Driving Out an Evil Spirit

Introduction

Every miracle Jesus performed was controversial in some way. The religious leaders were offended. The unbelievers would ridicule. The doubters would doubt. The haters would hate. Miracles today are considered to be controversial as well. However, when you talk today about demons and demonic possession, people will give you that hairy eyeball look. They will make statements like, “That is not a real thing” or “it’s just make-believe.” We have allowed so much of that into our society that we are numb to it. After all, we celebrate holidays associated with evil, go to the movie theater to watch horror movies, and we read stories associated with evil. We never bring it up in church for the fear that we might be politically incorrect and we know we can’t do that! I had a professor for a course when I was getting a masters degree in professional counseling that had done a tremendous amount of study on modern and biblical demon possession. He could not teach it as part of the class, but we could meet with him apart from the class. He made us sign a waiver that said we understood that what he was doing was no way associated with the school, the program nor the class. He did this to cover himself from any backlash that might come about!

Perhaps today, more than ever, we need to be reminded that everything in Scripture is relevant to us as Christians and we can learn much from scripture and its details. Let’s take a look at this miracle of driving out an evil spirit and see how it is relevant to us today.

Luke 4:31–37 NIV84

31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. 36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

While we can be assured that demons and evil spirits are real, there is lots we can learn from this passage and how the church can respond to such activity. I first see this as a redeeming place.

The Place of Redeeming (vs. 31-32)

Scripture tells us that Jesus went down to Capernaum. A careful study of the preceding verses reveal to us that Jesus had been in Nazareth. So He came down literally from the hills of Nazareth over 1200 feet above sea level to Capernaum which is 686 below sea level. We know that it was the Sabbath so the people would have gathered in the synagogue to hear the reading and teaching of the scripture.

This is a picture of the 4th century synagogue that would have been built 300 years later directly on the site where Jesus would have been.

The Synagogue Setting

The setting for the synagogue was in the middle of the village. It was easy to access and would be the central meeting place. Since it was on the Sabbath, all the Jewish men would have been gathered there.

The Synagogue Structure

The structure of the synagogue would be different than the way our church is set up. While we have pews facing towards the front, the synagogue would have more of an arena style of seating with all the seating areas pointed toward the middle. The rabbi would have had a seat just inside the door, it was called, the rabbi seat.

The Synagogue Sermon

The rabbis who did the teaching would share what they had been taught by other rabbis and what they had heard in rabbi school. In this passage, we see that Jesus is teaching the people. Jesus taught from His Father and He taught things that had never been taught before. The Bible says that the people were “amazed with His teaching because His message had authority.” Let me just add here that doctrine is important and what is taught in the synagogue and church building ought to be of God.

The Place of Rebuking (vs. 33-34)

So it is in this place of redeeming that this story happens. Sitting in that kind of arrangement would cause everyone to see everyone. What happens next isn’t seen by just one or two people. It is seen by everyone. From a teaching standpoint, I can see everything you do. If you are looking in another direction, I can see it. If you are talking to someone else, I can see it, If you are sleeping…never mind. But not everyone else will be able to see what is going on in our church sanctuary. Here in the synagogue, everyone would have noticed this man. Perhaps he was fidgety. However, what got him really noticed was him crying out at the top of his voice. Jesus immediately recognized the presence of evil.

The Presence of Evil

How would you do recognizing the presence of evil? The Son of God had already encountered the devil in the beginning of His ministry. He knew what He was facing then and He knows what He is facing here in the synagogue. By the way, demon possession is too frequent in the Gospels to neglect or discard to the idea that it doesn’t exist. In fact, the mission of Jesus clarifies that He came to destroy the work of the devil.

1 John 3:8 NIV84

8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

The presence of Jesus was a deterrent to the presence of evil and evil rose its ugly head to try to counter. Notice the persistence of evil.

