Mark 5:1-10 NIV
They went across the lake to the region of the Gadarenes. [When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
As you read this passage above, what goes through your mind? The obvious might be going through your mind which is the man was possessed and Jesus set him free which is a fact from the story. Let me ask you a deeper question, do you believe the demons that Jesus encountered during his ministry are amongst us today? That same story is referenced in Matthew 8:29 when the demons asked Jesus a profound question, “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” When Satan was hurled down after he lost the great battle attempting to overthrow God, the scriptures say his angels were hurled down with him (Revelation 12:9). Throughout the Bible from Old to New Testament, God is warning us about Satan and his demons and the war they are waging against our soul. The Devil knows his time is short and his time is coming. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus reinforced that an hour is coming and warned us He and the angels do not know when the hour will arrive but only God.
There are supernatural evil spirits with the purpose to utilize human beings to cause chaos and to disobey God’s commands. Growing up, I witnessed the visual act of evil spirits manifesting in people’s physical bodies. I encourage you to study and learn who your enemy is. The purpose of your learning will not be to elevate his name but to be ready for battle. If you are naïve about who your enemy is, you will serve and worship him without noticing when he is guiding your path. How do you think Jesus was able to recognize Satan using apostle Peter as a vessel to go against God’s plan in Matthew 16:23? When you look at Peter’s interaction with Jesus, from a human flesh, he seemed to have expressed genuine concerned about Jesus’ wellbeing. Yet, in Jesus spiritual eyes he saw Satan for what he has always been, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” No matter how convincing or genuine a person’s story might be, as followers of Jesus Christ, our first question should be, does what I am seeing or hearing contradict the commands of God? Satan does not always come to us as a wicked or scary being which is contrary to how the world perceived him. Otherwise, the clever of us would never agree or fall into his trap to lead us astray. The Bible refers to different demonic Spirits and their role in carrying Satan’s plan throughout the history of mankind with the purpose to destroy human souls and lead them to hell (Revelation chapter 20). Scriptures often describe what the devil is doing using demons to utilize human’s mind and body to deliver Satan’s schemes in people’s lives (1 Samuel 16:14-16, 1Samuel 16:14-16, Luke 22:3, etc.). In Matthew 8:44-45, Jesus voiced his concerns to the religious leaders about their desire to carry out Satan’s desire who is known to be a murderer from the beginning and in whom there is no truth. Be sure to verify everything you hear or are learning to make sure it aligns with the commands of God! The Bible says Satan and his demons disguise themselves as angels of light to deceive us (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Like Jesus in Matthew chapter 4, we must be students of God’s words so that we can be ready to recognize Satan’s schemes when he attacks us using God’s Words for his purpose. Let us make sure we know who Jesus is and connect to him through the Holy Spirit because the demons know him well which tells me they can effectively disguise themselves as the son of God to lead us astray.
