From biblical evidence I would have to say yes, however there are conditions. First of all you must be operating with the power of God's spirit, and not just on your own. I cite the seven sons of Sceva from the bible. They tried to out a demon 'in the name of Jesus, who Paul preaches'. In other words, they didn't know Jesus, and weren't operating under the right authority. The demon's response? "Jesus I know, and Paul I've heard of, but who are you?" And then it came out and attacked the sons, and they ran away, naked and beaten. You MUST be working out of the correct authority. Knowledge is also very important, as is discernment. You must know exactly what you're dealing with, and how to handle it. How do you stop a demon if it manifests and tries to attack you? How specifically do you pray and bind it, and cast it out. Discernment also means being able to recognise. Sometimes we are too quick to blame things on demons, when there is really another root cause behind it. We need to be able to recognise this, and react appropriately. If there is a demon, we need to be able to recognise what it is and how it got there. Obviously there may be cases where the thing just shows up and you tell it to get lost, but you'll find that will probably be rare. Demons are masters of deception and disguise, and so you need to be wise and discerning to catch them out. However, we do have authority in Christ to take control of a situation and deal with demons. If you are a Christian, and you are in a crunch situation, don't be afraid to take control of the situation. Luke 10:19: Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 1 John 4:4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. Matt 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Matt 18:18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." In a situation where it's needed, a Christian can definitely drive out a demon, as long as it's in the name of Jesus, and with the power of God.

Mark 16:17-18 (KJV) And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tounges; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. It's the first in a long list of things our Lord has said we can do through Him.

this was a power given only to the early disciples, and not even to all of them. after the first century, and especially after the apostles all died this power of casting out demons no longer existed.

Mark 16 says yes, the story of the seven sons says "only if you're actually saved", then Revelations goes on to say you could theoretically cast out demons even if you're not saved.

But how does one cast out Christians that act like devils and demons? ; ) Fred Phelps is one that comes to mind.......

They have that ability only as The Holy Spirit allows, as the power is from The Holy Spirit. The Christian has to be in tune with The Holy Spirit. It isnt easy and it takes committment and desire. One has to walk away from the earthly and worldly priorities and concentrate on the spiritual and walk in the spirit.

Hmmph! Wiccans and others can do that too. ;)

Good Q., here's Ur A.. Enjoy!!! John DOCTRINE OF DEMON INFLUENCE A. Definition. 1. Demon influence is demonization of the soul and personality of the believer or unbeliever living in the cosmic system. There are degrees of demon influence. It depends on how long you reside in the cosmic system without the use of rebound. Demon influence is thought transference of demon doctrine to the believer or unbeliever in the cosmic system. 2. Demon influence is the invasion of the soul, especially the mind, emotion, and self-consciousness of the soul. The result is the invasion of the human personality of the believer or unbeliever who lives in the cosmic system. 3. Demon influence is the infiltration of Satanic thought. It isn't expressed in terms of evil, but in terms of improving this world, doing nice things for your fellow man, and supporting crusades. 4. Demon influence is the invasion of the soul with thought that is false thinking, i.e., the policy and principles by which Satan operated prior to the creation of man and afterwards as the ruler of this world. 5. The unbeliever is protected from both demon influence and demon possession by the laws of divine establishment. The believer is protected from demon influence by Bible doctrine only! Only the truth can keep false thinking and false doctrine out of the soul. If the believer only understands the laws of divine establishment, that gives him some protection. But the greatest victims of demon influence are believers, a result of the genius plan of Satan to distract them from the protocol plan of God. B. The Cosmic System, Satan's Classroom for Demon Influence. 