You are connected to this. It involves all of us because we’re all challenged in the same way. Pay heed if you’re not saved or are away from the Lord. Before us is a scripture with a literal example of the forces that are now working—forces that have since Satan and a third part of the angels were cast from heaven. We know them as evil spirits or demons. The Lord is moving me to speak about dealing with the demons in your life. They work against you. It illustrates the warfare we’re in. Don’t ignore the devil. As terrible a thought as it is that the demonic world exists, it is wonderful to know they can be dealt with. We’re not strong enough to do it, but I know One who is. There is One Deliverer available to destroy the works of the devil. The book of Hebrews calls him the Captain of our Salvation. It’s time to turn our demons over to him.
Mark 5: And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. 16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. 17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
Here is a man possessed by many demons. He’s to the point that he can’t speak or act as he wants. The people of Gadara who saw what Jesus did for the man begged Jesus to leave their country and not disturb their way of life. Demons are real. The devil works against each of us. Consider how he works on you. You have guardian angels, but evil is around you. If you’re not saved, you have listened to the voice of Satan. In Second Corinthians Paul says but if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. The devil tries to conceal who he really is, but he also tries to conceal God from us.
This type of demon possession doesn’t really have to happen today. Although it can, the devil uses more subtle, efficient means. What goes on today shows us the existence of evil. It coexists with our normal life with such familiarity that we don’t detect it or we explain it away. The devil’s influence has saturated society, and people don’t realize it. When a person closes his life to God, he opens it to the devil. The main influence Satan uses is unbelief. When it comes to believing in demonic influence now days, people say we’re too enlightened to believe it. That’s something from medieval days. Just look around. Read the newspaper. How can you not believe in the devil? Babies are killed every day around the world. Sinful lifestyles are rampant. In Jesus’ day, the people saw the evil; today people won’t see it. We’ve advanced with our learning. The Bible says that professing to be wise, we have become fools. We have assimilated the abnormal, the abominable, as normal and good.
Some dismiss the workings of the devil to emotional disorders. Doctors go out of their way to give a medical answer to everything. True, there can be natural mental, emotional disorders as we are frail humans. But evil is not just an aberration of the mind; it is an actual entity. People are as much possessed and/or influenced by the devil today as they were then. This man’s demons were inside. The neighbors and townspeople walked alongside theirs and suggested that Jesus leave town. This man knelt at Jesus’ feet. The others went along with the devil. Our only safety is in Jesus. Do you believe the Bible? Do you believe God? Do you believe in the existence of your soul? Don’t think about demonic influence from a Hollywood perspective. It’s not like the movies. I can’t drive your demons away. Neither can religious clerics with artifacts and incantations call out the devils from a soul. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can do that. Are you willing to trust him?
The devil laughs at his success in getting people not to believe in his existence and influence, yet the Bible tells us that the devils…believe, and tremble. They know the carnal tendencies of people. We live in a time of a falling away from God. People give priority to anything but coming to church. They give priority to anything but reading the Bible and praying.
A session with Jesus will take care of your demons. It’s your free will to do what you wish. Jesus asked the demon his name. Admit to the sins in your life and stop denying the influence of Satan. Your demons, your sins have a name. It is not the nice, acceptable name our corrupt society gives them, but their actual name as defined in the scripture. If you’re willing to name your demons and confess them to Jesus, he can help you. This man was cutting himself, was unclothed, and ran wild. He often broke chains that held him. There was no earthly remedy for the power of evil in his life; there is none for your sins and your Adam nature. The only remedy was wrapped in swaddling clothes and later laid on a cross to die for your sins. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb. The devil is out to kill and destroy. Jesus came to see people free.
How much do you control? We like to brag about the control we have in our lives. That’s what the devil wants us to believe. We control little. Many do and say exactly what the devil wants. The outbreaks of horror and violence are bad, but we don’t stop to consider our own problems in dealing with the influences of Satan. We are not to listen to him. In Galatians 5 we find now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (dirty-mindedness), Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This is not to be a list of who we are.
A sea separated this man from Jesus. He couldn’t get to him on his own. You can’t rid yourself of your demons either. Jesus sailed across the sea to this man weathering a storm to do it. He died so all can be free. When people don’t believe God, they commit spiritual suicide. When the man saw Jesus, he ran to him. He couldn’t speak; the demon did. However, Jesus saw his heart, and heard the voice of his miserable soul. He still had the power to open his heart to the Lord. You hold the key to your heart and soul. You can open it to the Lord if you want. Look at your Savior and stop listening to the devil. Paul said we wrestle against the powers of darkness. You can’t win, but Jesus can. Fall before him. Surrender your life.
There is no hocus-pocus. Jesus told the demons to leave the man. At his words, they had to obey. The people found him clothed, in his right mind, and sitting at the feet of Jesus. Wouldn’t you like to have peace and not be tormented by the devils in your life? What happened to this man can happen to you if you turn to Jesus.
Don’t dismiss this as an old-fashioned, crazed preacher who doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The devil is real. The forces of evil are real. You can’t fight them on your own. Turn to the Lord and deal with your demons. Believe on him; run to him now. Fall before him. Look up to him and cry out from your heart, in spite of your demons efforts to stop you. Then He will deal with them, once for all.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 