Dealing with demons- Satan, society, and the Saviour

.Matthew 8:28-34

what are demons

demon — noun. a created supernatural being rebellious and hostile to God and anyone allied with Him.

to be demon-possessed — verb. to be under the power, control, or influence of a demon.

demonic — noun. characteristic of spirits in rebellion to God.

Matthew 16:23

23 Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.”

Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Mt 16:23). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

1.Satan steals, kills and destroys

SATAN The Hebrew word שָׂטָן (satan) means to oppose, obstruct, or accuse. The Greek term (σατάν, satan) literally means “adversary.” In the New Testament, it refers to a title or a name—(the) Satan. The term שָׂטָן (satan) is rendered as diabolos in the Septuagint.

He robs a person of sanity, self control, and joy

fills the victim with fear

Those who reject Jesus are demon influenced

Satan is the father of all liars

John 8:44

John 8:44 CSB

You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

garden-did God really say?

Not all of Satan's minions are fallen Angel's

Satan is not omnipresent but has followers everywhere

After the possessed person has been rid of the demon they must be filled with the Holy Spirit or another demon will take its place

The demons knew Jesus

James 2:19 CSB

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

A. they prayed for mercy

B. Jesus answered their prayer

2.Society rejects the savior

The people didn’t want any part of it

Matthew and Mark Notes

but it is plausible that this region was populated by Gentiles whose livelihood depended upon the drowned pigs. If so, economics was more important to these people than the freeing of the demoniacs from Satan’s dominion.

3.The savior saves

Jesus turns down the request of the cured man

Mark 5:18-20

Mark 5:18–20 CSB

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.

Jesus granted the prayer of the demons, and the citizens, but not the grateful healed man

why?

Mark A. Jesus Restores a Man’s Mind by Casting out a Demon (5:1–20)

He left the man there as a witness to the region as well as a constant reminder of his judgment against them if they refused his gift. Jesus told the man to return to his family and tell everyone what God had done for him. The man did so. In his mind, God and Jesus were equal. This realization comes only through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). Note this was a situation where Jesus did not tell the healed person to remain silent. Perhaps he did so because this was a Gentile region where messianic expectations did not exist among the people.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Four: The Servant Conquers! (Mark 4:35–5:43)

We see in this scene three different forces at work: Satan, society, and the Saviour. These same three forces are still at work in our world, trying to control the lives of people.

First, we see what Satan can do to people. Satan is a thief whose ultimate purpose is to destroy (John 10:10; and see Rev. 9:11). We are not told how the demons entered these men and took control, but possibly it was the result of their yielding to sin. Demons are “unclean spirits” and can easily get a foothold in the lives of people who cultivate sinful practices.

Because they yielded to Satan, the thief, these two men lost everything! They lost their homes and the fellowship of their families and friends. They lost their decency as they ran around in the tombs naked. They lost their self-control and lived like wild animals, screaming, cutting themselves, and frightening the citizens. They lost their peace and their purpose for living, and they would have remained in that plight had Jesus not come through a storm to rescue them.