1. Cosmic one emphasizes preoccupation with self, having twelve gates or categories of arrogance. 2. Cosmic two emphasizes antagonism toward the truth, with nine gates. 3. When the believer gets outside of the operational-type divine dynasphere, he inevitably enters gate #1 of cosmic one and gate #1 of cosmic two. a. Gate #1 of cosmic one is the whole system of prehistoric sins, which are connected to arrogance. b. If the sins of arrogance are allowed to continue, it is inevitable that the believer in cosmic one will become an abnormal person. And once this abnormality sets in, there is a system of locked-in arrogance that totally rejects truth or distorts truth by hallucination. c. Gate #1 of cosmic two is comprised of all the historical sins. 4. So the believer out of fellowship can commit either prehistoric or historic categories of sins. Many of the prehistoric categories of sins are related to human sacrifice and the various functions of demonism. Demon influenced believers show tremendous predilection toward violence, especially in a psychotic state. 5. Gate #2 of cosmic one is rejection of doctrine because you're preoccupied with yourself, which is an indirect rejection of doctrine. People who are preoccupied with self, seeking pleasure and approbation for self, have no time for doctrine; rather, they substitute self-indulgence for learning doctrine. Gate #2 of cosmic two is also negative volition toward doctrine, but true rejection is due to antagonism toward doctrine. 6. One enters the cosmic system through an active or a passive decision from the free will. Once inside the cosmic system, negative volition towards true doctrine creates a vacuum through which demon doctrine enters, Eph 4:7. 7. Reversionism is, in effect, the degrees of demon influence of the believer in the cosmic system. In 1 Cor 2:5, the "wisdom of man" illustrates demon influence in the cosmic system through Greek culture and religion. 8. The quickest way to get into the cosmic system is to sin, 1 Jn 3:4-10. "When anyone commits a sin, he has become the agent of the devil." Just as the devil invented the cosmic system, so he also invented sin. But Christ destroyed the basis for Satan's entire system when He judged sin at the cross. 9. Through psychological living instead of spiritual living, the believer all too often continues the lifestyle of spiritual death by living in Satan's cosmic system. In cosmic one, he grieves the Holy Spirit; in cosmic two, he quenches the Holy Spirit. 10. All spiritual living occurs inside the divine dynasphere under the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit. Living in the divine dynasphere is called the filling of the Spirit. Functioning in the divine dynasphere is called walking by means of the Spirit. 11. Therefore, we have a warning to Church Age believers not to superimpose the life of spiritual death on the Christian way of life in 1 Jn 2:15-16. "Stop loving the cosmic system or anything in the cosmic system. If anyone keeps loving the cosmic system [cosmic one and two], the love of the Father is not in Him. Because all that is in the cosmic system, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the arrogant pattern of life, is not from the Father but is from the cosmic system." a. Loving the cosmic system means demon influence of your motivation, of your thought pattern, of your decision making, and of your action. b. The love of the Father refers to virtue-love, one of the highest problem solving device in the Christian life. c. The lust of the flesh is the old sin nature seeking to control the soul. The lust of the eyes is motivational evil in gate #1 of cosmic one. The arrogant pattern of life is the functional evil of the other eleven gates in cosmic one. 12. As the leader of all fallen angels and as the ruler of planet earth, Satan has been able to compile a cosmic system which is a mass of thoughts, opinions, speculations, systems of false doctrines, panaceas, plans, systems of all categories for deceit, policies, and objectives by which Satan seeks to control the world which he rules. 13. Although Satan is the ruler of this world, he does not necessarily control the people of this world; that depends upon individual volition. Satan seeks to control both mankind and the millions of fallen angels still loose, called demons. 14. In cosmic one, Satan has provided a communion table to complement real spiritual death. 