WATCHWORD:
27 As he was climbing out of the boat a man from the city of Gadara came to meet him, a man who had been demon-possessed for a long time. Homeless and naked, he lived in a cemetery among the tombs. 28 As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell to the ground before him, screaming, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of God Most High? Please, I beg you, oh, don’t torment me!” 29 For Jesus was already commanding the demon to leave him. This demon had often taken control of the man so that even when shackled with chains he simply broke them and rushed out into the desert, completely under the demon’s power. 30 “What is your name?” Jesus asked the demon. “Legion,” they replied—for the man was filled with thousands of them! 31 They kept begging Jesus not to order them into the Bottomless Pit. 32 A herd of pigs was feeding on the mountainside nearby, and the demons pled with him to let them enter into the pigs. And Jesus said they could. 33 So they left the man and went into the pigs, and immediately the whole herd rushed down the mountainside and fell over a cliff into the lake below, where they drowned. Luke 8:27-33
11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan. 12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world. Ephesians 6:11-12
Meditation:
Demons?
In November, 1981, in Brookfield, Connecticut, at the manslaughter trail of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, the defense sought to prove innocence based on Johnson’s claim of demonic possession. Compelling testimony from multiple witnesses claimed that during a formal exorcism of an 11-year-old boy, a demon fled the child’s body and took up residence in Johnson. The judge in the matter argued that no such defense could ever exist in a court of law due to lack of physical evidence and that it would be “irrelative and unscientific” to allow related testimony. Johnson was convicted. This was known as the “Devil made me do it” defense.
Flip Wilson made the phrase “The Devil made me do it” famous as a humorous line on TV. However, the presence of evil, in the form of demons, is neither funny nor phony. Jesus was tempted, why not you and I? An argument could be made that demons exist and they touch our lives.
Jesus talked to demons and ordered a legion of them out of a deranged man, and they fled into a herd of pigs. There are over a hundred references to demons in the New Testament. Jesus spoke about Hell more often than Heaven. In the Bible, Hell is mentioned 167 times. What are we to believe?
The first letter to the churches was written by James. Throughout this epistle there are warnings about the undercurrent of evil that touches us, implying the existence of demons.
Think about the track of your own life, and the occasional pull of temptation, moods that suddenly appear to disrupt relationships, arguments erupting, etc. What causes these changes, changes that we really don’t like, that have a tendency to cause us distress? Psychologists probably could find a label to fit but we shouldn’t rule out the possibility of demons. You probably don’t need an exorcism, but we, most assuredly, should be on guard and call upon Jesus, our Lord and Savior, to help us be prepared, when those times of ‘darkness’ seem to be gathering.
Whatever you do, do not follow the dictates of the demons that possibly inhabit your soul, just waiting for the right moment to create chaos in our smooth-running lives.
Plea: Come Holy Spirit, fill the heart of this believer and kindle in my heart the fire of Your love. With you, right here, demons wouldn’t dare. I am at peace. Amen.
More on Demons from Wikipedia:
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, and television series.
Belief in demons probably goes back to the Paleolithic age, stemming from humanity’s fear of the unknown, the strange and the horrific. In Ancient Near Eastern religions and in the Abrahamic religions, including early Judaism and ancient-medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered a harmful spiritual entity which may cause demonic possession, calling for an exorcism. Large portions of Jewish demonology, a key influence on Christianity and Islam, and was transferred to Judaism during the Persian era.
Note: Demons may or may not also be considered to be devils: minions of The Devil. In many traditions, demons are independent operators, with different demons causing different types of evils.
Bulletin Board:
This Watchword was posted August 29, when I was in Hot Springs, SD, celebrating the birthday of my sister, Shirley Davis. Prior to my arriving there I spent three days in Wyoming, literally in the shadow of Devil’s Tower National Monument, and I am happy to report that no demons were sighted, nothing but beautiful rolling prairie and forested hills, and, of course, the spectacular Tower, many views that will be featured in my next project. Thanks for your prayers for travel safety.
Prayer:
Dear Father, I seek Your protection from the wickedness of the evil one. You are the Almighty God, and his power doesn’t stand a chance to the might You yield. I come to Your refuge with joy for You shelter me against the attack of the devil. Protect me, O Lord, from the craftiness of the enemy, and save me from his evil plots. Cover me with Your presence when I feel weak so that he will flee from my presence. Amen.
