According to Luke: Demon Possessed, Dominated and Delivered!

According to Luke: Demon Possessed, Dominated and Delivered! 

Opening Illustration:

Have you ever wondered what life would have been like if you had not met your wife or husband? Have you ever wondered how things might have turned out if you had moved to Dallas instead of Daphne? Maybe you ponder from time to time what your life would have held if you had accepted that job over your current job. There are lots of what if’s in the world aren’t there?

Makes me remember the classic Christmas movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life” staring James Stewart as George Bailey. Do you remember that story? George is a frustrated banker and nothing seems to be going well. In a fit of discouragement he calls out to God and wishes that he had never been born. He maintains that everyone would have been so much better off if he had never been born. 

God obliges Bailey and shows him what his life would have looked like if he had never been born. Clarence, Bailey’s guardian angel” shows him what his small town would have looked like if he had never ever been born. We find out that his beloved Bedford Falls is now Potterville named for the greedy man trying to take over the town. We discover that there was no one there to save George’s brother from drowning when they were kids. We see members of George’s community fall into drunkenness and despair because George had never been able to open the bank and keep his peers from falling into financial oblivion. 

George realized rather quickly what life would have been like if he had never been born. 

Point:

Now think of this, what would your life look like with out Jesus? Well the Bible paints a pretty stark picture. There are lots of Scripture that talk about our lostness and how our lostness affects our world. Imagine our world without the presence of Christ. That would be a fairly bleak existence. Paul tells us that without Christ that we are dead in our sins. Without Christ, we are temporarily animated corpses. Without Christ, we have no hope. No hope for life. No hope for freedom. You see some people view our relationship with God before Christ as being in the doghouse with God. Sort of like a husband who irritates his wife. 

Well, Dad is in the dog house with Mom again. 

That’s what most people think. Most people are wrong. Friends, before Christ, we are not in God’s doghouse, we are in the Devil’s morgue. Dead and rotting away. 

Let me tell you another central truth. Not only are we dead but God is not happy about our sin nature. Not happy at all. Paul tells us that “we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Paul goes on and tells us that we are “sons of disobedience”. Without Christ we can have no peace with God. We would live in a constant state of rebellion and God would live in a constant state of wrathfulness. Without Christ we would not possess any sort of spiritual nature and there would be nothing inside of us to do something glorious for God. We would be dead to righteousness, dead to holiness, dead to obedience and dead to faith. 

Dead!

Point:

Ok, so we are talking about spiritual matter and sometimes it is helpful to see with our own eyes what life would be like without Christ. It is sometimes good to see that person who for whatever reason has chosen to say no to spiritual things, to see the damage they inflict on themselves, and realize the foolishness of those decisions. Well today is that day folks. Today we will look at the demon possessed man from the Gerasenes. Before we do that, fill in this blank. 

This Man’s Possession Is Our Pattern…Before JESUS!

Background and Context

As I stated last week, Jesus is leaving the safe side of the Sea of Galilee and heading toward the Decapolis. If you remember the Decapolis was a series of 10 Roman cities that lay on the opposite shore from where Jesus came. The Jews believed this area to be unclean, unfit, and unsafe for them to travel to. They were right as you will find out. The moment that Jesus steps off the boat, He encounters a demon. Not just one demon, but thousands of demons who had taken possession of one man. This man was living among the tombstones, he was mutilating himself and running around with no clothes on. I am sure that it was quite a scene. Speaking of scenes, you might say that this story exists in four scenes. Four distinct acts with characters and players. So, let’s read this great story about Jesus and the man who almost lived life without Christ. 

Luke 8:25-39 ESV

26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Seeing Jesus in 4 Scenes

Scene I: A Disturbed Man vs. 26-27

Luke 8:26-27

26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 

Point: 

Have you ever encountered a truly deranged and disturbed individual? Have you ever been face to face with pure evil? Probably not but that is who Jesus meets once he steps out of the boat. If you remember, the Jews felt that the area of the Decapolis was unclean. Perhaps they were right. Scripture tells us that the moment that Jesus’ boat hits dry land that a man who is demon possessed meets Him. Scripture is clear that this man was deeply disturbed. 

1. He was Possessed

That’s right, he was not just possessed with one demon, that would be enough. He was possessed by many demons. Do you believe in demons? I do. Scripture is clear that demons are not just symbolic or allegoric in nature, they are real beings that can do real damage. Demons have tremendous influence in human lives. I do not want to scare you because for the believe, a demon is no real threat but even for the believer, a demon has real influence. A demon cannot have power over a believer but they can certainly have influence. The demon will only go as far as we will let him. I have met many non believers who suffer from not just one demon but many demons. I have met the demon of alcoholism that is partnered with the demon of abusive language. I have met the demon of temper who lives closely with the demon of violence. I have met the demon of pornography which shares a home with the demon of adultery. You see, when we allow demons to influence our lives, we always open the door to other demons as well. None of us suffer from just one vice, yet many vices that stack one on top of the other. These demons, whether physical or spiritual, have no real power outside of the power that we give them. 

