DELIVERANCE: THE POWER TO COMMAND APPEARS
Written by Senior Pastor Ndayiragije-Misigaro Joel, February 15, 2023
Mark 5:1-20
INTRODUCTION
According to the Bible, where many demon-possessed people were delivered and healed of their afflictions, part of what Jesus did on earth was to free individuals from physical, mental, and spiritual oppression, and this demon-possessed man at the Gerasenes demonstrates that deliverance is an integral part of the Christian faith and that Jesus has the power to deliver. Consider this: No one could control the man who only lived on the graveyard's edge and those who tried failed. When Jesus arrived, he ordered the demon to leave the man alone. This story teaches us that Jesus has the power to overcome even the most powerful forces of darkness and that when we put our faith in Him, He can work miracles in our lives. Demons aren't aware of our power, but they are aware of Jesus' power and authority, and they must obey Him and flee when He commands them. Believers are given the same authority as nonbelievers. This story teaches us that Jesus has complete authority and that no force of darkness can overcome Him.
The following are three-dimensional lessons to be drawn from this:
A. THE WORSHIP SECRET
I bring up what the demon-possessed person does when he sees Jesus. When the man saw Jesus, he fell to the ground and worshiped him. (Vs.6) When possessed by a demon, why does the man worship Jesus? The answer lies in the fact that, despite being under the control of an evil spirit, this man recognized Jesus for who He was: God in human form; also, because the demon was aware of Jesus' power and knew he had no choice but to bow before Him. It means that even when possessed by a demon, people can serve and worship. Even in his possessed state, the man's act of worship serves as an example to us of Jesus' power and glory. "Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you," Jesus says in Luke 10:19. If we are to overcome the power of the enemy and live a life of worship and service to God, we must use and manifest the same authority that has been given to us as believers. The second thing I notice here is that the demons also begged Jesus, which leads me to wonder why. They could not disobey Jesus because he had authority over them. Once we understand this authority, we can use it to effectively overcome demonic power and bring freedom to many who are bound, and the demons will have no choice but to obey the commands given by God's servants.
B. THE POWER IS IN THE PERMISSION GRANTED
Believers can give demons free rein in their minds if they do not take authority over them and bind the works of darkness in Jesus' name. The demons request permission to enter the pigs, according to Scripture verse 12. That permission was granted by Jesus.
In contrast, recall Jesus' words to Peter, "Simon, Simon (Peter), listen!" Satan has asked for permission to sift you all like grain.” Luke 22:31 (from the Amplified Bible) This account claims that Jesus never gave Satan permission. Jesus refused to give Satan permission to sift through all of the apostles, but that did not stop Peter from denying Jesus three times. (Mathew 26:69–75)
It also demonstrates Jesus' faith in the power of redemption, even in the face of such harsh repercussions as Peter's denial. Jesus still offered forgiveness and mercy, reminding us that no matter how many times we fall, God's grace is always there to catch us. However, when we look at Judas, we see a different story. Judas not only betrayed Jesus, but he was also unable to accept the grace that was offered in return, leading Judas down a path of despair and guilt that he couldn't bear and eventually committing suicide. (Matthew 27:5) We must be cautious because we can allow demons and Satan to manipulate our lives, and if we resist the Devil, he loses his power to operate in us. (James 4:7) When the demons are given permission, they enter the person and torment him or her severely. Take a look at what happened to this demon-possessed man. He harmed himself with stones, lived in tombs, a place of death, ripped off his clothes, and was violent. When Jesus commanded the demons to leave this man, we see that he also asked Jesus for permission to follow him, which he was denied, and he was told to return to his hometown and spread the gospel of how Jesus had delivered him (Vs. 18–20). Demons exist, and they have the ability to harm and hinder us in this life, preventing us from being free. Demons are the adversaries of God's people, the believers. Demons' jobs are to hurt, tempt, accuse, condemn, defile, force, resist, oppose, steal, control, kill, and destroy. Ephesians 6:12: "We are not fighting flesh-and-blood enemies, but evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, mighty powers in this dark world, and evil spirits in the heavenly places." As Christians, we must understand the spiritual warfare that is taking place in our lives and stand firm in the Lord's strength against the devil's schemes.
C. THE AUTHORITY OVER ALL EVIL POWERS
As believers, we should never open doors for the devil to enter; some of those doors are opened to limit the power and authority Jesus gives us to work effectively. What are the open doors that allow the enemy free access? Unconfessed sin, unforgiveness, anger, fear, pride, and resentment can all open doors to the devil. All of these negative emotions give the devil a foothold in our lives. As Christians, we must constantly guard our hearts against these temptations, fleeing from them and turning to God in prayer and repentance, seeking His strength and protection against the forces of evil, and refusing to give him a place of influence in our lives. All demons prostrate themselves before Jesus. Mark 5:6 says, "When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him." Jesus is the name above all names, and "God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord." Philippians 2:9-10
When Jesus asked the demon-possessed man, "What is your name?" they replied, "Legion," which means many. Evil spirits enjoy making people believe that they are more powerful than God. They appear to be more powerful than they are. This demon-possessed man begged Jesus for mercy, and we must implore Him and ask for His mercy at all times if we are to be delivered from the enemy's attacks. The demons knew that hell was not a pleasant place to be, so they begged Jesus to send them to the swine instead.
CONCLUSION
Refuse to succumb to the enemy's attacks by always relying on Jesus and His mercy, and turn away from anything that draws you closer to the enemy, returning to Jesus. As Jesus demonstrated, His mercy is greater than any other power, and by relying on Him, we can be delivered from the clutches of the enemy. We must stand in the authority that Jesus has given us and boldly declare our freedom from the enemy's schemes through the power of the cross.
Jesus, I pray that You would give us the courage to stand up to the enemy and proclaim Your victory in our lives. Fill us with your strength, Holy Spirit, and lead us to victory in the name of Jesus. I renounce every stronghold of the enemy in my life and every influence of Satan over me and declare that I am under the authority of Jesus Christ, that I am destroying the works of the enemy in my life, and that I choose to live according to God's Word and His will. In Jesus' name, I command the enemy's sickness to leave me. Every assigned stronghold of the enemy that is following my life and monitoring my movements is to die in Jesus' name.
