And They Do Obey Him

"God's peace is greater."

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." (Acts 10:38)

Jesus healed those OPPRESSED of the devil and cast devils out of those POSSESSED by devils. There is a difference between oppression and possession. The similarities are (a) that it is of the devil, (b) that Jesus came to cast the devil out, (c) unclean spirits can manifest in the same ways in oppression or possession.

Those oppressed or possessed are tormented in mind and in body. In the gospels, we see them not in their right mind, lame, having the palsy, blind, deaf and mute, and in physical pain, or some combination of these. Some who were mentally tormented were still able to think and function. They simply couldn't shut the spirit up. Some were physically moved, thrown into dangerous situations where they could have died. But they were people either oppressed or possessed by devils.

What makes possession under the New Covenant is that a person is not saved. The devil or devils inhabit the person to a greater extent than someone who is saved. Because the Holy Spirit inhabits a saved man or woman. We are His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). Someone oppressed has His Presence in them, and He will never leave them or forsake them (Hebrews 13:5).

But the form of torment can be of an equal measure.

We must know the strength of the human spirit to survive, to live. The Gadarene demoniac is an amazing story of human perseverance. He had over 2,000 unclean spirits possessing him, something Jesus confirmed visually in the size of the herd of pigs. The spirits caused the herd to run off the cliff into the sea, which shows us their intent for the demoniac. They wanted him to die, but we see his determination to be free in his falling to worship at Jesus' feet. 2,000 devils could not cause him to commit suicide. But notice, they had to ask permission to go into the pigs.

We must also see the compassion of the Savior to those tormented. He did not judge them for WHY they were in that condition. He only said to "sin no more" and offered forgiveness. He was never afraid of the devil.

“And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.” (Mark 1:23-25)

We can learn more truth from His temptation in the wilderness. First, we must see the Holy Spirit led Him there after He was baptized by John (Luke 4:1). He was filled with the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). He was not ignorant of who He is or what He was on the earth to do. The principle stated in Acts 10:38 was working in Him: "For God was with Him."

Second, we must know the truths Jesus revealed about him. Satan is the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning. He is a deceiver. Nothing he said to Jesus was, therefore, the truth. He has no truth in him. When he said he had been given dominion over the kingdoms of the world, that was a lie. When he promised to give that dominion to Jesus if He would bow down and worship him, that was a lie. Satan never had dominion. N-E-V-E-R. Jesus never had any intention of worshipping the devil.

He saw Satan fall like lightning (Luke 10:18).

The devil had no intention of giving Jesus anything but wanted to steal His identity, kill His life, and destroy all God might do through Him. Satan did not know the plan of God to save the world through Jesus' crucifixion. That was a mystery saved for the heirs of salvation (Ephesians 1:9). But every devil that encountered Jesus cried out He was God. So he knew this man was different.

“And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.” (Mark 7:29-30)

In the wilderness, Satan gave Jesus visions. This shouldn't surprise us. Pharaoh's magicians also turned a rod into a crocodile (Rabbi Meir Solaveichik, Bible 365). But Moses' rod consumed theirs, and Moses went on to perform greater evidences of God’s power. Jehovah of the Hebrews turned the entire Nile River, all 4,132 miles of it, into blood. So we can know God is always more powerful. It did not prevent Satan from giving Jesus visions. He gave Jesus a vision of the temple and another vision of the world's kingdoms. Jesus saw what the devil wanted Him to see, but He was unafraid.

Fear is the devil's weapon. God’s peace is greater. Satan has no peace. There is no peace for the wicked (Isaiah 57:21). And, in fact, all the emotions the devil tries to use against us, he is consumed with. He is angry and full of strife. He speaks only condemnation and guilt. He is consumed by fear and is incredibly lonely. The lies he tells he speaks to comfort himself. It is better to believe the lie than to face the truth. He is in a constant state of confusion (James 3:16). This truth goes for all unclean spirits (devils). Without the Presence of God, they have no peace and no rest.

Jesus told us that an unclean spirit, sent out of a man, will pace endlessly looking for somewhere to be, and they find somewhere to be through our thoughts (Matthew 12:43-44). Ignorance of God’s Word is evidence of an empty mind, and an empty mind makes men and women a target. Our mind is only protected through our meditation in the Word of God, through worship (time spent in God’s Presence), and through prayer. Philippians 4:7-8 tells us to speak with our Father and give thanksgiving for His care for us, and when we do, His peace will guard us at such a level it is beyond human understanding. This is a key truth for those OPPRESSED or POSSESSED. Again, consider the demoniac who worshipped at Jesus’ feet. Jesus spoke to the unclean spirits which inhabited him, but the man was able to speak for himself in worship.

“But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,” (Mark 5:6)

The church holds a responsibility to care for those who are suffering. I do not mean tolerate devils. We are children of God filled with the Spirit of God, who is the power of God. We must know how to speak IN THE SPIRIT and must not rely on our understanding. Only someone IN THE SPIRIT can cast out EVIL SPIRITS, and here’s what we must latch onto. Jesus did not tolerate those devils in the demoniac and allow them to roam the countryside. They were consumed with their desire to murder and thus drowned the pigs, but in Luke 8:31, the word used for their going into the DEEP means “abyss.” Jesus sent them packing where they would hurt no one, and this is our calling.

Avoidance is fear. Turning our gaze away is not walking in the Spirit. Saying a few prayers and not being consistent to seek the Spirit for those OPPRESSED or POSSESSED is done from laziness. It isn’t our volume that will drive them out, nor even enthusiasm. It isn’t speaking the name of Jesus when we lack knowledge of how to be in the Spirit. You can command in Jesus’ name all day in the flesh and nothing will change. Instead, God asks us to mature and Come Up Higher. To seek to be like Jesus who never turned anyone away, and would travel all the way across the Sea, despite a storm, to set a man free.

“And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.” (Mark 1:27)

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com