1 Cor 10:21, "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and at the same time the cup of demons." In other words, the believer who is out of fellowship, out of the divine dynasphere, is under demon influence, drinking from the "cup of the demons." "You cannot partake of the table of the Lord [Eucharist] and the table of demons." The table of demons is psychological living in Satan's cosmic system. 15. In cosmic two, Satan's false doctrine results in the human viewpoint of life, which resents Bible doctrine and any truth. 1 Tim 4:1-2, "But the Spirit [God the Holy Spirit] explicitly communicates that in latter periods of time [Incarnation, Church Age, Tribulation], some believers will fall away from doctrine, giving attention to deceitful spirits, even doctrines from demons [demon influence in cosmic system]. By means of hypocrisy of liars, they are seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron." a. This passage teaches thought telepathy from demons. "Doctrine" here means a system of teaching which is transferred to anyone who resides in the cosmic system. b. Believers believe liars because of their facade of sweet and pleasing words, and the warmth of their personality. In psychological living, you are so preoccupied with yourself that you assume that any speaker who pleases you, stimulates you, and warms you must be telling you the truth. c. A burned-out or seared conscience is a result of demon influence. Demon influence destroys the norms and standards of truth. When a believer or unbeliever remains in the cosmic system long enough, all his norms and standards related to truth are gone, seared, and burnt. 16. Eph 2:2 says, "in which sphere [real spiritual death] you formerly walked according to the lifestyle of the cosmic system [world]." In the sphere of real spiritual death from birth, all unbelievers reside in Satan's cosmic system and are influenced by it to some degree, depending upon their adherence to the laws of divine establishment. The degree of influence from Satan's cosmic system can only be negated for the unbeliever by knowing and adhering to the laws of divine establishment. But this only frees the unbeliever from some of Satan's policies; it does not give him salvation. 17. Living in Satan's cosmic system as an unbeliever includes three categories of modus vivendi. a. Demon possession. b. Demon influence. c. A combination of these two, or psychological living. 18. Living in Satan's cosmic system as a believer includes two potential categories of modus vivendi. a. Demon influence. b. Psychological living. 19. The believer cannot be demon possessed because his body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who indwells him. No demon can be in the presence of the Holy Spirit. C. Distinction Between Demon Influence and Demon Possession. 1. In demon possession, the body of the unbeliever is indwelt by a demon or a group of demons, resulting in normal or abnormal living. 2. The laws of divine establishment protect the unbeliever from demon possession. That's why demon possession is prevalent in countries where there is no establishment, such as in Africa, India, South America, and among the Indian tribes of North America. D. Mandates Against Demon Influence. 1. Eph 4:27; James 4:6-8. (In every passage where Prov 3:34 is quoted from the LXX, there is always a reference to demon influence.) 2. Volition is our first line of defense in two categories. a. Either by rejecting the temptation signals from the old sin nature coming into the soul, or; b. Once in the cosmic system, to name one's sins via rebound, and escape the cosmic system. Otherwise, the believer will become demonized and become "an enemy of the cross," Phil 3:18. 3. James 4:8 gives the command to have doctrine in the right lobe as the offensive action against demon influence. "Purify your right lobe." Being "double-minded" means to have some true doctrine while in the divine dynasphere plus having some doctrine of demons also stored in the right lobe; therefore, there is conflict. Purifying the right lobe is only possible through consistent, daily perception of Bible doctrine. E. Demon influence is relative. 1. The degrees of demon influence correspond to the degrees of reversionism. The longer one resides in the cosmic system without rebound, the greater the degree of demon influence. Past a certain point, you cannot distinguish between the believer and unbeliever in the cosmic system. The cosmic system does not distinguish between its students, and is equally effective with both categories, believer and unbeliever. 