Darkness & Light

In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus confronted two demon possessed men that lived in the graveyard. They were so violent that no one dared pass through that area, but Jesus did. The demons instantly recognized Him and screamed at Him, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Are you here to torment us before the appointed time?” (vs 29). We know how the story ends, Jesus casts the demons out into a nearby herd of pigs and they run off a cliff killing themselves. 

When the people of the village saw what Jesus had done, they should’ve danced with joy! Somebody’s sons were set free, and the entire village was safer because Jesus exposed the darkness and dealt with it. But their response was cold and thankless…  “Go away and leave us alone!” (vs 34). Why was this their response? Had the fear of the demonic realm cowered them into mousy men who would rather ignore darkness and pretend it doesn’t exist? 

We see the same ignorant willingness today. Jesus told us of this response… “This is the verdict: Light (Jesus) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of Light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). 

Until we see these problems for what they are, not just a mere mental illness, or just a drug addiction, but a demonic assault on society, we can’t fix it. But, when this darkness is exposed, and the Light of Christ is offered through the Gospel, the chains of this demonic bondage will be broken, and lives will be forever changed. May we rise up, with clarity of vision, and pray for a spiritual awakening, and a deliverance from evil, that will bring the Love and Light of God to the lost.

(Devotional by Cheryl Hall-Laos)