Dealing with Demons, Part 2

Today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll talked about dealing with demons.

Live your life free of demonic fear of the dark as a child of God you are equipped what you need to do battle against the these forces of darkness. They are there. They are real. There were serious eventually witnessed another person under possession by a demon. Make no mistake, the underworld is alive and active. Although his actions are often invisible. Satan and his minions are working overtime to weaken the resolve of God-fearing today on Insight for living trust one dollars teaching from Matthew chapter 8. This passage records a confrontation between Jesus and to demon possessed man through the showdown. Those were Christ followers are compelled to get ready for spiritual battles that await us, titled today's message dealing with demons again this year. Not knowing what is just may be you have already started your worry list, which often is longer than a person's prayer list. So let's reverse the order and let me have you bring before the Lord on your own what you would call your number one worry that which presents to you in an insurmountable situation. It may be someone you know you and love who situation seems hopeless. It may be a fear that you have on the horizon of your life. It may even be in the realm of the unknown, and it has you restless and uneasy. Let's cast our burden upon the Lord being assured that he will sustain us as a great statement. Following those words.

He will never suffer the righteous to be moved just launched from our position in Christ. If you know the Lord. This is a great time for you to lay before him your burden that you brought with you this morning. We have been reminded already.

Our father of power. The power of the cross, the power of the name of Jesus, the power of your presence, your word in the midst of a world that has lost its way. How easy for us to be focused on the things that are not right things that disturb us concerns that haunt us, people who break our hearts situations that we are helpless to change. Some are caught in the in the grip of grief. Others troubled in relationships that simply will not be rectified. We come before you, the giver of all good things.

The source of all power that can change the unchanging that can alter the steps of those moving in the wrong direction can bring healing and hope for reassurance and confidence in place of fear, uneasiness, sleeplessness, and deep inner disturb some are depressed. Some find themselves fearful of what lies before us some admittedly are in very dangerous places. We remember all today who are in such situations, I pray especially as well. For those in their college years who face yet another semester high schoolers as well.

Those in graduate work who pursue a degree.

We realize that as time passes and academics get old and the demands in the disciplines of pursuing an education hard to sustain, pray that you would give extra strength and encouragement to them as they continue the pursuit we all pray our father for encouragement in our lives.

We pray that you will remind us of our great position in Christ of you and your sovereign control over life that what may appear to be chaotic and out of control is in fact still operating under your all seeing eye and your all powerful hand we lay before you the months that are yet to unfold. We trust you for healing. Among those who were sick strength for those who were weak hope for those who are discouraged and despondent and I pray for those who struggle in the realm of the dark forces those who do battle in demonic realm give special help today as we unfold the Scriptures maybe hear what you have written and what you have said for us who live today. Give us ears to hear and hearts to believe and then give us will us to obey remind us our father that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers dark forces in the world beyond us and around us.

The invisible insidious forces of the enemy. We pray for victory. Our father over these that you would sustain us in the midst of the battle remind us as we enter this realm that we are entering a battle ground not a playground, and may we take your word seriously that we are equipped with the full armor of God, that we might be able to stand against the strategies of the evil one and remind us again father that in the end, you win and we with you as well. Our winners we stand in the tryout today through Christ and the power of his cross. We pray these things and we give our gifts and everyone said amen study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies another message from Chuck about dealing with demons. Be aware, the enemy does not like to be expose and when the truth is proclaimed.

He is especially hostile because he wants you to keep thinking he's not there and that his forces really do not mean all that much in our day.

There are multiple millions of them. They were constantly in and around this cosmos. This wicked world. Let me clarify. Also, because there's faulty thinking about it. The words demon possession are not biblical words, we have demon influence in the model pressure and demon obsession demon possession almost as if there's a gradation of demonic activity. There may be, but the word in the Scriptures is always demonized. What is the mono it demonized when a demon or demons take up residence in that person's body, resulting in degrees of derangement and the inability of the possessed to free himself or herself from the demonic control position occurs when the demons go beyond exerting mere influence and actually indwell their victim's. That's what we find in Matthew a in Mark five and also in Luke eight which is another parallel passage of the same account.