2. Therefore, demon influence is a process of demonization in which every facet of the soul is eventually controlled by demon doctrine, so that there is a complete personality change to some form of sociopathic or psychopathic personality. F. The False Doctrine of Demon Influence. 1. 1 Pet 5:4-9. a. Achievement belongs to God; happiness belongs to the believer. But demon influence reverses this principle and says "achievement belongs to me; therefore, I will be unhappy as long as I live." b. "Being self-disciplined" (verse 8) means being organized. Your organization starts in your thinking first; that requires categorical teaching of doctrine. Self-discipline is important to remain in the divine dynasphere. There is a parallel between our Lord delegating authority in the human race, and Satan "prowling around" and delegating authority to disembodied spirit demons. 2. James 3:14-16. a. "Jealousy" qualifies for both cosmic one and cosmic two. b. Achievement arrogance is the blasphemy of taking achievement away from God and placing it in your own hands. Therefore, achievement arrogance destroys human happiness and replaces it with boasting and gloating ambition. 3. Arrogance motivates to strive for success and to compete from inordinate ambition. In the process, Bible doctrine is neglected, virtue is ignored, happiness is rejected, and demon influence becomes the order of the day. 4. Since achievement belongs to God, God provides achievement with happiness, but only inside the divine dynasphere. 5. Arrogance is the direct route to demon influence; it is the demoralization as well as the demonization of the soul. G. The Avoidance of Demon Influence. 1. Demon influence can only be avoided through life in the divine dynasphere for the believer. Resistance is a matter of learning doctrine. 2. Therefore, there are four R's in GAP. a. Reception. b. Retention. c. Recall. d. Resistance. 3. What really counts is retention, which is gnosis doctrine converted into epignosis doctrine. Then at recall, you can apply a percentage of what you retained. But to resist demonization, you must have the first three steps. 4. Ignorance cannot make application to experience; it can only emote in the face of testing or disaster. So standing firm in doctrine is the issue in resisting the devil, 1 Pet 5:9. DOCTRINE OF DEMON POSSESSION A. Definition. 1. All demons are fallen angels under the command of Satan, in contrast to elect angels under the command of God. 2. Satan is the ruler of demons, Mt 9:34, 12:24; Mk 3:22; Lk 11:15. 3. Demons are called ministers of Satan, Lk 4:32-36, 9:1, 4:2; Jn 10:21. 4. Demons are well-organized under Satan, Eph 6:10-12. There is rank and authority in Satan's organization. Every angel is smarter than all human beings. B. Biblical Nomenclature. 1. Hebrew. a. SAIR means hairy, shaggy, rough one; used for a he-goat, or a demon; a satyr. Lev 17:7; 2 Chron 11:15; Isa 13:21, 34:14. b. SHED means idols or demons; idols represent demons. It also means "destroyers," a reference to human child sacrifice, Deut 32:17; Ps 106:37. 2. Greek. 1. DAIMON means demon, Mt 8:31; Mk 5:12; Lk 8:29; Rev 16:14. This word almost always refers to a disembodied spirit. 2. DAIMONION means refers to a specific category of demons determined by the context, Mt 7:22, 9:33-4, 12:24-8; Mk 1:34,39, 7:26-30; Lk 4:33-35,41, 8:27-35, 11:14-20; Jn 8:48-52; 1 Cor 10:20-21. 3. DAIMONIODES means demonic, James 3:15. 4. DAIMONIZOMAI means to be demon possessed or to be tormented by a demon, Mt 8:16,28,33; Mk 5; Mt 15:22; or to be influenced by a demon. C. Demon Possession Versus Demon Influence. 1. Demon possession is defined as demon invasion of the body of the unbeliever only. Generally, this occurs through the phallic cult or some form of way-out religion. 2. In contrast, demon influence is the demon invasion of the soul with Satanic thought. Satanic thought isn't expressed in terms of evil, but in terms of improving this world, doing nice things for your fellow man, and supporting crusades. It is false thinking comprising the policy and principles by which Satan operates. 3. All demonic activity is related to man's free will; human consent must be involved. Demon possession never occurs apart from human consent whereby some form of bad decision is made, so that the demon can invade the body of the unbeliever only. 4. The believer is indwelt by God the Holy Spirit who makes a temple out of the body of the believer, 1 Cor 6:19-20. A demon cannot dwell in that temple. 