I have often, as you have guessed if you have read many articles on this blog, thought that abuse is demonic to one extent or another, varying most likely from case to case. Thinking about this brought to mind the following Scripture. Let’s read it and then see what characteristics we can find here that point to the kingdom of darkness being involved:
Mark 5:1-9, They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. (2) And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. (3) He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, (4) for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. (5) Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. (6) And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. (7) And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” (8) For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” (9) And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”
Luke adds –
Luke 8:26-29, “Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. (27) When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. (28) When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” (29) For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.)”
Ok, let’s see what we can derive from this account (other than the fact that this, as you may know, was the origin of deviled ham. Really! My old Sunday School teacher told me so. The pigs, you know). What are the evidences here of the devil being involved –
- Demons are theists. No atheism here. They recognize Jesus and acknowledge who He is.
- They fear Christ. They know that their judgment is at hand.
- Rages and violence. People feared him. No one could subdue him.
- Nudity. Could this also be sexual perversions? Who wants to even think about the kind of stuff this guy would do.
- Preoccupation with death. He lived, of all places, among the tombs. And he was self-destructive, cutting himself. Suicidal?
Now, I am not trying to encourage our readers to set out on a demon hunt or trying to come up with some exorcism ritual to deal with their abuser. It is Christ, and Christ alone – His truth and His Spirit alone that can set those bound by Satan free. The gospel is the sword of the Spirit we use. But I am suggesting that some of these kinds of qualities that were true of this demon-possessed man also crop up in many abusers. They fear Christ – especially the “religious” ones. They rage. They are given to sexual perversions and abuse. They talk about killing others, and of taking their own lives as well (and some of them do. You read about it just about everyday in the news).
Have you ever wondered, as you read through Scripture, why there were so many demon-possessed people when Jesus was here in this world? Or, to put it another way, have you ever wondered if there are still lots of them today, but we don’t know how to spot them?
This much I can be sure of. Abuse is of the devil. He has his hand in it.