You need to know your enemy.
• Smart coaches study the strengths and weaknesses of the teams they’re going to play.
• Smart military leaders study the strengths and weaknesses, even the personalities of their counterparts, for the enemies they’re going against.
• Politicians, if they want to win an election, pay close attention to the tactics of their opponents.
You and I can surely could stand to learn a lesson: after knowing our Lord, we also need to know our enemy.
• The book of Job starts with a scene in heaven, where we get to watch as the devil presents himself before God, and they have a conversation.
• Paul said, we’re not unaware of his schemes.
• Peter describes him for us, and tells us to be sober and vigilant.
There’s a reason that Bible has these things: we need to know about the enemy.
Out text this morning is another time God tells us about the enemy. We should be listening. Right in front of us is a story that gives us a window into a world we might be afraid to see.
Talking about demons may be a little like watching open heart surgery on the Discovery Channel. There’s 2 groups of people: there’s the people who’d rather be put under and have open heart surgery than to have to watch one, then there’s the people like me, who think watching that kind of stuff can be pretty neat.
I run into people who have a dangerous preoccupation with the enemy, and I also know people who are afraid to even look at him. Somewhere in between those extremes is what God intends for us to do with parts of the Bible like the one we have this morning.
The Demon world
On thing we must admit as we talk about the unclean spirit / demon world: there’s a lot we don’t know. So, I’m leery of people who presume to have it all mapped out.
Ill – I once had a little book by a guy who was really into this whole demon world scene. He told all these stories about battling it out with demons. In fact, he’d even drawn a couple little pictures of 2 demons he claimed to have encountered and seen. They kind of looked like polka-dotted hankies with little eyes drawn on them! I’m just not sold out to those who say they have it all figured out!
Ill – Any of you who work with office equipment like computers or copiers already have an opinion that demons are pretty active in our world!
Seriously, we have to admit there’s a lot we don’t know. Still, there are some observations we can make this morning, right here where you’re seated, from our text and from the rest of Scripture that may help us. Those kinds of observations I will make, because sharing my 1st-hand experience on this subject will fall way short. So, here are general observations:
1. Demons are real
-Jesus describes hell as “everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Demons are real. They’re in league with the devil, and they share his fate: everlasting fire.
-The Bible, at least in the NT, has several descriptions of encounters with people who are what we call demon-possessed. It makes it clear that they weren’t just people who were sick or crazy. They gave some people superhuman strength. Other people were disabled by them.
Jesus believed that demons were real. When He confronts possessed people, He speaks to the demons, and they speak to Him. I don’t have to see or experience one to believe it. God’s word describes them, and that’s good enough for me. Demons are real.
2. Demons are bent on inhabiting and hurting people
In the NT we read of a person who was often thrown into fire or water by a demon. There’s a woman who was bent over crippled by a spirit for 18 years. There’s another man who lives among the tombs outside town, gashing himself with rocks and screaming all the time. And we read, that when they’re cast out, they’ll sometimes “take one last shot,” so that one boy convulsed and appeared dead. In another scene, a whole herd of 2,000 pigs went berserk and rushed over a steep bank into the sea. Jesus said, when an unclean spirit leaves a person it wanders around, seeking a place to live (Mt 12:45).
Based on the gospels, I notice this: there seems to have been a lot of this in 1st Cent. Palestine. How much? I don’t know! How does it get started? How does a demon possess a person in the first place? I don’t know. But unclean spirits seem to have concerned themselves with living like some parasite inside of a human being
3. Jesus came to undo the works of the devil, including demons
(1 John 3:8b) The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
So, it’s no surprise that early on in His ministry, Jesus comes into direct conflict with Satan. For 40 days they go head-to-head in the desert, and Jesus wins. And now, as He begins His very intense 3-yr ministry, Jesus is confronting the devil. As Jesus sends out the disciples on short-term revival trips, He gives them His authority to cast out demons, and they come back amazed at how it works. It’s part of Jesus’ work.
One of the question marks I’ll leave hanging over this topic is the way demonic activity has apparently changed. Some would argue that‘s not true. But the things we read about in the NT, of the 1st cent. world are at least not as common to our day and culture. We don’t have, out at Ozark Memorial Gardens, a super-human naked man living there who spends his time yelling and gashing himself with rocks. As far as I know, there never has been. I know you can walk the mall and see all kinds of interesting things, but nothing of this caliber is as common as it was in the NT world.
My suggestion is that something has changed – that just like the demon world shuddered when Jesus began His ministry, the demon world today shudders as God lives inside His people and the days to the end are ticking down.
On the other hand, I’ve heard stories from very credible, godly people – some sitting here this morning – of their 1st-hand encounters with demonic activity, especially in other countries. I’ll be the 1st person to at least say, that’s very interesting, even though that’s something that’s still outside my personal experience.