You see, what you do not see in this Scripture is the power that this man gave to these demons. In order for Satan to take control of someone, they must first invite Him in. You are hearing me correct, this man is some misaligned search invited these demonic presences into his life. They accepted the invitation and now the demons were in control. 

Taking that first drink is not that big of a deal. 15 years later the bottle controls you. Taking that pain pill to relax is nothing. 6 years down the road you are addicted and now that pill controls you. Looking at that image on my computer screen is fine…everyone is doing it. 20 years later, you are hopelessly addicted and the demon has control over you. Smoking that joint is legal in a lot of states. 5 years later, it is not just a joint that you smoke but now the demon of meth and heroine have control. 

Do you see where I am going? There are demons today that have so gripped people’s lives and they are totally possessed. You see, demonic possession is much more subtle today but nevertheless alive and active today. So, do I believe in demon possession? Yes, because I have seen it. 

2. He Was Perverted 

This man was not just possessed with many demons, he also had other issues. The demons had perverted him. Because of his possession, it drove him to do unnatural things in unnatural places. He would run around naked, he was homeless, and he played among the tombs. What is fractionating to me about this man’s worldview is that what was clearly insane but to him it seemed sane, rational, normal and healthy. No where in Scripture do you see this man wishing that he could just be normal. No, it says that he was this way for a long time. Satan had actually turned this man’s lifestyle upside down. It is also important to notice that Jesus seemed to be the only one willing to help him. Where were his friends. Where were the social programs? Where were the religious people? Oh that’s right, they were safely sheltered on the other side of the sea. Society didn’t seem to care. Nobody did. Except Jesus. 

Satan uses the same tactic today. He perverts lifestyles, making them seem normal and good, all they while they do tremendous damage to the individual and to the social fabric of society. Our society applauds all sorts of alternative lifestyles. Homosexuality is applauded. The trans movement is seen as valued and something to be uplifted. We have men dressing as women reading stories to school children and that is seen as advanced thinking. Those are really easy things to pick on. Divorce is not big deal anymore in society even though God says clearly that He hates divorce. Half of us who get married will just end it. Why get married, let’s just live together even though Scripture tells us that we should keep the marriage bed pure. We have men that abuse women. Women that abuse men. Women and Men who abuse Children and little is said and little is noticed. Society sits idly by while 300,000 babies are butchered by a company who sports the name “parenthood” in their title. Our society is sick and the people living in our society, me and you, have been altered by the subtitles of Satan and the demonic forces. All of us have been influenced and all of us have given him a foothold in our lives. 

3. He Was Powerful

We see the account of the demon possessed man in both Matthew and Mark. In Matthew’s account we see that this man “so fierce that no one could pass that way”. The Greek word for “fierce” is khä-le-po’s. Some translations of this word say that the man was violent. It means that he was dangerous, furious, troublesome, and perilous. This man was so dangerous that even the strongest Roman soldier could not subdue him. Mark’s account give us even further insight into this situation. Mark tells us that “no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him”. So we discover that people had tried to chain him down but nothing would work. Not even the most durable chains could prevent him from having his way. 

This man was supernaturally powerfully and stupendously strong. 

Friends, there is more at play in this world than physical forces. There are supernatural things going on all around us. Sometimes these supernatural events happen in the clear light of day and other times these events are held private in the spiritual realms. This man’s supernatural physical perversion was caused by another supernatural spiritual deformity. The only way to break free from a supernatural evil is with supernatural good. The answer to this man’s problem were not chains, rather Christ. The answer to this man’s pains were not soldiers but a Savior. 

Jesus is the overcomer, the liberator, the alpha and the omega and nothing can hold him back or keep him down. Not this man nor his demons. 

In just a moment you will see what Jesus does to overcome these demons and you will see how He can overcome our demons as well. 

Romans 16:20 ESV

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Seeing Jesus in 4 Scenes

Scene I: A Disturbed Man vs. 26-27

Scene II: A Demonic Prayer vs. 28

Luke 8:22 ESV

28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 

Illustration:

Have you ever heard your Mother say, “wait till your father comes home”? I have. Those words were terrifying to me as a child because I knew instinctively that a reckoning for my behavior was on its way home from work. If I had misbehaved at school or had done something defiant, my parents would spank me. Specifically, my father would spank me. Spankings were no good and they left quite an impression on my young mind. 

If Im up to no good, when Dad got home he would remedy that problem swiftly. 

Point:

Well this demon, or demons knows that his time was up. The days of tormenting this man were over and he was about to be cast out. So, what does the demon do? Pray! Now its prayer is certainly different than the way we pray. Remember what the author of Hebrews states about prayer for the believer?

Hebrews 4:16 NLT

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

We have no need to fear Christ or the Father because we have been covered under the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We can come into God’s presence with head held high and praise in our hearts. 

No so much with Devil and his demons. When they are in the presence of Christ, they shrink back in terror. They know that their Maker is in front of them, they know that Dad has come home and He is bringing with Him a reckoning. 

Point:

The Bible tells us that this will not be the last time that Satan and his forces are cast out and cast away. Nope. If you read the book of Revelation, you will hear John’s vision and discover that Satan’s days are numbered. 

