Carrying on with my series called "The Miracles of God", this month, we take a look at the miracle Jesus performed in Luke 8. This chapter paints a very dramatic picture of when Jesus healed a man who was possessed by multiple demons.
I hope the poetry verse and meditation section can offer some sound biblical insight on the subject of demon-possession.
God bless you today, love Lucy x
The Miracles Of God- Jesus Heals The Demon-Possessed Man
Luke 8:26-39
“Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.
When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said,
“What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”
For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”
And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.
Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them.
Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.
When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.
Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”
“Christ overruled the demons and cast them into swine,I hope the poetry verse and meditation section can offer some sound biblical insight on the subject of demon-possession.
God bless you today, love Lucy x
The Miracles Of God- Jesus Heals The Demon-Possessed Man
Luke 8:26-39
“Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.
When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said,
“What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”
For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”
And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.
Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them.
Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.
When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.
Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”
They bowed to His authority, for He is God divine!
This story, full of drama, really helps us understand,
No one is beyond the saving power of His hand!”
Exodus 15:11-13
“Who among the gods is like you, Lord?
Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
“You stretch out your right hand, and the earth swallows your enemies.
In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”
Insight and Reflection
The story of the man possessed by numerous demons, referring to themselves as Legion, is certainly a dramatic and awe-inspiring one! It gives me goosebumps to picture the power and authority Jesus effortlessly displayed over the demonic realm. Clearly this poor soul had been suffering and in a terrible state for many years before meeting Jesus, yet no one could cure him, and he couldn’t cure himself.
These verses in Luke 8 share the clearest and most detailed description that the Bible gives us of a demon-possessed man. They create quite a picture by letting us know that he had been afflicted for a long time, he was naked, and had been living more like an animal than a human being. In his woeful condition, he’d been dwelling in the tombs, surrounded by the decaying and the dead. Not only is this contrary to human instinct, but it’s also contrary to Jewish Law.
We know that the man had supernatural strength, as he was prone to breaking free from his chains and restraints. He lived a tormented and self-destructive life, cutting himself, and unable to control his behaviour or have any say over the horrendous things happening to him.
What’s odd is that sometimes Christians believe that the Holy Spirit works in a similar way. They think that to be “filled with the Spirit” means they must act in a bizarre manner, often losing control of their own body while doing incredibly strange things. This is completely contrary to what Scripture actually teaches, however, and as 2 Timothy 1:7 declares,
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Galatians 5 also gives us very clear direction for how a Christian is to walk in this life and the impact that the Holy Spirit will have upon their being. As verses 22-23 of that chapter say,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
Fitful shaking, barking like animals, rolling on the floor, and other erratic behaviour are clearly not works of the Spirit at all. They are the works of the flesh and rooted in the things that oppose the very nature of God.
What’s even more strange is the idea that some Christians have, where they believe that a genuine child of God can be demon-possessed. This thought also has absolutely no support from God’s Word. Now, there is the very stark reality that a Christian can be oppressed or influenced by demonic forces, but this is a very different thing from a Christian being possessed by a demon.
When a Christian is being oppressed by a demon, they are being attacked spiritually, as the demonic realm tries to encourage the person towards sinful behaviour. Demonic forces cannot make the Christian say or do anything, however, and it comes down to the person’s personal choice what impulses they will act upon. We all have the ability to decide whether to walk according to the lusts of the flesh or walk according to the way of the Spirit. This is why James 4:7 exhorts the Christian to resist the devil, we are never told to cast him out.
The reasoning behind this is because Scripture makes it very clear that the Christian has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them as soon as they accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. As Romans 8:9-11 explains,
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
This truth is also highlighted in 1 Corinthians 3:16, which says,
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
1 Corinthians 6:19 is another verse again that makes this fact known, and furthermore, 2 Corinthians 6:14 tells us,
“What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”
If God’s Word warns the Christian not to be yoked with those who walk in darkness, why on earth would we think God Himself would go against that wisdom and dwell alongside the demonic within the child of God? As I’ve often heard my pastor say on this matter,
“The Holy Spirit is not going to share His home with a demon!”
When we give our lives to Jesus and trust Him as our Saviour, the Bible leaves us in no doubt that we are bought by the blood of Christ and sealed by His authority and protection. Greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world, and so this idea that a Christian can be demon-possessed is not biblically supported.
Going back to the passage in Luke 8, however, what’s so encouraging is that we see a wonderful display of God’s authority and power over all other powers. Whatever door had been opened to allow this man to become demon-possessed is well and truly shut by our Messiah. This precious soul who Scripture first describes as “a certain man from the city who had demons” ends up being named as “the man from whom the demons had departed.” What a title! And what an incredible transformation and wonderful new name to be known as for the rest of his life! He would no longer be defined by his disturbing past but by the soul-saving work that Jesus did for him.
This man may have seemed beyond the reach of help to the eyes of the world, but his encounter with Jesus, Son of the Most High God, proved that no one is beyond His reach. The rest of this man’s life was now able to be used as a shining light and living testimony of the transformational power of Christ.
How true this can be for us too! Whatever our own journey has been through life so far, the truth remains that no one is beyond God’s reach and no situation is outside of His abilities. His power knows no boundaries, and our personal testimonies of Christ’s work within us can be used for His glory, now and forevermore!
