Mark 1:25-26 "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" 26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.”
Mark 1:25-26 “Is a powerful introduction to the authority of Christ! Jesus has been teaching in the temple, the demonic spirits that have been inhabiting one of the members of the audience speak up and begin to reveal themselves. They are declaring the Son-ship of Christ but they are also creating a disruption that is hindering the message that Jesus is trying to teach the people. What would you do if this happened to you? How would you react if a member of your audience began to shout out and create a tension in the atmosphere that was distracting people from your message? Can you discern the difference between a demonic interference and a distraught human? Can you recognize when it is more than a natural disruption?
Jesus does not delay in His response to this shouting man. He does not hesitate because He immediately recognizes that this is not a human confrontation but a demonic manifestation. From that moment on this story becomes a clinic in handling demonic manifestations! The people have been marveling that His teaching comes from one who has authority they have never seen before and now He is given the opportunity to demonstrate that authority. We must learn to recognize when God is giving us the opportunity to demonstrate the kingdom in the same manner that Jesus did. Whether it is sickness, demonic oppression or some other need that raises its head to disagree with the Word of the Lord, we must be prepared to demonstrate the authority of God over that arena of need.
Jesus does not stop and kindly ask the man to sit down and be quiet. He speaks with a stern voice of command and orders the demon to be quiet and leave the man. There is no negotiating. There is no discussion. He takes the authority that is His and commands the spirit to obey Him. The results of his command are immediate and dramatic. The man shook violently as the demonic hold in his life is broken and with one last cry of defeat the demon shrieks, using the man’s mouth, as it leaves him and the man is set free.
We must learn this same lesson. Don’t negotiate with the devil! Rebuke him. Both Peter and James teach this same message in their writings. Peter begins in 1 Peter 5:8-9 by saying “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith,” James takes the matter and strengthens the lesson in James 4:7 where he says “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” We must understand clearly Satan’s agenda to steal, kill and destroy and become confident resistors who live submitted to God and consistently resisting the works of the devil everywhere they become evident within our sphere of influence. Remember the commission of the Apostle Paul as your battle cry; Eph 6:10-11 “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.” Take your stand and become the victorious Christian you were created to be!
No comments:
Post a Comment