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True Ownership: Who Really Owns You?Many people are confused about who owns them before salvation in Jesus Christ. After salvation, they understand they belong to Jesus and are children of God. But before that, some mistakenly think they are owned by Satan the devil.This misunderstanding often comes from not fully grasping what Jesus meant when He said, “You are of your father the devil” (John 8:44). Jesus used that phrase to describe the spiritual likeness and behavior of some people, not literal ownership. It means their actions reflect the devil’s nature—lying, killing, and opposing truth—not that Satan legally owns them.

There is no scripture that says Satan owns anyone. Instead, God alone owns all creation: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who dwell in it.” (Psalm 24:1)
“Behold, to the Lord your God belong the heavens and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.” (Deuteronomy 10:14)Remember how Satan attacked Job but could not go beyond what God allowed (Job 1:12). This shows God’s ultimate ownership. But not control, because He has given us a free will.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (KJV):“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Meaning: Paul is reminding believers that once they have received Jesus Christ, their lives no longer belong to themselves — they were bought (redeemed) by the blood of Jesus Because He has paid for the penalty of our sins. Therefore, they should honor God with their bodies and lives. The enemy Satan has caused a lot of problems and sickness etc and sadly some people blame God, but God is not the cause.

Satan is a thief and liar (John 10:10) who deceives people into believing he has legal rights over them. This can prevent them from receiving deliverance by focusing on supposed legal rights instead of the authority Jesus gives them. I have seen many set free through faith in Jesus’ Name without addressing demon legal rights. Some deliverances include canceling rights, but many struggle because they get stuck trying to find these supposed rights. Knowing that Satan has no legal rights helps believers focus on faith in Jesus’ finished work. This faith brings freedom. Satan can connect to people through sin, weakness in self control, or even though dreams, but connection does not equal ownership or legal right. I remember a deliverance where the demon claimed, “I have legal right to be here,” but I continued boldly in Jesus’ Name without responding to the claim, and the demon was cast out.

Consider when Paul cast the spirit of Python out of a slave girl (Acts 16:16-18). She hadn’t sought deliverance and was working with the demon, yet the spirit was still overcome by God’s power and was cast out in Jesus Name.

Summary
Satan influences people but does not have legal ownership. Jesus’ words about being “of your father the devil” describe spiritual likeness, not possession. God alone owns everything in heaven and earth. Believers can receive deliverance through faith in Jesus, not by focusing on demon legal rights.

