Can demons infiltrate Christians? The late Derek Prince suggested that they can, and in the book,
Rules of Engagement: Preparing for Your Role in the Spiritual Battle
, he explains how:
In
James 3:15 the apostle speaks about a form of wisdom which does not
descend from above, but is earthly, sensual [soulish], demonic. James
depicts a downward slide in three successive stages: from the earthly to the soulish to the demonic.
When Christians become earthly
they lose the vision of eternity. They cannot see beyond the things of
this life: success, pleasure, wealth, physical health. They are only
interested in what their faith will do for them in this life! Concerning
such people Paul says: If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we
are of all men the most pitiable (1 Corinthians 15:19). Christians like
that often consider themselves prosperous and successful. God considers
them pitiable.
After the earthly, the next stage is soulish.
To be soulish is to be egocentric, self-centered. For such people, the
Christian faith is a way to get what they want out of life. They suppose
that godliness is a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:5).
The soulish opens the way for the demonic.
This is one main way in which demons infiltrate the church. The
question is often asked: Do Christians ever need deliverance from
demons? The words of James provide a clear answer. This downward slide
from the earthly to the soulish to the demonic exposes both individual
believers and whole congregations to the activities of demons.
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