Harmony #33: The Wind And The Waves Obey Him (Mark 4-5; Matthew 8; Luke 8)

In the parables about the kingdom of God, Jesus had claimed that his new Kingdom was going to grow from very small, almost invisible beginnings to fill the whole earth. If he claims a kingdom, he better be a king. Now he will show that he has the power and authority to make that happen.[1] Before we dive in to today’s passage, we need to talk about the time and place where Jesus lived.

The Jewish people were not a seafaring people. They liked land. You see throughout the Old Testament that they associated the sea with the fear and chaos.

·      Psalms describes the sea as a dangerous place (30:1; 69:1-3)

·      The sea contained Leviathan, which symbolized chaos and destruction that only God could control (Isaiah 17:12; 27:1; 51:9-10; Psalm 65:5-7; 77:19; 89:9; 93:3-4; Exodus 14-15; Isaiah 51:10; Daniel 7:2-7; Job 7:12).

·      Once, on the Sea of Galilee, when Jesus walked toward them on the water during a storm, they were like, “Yeah, that’s a ghost,”[2] as if, obviously. That’s the kind of thing that shows up in a storm on the sea.

·      The prophets saw God’s ability to control the sea as proof that God was strong enough to redeem his people (Isaiah 63:11–14; Isaiah 10:24–26; 43:2, 16–17; 50:2; Zechariah 10:11).[3]

·      Isaiah 51:9–10 celebrates the deliverance from Egypt in this way: “Was it not you who cut Rahab [Leviathan] to pieces, who pierced that monster through? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over?”

The fact that they didn’t like the sea didn’t mean they avoided fishing. In the area where Jesus grew up, the Sea of Galilee was the place to fish. This lake is about 7 miles by 12 miles, so it’s big. Much like the great lakes, strong storms could hit fast. It’s surrounded by hills with openings where a river enters and then exits, and that funnels strong wind. When we read today that Jesus and his disciples went from one side to the other, it wasn’t just a jaunt. And to get hit by a major storm in the middle of the lake was terrifying.

When they get to the other side, they are in an area that is mostly Gentile. The inhabitants apparently came from to the Canaanite nations driven out of the Promised Land by Joshua and the Israelites (Joshua 3:10; Acts 13:19). These nations had worshiped Baal, and they ate (and sacrificed) pigs (Isaiah 65:3-5, 66:3).[4] 

The Jewish people who live there seem have assimilated quite a but into the culture of their neighbors, if for no other reason than they are comfortable living around a herd of 2,000 pigs (the Law forbade Jewish people from having or eating pigs). That’s likely a temple herd, which served two purposes: meat for a Roman legion stationed there (whose standard was a wild boar), and sacrifices for the temple. And in an interesting sidenote, these pigs were sometimes sacrificed by being thrown off a cliff and into the Sea of Galilee.[5]

Here, Jesus will meet a demon-possessed man. Keep in mind that Jews, Romans, and Greeks all believed in a supernatural world inhabited by, among other things, demons that could possess people (though they didn’t agree on what demons were). Demons, though below the gods in their pantheons, were semi-divine beings that often became the local spiritual authority (think of Paul talking about people sacrificing to demons)[6]. When people were freed from a demon, typically some type of physical sign was necessary. Here are two examples from the culture at that time. The first is from the Greeks.

But Apollonius… ordered him to quit the young man and show by a visible sign that he had done so. “I will throw down yonder statue,“ said the devil, and pointed to one of the images that were in the king’s portico… when the statue began by moving gently, and then fell down, it would defy anyone to describe the hubbub which arose. [The account concludes with the young man showing his freedom from the demon by giving up his old way of living and following after Apollonius’ way of life.]

The second is from the Jewish community. Josephus records,

“Then, wishing to convince the bystanders and prove to them that he had this power, Eleazar placed a cup or foot basin full of water a little way off and commanded the demon, as it went out of the man, to overturn it and make known to the spectators that he had left the man. And when this was done, the understanding and wisdom of Solomon were clearly revealed.”[7]

So, the story we will read about demon possession and exorcism was not an unusual story for that time. There is record in all of those cultures of how the people went about trying to get demons out of people.

Jesus Calms a Storm (Mk 4:35-41; Mt 8:18, 23-27; Lk 8:22-25)
On that day, when evening came, Jesus saw a large crowd around him and said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” So after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was. As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him, and other boats were with him.

