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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Yesterday I left you sitting in the Capernaum Synagogue, probably with your mouth hanging open, as we had just witnessed a demonic confrontation with Jesus IN the Synagogue, on the Sabbath! It’s recorded in Mark 1:21-27. Four men, who would later become very significant in the Jesus movement, Peter and his brother Andrew, John and his brother James, had been given the OPPORTUNITY, by Jesus, to spend a few days with Him learning some life skills that had nothing to do with net fishing in Lake Galilee, and everything to do with being men who strategically ‘walked with Jesus’ in very chaotic times, like ours today.
I urge you to read again Mark 1:21-27, and then look ahead to Mark 1:34 and 39. Do you see this problem of demonic influence in people was not unusual? In fact as you read the four accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry, you’ll see several instances recorded where Jesus is confronted by people under the influence of demonic forces, and every time Jesus commands the demon or demons to release their hold on the person, the person is set free. (Mark 5:1-29; 9:14-29) Some time later, in Mark 6:7-13 Jesus sent out the 12 disciples, and He empowered them to do the same, and they did.
Of course it raises the question…what was happening in these Biblical accounts and does it still happen in our day? Demons are angels, who followed Satan in his rebellion against God and God expelled both Satan and these evil angels from heaven (Ezekiel 28:13-17 & Luke 10:18) and God allowed them to establish a ‘kingdom of darkness’. (Colossians 1:13) That kingdom of darkness is always in opposition toward God, God’s purposes on earth, and God’s people. Luke 11:14-28 gives us an account of Jesus discussing this with some who accused Jesus of actually working His miracles in the power of Satan.
It’s important to remember God has Sovereign Authority over all things, at all times, in all places. However, Satan was invited by Adam and Eve to reign here on earth, when they rejected their wonderful relationship with God and trusted Satan’s deception. (Genesis 3) That’s why 1 John 5:19 says “…the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” Sovereign God has allowed Satan and his demons to have very strong influence here among humanity, because humanity, in every generation, turns away from God, rejects God and chooses evil, wickedness and the strong influence of Satan instead. Look around…you see the evidence everywhere, don’t you?
Every person is born with a human nature which is naturally bent toward sin and evil. You don’t have to teach an infant child to be selfish or defiant or rebellious… it’s natural, and it gets much worse as the child grows older doesn’t it? We all know it from personal experience. It’s our sin nature. Listen to Romans 8:5-8 “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that sinful nature desires…the mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit of God is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.”
In some cases, the Satanic demons, which tempt people to sin, find some people with hearts so wicked the demons can have very strong influence in their lives, even to the point of ‘demon possession’, which is the word used in Mark 1:23 & 32. In Mark 5:1-18 this man was ‘possessed’ by a ‘legion’ of demons. A ‘legion’ was a Roman military brigade of about 5000 soldiers! The word “possessed” suggests these persons were totally controlled by demonic forces, to the point the demon even spoke through the man, controlling his vocal cords and mind, and threw the man into convulsions.
It’s a horrible reality, and yes, it is happening all around the world in our day. One of my great concerns for addictions which come from repeatedly yielding to the temptations of the dark kingdom to engage in self-destructive and addictive behavior, like alcohol or drug abuse or pornography or gambling, is, that the addiction can be a stronghold for demonic forces which take advantage of the addicts inability to control their insatiable appetite for that to which they are addicted.
It’s important for us to understand this important truth…JESUS is always superior in authority and power over any demon at any time. Jesus created the angels according to Colossians 1:16, and Jesus can control the demons, as He proved in each case recorded for us in the Bible. Jesus is more powerful than Satan, and the eternal destiny for Satan and the demons is already determined by Jesus’ death and victorious resurrection. They are destined for the lake of burning sulfur and will be sent there by Jesus Himself! (Rev. 20)
That’s why any person who struggles with profound demonic influence, even possession, can find freedom and deliverance by calling upon, trusting in, and yielding to the victorious power and Lordship of the resurrected, reigning Jesus Christ. Andrew, Peter, James and John were learning this very powerful and important truth. And as you see in verses 34 and 39 they saw Jesus deliver several people from demonic influence over the next days.
The Holy Spirit led Paul to write very important and victorious truth about this spiritual battle, several times. I urge you to take note of Romans 8, Ephesians 4, Galatians 5 and Ephesians 6 in particular. It’s important that we understand that once we have renounced Satan and our sinful nature and trusted Jesus Christ to be our Savior, God places His Holy Spirit within us to cleanse us, and empower us, and teach us spiritual truth. You’ll see that clearly in Paul’s teaching.
But please take note of Ephesians 4 and especially this: “…do not give the devil a foothold.” (verse 27) “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (verse 30). Paul is writing to Christians, warning them to not yield to the temptations of the devil and thereby give the devil a foothold in their lives. Paul also warns us that yielding to the devil deeply grieves the Holy Spirit, who lives within every authentic Christian. Now ponder that my friends. It’s very important.
Victorious living for any Christian is possible everyday, as we live in obedience to the Holy Spirit of God within us. But shameful, dysfunctional, dishonorable living is also possible for any Christian when we knowingly yield to the temptation to reject the influence of the Holy Spirit and we choose to sin in rebellion against Jesus. Ephesians 6:1-18 is a very powerful chapter in which Paul teaches us about this great battle and the God given resources available to us, which Paul calls the armor of God. We’ve unpacked that chapter before, but I urge you to read through it again, right now, very carefully again.
Now note please how Jesus freed this man from the stronghold of a Satanic demon in Mark 1. Jesus simply spoke in the authority of WHO He is, the Son of God! No arguing, no negotiations, no bribery, simply the command “Come out of him”. Four fishermen learned the authority of Jesus is supreme over all things. In battling with Satan and demonic forces, the authority of the Name of Jesus / the WORD of God / and the Atonement death & Resurrection of Jesus, are glorious realities under which every member of the dark kingdom must submit!
As Andrew, Peter, James, John and Jesus walked out of the Capernaum Synagogue that day, what do you suppose the four fishermen were thinking and perhaps asking Jesus questions about? Some years later, that Peter wrote to Christians scattered across the Roman Empire: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ…will Himself RESTORE you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To HIM be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:8-11) Do you see our word R E S T O R E there?
Oh yes, my friends, Jesus has the power to deliver you and restore you to victorious living, no matter the foothold you may have given the devil, or even the dabbling in the occult into which you may have been drawn. I urge us all to spend some time right now talking with Jesus about this matter of spiritual warfare, and inviting Him to teach us and strengthen us in this battle.
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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