Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: Mark 5:1-20 August 3, 2025

Message: “The Demonic World and Jesus!”  

by Pastor George Gnade

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Introduction:

1. The Gospels are different than any other books of the Bible because of their many references to demons. That is equally true of the Gospel of Mark.

a. Already in Mark 1:23- 24, it says: “Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil 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.”

b. In vs. 25-26, it continues: “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.”

2. The people were amazed at what they saw. And if that happened in our church service, we would be amazed too!

a. They were amazed because the demon knew who Jesus was, and Jesus had the power to cast him out.

b. We would be amazed because we might speak of someone who seemed out of his mind, but how often would we say he had an evil spirit? If we talked that way, most people would think we were the ones who were crazy!

3. But in Eph. 6: 10, Paul wrote: “We wrestle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and power in the heavenly places.”

a. As Christians, many of us have talked about being under spiritual attack. And we pray for the protection of the Lord. 

b. Christians can also see the difference between someone following the devil compared to someone following the Lord. And we ask God to deliver that person. But that is still different from talking to an evil spirit and having that spirit talk back to you.

c. But Jesus did this all the time! And the demons had no choice but to obey Him!

4. Today we are studying one of the most interesting stories in the Bible.  In Mark 5:1-20, Jesus deals with a man who had many demons in him, so many that when Jesus asked the man what was his name,  he replied: “My name is legion because we are many” (Mark 5:9). 

A. Let us consider this story for a few minutes. Let me begin by telling you more about the man.

1. In vs.2, it says he lived in the region of the Gerasenes, on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He lived among the tombs and immediately ran out to meet Jesus and His disciples when they crossed the lake. 

a. People had tried to bind him hand and foot, but he was so strong, he actually broke the chains and no one could subdue him (vs. 4).

b. None of this made him feel powerful and important. Instead, he hated himself, and during the night  he would cry out and cut himself.

2. But like the demon in the synagogue, he immediately knew who Jesus was and fell at His feet and addressed Him saying: “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you will not torture me” (Mark 5: 7)!”

a. Please observe, the demonic world knows their ultimate destination. They are scared to death to go to that place the Bible calls hell. 

b. Sadly, many people think hell is a big joke and think sinning against God is just fun. The more horrible a movie is, the more they flock to see it.  May God open their eyes to the truth. There is a very good reason why the Bible tells us “to flee youthful lusts” and “to resist the devil.”

3. At any rate, Jesus addressed the man as if he were one person, but the demons inside of him quickly identified themselves as many. 

B. Consider how Jesus dealt with them.

1. For some reason, they did not want to leave the area. In vs. 10, they literally begged Jesus not to send them away. Instead, in vs. 11, the demons told Jesus about a large herd of pigs feeding on a nearby hillside and begged Him for permission to go inside of them instead.

2. In vs. 12, Jesus gave them permission and immediately they left the man and entered into the pigs. 

a. The Bible tells us there were about 2,000 of them and as soon as the demons entered the pigs, the whole herd “rushed down a steep bank and were drowned.” 

b. The disciples saw all of this. So did those tending the pigs. They reported all of this in the town and countryside. Many came to find out what happened.

C. Please listen to what they found.

1. They all knew about the man and his weird powers. But when they found him and Jesus, they saw him sitting there, “dressed and in his own mind” (Mark 5:15).

2. All of this scared them and they begged Jesus to leave them. In vs. 18, we are told that Jesus and His disciples agreed to do this. 

a. That is when the man told Jesus he wanted to go with Him. I’m sure the people preferred that too. After all, what would they do if this was just a temporary fix? 

b. But Jesus told the man to stay and “to go home to your family and to tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you” (Vs. 19).

3. Observe how every situation is different. 

a. Many times Jesus invited people to come and follow Him. This time He told the man to stay.

b. Many times he told the one who was healed to keep it to himself, but this time Jesus instructed the man to go home and share what the Lord had done for Him. 

4. In Rom. 10:9, it says: “If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” 

a. God wants a person who chooses to accept Jesus into his heart to openly confess this before others. Other-wise it would be very easy for him to hide it and soon after to even change his mind. 

b. The man set free from Satan’s hold on his life had no desire to go back to being possessed.  This was all the more reason to let his family see the difference for themselves.

5. Because he obeyed and went and told others what the Lord had done for him, the next time Jesus came that way the crowds wanted to hear more and many more were healed and many more  were saved (Mark 6:53-56). 

In conclusion:

1. In a few months, many people in our country will celebrate Halloween. And many will dress up as witches. It will give the impression that becoming witches or having demons in you is a good thing. Please do not encourage it. Don’t go to movies about it.

2. One man came to me and told me he couldn’t sleep at night. Then he told me how he talked about witches and witchcraft and used this to scared people. I told him to stop scaring others and to ask God to deliver him from the very fears he thought were fake. God helped him.

3. Praise God, Jesus can and still does deliver those who want to be set free. But the best solution is to not get involved in anything related to demons or witchcraft. None of this is Christian and none of this is just innocent fun.

Don’t be stupid. Be careful! Amen.