Power Over The Spiritual Enemy
Mark 5:1-20
Message #16
Our text today is on the heels of Jesus calming the storm. Mark’s Gospel often puts things together in threes to make sure we get the big picture, and today’s message is part two of a power trilogy.
Last message, "When the Storm Hits," Mark showed us the absolute power of Jesus over nature in calming the storm. Today, we’ll see the absolute power of Jesus over the demonic realm. And next week, we’ll see the absolute power of Jesus over sickness and death.
Today we see the absolute power of Jesus over our spiritual enemy, and we see a man in possibly the worst spiritual warfare condition in the Bible, fight to get to Jesus in order to be transformed by his power. We start today in Mark 5:1.
Mark 5:1 (NLT)
1 So they (Jesus and the disciples) arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. (after Jesus calmed the storm)
This is the Greek area on the Eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Although some Jews lived there with the Greeks, for the most part, Jews would not even go into this area.
Mark 5:2 (NLT)
2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him.
Notice – this demon-possessed man came out from the tombs in order to Meet Jesus.
We’re going to see in this story, some actions that are this man’s actions and some actions that are the actions of the demons who are controlling this man. Here we see the man choose to come out of the tombs to meet Jesus. And I think we see here a battle raging inside this man between his own choices and his demonically controlled choices.
In these next set of verses, we see those demonically controlled choices.
Mark 5:3-5 (NLT)
3 This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain.
4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
5 Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
Let me ask you a question. Why does the demonic world seek to destroy any person that they can get their claws in? Because Satan and the demonic world hate God. Destroying your life is not the real end goal for them. They want to destroy your life because you are the Apple of God’s Eye, because you were created in God’s image, and because God loves you enough to send Jesus to die in your place so you could spend eternity with God.
And so, if the demonic world can destroy your life, then they can take one swipe at God on their way to destruction.
And this man’s life had been completely destroyed by the demonic world (to say the least). But then we read the following in Mark 5:6.
Mark 5:6 (NLT)
6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him.
It seems to me we’re back to the man’s own choices. This man was now running to Jesus in order to bow low before him. (Do you see it?)
But, from the Disciple’s perspective, this must have looked pretty wild. As the Disciples are climbing out of the boat, this wild, crazed, naked, howling, cut-up, demonized man is running full speed towards them. And the Disciples, who had just survived a death-defying boat ride, are now thinking, “you’ve got to be kidding me!” I’m sure Peter was thinking, “where is my sword when I need it? Man, I should have gotten that conceal carry permit.”
And so, as Peter picks up an oar to smack this guy when he gets close enough, this demonized, foaming-at-the-mouth, filthy, naked, bleeding, head spinning around, crazy guy suddenly slides to a stop on his knees and bows low before Jesus in the act of total submission.
I believe the man and the demons are battling each other for control here. Again, verse 6 says, “the MAN saw [Jesus], and ran to meet him.” It certainly wasn’t the demons who were running to meet Jesus. But, how did the man know who Jesus was? I wonder if he sensed the demons within him, beginning to rage because they definitely knew who Jesus was.
There’s a battle going on here for this man’s soul and it seems with whatever clarity this man had left, he was determined to reach Jesus to be set free.
So, while Peter is still holding the oar like a baseball bat and this guy is now bowing before Jesus, the demonized man lets out a full exorcist movie scream.
Mark 5:7(a) (NLT)
7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? . . .
This is just as extreme in the spiritual battle realm as the storm was extreme in the natural realm. The spokesman demon screams with a shriek, Why are you interfering with me . . . The implication here is Why are you interfering with me – NOW AS IN - “it’s NOT the right time, yet.”
Believe me, the demons know their final judgment; they are fully aware of their eternal damnation. They just want to destroy as much human life as possible before that final judgment falls on them.
And also, notice in verse 7(a), the demon speaks the name of Jesus and his correct title. 7 . . . “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? . . .