The Persistence of Evil

Luke 4:34 NIV84

34 “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

Another way of translating this might be, “Ha (in a smirking way)! Why are you interfering with us? What do we have in common?” The demon knows who Jesus is. By the way, I need you to see something here. In this passage, there is one demon. Yet, scripture uses a pronoun that is plural by using the word “us.” Does that sound familiar? There is a movement in our land today that speaks of gender identity and the use of the pronouns we, us, they, and their. Friends, that is not from God. That is a pattern straight from the pit of hell! It is prevalent within the walls of our churches today! We may claim we know who Jesus is, but does our lives show it?

James 2:19 NIV84

19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

The demon knows Who Jesus is yet it is still being persistent to rule this man’s life.

That is the problem of evil!

The Problem of Evil

Theologian R.K. Garrisons wrote, “An evil spirit is unclean in contrast to the holiness of God and may well cause both moral and physical filth in a possessed human.”

The problem of evil is that the devil’s ultimate desire is to destroy you. If he cannot destroy you, he will do his best to harm you. Honestly, if you do not believe that evil exists, I would question your relationship with Jesus. If you have a relationship with Jesus and Jesus with you, you would know the difference between evil and the things of God. You should be so in love with Jesus that ANYTHING that is apart from Him makes your life miserable and you hate it! Yet, we continue as a nation, as a community and as a church to tolerate it!

I know people that will not come to church because of all the hypocrites in it. My answer at least the hypocrites are putting themselves in a place to do something about it! Because the more we are in church studying the word of God, the more it shapes us and guides into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Jesus! Do not discount the power of the Word of God! It can stop evil in its tracks! And when even is stopped, redemption draweth nigh!

Psalm 130:7 NIV84

7 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

Jesus uses this place intended for redeeming to become a place of rebuke in order that it may become a place of restoring.

The Place of Restoring (vs. 35)

Jesus takes control of the situation with just two words: “Be quiet!” Those of us who are Christians can learn much from this! All we have to do is to say that which is evil, “Be quiet!” And it the devil needs to be reminded, we can add, “I am bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus and I do not have to listen to your noise!”

Through the Authority of Jesus

It is through the authority of Jesus that He is able to say, “Be quiet” and then add, “Come out of him!” Jesus uses His authority to silence the enemy. Jesus uses no magic formula or any argument, He simply says “STOP!” Jesus has the authority to do so. As Christians and a followers of Christ, we also have been given that authority to say “Stop!”

Luke 10:18–19 NIV84

18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

If Christ is in you, you have His indwelling presence to overcome the darkest of the dark! The example we see in this synagogue on this particular Sabbath is that through the authority of Jesus comes the acknowledgement of Jesus.

Through the Acknowledgement of Jesus

We have already seen that the demon knew who Jesus was. The demon calls Jesus by His name and recognizes Him as the Holy One of God. There is power in the acknowledgement of Jesus! It leads to the acceptance of Jesus.

Through the Acceptance of Jesus

In this synagogue on that Sabbath Day, that demon had to give in to Jesus. It wanted to harm the man by making him violently shake. The Physician Dr. Luke makes sure we see that violently being shaken, the man received no harm. What a place of restoring we see in that synagogue. Oh that out church would be such a place! Lives restored! Families restored! Christ exalted!

There have been men gathering here on Tuesday mornings in passionate prayer for revival in our church. Every one of them had prayed, “Lord let that revival begin in me!”

Church we are here for a reason! God wants to use each of to cast evil out of the land, out of the church, and out of each of us! Notice what happens as a result of this worship service; the actions of Jesus in the synagogue lead us to a place of remembering.

The Place of Remembering (vs. 36-37)

Luke 4:36–37 NIV84

36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

The Magnificence

This teaching showed the magnificence of our Lord.

The Magnitude

This healing showed the magnitude of our Lord.

The Majesty

But most of all, it showed the majesty of our Lord. He has no room in His church for evil. Get it out or get out!