TRUTH ABOUT LUKE 11:24–26 & MATTHEW 12:43–45 (KJV)
Luke 11:24–26 24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and garnished. 26 Then goes he, and takes to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, most people have taught that this means when the demon is cast out. I used to think that was what it meant also. But by revelation and the help of Dake’s Study Bible, I see the truth in this verse.
The word “gone” used here is exerchomai in the Greek (Strong’s G1831), meaning to go out or depart at their own will. It is not the same as “cast out.” The Bible uses a totally different word when it speaks of demons being driven out by authority. That word is ekballō (used in Mark 16:17), meaning to forcibly expel. See the difference? In Luke 11:24 the demon isn’t cast out by authority—it chooses to leave on its own.
This also makes sense when you look at the context. Jesus had just been accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub (Luke 11:14–23). His response was to show them that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Then He gave this illustration about an unclean spirit leaving a man. He was warning them of the danger of being neutral—having a life “swept and empty” but not filled with God’s Word. He wasn’t warning us against deliverance, but against leaving people unguarded after the demon departs.
Matthew’s Gospel records the same teaching in almost the exact words:
Matthew 12:43–45 (KJV) 43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Notice how Matthew adds the words “Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” That shows Jesus was addressing the nation of Israel who were rejecting Him. He was warning them about their spiritual emptiness without Him—not telling us to avoid deliverance.
And if you read just a few verses after in Luke 11:28, Jesus makes it clear what protects a person: “Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it.”
That means after deliverance, the key is holding onto Jesus’ Word, walking in obedience, and sharing what He has done. This is what maintains freedom.
Think about the man who had the legion of demons in Mark 5. After Jesus delivered him, he wasn’t filled with the Holy Spirit yet. But Jesus told him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you” (Mark 5:19). That obedience and testimony was enough to keep him free.
So yes, being filled with the Holy Spirit is wonderful and powerful—but even if a non-Christian receives deliverance and hasn’t yet been filled, they can remain free when we, by faith, command the demons never to return, and when they choose to walk in the Word they’ve been given.
Lots of people have been put off even doing deliverance on a non-believer because they have taken this scripture out of context. They think maybe after the person is delivered from demons, the demon will just go and get seven more demons more wicked and re-enter the person and make them worse.
So they will avoid deliverance on anyone they think is not close to God. This is sad because most people who are non-believers or are not close to Jesus need deliverance to help them believe! Many people are struggling with demons controlling their minds, preventing them from believing or drawing closer to Jesus!
At least after being delivered, they will have the chance to come close to Jesus! They will have the choice now to make God’s Word the standard for their lives! But before deliverance, the demon would have been preventing them!
You’re probably thinking, can a demon get tired and leave someone without being cast out? I can testify to this because in my teenage years, a demon troubling me by keeping me from eating left me after a year, and I was okay in that area of my life.
I wasn’t a Christian at that time; I had a strong will to fight this problem on my own, and it left me. Yes, because I was not a Christian, I ended up with demons worse than that, causing me to do very sinful things.
I thank God He opened my eyes to Jesus and delivered me and saved me! Who have you passed by not willing to deliver them because you think you will just make them worse?
We stopped and prayed for a demon-possessed man on the street in Zambia and couldn’t communicate with him because he was mad, but we believed God and commanded him to be delivered in Jesus’ Name! Today he is free and in his right mind—glory to Jesus!
So don’t let fear stop you from setting captives free. Jesus never told us to hold back deliverance—He told us to go and cast out demons (Mark 16:17). His Word and our faith in His Name are more than enough to keep them free.

What Does “Possessed” Really Mean?
When people read the Bible in English, they often come across the phrase “possessed with a devil.” But there is a lot of misunderstanding around the word possessed. Let’s look closely at what it actually means.

1. The Original Greek Word
   The New Testament word is:
   δαιμονίζομαι (daimonizomai) – Strong’s Concordance G1139. It means: to be demonized, to have a demon, or to be under the influence of a demon.
   👉 It never means “owned” by a demon. Instead, it shows a person being under some degree of demonic influence or control.
   Examples from the Gospels:

• Some spoke with another voice (Mark 5)
• Some were mute or blind (Matthew 9:32–33; 12:22)
• Some had seizures (Matthew 17:15–18)
• Some were self-harming or violent (Mark 5:5)
  So biblically, these people had a demon or were demonized — not owned.

1. What Does “Possessed” Mean in English?
   📖 Old English Dictionaries (like the 1611 King James usage): Possessed with a devil = to be afflicted, controlled, or influenced by an evil spirit. It was a common way of describing demon possession, without implying ownership.
   📖 Modern English Dictionaries:

• Possessed (Oxford): influenced or controlled by a demon or spirit.
• Possessed (Merriam-Webster): dominated by or as if by an evil spirit or passion.
  👉 In both old and modern English, possessed is tied to the idea of being demon-possessed — meaning influence, control, or domination, not legal ownership.

1. How the Bible Actually Reads
   Notice something important: The Bible never says a person was “possessed by a demon.” It always says “possessed with a demon” (KJV) or “possessed of a demon.”
   That wording is crucial: it means the person had a demon — not that a demon owned them.
2. The Real Issue
   The modern statement, “A Christian can’t be possessed,” is based on the mistaken idea that possession = ownership. But biblically, the word simply means having a demon, being influenced or afflicted by one.
   So yes — both non-Christians and Christians can come under demonic influence (to varying degrees). But the good news is:
3. The Good News – Deliverance in Jesus’ Name
   Jesus gave us authority in His Name to drive out demons:
   “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils…” (Mark 16:17)
   Through the authority of Jesus, demons must go. Deliverance is not just possible — it is promised.
4. The Impact of Casting Out Demons
   When demons are cast out, it not only sets people free but also points others to Jesus.
   📖 Example from the Early Church:

