As we continue to consider the nature of the demonic realm through the lens of Mark’s gospel, one of the more interesting moments is when the demons enter the herd of swine and they all rush into the water and drown. Mark tells us that after Jesus commanded the demons to leave, they began to plead for mercy. Demons don’t always leave at our first command and some will try to talk you out of the deliverance. Typically they are feigning boldness but are actually terrified of losing their place. Once given permission to enter the herd, destruction quickly followed. If demons look for some kind of body to inhabit, then destroying their hosts seems counter productive because they would be left to wander through arid places again. This suggests what we already know…it is the nature of Satan and his demons to kill, steal, and destroy. They can’t help themselves even if it means looking for another residence.  If you expect anything else from them, you will be mistaken.

They may feign friendship for a while, but in the end they will destroy you.  Demons are glad to bide their time and slowly but progressively take over more of a person’s life.  They often pretend friendship in the beginning and even provide what the host would consider a blessing and a path to happiness – the relationship he or she wanted, financial gain, fame, healing, the promotion, or even the removal of an enemy.  Those who follow demons or worship them as false God’s would not continue to do so unless there were some payoffs in that relationship. Ultimately, however, those spirits will come to collect on the bill and destruction will follow.

The next thing revealed in the account is the immediate change in the man who had been tormented.  Suddenly – within minutes – he is clothed and in his right mind. His problem was not mental illness, but demonic infestation.  All the therapy and drugs in the world would not have set him free.  I’m not saying that all mental illness is demonic but much is and will not bow except to divine weapons.  By the way, where did they get the clothes for the formerly naked demoniac. Some commentators believed that Jesus brought them with him as he already knew the man’s needs.  Mark records that while they were terrified of the storm as they crossed Galilee, Jesus was asleep resting on a pillow or a cushion.  It is possible that the pillow was simply a bag full of clothing that he was carrying for the man that would soon be set free.  Jesus knows every need and can meet every need when suddenly we are separated from the demonic who sometimes has been our provider.

Next we see the response of the people to the healing and restoration of the man. We might have expected them to be excited for the man whose sanity had been restored or to beg Jesus to stay. Surely they had their share of sick and demonized people who needed his touch. Instead, they asked in a demanding way for Jesus to leave immediately.

People fear what they don’t understand and that fear makes them blind to the good they are witnessing.  If you are not used to supernatural moves of God, your response may be fear rather than wonder.  Some people get excited when they see a miracle while others simply get very uncomfortable. They may even ask (or insist) that those who brought the supernatural goodness of God into their midst leave or even declare that the healings or deliverance they are witnessing are of the devil rather than God. That was the response of the Pharisees.

Religious people tend to define what God can do or not do based on their understanding of scripture so that anything outside the fences they have erected is distrusted and dismissed. God certainly will not contradict his word but he doesn’t mind contradicting our understanding of his word. Freedom ministries are not wide spread because they tend to be planted outside of traditional denominational fences even though healing and deliverance helped define the very ministry of Jesus. Our “God in a box” mentality has kept much of the church in bondage for centuries.  I wonder what God will have to say  to those who so zealously protected their box while his sheep remained in bondage?

Finally, as you would expect, the man who had been freed from his bondage by Jesus did not want to leave his side.  I don’t blame him.  I would have been afraid that the former tenants would be looking to return at their first opportunity and I would have assumed that only the presence of Jesus could have kept me free.  Jesus, however, would not let the man get in the boat but simply told him to go and tell others what God had done for him.  We discover the power of testimony in this story.

First, his testimony prepared the soil for Jesus to return at a later time.  On his return to Decapolis months later, crowds would be waiting for him.  The former demoniac did not have a degree in theology but he had a testimony.  But even more than that, the testimony of the man seamed to seal his deliverance. For those set free from Satan, his first attack is nearly always an attempt to persuade the individual that nothing really changed and that the freedom he or she “thought” they had experienced was a deception. If Satan can convince the newly freed believer that he or she is still under his power, then that person will quickly relapse into believing the lies of the enemy and be oppressed again. Testimony not only honors God, but establishes faith in those who hear the testimony as well as in the one who is giving the testimony.

