When Jesus began His public ministry, the thing that struck people the most was His way of dealing with evil spirits.
And it’s worthwhile to take notice that this kind of ministry had never previously been recorded in the Old Testament.
In the Old Testament, it mostly dealt with the physical realm. David picked up five stones and killed the giant.
But in the New Testament, Jesus came ministering in the realm of the soul. After the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, we minister mainly in the realm of the spirit. If we can get a persons’ spirit rightly related to the Lord, then that person can walk in the spirit, and stay free from evil spirits.
Almost all His other miracles, healings, provision of food, control of nature, had already been recorded in the Old Testament, but there’s no Old Testament record of driving out evil spirits.
And the people who witnessed it were immediately gripped by it and became excited about it.
Mark 1: 23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority, He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. I think the best way to translate that would be under the influence of an unclean spirit.
There are three phrases that are used interchangeably, demons, evil spirits, and unclean spirits.
It also talks about specific types of spirits such as a spirit of infirmity or a spirit of fear.
There was a man in their synagogue under the influence of an unclean spirit, and he cried out… Notice the ‘he’ is not the man, it’s the spirit. …saying, ‘Let us alone. What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy One of God.
Notice that the evil spirits instantly identified who Jesus was. It took His disciples maybe more than a year to begin to realize who He really was.
But those evil spirits knew instantly. They feared Him. Also notice the combination of us and I, which is very typical.
When Jesus spoke to the man in Gadarenes (Mark 5), He said, ‘What is your name?’ singular, and He said, ‘My name is legion for we are many.
And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.
Notice there were very dramatic physical manifestations. It was not the kind of behavior that was normal in the synagogue.
Somebody once said, in most churches what they would have done was put the man out of the church. But Jesus put the demon out of the man.
What new doctrine is this? Or what is this? A new doctrine with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him. And there’s no indication that the man had behaved abnormally before. Can you see this?
It was the presence of Jesus with the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon him.
I do not have time this moment to go into the Greek or find a translation that says demon possessed, but the best translation would be demonized. This translation, demon-possessed, has unfortunately confused the issue for millions of people. Because they say, how can a Christian be possessed by the devil?
My answer is a true Christian cannot be possessed by the devil. A true Christian is possessed by Jesus. However, in many true Christians there are some areas in their soul where they are demonized, where they are afflicted, obsessed and affected by demons.
Areas in their lives and character where they are not themselves fully in control. And they are demonized but not possessed by Satan.
If we could just clear away that one obstacle of translation, we would be a lot further to seeing reality.