THE REVOLT OF THE PIGS
Matt 8: 28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
One thing that the bible had made clear to the believer is the details of the operations of the kingdom of darkness. What we have done with that knowledge is to mystify it and to make this simple truth unnecessarily complex. I will not want to go into the details of the origin of the devil now, but I will talk about a war that took place in heaven just before the time of Adam.
Rev 12: 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
This scripture briefly tells us the ministry of the devil. As a spirit, for the devil to function on earth, it must look for a physical body to function with. Of course, the best specie that the devil will need to achieve the ultimate effect will be the human being that was created in the image of God, that is, if the devil will be able to subvert the purpose of God here on earth.
However, man in his original state was created to be beyond the powers of darkness. Gen 1: 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
But the animals and the other creations were not created above the devil. That was why the devil could take the form of the snake when it came to tempt man. The snake allowed the devil to use it because its nature could easily be related to the nature of the devil.
Gen 3: 1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
It was the devil that the scripture was talking about in this verse.
When man sinned, he lost his position in God and became subject to sin and likewise the devil. But God did not leave man helpless. Gen 3: 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
This was meant to be a temporary provision for the sin of man by which he could be put in a pedestral to overcome the devil. It is only when you occupy this position that you can have unhindered access to God and it is such a man that is blessed.
Heb 9: 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Until you are empowered to overcome sin, you are subject to sin. The most valuable aspect of the blessing is that it empowers you against sin. Unless you had a revelation of the provision against sin, you cannot overcome sin. Look at the case of Cane and Abel. Abel had the revelation and that was why his offering was perfect because he offered it in righteousness. Here, righteousness is imputed to you by faith which is seen by your walking by revelation.
2 Cor 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Someone might say, maybe Cane did not know and no one taught him. At that time all the word of God that was available to them was what we see in Gen 1-3 and that is not a lot. God expects us to walk in the fulness of the revelation of the word of God. Hosea 4:6 my people perish for lack of knowledge.
1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
God has great expectations from you. Cane walked in unrighteousness and was therefore subject to the devil. See how it manifested in his life. It was a life totally yielded to the devil that he killed his brother in envy and raised a whole generation of unrighteous people. On the part of Abel, he was referred to in the bible as righteous Abel, a reference point because of his faith. All the faith that he needed was based on all that had happened and all that God had said and done up till then. Gen 3:21 was not lost on him. He gave no room to the devil and he inherited eternity for this reason.
He was the first person to die in the bible and it was an opportunity for God to show us that there was eternity after this life. Even though he died, his blood still cried out to God and he is still preaching to us till date.
On the other hand God said anyone who killed Cane was cursed. God was bent on keeping Cane alive because if he died it would seem to those left behind that he had gone the way of Abel. It was necessary to keep him alive so that people will see the consequence of a life that is totally yielded to the devil.
Gen 4: 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. 19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. 21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. 22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. 23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
What God did here was to raise the barrier or the stakes for the full import of a life that was yielded to God and not subject to the devil and make it appealing. Once you begin to yield to the devil, it begins a gradual descent. You may not feel it at first, but before you know it you will be totally overwhelmed. Each time you yield to the devil, you bring down the barrier and your resolve or capacity to overcome sin becomes weaker.
Like-terms attract. The devil will always look for someone who has his nature to take over. If you create the right environment for the devil, he will definitely show up and take over.
Matt 12: 43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
When you live your life in sin, you leave your life open for the attack of the devil. My challenges always leave me a better person. Each time I go through a barrage of attacks, I normally scrutinise my life to see if I am living in sin or disobedience. If I find anything I immediately deal with it.
Ps 139: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
That way I am not too casual with my salvation because it is my greatest possession.
Paul said in Phil 2:12 that we should work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.
1 Cor 10: 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Look at the decadence that took place in the life of Saul, an anointed man of God. His beginning was quite wonderful and we see how a humble young man was lifted up and anointed king of Israel. The need to please the people saw him enter into disobedience and he proceeded to offer sacrifice in the absence of Samuel. When he was asked to destroy the Amalekites and all that they had, he disobeyed and spared Agag as well as the best of their flocks in order to please the people again. He worsened his position by laying hold of the skirt of the prophet of God and tearing it. It was here that we are told that the sin of disobedience is like witchcraft. Samuel told him that God had rejected him because this was a man that was now completely yielded to iniquity. The spiritual manifestation in his life was that the spirit of God totally departed from him and he became possessed with devils.
At this stage, Saul was capable of anything. He went to great length to kill David even when it was obvious that the hand of God was upon His life. In 1 Sam 22, he ordered for the killing of the priest Ahimelech the son of Ahitub along with 85 men who wore the linen ephod. On that same day, he also smote Nob, the city of priests with all its men, women and children, along with sucklings, oxen, asses and sheep. He did not even show them the kind of mercy that he showed to the Amalekites.
He would have been better off dead earlier; after all another king has already been anointed. But there is something worse than such a death which is the initial consequence of such decadence while you are still alive. You cannot even do anything to help yourself because you cannot even comprehend your condition except Jesus shows up in your neighbourhood like the case of the two demoniacs in the text. Jesus cast them into the swine nearby without consulting them. In Gen 3, the snake was a willing tool, while in this text the swine refused to yield themselves and preferred to commit suicide. Even the swine was aware of the devastating effect of allowing the devil have access to its life. They were so committed to giving the devil no place in their lives and they had no provision for their salvation. But there is a provision for every one of us here. We can refuse to yield and we can change it if we have yielded in any way.
We should not be ignorant of the wiles of the devil. Eph 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