Many churches have a few individuals or couples who minister deliverance in their home or a back room of the church, but their ministry is not mentioned from the pulpit.  Indeed, when is the last time you heard a sermon on demons and deliverance? I know we want to avoid looking weird but the demonic realm, the need for deliverance, and the power of Jesus is not weird…it is a reality that needs to be talked about and testimonies given. Otherwise, thousands of God’s children will never know the freedom Jesus purchased for them.

The question is often asked as to whether we should deliver unbelievers from the power of Satan.  After all, there is some risk involved if the person delivered does not give his life to Jesus.  Remember that Jesus said a demon that had been cast out would return to see if the house (the host) was vacant.  If so, he would return and bring seven others with him more wicked than he was. (Jesus’ words reveal that there are not only levels of authority among demons, but also degrees of wickedness.) This question is probably best decided on a case-by-case basis and the leading of the Spirit.  Not everyone who is delivered will become a follower.  Matthew’s gospel says that there were two demoniacs that Jesus encountered after the storm, but the other gospels mention only one.  I believe that only one was mentioned in the other gospels because that one was known by the church.  He had become a follower of Jesus while the other did not become a follower and simply disappeared into history.  It might be fair to share the benefits and risks of deliverance to an unbeliever before ministering freedom and let him or her decide. Even believers need to be warned to fill up the space left after deliverance with the Spirit of God or they also may be subject to the return of the enemy.

Hopefully, our walk through this account has given you some additional insights into deliverance and the demonic realm or confirmed some things you were already thinking. Dealing with the demonic should be an everyday event in the life of every church as it was with Jesus.  We do not want to become obsessed with the enemy because our obsession should be Jesus.  However, we do need to know his schemes and know how to deal with him as he afflicts those around us.

In his gospel Mark tells a familiar story that can be instructive for us in the ministry of deliverance, so I thought I would make a few observations from the text.  It is a little long for one reading, so I will break it into two parts.

He (Jesus) got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm….They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, 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.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. 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.” He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

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…Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. 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 has 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 4:39-5:20

As this story opens, Jesus and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee late in the evening.  The topography in that area is such that high winds can funnel through cliffs surrounding the lake and in a moment create hazardous waves or severe thunderstorms can come up quickly and place boats on the water at risk.. On this occasion, all we know is that one of those storms arose quickly so that the boat was taking on water. The disciples were terrified, woke up Jesus, and Jesus rebuked the storm and the waters became peaceful.

One question is why did Jesus decide to leave an area where hundreds were coning to hear him teach and sail five miles across Galilee to an area that had a significant number of non-Jews?  Of course, we could speculate on any number of reasons but Jesus was always so intentional that we can suggest that he crossed Galilee to set the demoniac free.  I have been to Galilee and the interesting thing is that from the place Jesus was teaching, the man for whom he crossed the lake could be heard on a still night as he wailed among the tombs. Compassion, more than likely drove Jesus to make this late evening journey.

With that in mind, we can also speculate that the storm that arose on the lake was demonically inspired. Remember that Satan sent a great storm in from the desert in Job 1:17, which killed the children of Job. Mark also notes that other small boats were traveling with the boat Jesus was in so that they were in danger as well.  Jesus, perhaps, could have miraculously protected his boat from sinking but only stilling the storm would make the others safe.  Sometimes, Satan’s attacks can spawn collateral damage so that others are injured who were not the primary target.

According to Mark’s gospel, Jesus and his disciples beached their boat late in the evening. As soon as they placed their feet on dry ground, the man they had heard screaming across the lake came running to Jesus. The moment had to be eerie.  Here he came naked, dirty, scarred, with pieces of chain hanging from his wrists or ankles.  He undoubtedly smelled like something rotten. Sometimes, when setting people free we will have to deal with things that make us uncomfortable or even disgusting. Vomiting, foul language, disgusting smells, and even bodily discharges may be the price we pay for setting people free.  It goes with the job.

Unexpectedly, the demonized man ran straight to Jesus and the demons began to beg for mercy. Either the demons were compelled to fall at the feet of Jesus because of who he was or there was still just enough of the man left that he sensed Jesus was his last hope. Either way, what we learn immediately is that Jesus has authority over demons. Of course, he had already demonstrated that many times before but not to this extent.  There are clearly levels of demonization revealed in the gospels. In many cases, Jesus cast out a single demon.  Mary Magdalene had seven demons and this man had so many that they identified themselves as legion.  In my experience, demons rarely operate alone but rarely are their hundreds. However, just as a military unit would work together strategically for a common goal, so do demons. The important thing is that whether one or hundreds, they all must bow to the authority of Jesus.