Jesus encounters a man who has demons setting of this is very clearly arranged in Matthew chapter 8 Jesus is at Capernaum verse of five.

It is, and then Jesus visits the home of Peter, which is in that same village of Capernaum, located on the north northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee in the passing of time. Jesus tells his disciples to get into the boat and be ready to go to the other side of the sea. A little later in the passage, Jesus gets in with them. Verse 23 and they together go through the storm and find their way to the Gadarene area or the kerosene area. There are clips there today that might very well represent the place where this occurred as the crow flies about a 6 mile sail from Capernaum to the Gadara area across the northern part of the Sea of Galilee. That's the journey that took what there met with is a terrifying site, terrifying. I got my little ribbon for my Bible at Mark five and because it's a little more detail.

There I'm going to refer to that more often than I normally would. But Matthew eight states that there were two men who were possessed by demons who met him. They lived in the cemetery and they were so violent that no one could go through that area. The situation around the demonic individual is savage like so much so the children and adults alike were not safe being around these individuals. When you get to Mark's gospel. One of the two is highlighted doesn't mean there was only one just probably means one of the two was more prominent and the spokesman for the two so when we read that Jesus mom and Mark five.

Now verse two climbed out of the boat. A man possessed by an evil spirit came out of cemetery to meet him.

The man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained even with a chain notice a strong the demon makes this individual whenever he was put into chains and shackles as he often was he snap the chains from his wrist and smash the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue it. Chances are good that most of you have never witnessed a demonized individual or if you did you didn't realize the sword. It is obvious in this case that the man is beyond himself and strength, and there is a source of strength within him. Please observe the relentlessness of the terror day and night. He wondered among the burial caves and in the hills howling and cutting himself with sharp stone. We read further in mark of five or six when Jesus was still some distance away my watch closely. The man saw him and ran to meet him and bowed below before.

Remember there was one in greatest authority over all existence and that would be the son of God himself. So this demonized individual reaches of the presence of Jesus and the bow and now notice the response.

The demon speaks through the vocal cords of the human being.

Demons have no vocal cords. They are spirit beings without bodies when they are in bodies that are able to use things within that human body. In this case the throat with a shriek. He screamed wire you interfering with me, Jesus, son of the most high God, but interesting. He knows him. Every demon knows the son of God, and every demon knows that his days are numbered. Satan will ultimately be cast into the lake of fire which has been remember the line prepared for the devil and his angels. I literally believe in the lake of fire. I believe it is eternal and I believe it was originally created for the devil and the demon they know they are living on borrowed time, which explain some of the relentlessness of their style and so this one screams the name of Jesus and says I beg you don't torture me for Jesus had already said to the spirit come out of the manual evil spirit. Then Jesus demanded. What is your name. He replied my name is Legion because there are many of us inside this man the demon is speaking through the throat of the human being who is the victim and he states the name Legion. We don't have that term, and our military ranks today, but in the days of the Romans. There was the Legion 6000 foot soldiers hundred and 20 on horseback, and aside from that, there were many other technical personnel's, who made up the Legion 80 Robertson a reliable Baptist scholar who taught in Louisville for years, writes in his work on the New Testament that the Roman legion numbered 6826 man a quote that simply because he says it as an authority.

II would not know that to be true, but I quote him in that it it it it's almost impossible for us to imagine such an existence, they live their lives. Those who are demonized under the domination of evil powers, shameless, brutal file and constantly in the misery of that control Chet Hughes in his excellent work on Mark writes these words to describe the scene. The man lived in the tombs, rock hewn caverns furnished with dead men's bones and carpeted with filth and vermin. The local townspeople had attempted to restrain him, but with terrifying Herculean string.

He had broken the factors which bound him.

