And you are the winner
May 5, 2011 (Thursday)
At Bethel Baptist Church in Ingleside we are meeting each Wednesday evening for intercessory prayer, lifting up to the Lord the names of people who have various needs in their lives. We precede the prayer time with a short devotional thought, and we have been basing those thoughts on a verse by verse study of the gospel of Mark. Last evening we looked at Mark 1:21-28, which told of Jesus going to a synagogue to teach. As he was speaking, suddenly a man began yelling and screaming at him. He was a demon-possessed man.
Here’s how the gospel tells the story: “[a man] who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!’ ‘Be quiet!’ said Jesus sternly. ‘Come out of him!’ The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek” (Mark 1:23-26 NIV).
It becomes obvious, as we read the New Testament, that these evil spirits speak and manifest themselves for all to hear only when Jesus enters the scene. His presence threatens them and alarms them. “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5 NIV).
Most of us, including me, are on unfamiliar ground when we are discussing “demons” or “impure spirits,” as Mark put it. But evil things, sin, rebellion, negative feelings, etc. are not uncommon in our world and we have seen more of these things than we would like. We don’t have to have deep knowledge of demons, etc. to understand that good and evil exist side by side in this world, and we are in a spiritual war. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have access to the power that gives us victory over sin and death. Satan cannot have power over you unless you disturb your secure refuge in Christ and make room for sin and the devil.
As the song tells us, “When Jesus comes, the tempter’s power is broken. When Jesus comes, the tears are wiped away. He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory, for all is changed when Jesus comes to stay.”