First of all, notice the demons fully believe who Jesus Christ is (though it’s not going to save them). What we call saving belief is you putting your full faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. But there is also a view here that the demons were (in some way) trying to gain control of Jesus, or damage Jesus, by announcing out loud who he is.
And then, in the second half of verse 7, it just gets weirder.
Mark 5:7(b)-8 (NLT)
7 (Demon Speaking) . . . In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!”
8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”
The spokesman demon says, “In the name of God, I beg you . . . ” which seems odd for a demon to say. But it seems like the demon might actually be challenging Jesus about the time appointed by the Father for their eternal demise. He may be begging Jesus not to issue their final judgment before God’s appointed time.
But, one thing that’s clear for sure is that the demons recognize the unquestioned power and authority of Jesus over their entire demonic realm! So, in response to the demon shrieking at Jesus, Jesus calmly demands the demon’s name.
Mark 5:9 (NLT)
9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.”
Just as the storm in the previous section was a huge man-eating storm, so this is a huge man-destroying demonic attack. A Roman Legion is 6,000 soldiers. But we don’t have to assume there were actually 6,000 demons in this man. The demons are about to inhabit 2,000 pigs – so there may have been 2,000 demons. But the point probably is more general. There was an army of demons taking up residence in this man. That is some serious demon possession.
And the Holy Spirit is trying to convince us here of just how much power Jesus Christ has over the demonic realm. He has absolute, total power and authority over the entire demonic realm.
And now, this legion of demons knows Jesus is not going to allow them to stay in this man. And so, we read in Mark 5:10,
Mark 5:10 (NLT)
10 Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.
In Luke, this distant place is defined as “The Abyss,” which will be the demons eternal dwelling place and so again the demons are asking Jesus not to bring their final judgment on them – early. And so, Mark 5:11-13;
Mark 5:11-13 (NLT)
11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby.
12 “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”
13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
The demons know Jesus is going to send them somewhere, so they beg to be sent into this herd of 2,000 pigs. But as soon as the demons entered the pigs, the entire herd plunged down a steep hillside and into the Sea of Galilee, and they all drowned!
This is a dramatic and overwhelming show of the power and authority of Jesus Christ over the entire demonic realm, and I believe that is the main point the Holy Spirit is trying to make. A legion of demons versus a word from Jesus Christ and every demon obeys. And the absolute submission of the demons to the word of Jesus is dramatically proven by 2,000 pigs floating like bath toys along the shoreline of the Galilee.
That is the point of this text, and that is the point you must take home today. Jesus Christ has absolute, total, undeniable power, and authority over the entire demonic realm. And if you ever enter a deep spiritual battle with the demonic forces of hell, remember this point.
Jesus Christ has absolute, total, undeniable power, and authority over the entire demonic realm. And he will exercise that power and authority on your behalf if you will trust him completely and call on him in complete faith.
Just as the power of the storm was silenced by a word from Jesus, so the power of a legion of demons is silenced by a word from Jesus. And Jesus will silence the enemy’s attack in your life the exact same way – with a word. And Jesus will deliver that victory by you fighting to reach him and surrendering completely to him just as this man did here.
But we have one other situation we have to deal with in this text. There are 2,000 pigs floating like bath toys in the Sea of Galilee, and that is bound to bring some kind of response from the people, which it does. We continue in Mark 5:14-15.
Mark 5:14-15 (NLT)
14 The herdsmen (the pig herders) fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened.
15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.
First, look at the preciously demon-possessed man.
He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane,
This was as powerful a stilling as the storm was. With a word, the demon storm in this man’s life was stilled. He was healed, his mind was restored, and he was born again with new life.
Only with the supernatural power of Jesus Christ is this level of transformation possible. And maybe that is exactly what you need to hear today. With the supernatural power of the Lord Jesus Christ, transformation is possible at any level.
If Jesus can calm the storm of an army of demons inhabiting this man’s life, then Jesus can calm the storm that is inhabiting your life today.
There is no internal struggle, no addiction, no bondage from the spiritual forces of darkness that can stand up to the power and authority of Jesus Christ in your life.
