From reading the Bible, we are able to understand much more about the power and great glory of Jesus Christ and what He is capable of. And in Mark, chapter 5, we learn about how the evil spirits even obeyed Him, just by seeing Him. They also bowed down and worshipped Him. You may not have believed this but all things know the name of Jesus and bow down to Him. This knowledge of Jesus and His Lordship was also made known to Paul, when he said, 2“God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Remember this verse as we go through chapter 5 in Mark. This will help you understand why the evil spirits, that were inside this man, did what they did.
So in Mark, chapter 5, we will begin with verse 2. It reads, 1“and when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 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. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.” So Jesus and His disciples found themselves with a man in very rough shape. People tried to get him under control but no one could. Every rope was ripped in half, even chains did nothing to hold him down. But what was causing all of this? Evil spirits, of course. These demons are very strong willed and can cause a person to do crazy things, even extraordinary things as it seemed to be with this man and other people.
Now, in all the power of the evil spirits, they still have to submit to God. The Lord is still there God and they must obey Him. You will see this when the man possessed by demonic spirits immediately ran to Jesus and worshipped him. Starting with verse 6, it reads, 1“but when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 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. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.” And so we learn more about this evil spirit realm. We learn that every one of these demons know Jesus as the Son of the most high God, worship Him, obey and fear Him. Also, we learn that people cannot only be possessed by one evil spirit but many. They can all come into a person that is not living for God and cause him or her to do horrific things.
As we’ve learned, every evil is subject to God and these evil spirits knew this very well. They are also in need of a person or other living thing to take refuge in. That is why, if not this man, they desired to at least be cast into the many pigs. Starting with verse 11, it reads, 1“and he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 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.” And so it was, that through the power of God, the demons were finally cast out of this man. They no longer had refuge in Him but pigs, who then were possessed to kill themselves. Now, getting an evil spirit cast out of us is one thing, another thing is living for God, that demons may no longer find a home inside of us.
Starting with verse 15, we will now look more into the man who was set free from evil spirits. We will also learn of how the people took the news. It reads, 1“And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” So, the people were startled by what they saw. For the man they all knew was changed in an instant. His new desires were to follow Jesus and go where the Lord went. However, God had other plans for him and therefore, he was told to witness his experience with his friends and people in his hometown.
And so it was, that after the once possessed man was made free from the evil spirits, that his whole life changed. In verse 20, it says that 1“he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.” God has much more instore for this man, and all he needed to do was listen to Jesus and obey His commands. And because he did so, many people now knew about the work that Jesus had done and marveled. Now, this is a great example of following Jesus, when the good news of the gospel is shared. He no longer desired to dwell in sin but followed the Lord. Paul taught that if we want to also walk in the light of Christ, then we must also submit ourselves to God. He said, 3“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” In doing so, the evil spirits will flee us and find no passage in our lives, for God’s armor is all around us. Think about this and submit your lives to Christ today.
Let us pray:
Lord God, I know that the evil spirits that were cast out, by Your power, in Your day are still possessing people in our day also. Nothing has changed expect for the world getting more darker and people living in more sin than ever before. It is because people love darkness rather than Your light is why people are looking at pornography, sleeping around, doing drugs, drinking alcohol and such. For Lord, they have forgotten Your laws and only care about the lusts of the flesh. It surely is a dark world that we live in Lord. It seems that people have lost all desires to follow You. This is very disheartening. I know how destructive Satan can be and I wish that more people would see this before it is too late. Please come Lord and lead valiant men of God to these people of the world, that we may be prayed over and demons may be cast out at large. I know that we have a fight at hand, but I know that with You we can do all things. You give us the power to call out the evil one, that he may no longer torment the lost. And Lord, I pray that people will learn from their mistakes and give heed to You and Your commands, starting today. May they submit themselves to You, that every sin may be blotted out of their lives. You can heal everyone and this I ask, Lord. In Your Holy Name, Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
1Mark 5:1-20 (KJV)
1 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.
10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
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.
14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.
15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
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.
18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
2Philippians 2:5-11 (KJV)
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
3James 4:1-8 (KJV)
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
