Possessed by Sin to Possessing Freedom

Luke 8:26-39

A Demon-Possessed Man Healed

26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!" 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

30 Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"

And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.

32 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. 33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.

34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. 37 Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.

38 Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you." And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

There were those like this man who was possessed by demons, by fallen angels who left their abode in heaven (Jude 1:6) to follow the deceiver and destroyer of souls who is the fallen angel called the devil and Satan and the serpent who hunts God’s people (1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:17).  We see here how the Lord with whom they wage battle set this man free from being possessed by evil against the Creator and King of all creation to one possessing all things in Christ who divinely spoke us all into being, even the fallen ones.  This man lived in the area of the Gadarenes by Galilee among the dead in tombs for a long time filled with these demons.  The people tried to restrain him with chains but the crazed naked man was driven to break them and wander among the dead with the evil spirits inside whipping him into a frenzy every day.  But when the Lord Jesus Christ approached the possessed one, the demons inside cried out in fear as they immediately recognized Him (James 2:19).  They correctly identified Him as Jesus, Son of the Most High God and begged not to be tormented with pain worse than the agony they were inflicting on their host.  Surely they did not expect to continue what they were doing and also had to bow to the Lord (Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10-11) as King over them, so they begged for mercy instead.  Jesus knew but asked the name of the possessor that those who witnessed this encounter would know what was happening and could record this historical moment for us to read even now and give glory to God who possesses all of His creation in a good way.  The multitude of evil spirits in the man identified as “Legion” as if an army within had set up camp to bivouac there as long as possible and keep the man from possessing His Lord God.  Jesus allowed the request for them to break camp and take up residence in a herd of pigs nearby.  They were not finished with their destruction, however, and ran the herd to a death by drowning in spite for being defeated from their nefarious purpose.  The Lord allowed the destruction of the animals to save the man made in His image because that one was far more valuable than the rest of the creatures He had made for man in the beginning.  The witnesses to these strange events ran away into town to tell others what had happened and they returned in great fear to ask Jesus out of fear to go some else lest more of God’s works changed them and that they might repent or He might do something to them as well.  The man stayed in his right mind now, having been set free at last, and listened as the Lord told him to go back home and tell those them there what great things God had done for him, even though he really wanted to follow along with Jesus as He ministered the gospel to others to set them free from sin, death, the devil, and distressing possession.  He now possessed eternal life in freed from sin and the rule of the father of sin over him and went everywhere in the entire city bearing witness to the gospel that sets men and women free.  He was once possessed by evil but was set free to possess all things in Christ the Lord of all.  We who are in Christ may not have been physically possessed by demons, yet we have been set free from their master who now wars against us because of Christ.  Let us there spread the word that others may also be set free (Romans 6:22-23) as we have been, proclaiming this freedom in every city we live inhabit, giving the glory to God who sets us free indeed.  Amen!