Another thing we see here is that even though he was in the form of a man, Jesus was recognizable in the spiritual realm. In the book of Acts, the demon that the sons of Sceva were trying to cast out in Jesus’ name declared that they knew who Jesus was and knew who Paul was.  We are marked in the spiritual realm as those who belong to Jesus because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit.  Some believers have reputations even among the enemy. If you are a Christian, you are marked. You can’t hide from the enemy so you may as well fight him. And if you are going to fight you should do so with the ferocity that will gain you a reputation among your enemies.

The response of these demons to the presence of Jesus was terror.  That should be the response of any demon to the presence of any follower of Jesus. Authority is the issue in the spiritual realm and Jesus has all authoritywhich he has also delegated to us. They asked Jesus if he had come to torture them before the appointed time. They begged him not to do so. Demons often speak through their hosts.  Sometimes they are threatening and at other times they just keep asserting their right of ownership over the person. Dialoguing with demons is typically not productive because they are liars and expert manipulators.  Any dialogue should probably be kept to a minimum. In addition, demons apparently know that judgment is coming and that their fate is sealed by the blood of Christ. They fear the end but their inescapable nature is still to kill, steal, and destroy. Their next plea was for Jesus not to send them out of the area or the region. This confirms that demons are given territorial assignments and are afraid of failing at those assignments.

It also becomes apparent in this account that these spirits are in search of some kind of body to inhabit – preferably human – but an animal will do. ( Yes – that cat may be possessed after all).  Jesus said that when a spirit comes out of a man he wanders through arid places seeking rest (Matt.12:43).The word translated as “rest” mean to cease striving. That suggests that a demon’s very assignment is to inhabit a body, not just wander around on the earth.  Because of that, these spirits are constantly trying to gain entrance. Therefore, we must guard our hearts and our thoughts so that we do not provide an open door for the enemy.

Interestingly, Jesus did not destroy these demons or send them to hell or the abyss as some deliverance ministries do.   It seems that the world would be a better place if we could assign demons to hell where they could no longer roam the earth, but Jesus did not.  Our practice is to send them to the feet of Jesus for his judgment. Perhaps, they still play some part in God’s purposes or the wickedness of man gives them a right to remain on the earth until Jesus returns. At any rate, Jesus allowed Legion to enter a herd of pigs where chaos ensued!

More Next Week

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.  2 Corinthians 10:3-6

This is a very well known passage from the writings of Paul, but I’m not sure how many Christians actually know how to use divine weapons or even know what they are.  The Greek word translated as stronghold is an ancient  military term that means a fortified place.  A fortified place implies that someone has intentionally built up defenses to protect something. Strongholds, as Paul uses the term, are well established belief systems deep within us that are opposed to God’s truth.  In the context of Paul’s writing, these strongholds or belief systems actively argue against God’s truth.

The word translated as pretensionmeans anything that arrogantly sets itself up above the word of God.  Anything that wants to exalt itself above God or his word is demonic.  Isaiah, speaking of Satan said, “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit” (Isa. 14:12-15). The word translated as demolishcan also mean “to dethrone.”  These strongholds are built and reinforced by Satan and contain thoughts that always want to argue against and exalt themselves above God’s truth.

Undoubtedly, each of us has to contend with some measure of strongholds in our life.  We are constantly bombarded by the belief systems of the world from childhood as we listen to television, read books, attend secular schools, pick up the strongholds of our parents, etc.  On top of that, we have experiences that establish beliefs about ourselves, God, and life in general and act as filters for every subsequent experience we have. For instance, an abused child will walk away from that abuse believing that something is so defective in him or her that they cannot be loved. Why else would a parent treat them that way? An abandoned child may grow up believing that, sooner or later, everyone they love will leave them.  Others will grow up in homes where whatever they did was “never good enough” and so will always struggle with feelings of incompetence and fears of failing.  Others will experience some disappointment and walk away believing that God doesn’t hear their prayers. These strongholds begin as some childhood conclusion we draw from a hurtful experience but then Satan reinforces those beliefs that oppose God’s truth.

