Jesus and a Demon-Possessed Man

I believe there’s much that we can thank God for at JPC over these past few months. But it hasn’t been easy. The evil one, Satan, the prince of this world, the angel of light, the deceiver, the destroyer, the Father of lies as the Bible calls the devil has been trying to frustrate the vision and the work here and no doubt he’s also been trying to tempt people away from Christ and cause disunity. There’s been ill health among the staff and speaking personally I’ve not slept since the start of half term. Some of you are thinking what’s new Jonathan! The Bible says that the devil is prowling around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). But should we be discouraged and defeated? No! Because Satan while real is a defeated foe. Yes we should be on our guard but he that is in us, namely Christ, is greater than he that is in the world. And this passage in Luke, which is part of a section of miracles that reveal the extent of Jesus’ authority, is a striking instance of the Lord Jesus’ complete dominion over the prince of this world. We see the great enemy of our souls for once completely vanquished. The ‘strong man’ foiled by One stronger than he. The lion spoiled of his prey. But first we must note

1. The miserable condition of those over whom Satan reigns

The picture painted is a frightful one. Look at v27&29:

When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs… Many times the evil spirit had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.(v27,29)

In short this seems to have been one of the most aggravated forms of demonic possession. He was under the complete dominion of Satan, both in body and soul. In such a state he must have been a burden and a difficulty to everyone around him. Indeed other human forces and agencies were unable to contain him with chains and guards. His mental faculties were under the control of a legion of demons. His bodily strength was only used to injure and shame himself. It’s difficult to imagine someone in a more pitiful state.

Instances of such satanic possession are not often met today in the UK. Yet this shouldn’t make us forget that the devil is continually exercising a fearful power over many hearts and souls in often more subtle and crafty ways. He still urges many in whose hearts he rules into self destructive lifestyles. He still rules many with a rod of iron, goading them from one vice to another and driving them into the lowest depths of sinfulness. He makes them useless to their families and churches and the world, as if they were dead and not alive. Demonic possession of people’s bodies may be comparatively rare, but, there are all too many instances of the devil having control of people’s souls. Yet Satan’s most tightly bound slave is not beyond release. Jesus may still take compassion on such a person and set them free. So secondly

2. The absolute power that Jesus possesses over Satan

Go back to v27. When Jesus stepped ashore he was met by a man possessed by demons called Legion. So as soon as he stepped on to the land from his boat Jesus was confronted by an army – a legion of demons meaning 4-6,000 demonic foot soldiers and cavalry, so to speak, as in a Roman legion, who had taken over this man. And this legion of demons was a well entrenched army seeking to repel Jesus’ invasion of the territory they thought of as theirs. Jesus’ progress across the lake to Gerasenes had been threatened by a storm. The storm itself had been a show of force by this legion of demons, suggests Matthew Henry. A sort of artlillery barrage. But Jesus had shown that he had authority over nature. He’d stilled the storm with a single word. I can’t even command my bath water to be still. Jesus had shown himself to be God. So why had 6000 demons gathered to confront Jesus? Perhaps when they saw that the storm had not stopped him they sent for reinforcements, perhaps intending this to be a decisive battle, hoping now to be too numerous for him and so to inflict a defeat on him. So the order of battle at Gerasenes was like this. On one side a solitary man – Jesus versus on the other a force of up to 6000 demons in possession of one man. What hope did this solitary man have against such an apparently mighty spiritual army who claimed to be the lords of death?

Well v29 – as soon as Jesus stepped ashore he simply commanded the demons to leave this poor man. The show of force fell apart. Until now the demons had been able to defeat all force set against them. But this one solitary man Jesus was able to disarm and conquer them by simply speaking. They could offer no resistance to Jesus. The man cried out and roared in anguish and fell down in front of Jesus (v28). There was no fight left in this great legion of demons. And all Jesus had done was speak. There was no Hollywood style exorcism. As soon as Jesus commanded the legion to leave this man alone the battle was over.