If you will fight your way to Jesus as this man did, if you will truly bow at his feet in complete surrender, if you will put your full faith in him to deliver you, then Jesus can deliver you from the oppression of any spiritual warfare with a word.
That is what happened to this man, and that is what can happen in your life today.
But also notice, in Mark 5:15 (at the end), it says the people who saw the demon-possessed man, made miraculously sane, the people who saw the 2,000 bathtub pig toys floating in the Galilee, the end of verse 15 says … they were all afraid.
The stilling of the storm had made the Disciples awestruck at the power of Jesus over the storm, but these people (many of them likely involved in the bacon industry), these people were afraid for another reason. Continuing in Mark 5:16, we read the following.
Mark 5:16 (NLT)
16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs.
The first-hand witnesses relayed the supernatural power that had just freed the scariest demoniac they’d ever seen from an army of demons. And then, there was the proof, 2,000 times over, floating in the Galilee and the witnesses pointed at one man who did all of this with a word. And Mark 5:17 says,
Mark 5:17 (NLT)
17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
Why? Why did they say that? Listen, please, they had their reasons and we have our reasons when we plead with Jesus to go away and leave us alone. And if you tell Jesus to go away, he will leave you with your demons. And if you tell him enough, there will come a time when it will be too late for you to change your mind.
You’ve got to fight to get to Jesus for him to supernaturally transform your life. Don’t fight to get Jesus to leave you alone in the middle of your internal storm.
Finally, we can’t end without seeing what Jesus did with this previous demoniac. Mark 5:18-20 says,
Mark 5:18-20 (NLT)
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.
19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”
20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
This previously demon-possessed man may well have been the first evangelist sent into the Greek world. The Ten Towns is the Decapolis, a fully Greek region on the East side of the Jordan River.
And notice verse 20 says, he went proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
How successful do you think this first Greek Evangelist was? Why? Because of what Jesus had delivered him from!
Guys, Jesus Christ can deliver you from anything if you will fight through your struggles to truly get to him, and if you will bow before him in complete surrender. And when he does deliver you, you will have a story to tell, and Jesus will send you out to tell that story.
Last message, "When the Storm Hits," Mark showed us the absolute power of Jesus over nature in calming the storm. Today, we’ll see the absolute power of Jesus over the demonic realm. And next week, we’ll see the absolute power of Jesus over sickness and death.
Today we see the absolute power of Jesus over our spiritual enemy, and we see a man in possibly the worst spiritual warfare condition in the Bible, fight to get to Jesus in order to be transformed by his power. We start today in Mark 5:1.
Mark 5:1 (NLT)
1 So they (Jesus and the disciples) arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. (after Jesus calmed the storm)
This is the Greek area on the Eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Although some Jews lived there with the Greeks, for the most part, Jews would not even go into this area.
Mark 5:2 (NLT)
2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him.
Notice – this demon-possessed man came out from the tombs in order to Meet Jesus.
We’re going to see in this story, some actions that are this man’s actions and some actions that are the actions of the demons who are controlling this man. Here we see the man choose to come out of the tombs to meet Jesus. And I think we see here a battle raging inside this man between his own choices and his demonically controlled choices.
In these next set of verses, we see those demonically controlled choices.
Mark 5:3-5 (NLT)
3 This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain.
4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
5 Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
Let me ask you a question. Why does the demonic world seek to destroy any person that they can get their claws in? Because Satan and the demonic world hate God. Destroying your life is not the real end goal for them. They want to destroy your life because you are the Apple of God’s Eye, because you were created in God’s image, and because God loves you enough to send Jesus to die in your place so you could spend eternity with God.
And so, if the demonic world can destroy your life, then they can take one swipe at God on their way to destruction.
And this man’s life had been completely destroyed by the demonic world (to say the least). But then we read the following in Mark 5:6.
Mark 5:6 (NLT)
6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him.
It seems to me we’re back to the man’s own choices. This man was now running to Jesus in order to bow low before him. (Do you see it?)
