Bible Reading:
Luke chapter 4 verses 31 to 37

Delivered from satan

It was Jesus' custom to preach in the Synagogues on the Sabbath days. He preached Gods command to repent and to believe The Gospel. He spoke many things that impressed people.

He came to Capernaum and taught there. Mark 1:22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. He did not preach as the scribes, who talked about the Law of God but did not understand it and were not affected with it; it came not from the heart, and therefore came not with authority. But Christ taught as one that had authority, as one that knew the mind of God, and was commissioned to declare it. The Lord Jesus taught repentance and faith as the way of Salvation. Not "Good Works" as the scribes taught. (Scribes were lawyers.)

Mark 1:23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. A very solemn verse. It might have been that the man was used to going every Sabbath. Nobody knew! Under Gods law, the Jews rejected every unclean thing. This man was taken over by the devil yet he was allowed, by the people, undisturbed into the synagogue.

The devil is the enemy of God and of man made in Gods image. Satan is the prince of devils; he has many lesser devils that do as he says. They all hate God and want to drag all humanity into hell. It was satan who tempted Adam and Eve to sin and it was sin that brought all death and illness and pain and suffering into the world. Devils always seek to harm people. They want us to think anything but the truth about them and about their purposes and about their actions. They try to spread confusion and destruction everywhere. The devil is the father of lies and will lie so people will not know that he is the evil being the Bible says he is.

So, what was he doing sending this man to the place of worship on the Sabbath day? Was this a kind devil? All other accounts speak of harm to people possessed by devils. This devil was no exception; his purpose was to harm the man by letting him attend the worship of God. Surely it's good to attend worship services? It is if we attend to seek God. The person who goes because they think it is enough to get them to heaven is deceived and is lost and is on their way to be with the devil in hell for ever.

The Lord Jesus disturbed the devil because of Who He is. Also, He taught with authority things that had not been taught by the Scribes. The Gospel is the power of God to save sinners. Repentance and faith, not just trying to obey Gods law like the scribes taught. The devil shouted out in the service, Mark 1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. He was afraid of The Lord Jesus although he still tried to make people think less of Him by calling Him Jesus of Nazareth. Nothing good was expected out of Nazareth. (But Jesus came from Bethlehem.) He still had to acknowledge that The Lord Jesus was The Holy One of God. Anyone who goes no farther than believing that The Lord Jesus is Who He says He is goes no farther than the devils, and they will be cast into hell forever.

The Lord Jesus had authority and power over the devil and was able to silence him and cast him out of the man against the devils will. The devil shook the man and made him cry out as the devil left but the devil did no harm to the man

The people were amazed, firstly, at what He taught then, secondly, at what He was able to do. He spoke powerful words backed up by powerful deeds. His deeds confirmed the authority of His words.

What, do you suppose, would have happened to that man if The Lord Jesus had not gone to preach in that Synagogue? He would have gone on in his life possessed by the devil. He would have gone down to his grave deceived into thinking he was a good religious man that worshipped God. What a shock for that man at the day of judgement! The mans' only hope was for The Lord Jesus to come and deliver him. He could not deliver himself. It could be that noone at all knew he had a problem. Maybe nobody but The Lord Jesus and the devil knew.

The Bible tells us that we are all held in the power of satan until someone mightier than he comes along and rescues us. 2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Matthew 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.)

Has The Lord Jesus rescued you? Has He brought you to turn away from sin and to believe Gods' Word in The Gospel? You may not have been possessed by the devil in the way this man was but satan holds everyone born into the world in sin. Only The Lord Jesus can deliver a sinner from satan. If you ask Him He will.