Lord willing, I’m going to India in January to preach and I may come back more enlightened on this. I don’t know. I doubt even then I’ll be able to explain it all.
Now, those are some observations about the work of demons in the world. A lot of people have gotten way caught up in this and devoted a lot of time to talking and writing about it. The gospel writers wanted us to at least give this some thought, but never without this focus: Jesus is Lord of all. (say amen)
That’s where out text takes us this morning.
Mark 1:21-22 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. (light on that word, authority)
I. Jesus is Our Authority for Doctrine
Doctrine is just another word for teaching. Let’s not be afraid of that word. I only used it this morning because it starts with D! Anywhere in your Bible you see the word “doctrine” (7X in NIV, 56X in the KJV), you can just as well substitute the word “teaching.” Jesus is our authority for teaching.
Ill - Imagine this morning being in a church scene where, every week, everyone’s SS teacher was looked to as the authority for truth. Imagine a church where, instead of teaching God’s word, people said, “Well, Paul Welch says…” or “Oh yea? Well Ray McCulley says…” or “Oh yea? Well I went to Sherm’s class, and Sherm says…” That would be a mess!
That’s where the Jews were!
Ill – 1st cent. Judaism was a lot like our modern day court system - where lawyers go back through past records and refer to previous court decisions to establish a justification for how we ought to make decisions now. So, previous experience can take precedence over truth.
The Jews would be saying, “Rabbi Hillel says…” or “Oh yea? Well Rabbi Shammai says…” Every Sabbath, as their teachers spoke, they’d appeal to the authority of men. In other words, they’d say, “It has been said…” or “I think…” or “I really feel like…” They had no authority!
But when Jesus speaks, it’s different. (v22) The people are struck with amazement. Jesus doesn’t turn to the rabbis for His authority, like their teachers always did. Matthew uses the same words at the end of the Sermon on the Mount – The Sermon on the Mount where Jesus had been saying, “You have heard that it was said, but I say to you…” The people are amazed because Jesus speaks like someone with authority.
For their whole lives they’ve been listening to gutless preaching because it carried no right to tell them what they should and shouldn’t do. And now, here’s a teacher who’s different.
Jesus has authority over teaching.
II. Jesus Has Authority over Disease
Skip down to
Mark 1:29-31 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
Originally, I was going to gloss over this part. It’s just kind of an interesting note in the text. You know, Jesus goes to Peter and Andrew’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law has a fever, Jesus cures it, and life goes on as usual. This just isn’t as interesting or spectacular as casting out a demon!
On the other hand, why do Mt, Mk, and Lk all 3 include this? It’s woven into this text to help make the point: Jesus has authority. Not only does Jesus have the right to say what’s right and wrong, He also has the right to override the laws of nature. Fevers don’t stop instantly.
Ill – I remember during a pregnancy when Carrie had pneumonia. One evening, her fever spiked. She was in bed, and I came in to check on her. About the time that she described the numbers that were floating in the air by the ceiling, I figured out that her fever had gotten pretty high. We went to the emergency room, and Carrie got put on some strong medicine. But you know what? She was more than a few days before she really felt much better.
People who are sick in bed with a fever, don’t suddenly get up and entertain guests. This is a miracle! Jesus could do such a thing because He has authority over nature.
Mark 1:32-34a That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He didn’t just speak like someone with authority. He healed like it too.
Now, let’s go back to the synagogue to get one more point out of this text:
III. Jesus Has Authority over Demons
Mark 1:23-28 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
The conversation here is between Jesus and the demon (or, as Lk calls it, “the spirit of an unclean demon” – what other kind is there?!) It’s a brief encounter, and it gives us a window into this spiritual realm. So let’s look through it.
For one thing, demons know Who Jesus is. Jm 2:19 says the demons believe in God, and they shudder. Think that one through. I’m not sure Jesus is ever impressed by anyone who just says, “I believe in God.” The demons do that!
In fact, the demon world seems to have a quicker grasp of Who Jesus is and a more serious response than most humans! “Jesus of Nazareth! I know Who You are! The Holy One of God!”
Ill - Luke records for us the demon’s 1st word here. It’s roughly translated, “Aaaaah!”
When demons meet the Master, there’s no question Who’s has authority here. It really doesn’t matter if the demon is asking a question or making a declarative statement – it could be either – “Oh no! Have You come to destroy us?” or “ Oh no! You’ve come to destroy us!” there’s no challenge, no defiance, no question about Who’s in charge and who isn’t. And just to drive it home, besides commanding the demon to leave, Jesus also shuts him up. Maybe it’s not time yet for people to hear such a blatant testimony about Who Jesus is. Maybe Jesus doesn’t want such an important truth to be spoken by the mouths of lying demons. For whatever reason, the result’s the same: demons have to submit to Jesus. He has authority there too.
