Even the Demons Believe and Tremble

Introduction

Series Recap - Miracles, Showing the Providence of God in the natural world, the spiritual world and over life and death

My definition of providence - sovereignty means that he is over all things, providence means that he is not only over all things, he interacts with all things, directs all things for his purposes

Last week - Calmness in the Storm - That God is not only with us in the storm but he sees us through it and is in control of it

Today - Even the Demons Believe and Tremble

Satan and his demons are not free to do as they please, they can only do what God has allowed them to do.

This might be surprising to some

we have heard so often the Satan is the King of this World and can do whatever he desires

he does roam this world and look for those that he might devour, but he can do nothing in this world that is not with the permission of God

Think of Job, in chapter 1. Satan seeks permission to test Job, God gives the permission, with boundaries

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 8

When he had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, “What do you have to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

30 A long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 “If you drive us out,” the demons begged him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 “Go!” he told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.

In this miracle we see that Jesus is not only more powerful than the demons, but they are as obedient as the wind and waves when he gives a command.

PRAY!

Demons are Un-Challenging

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 8

Suddenly they shouted, “What do you have to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

One thing that always caught my attention whenever Jesus cast out demons, they know who he is

there is no challenge on who this is

when we go to children’s camp I wear a t-shirt that tells everyone that I am the official adult of the group

because sometimes when I am around a lot of children, it is hard to tell

these demons call him the “Son of God”

this is something that the Father calls him twice in scripture

after his baptism - This is my Son in whom I am well pleased

on the Mt. Transfiguration - This is my Son, listen to Him

this is a term that is used in Psalm 2:7 & 12;

Christian Standard Bible Psalm 2

7 I will declare the LORD’s decree.

He said to me, “You are my Son;

today I have become your Father.

this is a Psalm that they would sing anytime they would anoint a new king. The Father uses this term, Son of God, to show that this is the Messiah, the Eternal King of Israel

This is what the demons know him as, there is no confusion

something the disciples did not do as of yet

they had seen him cast out demons, heal people and calm storms and all they could say was, “What kind of man is this, even the wind and waves obey him.”

there was no discussion, Jesus’ feet were still in the water coming to shore off the boat

what do you want with us, why are you here, it is not time!

They did not challenge his power

Are you here to torment us?

they knew their time was limited, that a time would come when Jesus would judge them and cast them out

showing that their theology is better than ours

they know who God is

they believe that there is no power anywhere that can stand against him

They did not doubt who Jesus is, or his power, but we do

We constantly doubt who God is

is he really merciful, maybe I should do a little work just in case I need some help getting into Heaven

does he really love me

maybe he will cast me out like the demons,

maybe he will forget that I am here at all

is he really God

is this really God in the flesh who came to take away the sins of the world, better yet, take away my sin

Too often, if we do get to the point that we believe that he loves us enough to act in our lives, we doubt his power to actually do so

The demons were unchallenging in who he is and the power that he has

the tense is important, Jesus is not just somebody that was in the past, he is alive right now and he just as powerful

Jesus is alive today, and the unchallenged power over the demons he had then he still has today

Demons are Obedient

There is so much we can learn about the demons from this passage

they love death

they lived in the tombs

I do not believe because this is simply where the people put them because they could not contain them any other way

the demons wanted to be around death

once inside the pigs they rush to the sea in a suicidal rage

Matthew 8:32 CSB

32 “Go!” he told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.

On thing that jumps out… they are obedient

Jesus says go, they go!

more obedience than we ever have

we obey with a limited understanding / they fully know who he is

we obey with a sense of pride

as if we deserve something because of our obedience

we are so much like the Pharisees in that aspect,

thank you for not making me like one of those sinners

look how amazing I am for obeying God

don’t believe me, look how often we have posts on social media showing us having a quiet time

I am having such an amazing time with Jesus that I am going to leave it and get on social media

the demons obeyed in a humble and fearful way

am I saying that we should obey out of a sense of fear

yes… we should absolutely obey God because we love him and owe him our all

but we should absolutely obey him out of a sense of fear for who he is

He is the holy God

He is the one who can kill your body and soul in Hell

Matthew 10:28 CSB

28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

this is what Jesus tells his followers after warning them the persecution will come to those who follow him

The demons were simply obedient to the commands of Jesus, are we

Mark Twain illustration - Man told Mark Twain that one of his life goals was to travel to the holy land and read the ten commandments on Mt Sinai. Twain responded, “you could start by obeying them in Boston.”

Demons Can’t Stop God

To some, the thought that God allows Satan to do evil brings questions

number one on the list, would be, “If God is truly over Satan, that Satan cannot do anything without the permission of God, why not just take Satan out? Why allow him to roam and devour, causing chaos and pain all over the world?”

Because of how God is defeating Satan, I believe that it is better for us, that Satan is defeated slowly, in the perfect time of God than with one word of God and have him gone for good

John Piper, Providence four ways that God is defeating Satan slowly instead of one quick strike

Satan is being defeated with showing

showing who Jesus is, that he is the Son of God who came to take away the sins of the world

something that the disciples were starting to see with these miracles that they were witnessing

Satan is being defeated with suffering

Christ suffered the most painful death on the cross, which means salvation for us

Colossians 2:13–14 CSB

13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.

if there was no suffering of Jesus there would be no salvation for your souls

Satan is being defeated with Satan

What Piper means by this is that the plans of Satan work out for the good of the Lord

think of Paul and his thorn in the flesh

2 Corinthians 12:6–9 CSB

6 For if I want to boast, I wouldn’t be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, 7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

Satan comes up with a plan to torment Paul in effort to get him to stop following the Lord, to get him to doubt the Lord, not be so zealous for the Lord and God uses it to show Paul what true grace is, how the grace of God is all that we truly need

without this messenger from Satan, Paul knows he would be boasting of the extraordinary revelations that the Father has given him

the thorn that Satan sends only drives Paul closer to the Lord

We see this all the time

Satan’s two main ways of attacking people

cause enough suffering that you do not believe that God cares

give you so much that you do not think that you need God, or that God might even need you

Satan is defeated by savory

by allowing Satan to continue in his work, we get to truly see the difference between the evil that is satan and the grace and love that is our God

that we would truly savor God and desire him

2 Corinthians 12:9 CSB

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

Satan will be defeated, but please know, that the removal of Satan would not remove your future sin

meaning that if Satan and his demons were sent to Hell for all eternity today, we would still sin tomorrow

may we not be so foolish to believe that we would not sin if Satan was not here

the reason we will not sin in heaven is not because Satan will not be there

but because we will have new glorified bodies

we will know him fully as we are fully known

James 1:14–15 CSB

14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

all Satan does is help you see what it is that you already desire in your own heart

we sin because we desire to be God ourselves

James tells us that we need to draw near to God and flee Satan

James 4:7–10 CSB

7 Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

God is over Satan providentially

Satan has no power that God does not permit him to have

but if God removed him and his evil ways, it is still us who would have sin on our hands

that sin should break our hearts that because of that sin, Jesus had to go to the cross

humble yourself and repent, and he will not cast us out as the demons, but exalt us to spend eternity with him!