And whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”Mark 3:11
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,
I am always fascinated by some of the intellectual tensions that we discover in God’s Word. What I mean by this is that there are numerous instances in Scripture where one truth is set forth seemingly against another, leaving us only to ponder their relationship.
For example, we immediately think of the perplexing relationship between our Lord’s sovereignty over all things (even over our free choices), and our responsibility before Him for what we actually chose. Or we might consider the intellectual tension set forth by Jesus in the Lord’s Prayer. On one hand, the Lord reminds us that our “ Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). And on the other, our Savior summons us to “ Pray, then, in this way . . .” (Matthew 6:9). Divine omniscience is no threat to the necessity of prayer in the same way that divine sovereignty is not a threat to our moral agency.
In Mark 3:11, we find another such place of tension where two Biblical truths are held out together before us. Admittedly, in this passage the tension is hard to see at first glance. But as we look closer we discover something amazing and most comforting.
The setting for this passage was our Lord’s ministry near the sea of Galilee where multitudes from all regions of Israel, both Jews and Gentiles, were flocking to Him (vv. 7-8). As Mark explains in verse 8, the crowds came to Jesus because they had “ heard of all that He was doing.”
With such a massive crowd of people now coming to Him, Jesus began healing those with “ afflictions.” Quite understandably, this only encouraged the multitudes to press in upon Him even more excitedly, many simply wanting to “ touch Him” (v. 9).
And then Mark explains that at least one of the causes for the afflictions and illnesses of many in that great mass of needy people was the presence and activity of “ unclean spirits” (v. 11). Of course, we should not be at all surprised. For oftentimes Jesus would appear in the very place where the devil and his hosts of demons would be most active. Jesus, it seems, would deliberately target such areas for His ministry of deliverance and restoration.
Notice that the “ unclean spirits,” that had been accosting and tormenting the people, “ fell down” the instant they “ saw Him.” And as they were driven to the ground in humiliation and defeat before the Savior, they would loudly proclaim, “You are the Son of God”! How amazing! Even the demons of hell can become unwitting heralds of the Gospel!
In this remarkable scene, Jesus is defending the flock He has come to redeem. He is the Great Shepherd who will never forfeit or lose even one of His precious elect! The powers of the devil, his vast hosts, and even the malevolent energy of death itself, are rendered impotent simply by the appearance of the Sovereign Lord of Life and Salvation!
The Eternal Kingdom of Jesus is not in the least threatened by the powers of hell! And all who belong to Him are not only safe right now, they are free and safe for all eternity! For, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”(John 8:35). Or, as the Apostle Peter would later declare, through faith in our Savior and by His grace, we have received, “ an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5).
And this is where the tension comes in.
While we are safe and sound in Jesus, and are now completely protected by His power, we nonetheless must, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”(Mark 14:38).
The power of the devil is a reality indeed, as witnessed in this passage from March 3. The afflictions suffered by the masses were not psychosomatic in nature. There was real physical pain and disability, and the torment of both body and soul was produced by a very real enemy who wields great power for sure!
Likewise, for us as well on this side of eternity, danger still abounds in many ways for all true Christians. The promises that we have and share together in Christ cannot become excuses for passivity or neglegence in spiritual things. Again, Peter speaks so powerfully to this very point when he says, “ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Yes, it remains true that the demons fall down and Satan trembles at the mere sight of Jesus! But it is also true that we must always be alert, pray, resist, fight, obey, and be ever-discerning in view of our adversary’s constant lies.
We are safe for sure! But, we are still at war each day!
And here, then, is our encouragement for this new Monday.
The King of our redemption is the Lord and Commander of all things, even over the very demons of hell! No power on earth or in heaven can match or imperil His eternal omnipotence! We belong to Him who will never suffer us to be taken from His hands!
And yet, we have a sacred duty before Him; one we are to carry out each day in His grace and power. We must stand guard and stand our ground! We must live a life of humble obedience in view of our guaranteed victory. And while doing so, we have every reason to be confident and unafraid because the Lord we follow can dispatch all of His enemies by His mere appearance on the scene! And He has said, ” I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
May this be your hope today! May this encourage you as you live for His Kingdom!
I love you all more than words can describe,
Mike