A demon cannot enter the body of a person who has been saved, as that individual is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. An unsaved person has no ability to cast a demon out of anyone. This guy was in trouble from the beginning.
I tend to agree with your assessment.
If there was demonic possession involved, then we’re probably fortunate to have read this much about it in the press. The little that is described, doesn’t provide much to deduce about the situation.
I agree that theologically, while God the Holy Spirit indwells the body of the believer, there is no chance of demonic possession of the believer. This doesn’t rule out demonic influence, which is likely to be even more acute in the believer when out of fellowship with God from any post salvation sin.
Now a couple of issues arise. He claims the devil entered him and caused her death. It might indeed be the case that he isn’t saved, understands some religious principles, but hasn’t exercised simple faith alone in Christ alone, thereby allowing God in His immutable nature the ability to justly provide grace in the sinner’s life. If not saved, and possessed for a time, he might very truly be reporting the situation.
He might also be confusing our old sin nature, which might be influenced by demonic forces to cause the death of his wife, directly or consequent to his intentions, but still due to the volition of the human killing his wife. Such is not the work of the devil, but is the decision and associated volitional responsibility of that person who committed the crime.
I’m not so sure about the inability of an unsaved person to cast out a demon, because I tend to believe it is the authority of a higher power than that demon which may either force the demon out, or the justifiable threat/risk posed to the demon that a higher authority might cause them greater consequence if they do not remove themselves.
Since all things that were created, were created by the Son, an appeal to God the Father through the Son by faith alone in Him alone might provide a just situation for high authority to intervene into the situation, possibly even taking the demon into Tartarus to be chained until being cast in the Lake of Fire.
Green believers need to be careful in the status they retain. It is true that unlike any other time in human history, each believer has much more power today, because of the indwelling of all three persons of the Godhead. It is also true, that many new believers confuse their recent adoption into the royal family of God as giving the human believer all that power to exercise, even when he is out of fellowship with God.
The Christian life focuses on remaining in fellowship with Him and allowing Him to perform all the work in sanctification and respecting legitimate authority.
The appropriate action, if demonic influence or possession is afoot, is to properly place in His hands. God has no problems, so if we have a problem, give it to God and let Him handle it. Attempting to interfere between God and other creatures, might not only attract the ire of the errant creature, but also His discipline. I call to mind the case of Michael facing Satan who sought the body of Moses when Moses suffered the first death. Michael was careful to respect the proper chain of command, even when in the right.
Must disagree with you on that one:
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' - Matt 7:21-23 NASB