 Now a violent windstorm[hurricane] came down on the lake and a great storm [earthquake] developed on the sea. The waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. So they came and woke him up saying, “Lord (Master, Teacher), save us! Don’t you care that we are about to die?”

But Jesus said to them, “Why are you full of fear [fainthearted], you people of little faith [literally, failing to hear his voice][8]? Do you still not have faith [have you still not been persuaded]?” So Jesus got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the raging sea, “Be quiet! Calm down!”[9]

Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm. But the disciples were overwhelmed by fear [respect, awe][10] and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!”

Jesus uses the same language to rebuke the wind as God did when he rebuked the waters at creation (Job 26:10–12) and later the Red Sea (Psalms 106:9).[11] Jesus’ power over nature was a sign that God was working again in history, as he had in the exodus from Egypt.[12]

Healing Demon-Possessed Man (Mk 5:1-20; Mt 8:28-34; Lk 8:26-39)

So they sailed to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat and stepping ashore, a certain man with an unclean spirit (demon- possessed) came from the tombs near the town and met him.[13]

He was extremely violent, so that no one was able to pass by that way. For a long time this man had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among the tombs. No one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces.

No one was strong enough to subdue him. He would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places. Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. Then he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God—do not torment me! Have you come here to torment me before the time?”  (For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”)

Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?”[14]And he said, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” He begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of the region into the abyss.  There on the hillside, some distance from them, a great herd of pigs was feeding. And the demonic spirits begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.”[15]

 Jesus gave them permission and said, “Go!” So the unclean spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of pigs rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.

 Now the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, telling everything that had happened to the demon-possessed man. So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They found the man from whom the “Legion” of demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid [respect; awe].

Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed, and they also told about the pigs. Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they asked Jesus to leave them alone and begged him to leave their region, for they were seized with great fear [dread][16]. So he got into the boat and left.

As Jesus was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. But Jesus did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, “Return to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you.” So he went away and began to proclaim throughout the whole Decapolis what Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed.

In both incidents we see:

·      Chaos and violence; a physical and spiritual storm that seemingly cannot be controlled.

·      The command to be silent. Literally, be muzzled.[17]

·      The resultant calm.

·      A ‘fear’ from observers that is at one point awe and another point dread, though the order is reversed: the disciples start with dread and end with awe; the others start with awe and end with dread.

* * * * *

The episode with the storm is not a new kind of story in the Bible. We constantly see a God who brings order out of chaos often represented as a turbulent, storm-ridden sea. Psalm 46celebrates the fact that even while the mountains are falling into the sea and the waters roar and foam, God’s people have no need to fear. ‘Be still and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10).

The disciples see clearly that Jesus holds the power that only God has. The same one who can restore peace to a tempest can also restore peace to a demonised life.[18] The King knows how to rule His Kingdom.

As I was studying this week, I found my empathy for the disciples increasing. It’s hard to trust God in the midst of storms. I appreciate this story. Jesus said, “Let’s go to the other side. Let’s go on a trip from here to there.” And the disciples were like, “Fantastic!” They had no idea that before they got to where Jesus intended for them to go, they would fear for their lives a storm hit that threatened to capsize their boat. And as far as they could tell, the King didn’t care that much about his Kingdom. He was asleep at the time they needed him most.

I’m not gonna lie – I would have yelled at him too. I mean, I have. Maybe you have to.

But notice Jesus doesn’t give up on them or leave them. In fact, the only thing he rebukes is the storm. He just reminds them: “If you really understood what I was saying, you would be persuaded to believe I am who I say I am, and you would not be afraid.”

He doesn’t berate or belittle them. He doesn’t shame them. He doesn’t reject them. He does yet another thing that should help them be persuaded to believe his is who he claimed.[19] And then he takes them on his next mission. He takes the ones cowering in the boat to his confrontation of a demon-possessed man who was ripping chains apart. I mean, if I were picking a band of brothers to go with me into that kind of situation, I wouldn’t want the group that had just yelled at me for not caring about them. But it worked out just fine, because Jesus didn’t need their power or their amazing fearlessness to take care of business.

It tends to make stories more meaningful if we can find ourselves in the story. Well, there we are. The disciples. Going from being in awe of Jesus, then wondering why he apparently doesn’t care, then being amazed again. Going from “Life is good!” to, “I might not survive this storm. Wherever we’re going, I’m not sure I’m gonna make it.” Lather, rinse, repeat.

But life unfolds like this story unfolds. There’s calm, then chaos, then calm, then chaos. Hope, then fear; peace, then anxiety; joy, then mourning. The sea of life is at times beautiful and at times not. Meanwhile, the King is in the boat with us.