And this is a really important truth to grasp about the powers of evil. People can think of Jesus as being involved in an ongoing and evenly matched spiritual war against the powers of evil. As if they’re almost the same. But this isn’t what the Bible teaches. In 2 Thessalonians 2 Paul states that when the lawless one is revealed Jesus will overthrow him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendour of his coming. He’ll just blow on Satan. It’s that easy for him.

And so here in Luke 8 the great battle of the Gerasenes is over before it begins The legion is reduced to begging as soon as Jesus speaks against them. “Don’t torture me,” they cry. Now we need to be clear. Jesus isn’t tormenting the man but the demons. He unmasks the demons and their pretence. But he loved the man. He’d come through the storm to free the man not to torture him.

So why does this man Jesus have such authority over Satan and his demons? Well notice what the demons say to Jesus in v28. “What do you want with me Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” The demons knew who Jesus is. God the Son. They understand the doctrine of the Trinity. They realise his authority.

But you might be asking: How do the demons know about the Most High God? Who made all these demons? Well God has never created any evil spirits. Remember where the demons came from. Jesus tells us that the angels in heaven see the face of the Father in heaven. And when the mighty angel Lucifer rebelled in Genesis 3 he didn’t act on his own. We’re told in Rev 12:4 that the devil took a third of the angelic host with him in his foul rebellion. So those angels weren’t created by God as evil spirits. But in their rebellion they then became corrupted wrecks of once wonderful angels. So they remember the Most High God. They remember gazing on his face. But instead of love they are now filled with hate. They don’t beg for anything positive – e.g. to be restored or forgiven. Instead they ask not to be sent into the Abyss.

What is this abyss they are so frightened of? The abyss is referred to throughout Scripture. In Genesis 1:2 we’re told that God has power over the darkness of the abyss. But perhaps the most helpful Scripture about why they’re so scared of the abyss is Revelation 20:1 where we see the devil chained up and thrown into the abyss under the perfect reign of Jesus. These demons know their fate is to be thrown into the bottomless pit. In v31 they think that that time has come and so beg for terms of surrender.

Perhaps some of you fear evil spirits. Perhaps you’ve tried Ouija boards or a séance or the Spiritualist Church and become fearful. Well the Bible is quite clear that we shouldn’t get involved in such activities. What we need to know is that Jesus alone, the Son of the Most High God is the absolute Lord over all the powers and demons. And none can resist him and his command for a moment. They all fear him. Human beings might fear evil spirits but the demons fear Jesus more. Before him they cower in jibbering terror. This morning you may have fears about evil spiritual forces. Or you might be dabbling in them and you need to realise the dangers. What you need to know is that all evil spirits are enemies of Jesus and he has absolute authority over them. If you want to be rescued from such evil powers speak to Jesus, the Son of the Most High God. Don’t try anything else. Don’t go to a spiritual guru. Go to the one the demons fear - Jesus, who is Lord of all, both seen and unseen.

Back in Luke 8:32 the demons ask that instead of being thrown into the abyss they be allowed to go into the pigs. Notice that they’re not even able to leave the man and go into the pigs unless Jesus says so. They are spiritual parasites. Even their existence seems so flimsy. They don’t even have a body of their own. They require a host. V33 comes as quite a shock. As soon as they were granted permission they took over the pigs. But instead of clinging on to these animal bodies they ran down and the pigs drowned. Why had Jesus allowed this to happen? Did Jesus not care about the pigs and the livelihood of the locals? Well in allowing the demons to possess the pigs Jesus allowed the demons to give an eloquent statement about their true nature.

You see Satan and his demons live to destroy. Demons must always be doing harm. So when they could no longer harm the man they had to harm the pigs. One of the titles of Satan is the destroyer. And his servants bear his vile nature. Their destruction of the pigs as soon as they were able to stands as an historic statement of this. And we must be warned by this. To be involved with them, to go along with them is to be involved in destruction. They live to demean, diminish, harm, shame, deceive. Destruction is their creed.