But, from the Disciple’s perspective, this must have looked pretty wild. As the Disciples are climbing out of the boat, this wild, crazed, naked, howling, cut-up, demonized man is running full speed towards them. And the Disciples, who had just survived a death-defying boat ride, are now thinking, “you’ve got to be kidding me!” I’m sure Peter was thinking, “where is my sword when I need it? Man, I should have gotten that conceal carry permit.”
And so, as Peter picks up an oar to smack this guy when he gets close enough, this demonized, foaming-at-the-mouth, filthy, naked, bleeding, head spinning around, crazy guy suddenly slides to a stop on his knees and bows low before Jesus in the act of total submission.
I believe the man and the demons are battling each other for control here. Again, verse 6 says, “the MAN saw [Jesus], and ran to meet him.” It certainly wasn’t the demons who were running to meet Jesus. But, how did the man know who Jesus was? I wonder if he sensed the demons within him, beginning to rage because they definitely knew who Jesus was.
There’s a battle going on here for this man’s soul and it seems with whatever clarity this man had left, he was determined to reach Jesus to be set free.
So, while Peter is still holding the oar like a baseball bat and this guy is now bowing before Jesus, the demonized man lets out a full exorcist movie scream.
Mark 5:7(a) (NLT)
7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? . . .
This is just as extreme in the spiritual battle realm as the storm was extreme in the natural realm. The spokesman demon screams with a shriek, Why are you interfering with me . . . The implication here is Why are you interfering with me – NOW AS IN - “it’s NOT the right time, yet.”
Believe me, the demons know their final judgment; they are fully aware of their eternal damnation. They just want to destroy as much human life as possible before that final judgment falls on them.
And also, notice in verse 7(a), the demon speaks the name of Jesus and his correct title. 7 . . . “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? . . .
First of all, notice the demons fully believe who Jesus Christ is (though it’s not going to save them). What we call saving belief is you putting your full faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. But there is also a view here that the demons were (in some way) trying to gain control of Jesus, or damage Jesus, by announcing out loud who he is.
And then, in the second half of verse 7, it just gets weirder.
Mark 5:7(b)-8 (NLT)
7 (Demon Speaking) . . . In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!”
8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”
The spokesman demon says, “In the name of God, I beg you . . . ” which seems odd for a demon to say. But it seems like the demon might actually be challenging Jesus about the time appointed by the Father for their eternal demise. He may be begging Jesus not to issue their final judgment before God’s appointed time.
But, one thing that’s clear for sure is that the demons recognize the unquestioned power and authority of Jesus over their entire demonic realm! So, in response to the demon shrieking at Jesus, Jesus calmly demands the demon’s name.
Mark 5:9 (NLT)
9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.”
Just as the storm in the previous section was a huge man-eating storm, so this is a huge man-destroying demonic attack. A Roman Legion is 6,000 soldiers. But we don’t have to assume there were actually 6,000 demons in this man. The demons are about to inhabit 2,000 pigs – so there may have been 2,000 demons. But the point probably is more general. There was an army of demons taking up residence in this man. That is some serious demon possession.
And the Holy Spirit is trying to convince us here of just how much power Jesus Christ has over the demonic realm. He has absolute, total power and authority over the entire demonic realm.
And now, this legion of demons knows Jesus is not going to allow them to stay in this man. And so, we read in Mark 5:10,
Mark 5:10 (NLT)
10 Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.
In Luke, this distant place is defined as “The Abyss,” which will be the demons eternal dwelling place and so again the demons are asking Jesus not to bring their final judgment on them – early. And so, Mark 5:11-13;
Mark 5:11-13 (NLT)
11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby.
12 “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”
13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
The demons know Jesus is going to send them somewhere, so they beg to be sent into this herd of 2,000 pigs. But as soon as the demons entered the pigs, the entire herd plunged down a steep hillside and into the Sea of Galilee, and they all drowned!
