Dealing With the Demons in Your Life - Mark 5: 1-20
Ever felt as if life is spinning out of control for you, were something troubling you feels like it is about to overwhelm you. People sometimes speak about the demons in their lives. Many people who say it of course don’t mean it literally, what they usually mean by that expression is that there is something unhealthy in their lives that is controlling them.
In the gospel accounts Jesus is seen to deal with demons. What I would like us to do today is look at one of the episodes when he deals with a demon possessed man and see if there is anything we can learn from this Perhaps we can learn something that will help us deal with those areas of our lives where we feel we are not in control.
The narrative falls into three clear parts. There is the story of a man who is described as being demon possessed, and it begins by describing the man and his situation. Then the text switches to the demons themselves and Jesus is seen to have a conversation with them. Then in the final part of this section, Jesus is seen to go back and focus on the man again. With that in mind let’s begin by going back to the start of the text.
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
(Mark 5: 1-2)
You will remember at the end of chapter 4 Jesus and the disciples had got in a boat and had set off to cross the lake to the other side.
Jesus calmed a storm halfway across which we looked at yesterday and now we find them across the lake to the east in an area of the Gerasenes. When they arrive there, they encounter someone who is described as having an unclean spirit. Then the text describes him in this way.
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.
(Mark 5: 3-5)
This is a man who is profoundly disturbed, he is also violent to the point where they have felt the need to tie him up in chains. Please note, even the chains did not hold him. Apparently, he just broke his chains and shackles and he headed for the hills. The text tells us he is living in the hills amongst the tombs, and he would cry out night and day. To make matters even worse, he would cut himself, he was even self-harming. The one thing we can say for is that there is no evidence in the bible that people got demon possessed against their wills. That’s situation doesn’t happen without the person somehow cooperating in it.
The bible clearly forbids anything to do with messing around with the demonic forces or what we today would call the occult. Right back in the Pentateuch the book of Deuteronomy lists demonic activities that you should not participate in because of the potential consequences. That particular advice still stands today. Things like fortune telling, card reading, and seances are all forbidden because they are spiritually dangerous. Today there are those who openly admit to being participants in things like witchcraft and Satanism and are unashamed to say so. The Bible is clear that all of us are at risk of becoming susceptible to coming under demonic influences.
I suspect of I were to ask you one by one are you influenced by the demonic realm most of you would say no, absolutely not, and might even be quite offended that I had asked you. So, let me give you a couple of biblical standards to see what it actually means to come under demonic influence. It may be slightly different that you imagined.
In 1 Timothy Chapter 4 Paul give us a litmus test of what being influenced by the demonic is.
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
(1 Tim 4:1)
One form of demonic influence is coming under the influence of false religious doctrines. Maybe you think your too smart to be influenced by demonic teaching. Well don’t get to complacent friends, remember Peter, what did Jesus have to say to him on one occasion.
“Get thee behind me Satan”!
In this situation, Jesus was telling Peter that he was giving voice to a doctrine inspired by Satan himself.
Jesus had just told him in “I am going to Jerusalem, I am going to be killed, crucified in fact, and I am going to be raised from the dead.
And Peter then says, no Lord, that not going to happen.
You’re not going to be killed, none of these things are going to happen.
And Jesus says, “Get thee behind me Satan”.
Any doctrine of faith that excludes the death and resurrection of Jesus, Christ himself said it is inspired by Satan.
People who claim to be Christians but deny death and resurrection of Jesus, Christ have come under demonic influence.
I am sorry if that sounds harsh, but that is what Jesus himself taught.
Is there any other way we can be influenced by demonis forces?
Look at Ephesians Ch 4
‘In your anger do not sin’: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
(Eph 4: 26-27)
The warning here is not to sin “in our anger”.
It is not saying we can never be angry, there is such a thing as righteous anger.
But we should never let anger fester.
Because if we do we give the devil a foothold?
The bible is telling us if you let the sun go down on growing resentful anger or unforgiveness, you have opened yourself up to being influenced by the devil.
By allowing bitterness or anger to fester for more than a day you invite demonic influences into your life.
It’s getting awfully close to home isn’t it.
Still think you are too smart to be influenced by demonic forces.
Well, very simply if you hold a grudge, or harbour unforgiveness, you are allowing yourself to come under demonic influence.
Let’s return to the text.
In verse 6 the Lord turns his attention to the demons, or to be more accurate they turn their attention to him.
We pick up the story.
When he (That’s the demon possessed man) saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. (Prostrated/submitted) 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!’
(Mark 5: 6-8)
The conversation then continues.
Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘My name is Legion,’ he replied, ‘for we are many.’ 1And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
(Mark 5: 9-10)
Remember this conversation is with the demons, not with the man.
We are Legion, they say ???
Legion is a military term - used by the Roman army described a unit of 6000 men.
I am not so sure if that is a literal figure, but is saying you are dealing with a whole array, an army of demonic forces here.
But we will get to that later, all I want you to note at the minute is the demons are saying, “don’t torment us”; and they are begging ‘Jesus not to cast them out of the area’.
Did you also notice this passage made the point of saying this man lived where?.... among the tombs?
So, what the demons are saying is don’t caste us out of this area because we are at home among the tombs.
They then make a third request of Jesus.
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, ‘Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.’
