The Demoniac, Part 3—The Demons Must Obey Him | Mark 5:9–13

And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

The level of demonic activity here boggles the mind.  It also sets a unique stage for our Lord’s authority to be glorified.  Jesus had been casting out individual demons until this point, and now we see His command of an entire horde of them.  As such, we see clearly and definitely the control He wields over the spiritual realm.

The demons have no advantage over Him.  The demons identify Jesus by name (v. 7, cf. 1:24, 34)—though they presumably never met—and they claim to be a legion in number (6,000 men).  Undeterred, Jesus but asks their name, and the unclean spirits are unable to resist Him.  Indeed, He didn’t need a name for footing to expel them; He’d cast other demons out without any such inquiry.  He only asks so as to demonstrate His authority over even such an amassed army of angelic creatures.

The demons are reduced to begging to Him.  The man begged because he recognized Jesus as being in complete control.  They feared the pit and knew the Lord could cast them down with but a word (cf. Rv 9:1ff).  The best option they contrive is to leave from the man into unreasoning animals—unclean pigs (cf. Lv 11:7–8) for these unclean spirits.  But they anxiously await Jesus’s permission to do even that. 

Don’t believe dualistic nonsense or fear the power of the devil.  Satan is not God’s all-powerful opposite, for his demonic dominion of darkness bows before the will of Jesus Christ.  Trust in the all-powerful Lord of Scripture.  As stated in the third verse of Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is Our God:”

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;

one little word shall fell him.

Popular posts from this blog

RE: "Pastor Dayna Muldoon EXPOSED"

Image
It enough to make your heart ache.  "Pastor" Dayna Muldoon  has been pitching her tent in Florida, and like Todd Bentley before , false claims to miracles, healing, and prophecies litter her campsites. This video of a Calvary Chapel pastor exposing her as a false prophet has been appearing in various places, and its been uploaded to YouTube multiple times.  Even Todd Friel got animated about this , and nothing gets him hyper. Here's the deal: Muldoon set up her tent-meetings right down the road from Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg , peeking the interests of many attending the church.  When they listened to the message she presented, however, they found it not to be the Gospel, but instead the typical narcissistic message of health and blessings from God. This is coming from a Calvary Chapel crew, folks that are typically non-cessationists themselves.  Many churches, including this particular Calvary Chapel , host after-glow services where one expects similar claims
Click to read more...

Was Rebekah a child when she married Isaac?

Did Isaac marry a three-year-old?  If you've never pondered this question, it's because nothing in the straightforward reading of the text would suggest that Rebekah was a toddler or that their marriage was arranged. Even so, a couple of verses out of context could be used by skeptics to prove anything.  While perusing the web for a related topic, however, I found a thread stating that the Bible isn't against the raping of children .  The cited evidence was this issue, the claim being that Isaac engaged in pedophilia. The question comes from the fact that Genesis 22:23 announces the birth of Rebekah after the binding of Isaac.  Tradition states that Isaac was then thirty-seven, and Scripture says that the two wed when Isaac was forty (Gn 25:20).  Hence, Isaac robbed the cradle. The whole theory is fraught with assumptions, the primary being that Scripture never records a age marker for Rebekah.  Further complicating the matter, however, is Jewish tradition, which spe
Click to read more...

MacArthur: Calvinism in a Nutshell

Image
From YouTube: Calvinism (Also know by Doctrines of Grace or Reformed theology) John MacArthur use Romans 8:28-30 as main text. The five points of calvinism are Total depravity (total inability), Unconditional election, Limited atonement (Also called particular redemption or definite atonement), Irresistible grace (also called efficacious grace), and Perseverance of the saints. Full sermon http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-427 Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom He predestined, He also called. And these whom He called, He also justified. And these whom He justified, He also glorified."
Click to read more...