Hi Folk
When we accept Christ into our lives we enter into a spiritual battle that most of us are blissfully unaware of. In Mark 1:21-18 we find Jesus teaching in the synagogue, just then a demon possessed man screams out “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.” Immediately Jesus rebukes him and the evil spirit is cast out.
There are a few things that we can take from this encounter. Firstly when Jesus starts teaching and preaching there is a clash of kingdoms. The spirit knows that his time is limited and lashes out, but Jesus immediately tells him to keep quiet and casts him out. This is not an isolated incidence, but a common event in Jesus’ ministry. Secondly, the man with the evil spirit was in the synagogue, possibly an upstanding member of the community. He was there performing his religious duty, but when Jesus brings the truth of the Gospel, the spirit inside him can’t stand it. Thirdly this confrontation acts as a witness for the other people in the synagogue They see the power of God first hand and they can’t help but acknowledge the authority of Jesus’ ministry.
Is this an incidence for Jesus’ time only or can we expect this today? The answer is yes we can and we should! The apostle Paul tells us that our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:10-20) and encourages us to take up the armor of God so that we can stand against evil. We must however always remember that we are not fighting for victory, we are fighting from victory. Jesus has already won the battle, we just need to make sure that devil gets the message.
God Bless
Christo