(Mark 5: 11-12)
So, 3 requests made.
Do not leave us in torment.
Do not send us out of the locality of these tombs.
And send us into those herds of pigs over there.
Before we leave the demons let me draw attention to an important point
One final observation, please note, the demons didn’t know what Jesus planned to do.
The demons have no insight into the plans or purposes of Jesus.
That’s good to know the devil doesn’t have any idea of the future plans or purposes of God.
That’s a great comfort to me, and it should be to any Christian.
Because this means that the bible teaches that Satan cannot control our minds.
Satan can only influence or react to what we do, he cannot make us do anything.
So, that also means you can’t blame him for your incorrect choices.
He can encourage you to make wrong choices and tempt you to journey in the wrong direction.
But you are always responsible for the choices you make.
One, final, thing I would like to remind you about when it comes to the demonic realm.
Satan’s plan has always been to spiritually destroy people, so they face the same end as he does.
And he usually does this one of the two ways..
Either by getting you to accept lies or false teachings.
Or by getting you to hang on to anger and unforgiveness that you just won’t let go of it.
He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed (violently) down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
(Mark 5: 13)
So, here’s a question, why did Jesus allow them to go into the swine?
Here is the simple answer.
Every miraculous thing Jesus did was a sign, a demonstration of who he was. He did this to demonstrates to everyone watching, (Including the owners of the pigs) that the demons had now left the man and were momentarily residing in the pigs before destroying themselves.
Now let’s return to the demon possessed man and see how he is getting on.
Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
(Mark 5: 14-15)
The people are amazing and recognise the power of what has just happened.
Did they then say to Jesus, come with me to our area, we have also got some crazy suffering people you can help?
No, the just said, leave.
Go, get out of here, just leave.
Look at verse 15 because this is remarkable,
When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting (Not running around anymore), sitting there, dressed (not naked anymore) and in his right mind; Not running around cutting himself) and they were afraid.
How do they react to this, “they were afraid”?
What then do they do.
Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man – and told them about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
(Mark 5: 16-17)
And they say to Jesus, get out of here, go, and go quickly.
They tell Jesus to leave the area.
Why would they do that?
If they could see the proof of what he had done, then why did they tell Jesus to get out of the region?
Let me tell what I think is going on here.
Money, It’s all about money.
Jesus is destroying the local economy.
.
What does it matter that we have the an odd demon possessed man as long as you don’t disturb our economic system.
Get out of here Jesus, just leave.
And we see that is exactly what Jesus did.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you”. So, the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
(Mark 5: 18-20)
So, Jesus gets in the boat and makes ready to leave.
The once demon possessed man “begs to go with him”
He wants to go with Jesus, the expression “be with him” actually means he wanted to follow him and be a disciple.
But Jesus says no, go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’
So, Jesus actually says, “No, go home, to your friends and tell them about the compassion that God has shown you this day.
May I suggest that was a extremely difficult assignment he has given this man.
Go tell your friends.
You know all those people who think you are mad, go and show them and tell what the Lord had done for you.
The man does what he is told, he goes away and tells those in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him and we are told the people there are amazed.
By the way, Decapolis means ten cities.
So, He didn’t just go home, he didn’t just tell his friends, he told everyone in the whole region of the 10 towns and cities where he lived.
OK, let me sum this up and make a couple of observations I believe are relevant for us.
The story is very simple, Jesus cast out a demon, the demon went into the pigs.
The local’s reaction to that was that Jesus should leave their area, and he obliged.
And then the man who was radically changed and then in obedience to the Lord he went and told everyone what had happened to him.
Observation number 1, Jesus has the power to radically change lives.
If this story tells us anything, forget all the extra stuff about demons if you like.
It just tells us Jesus has the power to change lives.
Observation number 2 Did you notice what the people tried to do to solve this man’s problem, they chained him up.
What good did that do, nothing.
Observation number 2. Human effort will not overturn or contain a spiritual problem.
Jesus still takes over and changes lives.
And God still changes people through the words of Jesus and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
God is still changing people by speaking to them through his word and applying it by His Spirit.
He still has the power over anything that you feel might overwhelm you.
So, if some area of your life needs to be dramatically changed by God, how do you need to look for help.
That’s right, through his word, and by prayer.
To draw back the forces of darkness, to banish demonic influence, all we have to do is saturate our mind with the word and Spirit of God.
And finally, when God does changes you he wants you to start telling people about it, including friends and maybe even family.
Going to you friends, or worse still, your family is the hardest thing to do.
But only by doing that will are able to demonstrate what has really happened to.
Maybe you thinking, how can I begin to demonstrate that my life has changed radically.
How to demonstrate a changed life, that is your assignment this week, this is your homework.
Do you want to demonstrate a changed life starting today?
Here how to do it, are you paying attention.
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
(Philippians 2: 14-15 NKJV)
Want to be different from everyone else in the world, quit complaining.
Clear enough. Also quit arguing with people, quite holding onto unforgiveness or any grudges you might have. If you can demonstrate you live a peaceful calm life, free from conflict and that you have an inner peace within. Might then people think something has really changed in you. Live out the changed life God has called and empowered you to live and when people see that, just credit God with the change. Tells them that he has the power to change their lives. Do that and trust me things will be different in your life because by showing others what Christ has done for you, and you also can show others what Christ can do for them.