“And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying ‘Be silent and come out of him!’ And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.” Luke 4:33-35 ESV
Our 21st century culture follows our ancestors in a deep fascination with the demonic. I recall friends and acquaintances raving about the movie The Exorcist. If you have not seen the movie, I will spare you the details. Only know that there is a girl possessed by a demon, there is a priest or two that yell “the power of Christ compels you!”, and chaos unfolds. With the latest horror movie Nosferatu, movie-goers are subjected to the horrific for pleasure. There is something about the demonic that ‘feels at home’ for humanity. Why might this be?
Humanity loves itself. Man loves himself. Why? We have been conceived in sin. Our first parents Adam and Eve were made perfect, holy unto the LORD, no demonic possession or interest therein. Yet as the story goes, Adam blamed the LORD for the creation of his wife, thus not taking responsibility for her actions with the demonic serpent. Thus, curses followed. Humanity’s devotion to the demonic developed. At our core as human beings, we are at home in our sin. Hence why the devil’s might is so great and our need for Jesus is that much greater.
An example of the demonic is this man depicted in Luke 4. Luke does not tell us why the man had an unclean demon. Only that he was possessed. In the synagogue - the LORD’s House mind you - the demons in this man cried out, hoping to cause a ruckus, alarming others of who Jesus actually was (and is). As a tangent, be mindful that the demon knew who Jesus was: the Holy One of God. Even the demonic knows who Jesus is and they listen to Him.
So, Jesus quelled that demon. By a spoken Word, Jesus delivered that man from his plight. The demon came out of the man and he was left unharmed. The demon was gone, the man delivered from his present disaster. Jesus quelled the demon’s might.
In our 21st century culture, the demonic is relegated to antiquity. With the advent of scientific achievement and human hubris, there seems little space left to allow for the reality of demonic possession or that of spiritual warfare. Especially for Christians, we are to be on guard. Being claimed by Jesus puts a target on our back. The devil wants us, he craves our submission to him. Why? Solely to undermine Jesus. Thanks be to God by a spoken Word, we can quell the Devil’s might. When we are subjected to spiritual warfare, we can say “Devil, I am a baptized child of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Name, leave me!” And it happens. Jesus quells the Devil’s might because He is the Holy One of God, crucified and risen for you. Thanks be to God!
The Rev. Matthew Berry is pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Sikeston, Missouri. Based in Sikeston’s Historic North End, Concordia is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), a theologically conservative, biblically sound, Christ-centered church.