And once again, everyone’s amazed because of Jesus’ authority (Mark 1:27b) "What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."
We ought to be amazed. It ought to do something to us when we consider how Jesus has authority as our teacher. It ought to get our attention when we read about Jesus’ authority over natural law as He shows His ability to skip it. And it ought to get our attention when Jesus when we see how Jesus is in charge when He’s confronting demons.
But understand this, the gospel writers here put all these things together to give us a big picture. Teaching is part of Jesus’ ministry. Healing is part of Jesus’ ministry. Casting out demons is part of Jesus’ ministry. But all of these put together are what He’s speaking about in v38. Lk records it, (4:43) "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."
All of these things are part of Jesus preaching the good news that the Kingdom of God has come among us. He wasn’t here just to take care of our temporary problems or just teach right from wrong. He came to usher in the rule of God in peoples’ lives. So, put this text all together, and you get this: Jesus, the Lord, the authority Who brings and announces God’s Kingdom to earth.
Now, with all the nuts and bolts thrown into the bag, I want to take the rest of the time to put it together in a form we can use. What are we supposed to do with all this? The Lord we serve is Lord over doctrine, disease, and demons. So,
1. Accept Jesus’ authority as teacher.
I’m so glad for this! I’m so glad that I don’t get up here and say, “I feel really strongly about this..” or “I think this is good…” or “ Max Lucado says…” or “Our denomination says…” or “One of my professors in Bible college says…”
No. We stand on the authority of Jesus Christ when it comes to teaching. We stand on what God has said and on His right to tell us what we ought to do.
That ought to be reflected in our SS classes and HBF’s. Be careful of sentences that start with “I think….” Start with what God says.
That ought to be reflected in the way we speak of God in our homes and to people we know. Let’s not be afraid to say, “The Bible says…” In fact, let’s start there when it comes to life’s issues. Take people aside and say to them, “Let’s look at what God says about this…”
2. Call Upon Jesus’ Authority as Healer.
We generally say we accept this. We pray for people to be healed. I just want us, as we do that, to remember the healing ministry of the Lord we serve. The reason we can pray with confidence is because Jesus has authority.
It’s not empty words to ask our Lord to heal disease. Jm 5 says to pray for the person who’s down sick. It’s right for us to call upon Jesus’ authority as healer.
Pay attention to our prayer list when it says that prayers have been answered for someone.
3. Live boldly because of Jesus’ authority in spirit world
(Ephesians 6:12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Study this subject of demon activity too long and hard, and it can get pretty scary. And I’m trying to say something like, “See, Jesus had it all under control. Don’t be afraid. Live boldly.”
Someone might well say, “That was then, with Jesus right there. What about the demon Jesus’ disciples couldn’t cast out? What about the 7 sons of Sceva in Ephesus, Acts 19, who were trying to use Jesus’ name to cast out a demon and it overpowered all of them and sent them running from the house stripped and bleeding?”
What power should I expect to have in the spiritual realm?
I don’t have all the answers, but let me share some:
1. Paul says we’re Christ’s ambassadors on earth. We’re supposed to be carrying out the work of Jesus. We have His commission, His orders, to carry out His work in His name. In other words, we have His authority to do this. That’s how an ambassador works.
2. Take with you the reassurance of
Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing in the spirit world can separate us from His love. And if you’re still not sure how to approach this whole thing remember:
3. 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Don’t be so foolish as to think that you can take on Satan and his cohorts.
Quote - D.L. Moody - “My friends, you are no match for Satan, and when he wants to fight you just run to your elder Brother, who is more than a match for all the devils in hell.
When a person has Jesus’ sweet Holy Spirit living inside him, when that person is so full of God there’s not room for anything else, I have a hard time picturing any unclean spirit taking up residence there. The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
We can live boldly, only because of this and certainly because of this.
4. Enjoy the fantastic privilege to carry out the work of Jesus as proclaimers of the good news
Jesus came for this reason. That’s what He says in this text. And now we get to carry it on. We must never lose sight of why the Church exists in the world today. The moment that we cease to be God’s people delivering the good news is the moment we’ve forgotten our reason for being here.
Conclusion:
So, what does Jesus want you to do? Here? This morning?
I know this – that no matter what happens, when the dust settles, I want to be on the right side in this one. The demons know their end is near. So what should you do?
Jump in line on the right side. Jesus’ authority means there’s something for me to do.
There something for you to do today: take your belief in Jesus beyond the belief that demons have. Don’t just know Who He is and tremble. Know Who He is and trust Him. Believe in Him as the rightful authority for you life.