In contrast Jesus uses his power to heal, liberate, forgive, restore, lift up, create, give dignity. What a contrast. Who are you going to follow? So thirdly

3. The wonderful change that Christ can work in Satan’s slaves

Jesus had commanded the demons to come out of the man and they had. Look at v35 and v36. The man was sitting peacefully at the feet of Jesus. No doubt thanking him and learning from his new Master. And he was sitting there in his right mind with clothes on! Jesus had cured him. He’d freed him. All the man had done was come to Jesus and Jesus had done the rest. He was now no longer a child of the devil but of God. The change was unmistakable. Who this morning needs to simply come to Jesus and discover his peace and freedom? Shall we sit at his feet and let his power free us? Or will we quake at Jesus’ authority and ask him to go away?

You see what was the response of the locals? Well the men who’d been in charge of the pigs were alarmed (v34) and jobless! They spread the news extensively. And surely the people would come and worship the Son of the Most High who’d accomplished with mere words what they’d been unable to do with chains and guards. Surely they would rejoice that one of their citizens had been released from the power of the demons and restored to their society. Surely they would join with this man at the feet of Jesus ready to hear from the supreme power in the universe.

But when they heard how this deliverance had happened (v37) all the people of the region asked Jesus to leave them. Why? Because they were overcome with fear. What madness! Not only were they afraid of the One who’d come to help them but they wanted him to go away. They were happier with the legion of demons in their country than with Jesus. And sadly that can be the case in the UK and other countries today. How we need to pray. This is the crooked madness of the human condition. Right from Genesis 3 the human heart and mind cowers away from the Lord God who offers us forgiveness, life and salvation.

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to stay with Jesus. The man who used to live in tombs now wanted to be with and serve the one who could not be held by a tomb. This man loved Jesus as much as his neighbours feared Jesus. Yet his request was denied. Do you find that strange? One of the strangest things is the way Jesus responds to the requests of the demons and the citizens and the redeemed man. Did you notice that? So fourthly and finally

4. Three requests of Jesus and his three remarkable replies

a) The demons beg to go into the pigs and Jesus grants their request (v32)

b) The people asked Jesus to leave them and he did (v37)

c) The redeemed man asked to stay with Jesus yet his request was denied

Well we’ve already looked briefly at the first two and why. So what about (c)? Does that seem strange? He grants the requests of his enemies but not the one of his friend. This man had endured the most terrible spiritual fellowship for years and now he was enjoying the sweetest and most wonderful spiritual fellowship imaginable so why was his request refused?

Well the Gerasene region needed a gospel witness. Everyone knew this man. He’d dominated the local headlines for a long time. He was well known and now his life would grab the attention again. The man had all eternity to be with Jesus. But only a few years to bear witness to Jesus. That man is enjoying being safe with Jesus right now. But he had just a few years to take the gospel to his neighbourhood, in a region that had rejected Jesus. He had no training and had to rebuild his life from nothing but nevertheless Jesus appointed him to reach that town. It’s an amazing thing. And he obeyed. He told everyone what God had done because he told everyone what Jesus had done. He knew who Jesus is. The living God. After his years of nakedness he probably had few inhibitions so he went through the whole town telling them about Jesus. Are you obeying Jesus as Lord telling others of what he’s done for you? When did you last share your testimony with someone?

This morning we’ve seen the cosmic power of Jesus. Some of us have an understanding of the power of the devil and his demons. Some of us may be being tempted and almost devoured by the devil right now. So resist him in Christ’s strength! He’s a defeated foe who has no power against Christ. But we can all see that Jesus is Lord of all, the Son of the Most High. He holds the keys to the abyss. He is the One whom the devil and his demons fear. Jesus is the height and depth of spiritual power and authority. When we love and trust in him he welcomes us into his friendship, care and protection. So let’s bow before him in loving submission resolved to tell the world of what he has done.