5. The attack on the unbeliever is to line him up with Satan's policy. The attack on the believer is to discredit him and to utilize him in some way against the Lord. 6. Decisions that result in demon possession include: a. Idolatry, 1 Cor 10:19-21. b. Drug addiction, Gal 5:20. c. Religious reversionistic sensitivity, dabbling in the occult, consulting mediums, the function of necromancy, Isa 8:19. d. Phallic cult activity, Isa 2:6, Lk 8:2; Mk 16:9. This includes demonic orgastic response, auto-eroticism, lesbianism, homosexuality, verbal response demons, promiscuity demons, group orgies, human sacrifice, idolatry, and unrestrained sexual lust. (In themselves, these things do not imply demon possession.) 7. However, idolatry is the basic system for demon possession, as taught in Lev 17:7; Deut 32:17; Ps 96:5, 106:37-39. 8. Demon influence, by way of contrast, is the infiltration of Satanic thought into the soul of a believer or unbeliever, 1 Tim 4:1; Eph 4:17, or the substitution of emotion for thought. The believer enters demon influence through the various stages of reversionism. 9. Satan uses certain demons to produce disease in human beings, Matt 12:22; Lk 13:16; Acts 10:38. Demon influence attacks the body through demon-induced illness. When the mentality of the soul is in certain conditions, it brings on certain kinds of diseases. D. Two Systems of Demon Possession. 1. There is the unlawful isolation of dormant faculties. a. The body is brought under the control of the soul and the soul is given to Satan. Emotion takes over the soul. b. The Satanic mass becomes the ceremony for turning the soul and volition over to Satan. c. Such a person becomes a disembodied person. d. Such a person can send his soul into space to determine what others are doing, e.g., mental telepathy, ESP. e. This occurs when seances are involved, in astrology, etc. f. Under this system, the mind of one person can often influence and take control of another. g. Telepathy, thought transmission, and mind reading are definitely related to this phase of demon possession. h. Anything which orients you to authority makes it impossible for this system to work. i. The mind of one person can both influence or hypnotize to such a degree so as to impart knowledge not previously known. 2. There is the passive submission to demons. This is accomplished through idolatry, drugs like LSD, the Hindu soma mysteries, whirling dances, tongues, the phallic cult, the oracle of Delphi. In this system, emotion must be stimulated to the exclusion of thought. E. Demonism Related to Idolatry and Human Sacrifice. 1. Sacrifice to demons is prohibited by the Bible, Lev 17:7; Deut 32:17. 2. Heathen nations and their worship was strictly demon possessed and influenced, Ps 96:5. The idols of these nations were demons. 3. Demon worship and idolatry included the most horrible sexual practices, such as rape, homosexuality, bestiality, and the sacrifice of children, Ps 106:37-39. F. Demon possession was the basis for the administration of capital punishment, Lev 20:27. Authority is necessary to restrain demonism. G. Jesus Christ controls history by the restraint of demonism. 1. An example of His control was the first-born judgment on Egypt, Ex 12:12. At the same time, demons were also judged, Num 33:4. Without the judgment of demons in Egypt, Israel would not have become a nation. 2. Isa 19:3 says demons are powerless to change the course of history. H. Demonism and Judgment. 1. The nations of Canaan were destroyed because of their demon activity, Deut 18:9-12. The same is true of Athens, Persia, Assyria, and the Mycenaeans. Military disaster can occur because of demon influenced leadership. 2. The practice of necromancy was the cause of personal judgment to Saul, 1 Chr 10:13-14; 2 Kgs 21:2-3. The Jews reached the lowest form of apostasy because of demon activity. 3. Demonism brings the fifth cycle of discipline to a nation, Isa 47; Jer 27:6-10; Isa 29:4. 4. Satan and demons are used by God in the administration of the sin unto death to reversionistic believers, 1 Cor 5:5 cf. 1 Tim 1:19-20, and for divine discipline, Lk 22:31-32 (Peter). 5. Satan is used as a warning of discipline, 1 Tim 3:6-7. Arrogance is a part of the condemnation of Satan. I. Because of Satan's power, he is the source of disease, death, and miracle cures, Ps 109:6-13. As a result of demon possession, certain abnormal activities occur. Satan uses demons to do many of the following. 1. He blinds through religion, verse 7. 2. He shortens life, verse 8a. 3. He removes people from authority, verse 8b. 4. He has the power of death, verse 9. 5. He persecutes children, verse 10. 6. He removes wealth, verse 11. 7. He turns everyone against you, verse 12. 