Tuesday, March 25 - Luke 8

Demons  (Luke 8:2 and Luke 8: 26-39)

 

I saw it with my own eyes.  A person who admitted to me that much time was spent communicating with (or attempting to communicate) the dead.  This person's face was drawn, hands shaking, eyes filled with a look I had never seen before.  I could sense a presence beyond this person -- a presence that did not like my attempts to steer this person away from what was thought to be "friendly" spirits and back to the Word of God.

 

Can I say with certainty that this was an evil spirit, a demon, a force of Satan?   Could it not have been some type of psychological disorder, hallucination, a cry for attention?

 

All I know is that there was serious delusion going on -- that by setting the heart to go places where God's people are not supposed to go, this person was opening up a foothold for the Prince of Lies to deceive.  And, whatever his method, the Tempter was using it.

 

Evil spirits do exist.  I believe it.  Old Testament and New Testament references to them are not anachronisms.  Jesus really did drive them out.  In Luke 8 we see both Mary Magdalene, (from whom seven demons had been driven out), and the Gerasene man (who is possessed by a legion).

 

To deny this real phenomenon, would be to dismiss something the Lord wanted us to know about.

 

From my perspective, then, it is important to keep our guard up.

 

How?  1) By staying away from spiritual forces that are not of God -- such as soothsayers, clairvoyants, necromancers (those who say they can conjure up the dead), fortune-tellers, horoscopes, and other mystical forces.   2) By not welcoming into our lives any persistent sin that keeps chopping away at our faith.   3)  By filling our spirit with the blessing of God's Word -- as part of our regular diet.    4)  By nurturing ourselves on the knowledge that we are God's children through baptism, and that He comes to us as we receive His body and blood.   5)  By prayer -- for ourselves and others.

 

The United States has built up its Armed Forces to stave off any attack from our enemies.  It's important for God's people to know that God is ALWAYS more powerful than the Evil One, and that God's strength will prevail for all who place their confidence in Christ alone.  To fortify ourselves with the tools that God's has given us, is a blessing that pays many dividends.

 

We need to respect the power of the Enemy, but, as long as we are in Christ, we need not fear him (the Tempter).  He was defeated on the cross of Calvary, and as we are linked to our Savior, the Enemy will continually lose the war for our soul.