Revelation 20:2-3 ESV

And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer…

and again in Revelation 12:10 ESV

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

God has the victory! Jesus has won. He has triumphed over the evil forces of darkness. Jesus is good at everything but the one thing that He really excels at is grabbing Satan by the throat, muzzling his mouth, and casting him away into eternal darkness. 

Praise Jesus, He HAS WON!!!

Seeing Jesus in 4 Scenes

Scene I: A Disturbed Man vs. 26-27

Scene II: A Demonic Prayer vs. 28

Scene III. A Deviled Ham vs. 32-33

Luke 8:32-33 ESV

32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

Point:

Why didn’t Jesus just send them to the abyss? Timing is important in the economy of God. Sending the demons to the abyss would have brought about the end of time. Think about all the billions of people that would have never heard the Gospel, that would have been immensely and forever judged as law breakers destined for hell. Jesus did not want to send those demons to the abyss because He wanted man to have more time. More time to hear the Gospel. More time to respond to the Gospel. More time to do His Work. 

So what does Jesus do? He drives out the demons and places them in a heard of unclean pigs. Again, the Decapolis was an unclean place. It was filled with demon possessed men and now it is filled with Deviled Ham. I love how Jesus just moves these destructive forces of evil like He is moving a chess piece across a board. Jesus command literally thousands of demons with no effort, no fatigue, no issues whatsoever. Satan has nothing on Jesus and Jesus totally and completely dominates Satan.

Point:

Don’t ever doubt that God is far, far stronger than Satan. Satan’s power is limited; God’s power is limitless. Satan’s power is temporary; God’s power is eternal. Satan’s power is entirely evil; God’s power is entirely good.

Furthermore, Satan is part of the creation—but God is the Creator. In fact, the Bible repeatedly calls God the “Sovereign Lord”—because that is what He is. It says, “Sovereign Lord … you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them” (Acts 4:24). Satan didn’t make the world; God did—and God is still in control of it, because He is sovereign.

Yes, Satan has a certain measure of power, and we often see his power at work today. How else can we explain some of the terrible things that happen? Never forget that Satan has one goal: to block God’s work wherever he can. To do this he will use every trick he can to deceive us and turn us away from Christ.

But someday Christ will return and destroy the devil’s work. Satan is a defeated foe! Until that day, make it your goal to follow Christ. The Bible says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Don’t become his next victim!

What do the demons do when they enter the pigs? They destroy them. That’s what demons do. They steal, kill and destroy. 

Point:

Do you remember the first illustration? What would your life look like without Jesus? Your life would look somewhat like this man. You would be broken. You worldview would be unjust and perverted. You would be filled with rage and violence. You would be dead on the inside. The tombs that this man lived in were really just symbolic of what he was in the inside. A dead man filled with the spiritual rotting corpses of demons. 

Point: 

Brothers and sisters, are you thankful for your salvation this morning? When is the last time you praised Him for saving you from yourself? When is the last time that you thanked God for keeping the demons at bay and granting you eternal life through Jesus Christ His son. Boy let me tell you, when we sing and praise Him in church, we should be shouting at the top of our lungs how thankful we are. Sadly, most don’t sing. Sadly most don’t clap. Why? I believe that we have forgotten just how lost, and how dead we really were before we met Christ. I believe that we have forgotten just how bad hell is and how great heaven will be. Maybe it is time that we are refreshed and remember just how great is our God!

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Seeing Jesus in 4 Scenes

Scene I: A Disturbed Man vs. 26-27

Scene II: A Demonic Prayer vs. 28

Scene III. A Deviled Ham vs. 32-33

Scene IV: A Delivered Man vs. 35 

John 8:35 ESV

35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 

Point:

For the delieverd man, the story end happy. Jesus sets him free, liberates him, and gives him a new path for life. Scripture tells us that he was sitting, clothed, and thinking right. I love that language that Luke uses.

Again, our lives without Christ are doomed. Depressing. Downcast. We are dead men and women walking. Our worldview upside down and inside out. Perverted. 

What does our life with Christ look like?

Our lives with Christ are at peace. We are calm. We are still. Scripture tells us to be still and know what He is God. This man was doing just that. Sitting. Calm. Peaceful and still. Are you missing that today in your life?

Next, he was clothed. No longer naked. Scripture tells us that when we accepted the Gospel message of Christ that we are clothed in His righteousness. In Matthew 6, Jesus reminds His followers not to worry about where they will sleep, what they will eat or the clothing that they wear. He will provide all of that for them. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 that we should put off the old self, as we would do with old clothing, and clothe ourselves with the new self given to us by God Himself. 

Lastly, Scripture tell us that he was thinking right. Romans 12:2 tells us that we should not “copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” 

This man’s entire world was drastically and forever changed by Jesus. The wars in His spirit had ceased. He was forgiven and whole. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Application:

The application is easy. Why live without Jesus for one more second? Why let your spirit be tormented? Why let your life be torn about by your demons? Remember, the Devil comes to steal kill and destroy but clearly Jesus has come to set us free. He has come to give us a new life and a new love. 

Will you accept Him today?

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