This is a dramatic and overwhelming show of the power and authority of Jesus Christ over the entire demonic realm, and I believe that is the main point the Holy Spirit is trying to make. A legion of demons versus a word from Jesus Christ and every demon obeys. And the absolute submission of the demons to the word of Jesus is dramatically proven by 2,000 pigs floating like bath toys along the shoreline of the Galilee.
That is the point of this text, and that is the point you must take home today. Jesus Christ has absolute, total, undeniable power, and authority over the entire demonic realm. And if you ever enter a deep spiritual battle with the demonic forces of hell, remember this point.
Jesus Christ has absolute, total, undeniable power, and authority over the entire demonic realm. And he will exercise that power and authority on your behalf if you will trust him completely and call on him in complete faith.
Just as the power of the storm was silenced by a word from Jesus, so the power of a legion of demons is silenced by a word from Jesus. And Jesus will silence the enemy’s attack in your life the exact same way – with a word. And Jesus will deliver that victory by you fighting to reach him and surrendering completely to him just as this man did here.
But we have one other situation we have to deal with in this text. There are 2,000 pigs floating like bath toys in the Sea of Galilee, and that is bound to bring some kind of response from the people, which it does. We continue in Mark 5:14-15.
Mark 5:14-15 (NLT)
14 The herdsmen (the pig herders) fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened.
15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.
First, look at the preciously demon-possessed man.
He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane,
This was as powerful a stilling as the storm was. With a word, the demon storm in this man’s life was stilled. He was healed, his mind was restored, and he was born again with new life.
Only with the supernatural power of Jesus Christ is this level of transformation possible. And maybe that is exactly what you need to hear today. With the supernatural power of the Lord Jesus Christ, transformation is possible at any level.
If Jesus can calm the storm of an army of demons inhabiting this man’s life, then Jesus can calm the storm that is inhabiting your life today.
There is no internal struggle, no addiction, no bondage from the spiritual forces of darkness that can stand up to the power and authority of Jesus Christ in your life.
If you will fight your way to Jesus as this man did, if you will truly bow at his feet in complete surrender, if you will put your full faith in him to deliver you, then Jesus can deliver you from the oppression of any spiritual warfare with a word.
That is what happened to this man, and that is what can happen in your life today.
But also notice, in Mark 5:15 (at the end), it says the people who saw the demon-possessed man, made miraculously sane, the people who saw the 2,000 bathtub pig toys floating in the Galilee, the end of verse 15 says … they were all afraid.
The stilling of the storm had made the Disciples awestruck at the power of Jesus over the storm, but these people (many of them likely involved in the bacon industry), these people were afraid for another reason. Continuing in Mark 5:16, we read the following.
Mark 5:16 (NLT)
16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs.
The first-hand witnesses relayed the supernatural power that had just freed the scariest demoniac they’d ever seen from an army of demons. And then, there was the proof, 2,000 times over, floating in the Galilee and the witnesses pointed at one man who did all of this with a word. And Mark 5:17 says,
Mark 5:17 (NLT)
17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
Why? Why did they say that? Listen, please, they had their reasons and we have our reasons when we plead with Jesus to go away and leave us alone. And if you tell Jesus to go away, he will leave you with your demons. And if you tell him enough, there will come a time when it will be too late for you to change your mind.
You’ve got to fight to get to Jesus for him to supernaturally transform your life. Don’t fight to get Jesus to leave you alone in the middle of your internal storm.
Finally, we can’t end without seeing what Jesus did with this previous demoniac. Mark 5:18-20 says,
Mark 5:18-20 (NLT)
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.
19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”
20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
This previously demon-possessed man may well have been the first evangelist sent into the Greek world. The Ten Towns is the Decapolis, a fully Greek region on the East side of the Jordan River.
And notice verse 20 says, he went proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
How successful do you think this first Greek Evangelist was? Why? Because of what Jesus had delivered him from!
Guys, Jesus Christ can deliver you from anything if you will fight through your struggles to truly get to him, and if you will bow before him in complete surrender. And when he does deliver you, you will have a story to tell, and Jesus will send you out to tell that story.