Demons

18 January 2011

Read Luke 8: 26-39

Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?" (8:30)

This power encounter between the evil spirits and Jesus follows immediately after the storm. The disciples have just witnessed the calming of the storm and now face the torrents of a human tempest.

Kicking and yelling, the demon-possessed man is definitely not in the right mind. Just as he was in calm full control of the storm, Jesus is fully in charge of this raging storm. The situation is violent, volatile and unpredictable.

We read that the man has been tormented by the demons for a while. The demon inside him are tearing his life apart. It cripples and isolates him from a normal, functional life. The demon has basically taken over his life.

To the man Jesus asked, “What is your name?” (8:30)

After identifying themselves, Jesus cast them out and the man is restored and salvation comes to him.

Are we struggling with some 'demons' in our lives? Do they have strongholds over us? Are there habits, desires and thoughts that are slowly overtaking our lives?

When it comes to dominating sins and habits Jesus does not coach us on the side. He enters into our battles and tears down those strongholds and his victory is decisive. We may, like one possessed, react by kicking and yelling, begging for mercy but Jesus sees beyond all these symptoms of resistance as the last straw of evil trying to hang on to us. He sees beneath all these naked expressions and sees the man who desires to make whole.

In the end, Jesus delivers and frees us. He restores peace, calm and order to our lives and gives us a sound mind.

After restoration, he tells us, just as he did with the once demon-possessed man, to go and tell others of what he has done for us. in giving testimony to others, we confirm our deliverance and find new entry into our community. The power of darkness is fully overthrown when we are able to bear witness to Jesus' deliverance to others. This is and will be the finish line of our fight against the 'demons' in our lives.

To him who has been delivered, the demons are forever gone and the mind restored and renewed.

That is good news indeed.