• Justin Martyr (c. 150 AD) wrote:
  “For many of our Christian men exorcising them in the name of Jesus Christ… have healed and do heal, rendering helpless and driving the possessing devils out of men, though they could not be cured by all the other exorcists.” (Second Apology, ch. 6)
  This public demonstration of power led many pagans to believe in Christ, because they saw that His name had authority where their magic and rituals failed.
  ✅ Conclusion
• The biblical word daimonizomai does not mean “owned by a demon.”
• In English, possessed always meant “demon-possessed” (influenced, afflicted, dominated) — not ownership.
• The Bible says people were possessed with a demon, not possessed by one.
• Both unbelievers and believers can be afflicted or demonized.
• The good news is that through the authority of Jesus Christ, demons can be cast out, and freedom is available to all who believe.
• Casting out demons not only sets people free but also points many others to the reality of Jesus Christ for salvation.
• It is perfectly fine biblically and grammar to say someone is possessed.
• You don’t need to feel discouraged by others misunderstanding.

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HOLY SPIRIT AND OUR BODIES
Some people use the verse that says we are “one spirit with Him” (1 Corinthians 6:17) to teach that the Holy Spirit only lives in our spirit — not our soul or our body. From that idea they say a believer can still have a demon in their body or soul while the Spirit lives only in their spirit. But when I look at Scripture and my own testimony, that doesn’t make sense. The Bible and my experience show that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just live in one compartment of me; He fills my whole being — spirit, soul, and body.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?” That tells me my body itself is a temple, not just some inner part. And Romans 8:11 says that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to my mortal body. Then Paul immediately follows in Romans 8:12–13 by urging us to live by the Spirit and put to death the misdeeds of the body.
When I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, I literally felt Him enter my feet and move up through my whole body, all the way to my head. I felt Him penetrate my brain, then move into my heart and penetrate it too. It was like electricity flowing through me. That experience confirmed to me that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just live in a corner of my life but fills my entire being.
At the same time, the Bible also shows that even believers can still have areas where the enemy works until those areas are cleansed or demons are driven out. It’s like marriage: the Bible says husband and wife are one flesh, yet they can still have different habits, even bad ones, that don’t match each other. In the same way, I can truly be one with Christ and filled with the Spirit, but still have battles in my flesh or soul where demons try to exert influence.
Galatians 5:17 says the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. Then Paul lists the “works of the flesh” in verses 19–21, which include things like immorality, hatred, jealousy — but also witchcraft. Witchcraft is clearly demonic, yet it’s listed as a work of the flesh. That shows me that when the flesh is active, it can actually open the door for demons to operate. Paul even warns believers not to give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27). So while the Spirit is inside me, there can still be a fight until the enemy is cast out.
We actually see this in Scripture: • In Luke 13:11–16, Jesus loosed a “daughter of Abraham” from a spirit of infirmity. She was part of God’s covenant, yet still bound until delivered. • In Acts 5:3, Peter told Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” Even as a believer, he let the enemy influence him. • And in Acts 8:13, 18–23, we read about Simon the sorcerer. He believed and was baptized, but when he tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit, Peter rebuked him, saying, “your heart is not right before God” and that he was in “the bond of iniquity.” That sounds very much like someone who was a Christian but still had demonic bondage operating in him.
All this shows me that having the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean a demon cannot be present. It means I now have the authority and the power, through Christ, to drive it out. The Spirit doesn’t “share His throne” with demons, but He comes into my whole being and empowers me to get rid of what doesn’t belong.
That’s why James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” And why Ephesians 6:10–12 tells believers — Spirit-filled believers — to stand against the schemes of the devil.
So my conviction is this: yes, the Holy Spirit fills my whole body — I’ve literally felt Him do it — but if a demon is there too, it’s only there until it’s confronted and expelled. The Spirit’s presence gives me the power to walk in freedom in Jesus Name.

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