8. He cuts off posterity to the second generation, verse 13. 9. He is a killer, Heb 2:14-15; 1 Jn 3:8; Job 1:12, 18-19; Jn 8:44; 1 Jn 3:12. 10. He executes believers under the sin unto death, 1 Cor 5:5; 1 Tim 1:19-20. 11. He is the source of certain diseases, Job 2:6-8; Mt 12:22 cf Lk 13:16, Acts 10:38. These are demon induced illnesses. a. Also produced are certain mental diseases, Mk 5:1-13. b. A few cases of dumbness are related to demon possession, Mk 9:17; Lk 11:14. c. Dumbness and deafness, Mk 9:25. d. Dumbness and blindness, Mt 12:22. e. Epilepsy, Mk 1:26, 9:20; Lk 4:35. 12. Therefore, Satan uses healers. Satan orders the removal of a demon induced illness and the person appears to be cured. 13. Satan is a source of abnormal behavior through demon possession. a. Convulsions, Mk 1:26, 9:20. b. Abnormal violence, Mt 8:28. c. Abnormal strength, Mk 5:4; Lk 8:29. d. Raving, screaming, Mk 5:5. e. Self-mutilation, Mk 5:5. f. Foaming at the mouth, Mk 9:20; Lk 9:29. g. Nakedness in public, Lk 8:27. h. Living among dead bodies, Mk 5:3. i. Grinding the teeth, Mk 9:18. j. Trying to destroy oneself, Mt 17:15 (exposing yourself to known danger). 14. Healing was a temporary gift, Acts 19:11-12. Paul could heal at random, but this gift was removed once his authority was established, Phil 2:27; 2 Tim 4:20. God occasionally performs acts of healing. Satan "heals" in certain strategic times, like during the Tribulation, 2 Thes 2:9; Rev 16:14; Mt 24:24. J. Satan is the source of the present tongues movement. 1. Tongues was a sign to warn the Jews of the coming of the fifth cycle of discipline. They were warned by being evangelized in foreign languages for forty years. 2. Isa 28:9-11 is said to be fulfilled in 1 Cor 14:21-22. 3. The first historical reference in Acts 2:1-11 states that the purpose is to turn cursing into blessing. 4. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the gift was removed, 1 Cor 13:8-10. 5. Tongues continues to be perpetuated by Satan for his use in the Tribulation, 2 Thes 2:7-12. 6. The mechanics of tongues is related to the engastramuthos demons, Isa 8:19, 29:4; Rev 16:13-14. 7. Tongues is a Satanic cheap substitute for doctrine, 2 Cor 6:11-12; Rom 16:17-18. 8. Tongues becomes a authorized spiritual function again only in the Millennium, Joel 2:28-29. K. Demon possession explains supernatural phenomena. Supernatural phenomena include such things as "divine healing," speaking in tongues, the rise of certain world rulers, certain wars, anti-Semitism, contacting the dead, etc. Demons attack both through weirdo activity and antithetically through culture and intellect. L. Summary. 1. Demon possession never occurs apart from human consent. 2. Some bad decision is made which results in demon invasion of the body of the unbeliever. 3. These decisions are related to cosmic involvement, idolatry, the occult, drugs, etc. 4. The phallic cult uses human sacrifice, idolatry, and unrestrained sexual lust. 5. Idolatry is a basic system for demon possession, Lk 17:7; Dt 32:17; Ps 96:5, 106:37-39. 6. Passive submission to demons is accomplished through drug addiction, idolatry, the phallic cult, deliberate development of emotional revolt of the soul, the Satanic mass, and any prolonged involvement in the cosmic system. 7. Active submission to demon possession can be both violent and painful, Lk 13:11-16. This woman was positive, trying to get to Jesus and apparently couldn't speak because of the demon. a. Whenever Jesus cast out a demon there was always some arrogant, self-righteous, person standing around to challenge exorcism by Jesus, Mt 12:22-28. b. In Mk 3:15, Jesus delegated the authority of exorcism to his disciples. In Acts 5:16, 8:7, 19:12, He delegated that authority to the apostles of the church. 8. Because demon possession involves human sacrifice, it was the basis for capital punishment under the laws of divine establishment, Lev 20:27. 9. In the control of historical trends, our Lord often judges demon activity, Ex 12:12. 10. Demons are powerless to control history, Isa 19:9. 11. Demon activity results in the administration of the fifth cycle of discipline, Dt 18:9-12. 12. Demons are often used by God for the administration of the sin unto death. 13. Demonization of a nation results in the destruction of that nation, Isa 47; Jer 27:6-10. 14. Ministers who faithfully teach the Word are targets for demon influence, 1 Tim 3:6-7. 15. Satan uses certain demons to produce disease, Mt 12:22; Lk 13:16; Acts 10:23. 16. Some diseases are demon induced. Healing is often Satan removing one of his demons to produce a cure.