Text: Mark 5:6-13

"A giant 400-year-old redwood came crashing down one day," says Greg Laurie in his book The Great Compromise, "and no one could figure out why. The tree had survived four centuries of storms, lightning, and earthquakes--what had felled it?

"On closer inspection, investigators found that tiny beetles had found their way inside its trunk and had begun eating away its life-giving fibers, weakening its mighty bulk from the inside out.

"In much the same way, the devil tries to bring Christians down through a steady drone of small, seemingly insignificant temptations. While we are fighting and resisting him in one area, he may be setting up house in another area of our lives. Satan will find ways to creep into our lives for the purpose of eroding our foundations until our fibers have become undone and we come crashing down to the ground.

"Show me a person who has fallen away from their walk with the Lord, and I will show you a person who started making compromises in his or her life long ago." [New Man, Jan/Feb 1995. Page 13.]

A church receptionist answered the phone. It was an anonymous caller. "Is this the church that teaches people about Jesus, that believes the Bible, and that tries to get people to turn their lives over to Christ?"

"Yes," the receptionist answered. "That describes our church very well."

"Well," warned the caller, "I just want you to know that I'm a representative of the church of Satan. I am a demon worshiper, too. You need to know that there are just as many of us working against your church, as you have working for it. So we are going to win."

With that the phone went dead. Aren't you glad that Jesus said "the gates of hell shall not prevail against" the church. [ Source Unknown ]

Last Sunday we considered the first 5 verses and shared 4 characteristics of Demonism

	They are unclean
	They promote isolationism
	They have super human strength
	They are prone to self-destruction

Do Demons exist? Are they real? Do they still possess people like they did in the NT times?

James 2:19 Are there still among you some who hold that "only believing" is enough? Believing in one God? Well, remember that the demons believe this too--so strongly that they tremble in terror! (TLB)

Yes, they exist, they are all too real. Their goal is to destroy the hope and the life of God' creation. Their goal is to see that people do not accept Jesus, and for those who do, to attempt to subvert the teaching of Jesus, & lead us astray.

This evening let's consider three crucial insights about demons from the next verses of Mark 5. These are important

I. The Demons Always Recognize Jesus.

When this man see's Jesus coming ashore, he runs to Jesus and falls on his knees at the feet of the Lord. He cries out: Jesus, Son of the Most High God...

Oh, yes, the demons believe in God. They recognized Jesus for who He is.

Interestingly, the disciples didn't recognize Jesus. His enemies didn't recognize Him, and of course His people did not recognize Him as the Son of God. It's imperative that you know who He is.

John 1:10-11 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (NIV)

No, his own people didn't recognize Him, but the demons did! They knew at a distance who he was. And they were far from excited about him coming into their lives.

Many accept Jesus as a historical figure. They see him as a religious leader. Others see him as a great con man. Many University Professors are unable to see as clearly as the demons see. They knew who he was. There was no debate, no quarrel. This is Jesus, Son of the Most High God.

There is no demon on the face of the planet who is in the dark as to who Jesus is.

He falls on his knees at the feet of Jesus.

	Respect - yes, worship, no!
	Homage, yes, worship, no!
	Fear, yes, worship, no!

The demons don't worship Jesus, even though they are completely aware of who he is. Whenever demons appear in the narrative they are always aware of who Jesus is. Even when He is not there.

Acts 16:16-19 is a fascinating account!

It's interesting to note that it is the name of Jesus that will shut the mouths of the demons. There is an awesome power in his name that can shut down the demons such as Paul did in this account in Acts.

II. The Demons Fear Their Final Destiny.

You see a rather interesting scene here. The demons, the feared angels of Satan are afraid. They are tasting perhaps for the first time their own medicine.

What are they afraid of?

#1. "Swear to God that you won't torture me..."

We see here the tormentors do not want to be tormented. They now seek to change the rules of the game. They had absolutely no problem causing this poor man all the pain and torture they could, but they don't want reciprocation. They are afraid!

They plead for mercy when no mercy was extended. But mark this down please. They know how to ask for it, but they cannot & will not offer it. The demons will never grant mercy. They seek only to destroy and devastate. Don't mess with them, you cannot win without Jesus Christ.

#2. "They begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss."

Luke 8:31 - the same story

The Abyss is the abode of the lost dead. It is apparently the place we refer to as hell. It's interesting that hell is a place prepared not primarily for the lost, but for the devil and his angels.

