April 5

Demons are real. They are not just the figment of someone’s over-active imagination or the leftover legacy of an unscientific world-view of previous generations. They are fallen angels who were led astray by Satan in the original cosmic rebellion. They have supernatural power that can impact human lives when people fail to open themselves up to the fullness of God’s work in their hearts.

In passages throughout the Gospels such as the one found in our reading for today from Luke 11:14-28, we see Jesus exercising absolute authority over demons as He set people completely free from their influence. His ability to do this was so evident that even His enemies acknowledged it, all the while attributing that power to Satan! That, of course, was a ludicrous proposition, something the Lord was quick to point out.

Here are the three most important things you need to know about demons:

1. They are real. Failure to acknowledge their existence renders one even more susceptible to their influence.
2. Their power is finite. While they have some power, they do not have all power. Their negative impact can influence human behavior in some profound, even startling ways, but there is a limit to what they can do.
3. They are completely subject to the authority of Jesus. He not only exercised authority over them during His earthly ministry, but He overcame all Satanic and demonic power through His death on Calvary and His resurrection from the dead. When you open your heart to Him, His power is within you and you can confront demons with His authority.

Here are some other faith-building verses to meditate on in this regard:

1 John 4:4  —  …the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

James 4:7 — 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Luke 10:17–20 — 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Pastor Mark