DEMON FAITH
Mark 5:6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
We have seen that evangelism, not resulting in faith, causes one’s soul to be “empty, swept, and garnished,” and made ready for seven more devils than before. (See “The Parable of the Storm,” May 25, 2014). This work of the cleansing of souls from immorality was accomplished by the ministry of John the Baptist in his ministry as Forerunner. (Read Luke 3:1-18). He plainly told the multitudes that he only baptized them with water, but they would need to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And that could only be accomplished through the ministry of Jesus Christ, the Son of God!
But they blasphemed the Holy Spirit in Christ, saying that his spirit to perform miracles was of the devil! Therefore there were many in that generation who were in worst condition now, being filled with more demonic influence than before. Matt. 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
And in this wicked generation, invaded by strong demonic influence, we come to find our man filled by Legion; that is, enough demons to fill 2000 pigs! And this area of Decapolis was a region of ten cities where these masses of devils were content to dwell. For they besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Within this passage we are given some rich insights to the wiles (deceits) of the devil. (Ephes. 6:11). We are solely indebted to the eternal Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, for this look into Demon Faith! For it was he alone, sovereign over all things, who called these devils out to give account of themselves, the same as he did to Satan himself in the first two chapters of the Book of Job. 1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. Let us see what he has revealed to us.
First, let us consider Demon Faith. James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. Present day religionists, faithful to their traditions in quoting their creeds, or their Articles of Faith, stating “The Lord our God is one Lord,” are stating no more than demons believe! And the devils even tremble, which is far more than mere religionists do! And religionists are instructed to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Phil. 2:12). It shall be a terrible awareness to wake up in eternity, facing the glorious Lord Christ and be suddenly confronted with the fact that all the while they only had demon faith!
But just what kind of faith is it? Consider this verse: 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. Demon faith is a ‘faith’ derived from fear of torment. Listen to their concern as recorded by Matthew: Matt. 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
They knew he was Lord! And they knew that they abode not in him, as the Truth, from the beginning! John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: And they knew that they had kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, and that he hath reserved already, some of them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 6). They knew that eternal darkness and torment would be there’s without possibility of appeal, or parole! Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
There’s was a faith of fear! For they strongly believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that he would eventually cast them into the outer darkness which he had prepared for them. Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
But the true believer’s faith is a faith of love. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16). All true faith originates in love! Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. And they have a spiritually assured confidence, as they know that Christ is their life. It is his faith that dwells within them. For their faith in him is the faith of him! Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Christ is their justification! Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Christ is their wisdom, sanctification and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: Therefore the true, blood-bought believer may be, through remaining corruption of the flesh, influenced by demons, but he cannot be in-dwelt by them. For the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in his heart.
Next let us see that the demonic seeks to assert the identity of human kind from their indwelling! Mark 5:9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. The Lord Jesus asked the man his name and the demons responded! That is what transpired when Israel was taken into Babylonian captivity! They had their identities removed and were given heathen names! Ask the average church goer and they can only tell you the Babylonian names of the three Hebrew children who were put in the fiery furnace. Daniel 1:6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.
And the one thing that the Father does for the resurrected Son in order to begin the new, spiritual creation and kingdom is to give him a name above every name! Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And the one thing the Son does for every individual believer is to issue them a new name for their new spiritual identity! Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
For now that redemption is complete (John 19:30 It is finished:), and then is applied, neither the believer, nor even Christ Jesus can be identified and known as before! 2 Corinthians 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Truly did the Lord Jesus state, the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19).
Just as in Adam all humans have their natural life and receive their names, so in Christ all true believers have their spiritual life and are identified by name, in him! 1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. And in eternity, every human soul shall either be identified by demons, or by Christ. Psalm 9:5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
And just as Adam was given the task of naming all the animals, who were also made of the ground, (Gen. 2:18-25), in order to cause him to understand who his bride was when God presented her to him, so the Lord Jesus, the last Adam, also knows his sheep and calls them by name in order to form his Bride! John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. It is by this effectual call he gathers his Bride, the Church, to himself! Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
And in Genesis 2:19, as Adam is conducting extensive scientific studies in order to discern the nature and characteristics of each animal in order to give it a proper name, we have the first time it is recorded that he spoke. Therefore the inner contemplations of his heart concerning their character form a word to give the animal its rightful name! And so it is with the Last Adam, as his effectual word comes forth to each individual sheep, giving them the awareness of their identity in him, calling their name to bring them to spiritual union with Himself!
The woman at the tomb thought him to be the gardner until he spoke her name! Then we read in John 20:16, Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. On the road to Damascus the first Christian terrorist was stopped in his tracks by Christ calling his name from heaven! Acts 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? He changed Abram’s and Sarai’s, and Peter’s names to correct them from that which earthly parents gave them. He would have them called by his name, for his purposes in them!
There seems to have been a work of the Holy Spirit after the Lord had shown that the womb could bring forth depraved seed (Cain – see 1 John 3:12), in bringing forth the righteous seed of Enos. Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD. For the Hebrew in this last phrase reads that men begin to call themselves by the name of the LORD.
Sometimes he gave his people hope in seeing the miracle of the natural birth, as he did in the case of the birth of Noah. Genesis 5:28 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed. For “Noah” means “rest” or “comfort.”
And Nathaniel was astounded that the Lord knew his character, having never met him. John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Hereby the Lord told him his character and even set forth what that character did. He was under a fig tree in private, probably praying. And the only one who could have known this other than himself, was the one to whom he prayed. And that One was the Lord Jesus!
Pastor Gene Breed, May 28, 2014