He was uncontrollable and dangerous inside. He was totally wretched at intervals during the night and the day he would let out a preternatural howl then gash himself with Dragon rocks in an obvious attempt to drive out the evil spirits. This poor naked man I failed to mention he lived his life without clothing. He's wandering in the tombs naked and it it what we would call totally insane. He is a massive bleeding, lacerations, scabs, infections and scar tissue living in a delirium of pain and masochistic pleasure. The man was running while naked, unkempt and ill, and as a result, all were against him little children fled at his approach in his lucid moments. He surely realized how repulsive and unloved and unwelcome. He wants foot on alterable misery. Hughes added these words we need the theological wisdom and honesty to deal with such situations the demons to drive men and women to the depths of degradation because Satan and his minions hate the living God. There is a situation that people were not able to control. They simply left him to himself. Now he encounters the only one who has power over him and he says to Jesus.

Do not torture us. I I'm I'm impressed with the way Jesus responds and back. I love the way we read in Matthew eight where the demon say if you must cast us out. Send us into that herd of pigs.

The Greek response includes following that the word of Jesus go, but you love that is no fight is no negotiation.

There is no bargaining there is no wrestling there simply the word go, gives new meaning to the line from Luther's him one little word shall fill do not live your life afraid of demonic influence.

Do not fear the dark as a child of God you are equipped, as I will show toward the end of this message you are equipped with what you need to do battle against the enemy. These forces of darkness. They are there.

They are real, they are serious. I know of no other way to describe how terrorism has taken the turn its head that's taken the turn that it has taken without adding to it. Unconvinced the presence of demonic activity.

How else could individuals who call themselves human be so brutal, so unconscionably brutal to carry out beheadings, bombings, and at random acts of violence among people who are innocent in their present the last days had come. There's no question in my mind and part of the proof of it is the wickedness of our time know when you come to Matthew again. Chapter 8 Jesus commanded them, go and the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drown. One given the uprising of cruelty, bloodshed around the world truly appears that we are living in the last days as Chuck Swindoll said nothing provides greater evidence than the wickedness of our times. Your listening to Insight for living and learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online head insight world.org we come to a dramatic point in our study of Matthew chapter 8 and we urge you to listen when Chuck resumes this strange story about a herd of pigs overtaken by demons and objects verse by verse study through the book of Matthew has ignited your curiosity and you're ready to learn more. Then I'll encourage you to add Swindoll's living insights commentary dear personal collection of study tools, the addition for Matthew comes in two large volumes both are hardbound, printed in a user-friendly format. The commentary contains practical insight from Chuck, including maps, photos and articles as well. It's a must-have for pastors, teachers, and really anyone wants to know more about the Bible to purchase Windows living insights commentary on Matthew Collis if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 or go directly to Insight.org/store. When you give a donation above and beyond the cost of books and resources. Your gift is channeled directly into supplying the stated program of people here at home and around the world will know the relevance of Matthew's gospel and we have ample evidence through thousands of phone calls and email comments that your gifts are truly making a difference. So thank you for stepping forward to give your donation allows us to provide free online resources and of course this daily Bible study program as well to help us continue providing these daily visits with Chuck give a donation by calling us listening in the US, call 1-800-772-8888 or give online@insight.more. You've heard him teach about the holy land using word pictures to make us feel like we are actually strolling through the old city learning about Jerusalem is fascinating for sure but see the land of Israel with your own his his life changed. In fact, is absolutely magnificent. And now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll and the gracious hosts and experts assembled by Insight for living ministries. Join us on an unforgettable 12 day tour March 6-17, 2022 at special sites along the way, I will teach from God's word will worship at the Mount of Beatitudes and share the Lord's table at the garden to impact will Sail the Sea of Galilee together and will visit places where Jesus walked and talked to learn more, call 1-888-447-0444. Just imagine walking along the sacred sites and seeing the Bible, but come to life before your very mark your calendar for March 6-17, 2022 and make your reservation by calling 1-888-447-0444 or go to Insight.org/events insight for living ministries tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend tomorrow. Chuck Swindoll continues to describe the dramatic moment when Jesus dealt with demons.

Listen Thursday to Insight for living in the preceding message dealing with demons was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide.

Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly