Daily Devotions
Mark
1 Peter 4:4 "In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you."
Day 108 – Mark 5
THE BATTLE OF THE SOUL
What do we mean when we speak of a person who is demon-possessed? Let us ponder the following thoughts.
1. What Possession does not mean
a) Possession does not mean “total ownership” of the soul.
This is our understanding, when we read the following text.
“When he saw Jesus from afar,
he ran and worshiped Him”
MARK 5:6
i) The capacity for worship is still there.
ii) The desire to be rid of the demons is still present.
iii) The demons obviously did not own the soul of those they possessed.
b) Possession does not mean that the battle is totally lost
We draw this inference from a careful study of the above text.
i) In times past, the man lived in the tombs, away from the public.
ii) In the presence of Jesus, this man ran to Him, as his only hope.
iii) The fact that he was seeking refuge in Jesus, indicates that he was fighting
the demons who had inhabited him.
2. What Possession means
a) Demons can affect many aspects of life adversely
i) The individual will not be able to live a normal life with family and friends.
ii) The possessed is at risk, for he can hurt himself severely.
b) What we can learn about the character of demons from “possession”.
i) Demons are wicked to the core.
ii) They are also vicious in their meanness.
iii) They have no sense of remorse when they hurt their victims.
POWER OVER DEMONS
Jesus in appointing the Twelve (Cf. Mark 3:15) empowered them to battle demons successfully. However, they would need to wield their faith mightily if they were to win any battle against the demons! Their lack of faith would serve them not at all.