Not Against Flesh and Blood
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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
The only battle against flesh a Christian should do is against his own flesh. All other battles are spiritual.
Big Idea: Spiritual Battle is a constant part of life as a Christian.
Big Idea: Spiritual Battle is a constant part of life as a Christian.
Satan and demons have real power in this world
Satan and demons have real power in this world
The power of Jesus is stronger
The power of Jesus is stronger
Many will want Jesus to go away
Many will want Jesus to go away
Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
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.
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.”
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.)
Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him.
And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.
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.
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.
When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.
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.
And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed.
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.
The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,
“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.
Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
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.
One or two demon possessed? Matthew tells the story with two.
Witnesses often focus on different parts of a story
Wore no clothes, lived among the tombs. Demonically possessed people demonstrate certain traits.
Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 8
This demonized individual was wearing no clothes and was obsessed with death—not unlike what we see happening in our own day. Nudity and obsession with death are the direct insignias of Satanic and demonic activity.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke 9. Healing a Demon-Possessed Man (8:26–39)
Certain effects of demon possession cited in this passage are (1) disregard for personal dignity (nakedness), (2) social isolation, (3) retreat to the simplest kind of shelter (caves, often containing tombs, were also used for shelter by the very poor), (4) demons’ recognition of Jesus’ deity, (5) demonic control of speech, (6) shouting, and (7) extraordinary strength. The basic tragedy of the demoniac lay not in mental or physical symptoms; in his case a human being was controlled by powers totally antithetical to God, his kingdom, and the kingdom blessings of “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17).
There is a trend among some people today “Be ungovernable”. There are memes, some being sarcastic, but joking about being ungovernable. But being ungovernable is not a characteristic of a Christ-follower.
Those that are ungovernable by any other thereby show that they are under Satan’s government;
Satan and demons have real power in this world
Satan and demons have real power in this world
A fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Those under Satan’s power have no self-control
They are also slaves.
All are slaves, either to sin or to righteousness, says Paul
We can pity those under Satan’s control
But we also must not give them control in the church or in our lives
We pity them, but must oppose them.
We do not hate them, we fight against the spiritual realm.
People are not the enemy, the battle is spiritual
Satan hates God, and hates his image-bearers, he seeks to kill, steal, and destroy
So what does Jesus do?
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.”
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.)
The man is speaking but the demons control him completely
The concern is not that Jesus would torment the man himself, but that the demons would be tormented.
ironic that the demons love to torment, but do not want to be tormented.
Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke 9. Healing a Demon-Possessed Man (8:26–39)
Jesus was not actually an exorcist, because he did not need formulas nor invoke the authority of another in driving out demons. Therefore his asking the demoniac’s name (v. 30) should not be interpreted as an attempt to control the demons through knowing their host’s name. That was pagan magical procedure. Moreover, it is not clear whether Jesus asked the name of the man or of the demons, though the response comes from the latter. “Legion” was not normally used as a proper name. It refers to a Roman military unit consisting of thousands of soldiers (the precise number varied). Thus “Legion” implies that there were many demons. As
Jesus asked him
Did he ask the man or the demons?
Since him is a personal pronoun in the singular, I take it to be him asking the man his name
“he said” Legion for many demons had entered him - seems to be that Jesus is speaking to the man, even though the demons are controlling him.
Now we see the plural in the next verse
And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.
The power of Jesus is stronger
The power of Jesus is stronger
The abyss is a reference to the place where demons are punished. Like a prison for spirits.
The recognize the power of Jesus, that he has the power to send them wherever he commands.
As an alternative to the abyss, they beg Jesus to let them enter pigs.
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.
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.
Jews with pigs?
unlikely that Jews had pigs, however it may be possible that:
Some Jews raised pigs only to sell to Gentiles (Even this is unlikely)
More likely that gentiles in this area had some pigs. Interpretation Commentary notes this is Luke’s only record of ministering in a place primarily Gentile.
Why did the pigs stampede?
Demons bring chaos.
Possibly this was God’s way of destroying these demons or sending them to the abyss.
The aftermath of every event leads to story telling, especially such a dramatic event as this.
When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.
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.
And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed.
It’s quite natural that the herdsmen tell the story
This brought people out to see for themselves.
But why were they afraid?
RC Sproul points out people’s fear was often present when they witnessed Jesus’ power and holiness.
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.
Many will want Jesus to go away
Many will want Jesus to go away
Many lessons are here:
The people truly are fearful. They have seen the power and holiness of God at work
They saw the economic damage of the man’s healing
They counted the cost of saved people and the cost was too high.
Unless someone is changed by God, they will choose comfort and wealth over what is best for people
One man’s life is worth infinitely more than 2000 pigs.
If God told us that He would save one person from their sin if only everyone in the church would kill their pets, would we do it? A very high cost indeed. Would we value people over our pets? We should
Thank God we do not have to make that choice, because he saves, not by any sacrifice we must make, but through the once for all Sacrifice already made.
One man did not want to be apart from Jesus:
The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,
“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.
The man wanted so badly to stay with Jesus! And why not? But Jesus tasked this man with evangelism, as he has for each of us. RC Sproul:
A Walk with God: Luke 40. Healing of a Demon-Possessed Man (Luke 8:26–39)
When Jesus reveals his power and holiness, people are afraid. But one man wasn’t: one man’s fears were removed and he sat in his right mind at the feet of Christ.
John Calvin:
Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke Matthew 8:28–34; Mark 5:1–20; Luke 8:26–39
Let us learn also, that unclean spirits (as they are devoted to destruction) are the enemies of mankind; so that they plunge all whom they can into the same destruction with themselves.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
The only battle against flesh a Christian should do is against his own flesh. All other battles are spiritual.