people act like are they are born again that they unable to sin. Sure they can. Satan tempts all christians. Paul and other apostles constantly preached to help christians not to sin. People have a will, they can sin, knowing the Lord and his existence. This time God was so angry he killed the man and his wife. I'm not their judge, but I would not want to be in their shoes.