Each of those strongholds will limit a person in life and in relationships. Each of those strongholds produces beliefs contrary to the word of God when it comes to those who are born again and have a destiny in Christ. God says he will never leave us or forsake us.  He tells us that we are more than conquerors in Jesus Christ and that nothing can separate us from his love.  He tells us that he has made us competent and that we can do all things through Jesus.  He tells us that whatever we ask for in the name of Jesus that is aligned with his word will get his full hearing. As long as we have persistent thoughts that are not aligned with God’s truth, strongholds exist that war against and argue against our faith and our obedience.

When believers hear these scriptures enough, they come to believe them on an intellectual level but may not believe them in their hearts.  They tend to believe them for others but not themselves or always have a “Yes, but…” response when called on to believe a promise enough to act on it.

Those belief systems that are buried deep within us are reinforced by the demonic realm at every opportunity.  In the parable of the sower, Satan comes to steal the seed which represents the word of God before it can put down roots and bear fruit. When strongholds exist, the enemy will provide any number of reasons not to believe God’s truth when it is offered. Because these strongholds are places fortified by the lies of the enemy as he operates in the spiritual realm, it takes divine weapons to dismiss the demons that keep rebuilding the walls of those lies and divine weapons to destroy the stronghold.

Counseling and therapies that do not engage the enemy on a spiritual playing field will not be able to truly demolish these spiritual fortifications.  We may learn to manage our issues to some degree or learn coping skills, but that is far from freedom and victory over the issue.  Most churches still send their members out to counselors who do not believe in or have skills in spiritual warfare, although Paul clearly says our struggles are not against flesh and blood but spiritual powers. Even churches that have counselors on staff, typically have counselors who were trained in secular approaches to counseling.  They may pray and offer a scripture but do not know how to confront the enemy and exercise authority to break these strongholds. Because of that, only a small percentage of Christ’s body actually walks in the full freedom that Jesus has purchased for them.

Divine weapons include Spirit-led counseling, the spiritual gifts of discernment, healings, wisdom, revelation, deliverance, prayer, hearing God, and so forth. If you think about it, most strongholds are established as a result of some intense experience or trauma.  Most life-altering transformations also occur as a result of an experience with God –  Moses at the burning bush, Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, the apostles seeing the resurrected Christ and experiencing the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Gideon watching an angel ascend in flames, the servant of Elisha seeing chariots of fire all around him, Jewish neighbors seeing Lazarus emerge from his tomb and so forth.  Divine weapons allow us to experience the presence and power of God so that strongholds are discredited, demolished, and them replaced by the truth that comes through encounters with God. It often takes an experience with God to overwrite what we have believed because of an experience with Satan.

In addition, a huge part of destroying strongholds is offering obedience in every part of our life.  Many believers don’t experience freedom because they withhold slices of their lives from God and do not willingly submit to him in the areas of relationships, giving, entertainment, forgiveness, addictions, and so forth.  Each area that remains “unsubmitted” to Jesus is an open door for the enemy to come in and rebuild the very fortifications they are trying to tear down. Paul says, “we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete” (2 Cor. 10:5).  In other words, when we have submitted all of our life to Jesus, then those who oppose us in the spiritual realm and the natural realm will be punished or caused to suffer by God. When we are obedient, demons can be driven out and the strongholds they have defended can be torn down.

I would venture to say that nearly every believer has some stronghold that remains within him or her – myself included. So many strongholds have been with us for so long that we don’t even recognize them.  They seem like a natural part of who we are and the enemy has provided numerous justifications for our beliefs that don’t line up with the Word.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any strongholds that exist so that divine weapons can be applied and the stronghold torn down. In its own way, every stronghold is a form of bondage though we may not recognize it is that.  A stronghold is simply a slice of our thought life that has been taken captive by Satan.  Our goal should to surrender every thought to Jesus because surrendering to Jesus truly brings freedom.  An essential part of deliverance is discovering these strongholds and pulling them down. Giving some serious thought to our personal strongholds on a regular basis is also essential to becoming all that he wants us to be.