Matt 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." (NIV)

They do not want to go the to Abyss, literally, "the bottomless pit" They are aware of their eternal destination, and they will do anything to avoid going there, even ask to be placed into swine.

Their fear of the abyss is real, but it will not as far as I can see from the scripture be a deterrent from their goal of destroying God's people eternally. You see, they have no way out. Their fate is set. They are going to hell, and it seems they are going to do all they can to inflict pain on the Creator by taking as many of us with them.

The enemy most to be feared, is the enemy with nothing left to lose. Don't mess with them.

III. Jesus Is Always In Control.

This is the great news. We always knew this was true, but it's sure good to hear it again! Jesus is always in control of the situation!

Billy Graham has said, "Satan must be the most frustrated personality in the universe! His army of demons are compelled to obey Jesus, and whatever the devil does to discourage a Christian, God can use for the Christian's benefit."

I love the phrase, "He gave them permission..."

They would never have been able to enter those pigs without the okay of Jesus.

What value is there in knowing that Jesus is in control of the situations?

#1. Jesus is superior ~ we are winners!

1 John 4:4 is true! He is greater than Satan! He is greater than the demons. He indwells us, and this means we should be victorious in our war against Satan.

War, are you kidding? Not at all. Read and re-read the words of Ephesians 6:12ff

As long as we are in Christ, and Jesus is in us, we are going to win. Doesn't mean there will not be battles, nor does it mean we are going to win every battle we are up against, but it does mean we are going to be eternal winners!

#2. The Demons are the torments ~ Jesus is the great liberator!

The demons thought they controlled the man, & they did. But only until they met up with Jesus. Then the tormented man, was set free from the real chains that bound him, the chains of demon possession.

Verse 15 is a credit to all Jesus can do for every person who is prepared to surrender his/her life to him. The great liberator. The one who can put our lives back into perspective.

You might be thinking it isn't necessary because you are not really a slave of demons. But did you know those outside of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ are referred to as "slaves of sin"?

Rom 6:16-17 "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted." (NIV)

The spindles of the magazine rack became prison bars to one-year-old Peter. He had put his hand between two of them and grasped a white ping pong ball that he wanted. But as he tried to withdraw it, his clenched fist was too big to pull back between the wooden bars. Peter had his ball, but as long as he held on to it, the ball had him. He was trapped.

That's a picture of our condition apart from Christ. By taking what God's revealed Word prohibits, we become trapped. Jesus said that "whoever commits sin is a slave of sin." And since we've all sinned, we're all trapped. Release from this slavery is simple--but as difficult as letting go of the thing we want most. And that's our problem with sin. One part of us loves it, yet we hate its enslavement.

We need Jesus in our lives to break our chains, not of possession by demons, but by the chains of sin that hold us fast.

IV. Personal Application.

An article about a slave-making ant vividly illustrates our predicament as human beings. Hundreds of these Amazonian ants periodically swarm out of their nest to capture neighboring colonies of weaker ants. After destroying resisting defenders, they seize and carry off cocoons containing the larvae of worker ants. When these "captured children" hatch, they assume that they are part of the family and launch into the tasks they were born to do. They never realize that they are forced-labor victims of the enemy.

There are three lessons we can learn from the demons.

#1. Recognize Jesus Christ & Worship Him!

They know him and tremble. We can know Him and love him! They pay homage to Jesus, we can worship him.

If Jesus isn't a part of your life, then recognize who he is and what He can do for your life. Crown him the King of your life today.

#2. Realize as the demons do, we have a final destiny!

There's is the Abyss, our is heaven.

It's been said of heaven, that it is a prepared place for prepared people.

It's been said of hell, that it is a prepared place for unprepared people.

Our destiny is meant to be heaven, but all the forces of hell are working against us. We ought to be aware of that and put on the full armor of God.

#3. Remember, Jesus is always in control, and He's never far away!

Call on him today, crown Him the Lord of your life. His name is the name that puts the demons in their place. His power is the power that is designed to save us.

The demons are no laughing matter. Regardless of who you are and how tough you may be, you are no match for the demons without Jesus Christ being a part of your life.

Make your commitment to God today!

Alan Walker is editor of The Preacher's Corner and Minister of Evangelism at the Mt. Vernon Church of Christ in Springfield, OR. He may be reached at adwalker@pond.net.

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