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Matthew 8:28-29
Jesus has just rebuked a storm that threatened the lives of His disciples while crossing the sea in a boat (Matthew 8:23-27). I note that the storm threatened the lives of His disciples because Jesus knew that the storm was no threat to Him as He was in control even of the elements of the weather.
As Jesus and His disciples complete their crossing of the sea, two men that are demon-possessed approach them. These men are described in Matthew 8:28 (NKJV) as being, “exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.” These men were mean. These men disrupted the lives of anyone who crossed the sea and came to their land. These men were feared by anyone who crossed their paths. But as they approach Jesus, they question Him as if they are the ones in fear of someone else; a surprising change in the attitude of these fearsome men. Matthew 8:29 states, “And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” These men have already been described as being demon-possessed. They know that their time of spiritual freedom is coming to an end, and they fear that Jesus has come to punish them in advance of the day in which all will be judged. They fear that they have behaved in such a way that in their disobedience to God, they will be destroyed first. The demons are aware of their eternal punishment and already live in it; they are tormented day and night with no rest. James 2:19 (NIV) declares, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.”
This is an example of the power of Jesus over even the most fearsome of demons, which includes the devil.
Satan and his demons know that their time of tormenting humanity is limited, and in their tormented state, they cannot control their evilness as they have been removed from the guidance and blessings that they once knew before they decided to follow the ways of Lucifer/the devil. But they also know that humans, without the protection of Jesus, are vulnerable to their torments. If someone never opens their heart to the forgiveness that Jesus offers us through His death, burial, and resurrection, the torments of the devils demons will one day, when physical death arrives, meet the point at which there is no return; the point at which all realization of heaven and hell will become evident and the opportunity to ask forgiveness from Jesus will be gone and the eternity of that soul will be lost to hell.
This is the battle that goes on within each of us as Satan continually strives to keep us from realizing the need for forgiveness and a new life in Christ Jesus. Satan is mad and he always will be. He has lost his fight to become greater than the One Almighty God of heaven. He is throwing a fit that is more fierce than any fit you have ever – or will ever see, and as he has lost his battle with God, and has been thrown out of God’s glory, he wants to prevent any of us from gaining what he has lost; and he will if we do not ask Jesus into our hearts to forgive us from the things in which Satan has caused us to do in disobedience to God. But we have a Savior; we have an advocate in Christ Jesus to save us from the sins that the devil is striving to trap us in. We may be set free from the sins of this world through believing in Jesus and opening our hearts to the forgiveness that only He can give John 3:16-18; Romans 10:9-10. This is what salvation is all about, and Jesus has proclaimed the good news of it to us in Him. Jesus tells His disciples in John 14:6 (ESV), “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV), “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We cannot fight against these powers by ourselves and win, but if we will ask Jesus to help us and save us from this eternal torment, He will, if we are sincere to Him and confess our sins to Him, that He may then cleanse us from sin. Putting our faith in Jesus and seeking God’s will for our lives is the salvation that we can experience now, and then in heaven forever!
Dear LORD,
We do not know what demons the devil puts in our paths each day, and their attack on our lives may come as a surprise, but we do believe that You are more powerful than all the demons and of the devil himself. We know that You are able to save us from the attacks of Satan if we will put and keep our faith in Jesus. Please let it be so LORD as You convict our hearts to open them to the salvation that only Jesus provides – for eternity to be spent in heaven with You in Your glory! In Jesus name I pray, amen.