One thing I know: with Jesus, will get to the other side of the most important journey of all, the one through this life and into the next. The second thing I know is that any storm I face on this of eternity, it will never be stronger than Jesus. He constantly, over and over, “makes a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over.”

The second thing I notice is that these two incidents give a real world example of the parables of the Kingdom Jesus just told.

Parable of the Sower: Jesus said, “Did you fail to hear my voice? Were you not persuaded?” He is pointing out that his word had not take root well at that point. They “received it with great joy,” but it was still shallow, and the cares of the world threatened to choke it out. The truth he had given them was struggling to grow well.

Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds: They are heading to a place with more weeds than wheat. When Jesus gets there, he does not destroy the weeds. Similar to what happened in Samaria with the Woman at the Well, he shows that in the Kingdom, the weeds can still become wheat. As long as there is time, we plant God’s truth.

The Parable of the Farmer: Just like the wheat grew without the farmer’s input, the possessed man was freed through no strength of his own. He was in over his head. Only Jesus could do it. And now the word was going to spread and Kingdom grow not because that man was amazing, but because Jesus is.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed: As the kingdom spreads (in this case to Gerasenes), others, like the demon-possessed man, benefit from it. And just like the evil birds from the Sower end up in the healing branches of the kingdom, so does the demoniac. The Kingdom rightly expressed should make everyone’s life better. If the branches of the spreading tree don’t provide healing to the nations[20] and hope for the brokenhearted[21], and it’s not a place where the weary and heavy-laden can find rest,[22] it’s not the Kingdom.

The Parable of the Yeast: Jesus just sends one man to evangelize the area. It only takes a spark. In the Hunger Games, they encourage each other with, “May the odds be ever in your favor.” That would be nice, but the odds may never be in our favor, and that’s okay. The power of the good news of Jesus Christ has overcome the odds over and over.

The Parables of the Pearl and Treasure. Notice that the inhabitants of the land don’t want what Jesus offers. It’s too high of a price. Their lives were oriented around the worship of the gods they knew. That pig herd = money. Staying on the good side of their god = comfort. Having a Roman legion that depended on them for food = security. I suspect that when Jesus handled Legion so easily, that was unsettling, which is why awe turned to fear. It’s a sobering reminder of the human tendency to look away when Jesus threatens to upend our lives.

* * * * * *

Parable of the Sower: Are the things we have “received with great joy” taking root? How will we know? There will be a crop of that which was planted. Forgiveness =forgiving. Love = loving. Kindness = doing kind things. Patience = actually being patient. Peacemaking = contributing to peace, not contention. Learning about Jesus = leaning on Jesus.

Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds: Take heart: Jesus turns weeds into wheat. He knows which one you are or how much you have of each in your heart, and He plans to do work. He did not come to destroy you; he came to destroy that which is destroying you so that you might have life.[23]

The Parable of the Farmer: Gospel truth will spread and the Kingdom will grow not because we are amazing, but because Jesus is amazing. His strength is perfected – shown in its full glory – in the midst of our weakness. He who ‘began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.’ (Philippians 1:6)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed: The Kingdom rightly expressed should make everyone’s life better both in the Kingdom and around the Kingdom. As our branches spread, there is meant to be nourishment, protection and shade for all. It’s yet another way God makes the sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain to the just and unjust.”[24] How are the branches of this church? Are we growing and flourishing as God intended: as a healing place of truth and love; a grace-filled place of hope for the brokenhearted; an oasis in the desert of the world where the weary and heavy-laden can find rest? I’m not trying to call us out. It’s just a reminder of what the Kingdom rightly expressed looks like.

The Parable of the Yeast: Your life and testimony matter. You might be that one person going into places that might be indifferent at best or hostile at worst. Go. Tell them what Jesus has done for you, and them, and the world. For some of us, it can sound really intimidating to tell people about Jesus, especially if you were raised in an environment that said, “Evangelism will look like this for everybody! There’s a template!” Jesus’ instructions strike me as simple and doable. The man didn’t need a degree or have memorized the entire Bible or be radically extroverted or have any special skills or talents. “Tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you.” Huh. If that’s a way to “give an answer for the hope that lies within,” that’s doable.[25] It’s lovely to have a bunch of people doing this, but it starts with one.

The Parables of the Pearl and Treasure. If there is a tendency to look away when Jesus threatens to upend their lives, this is a reminder to see and process Jesus for who he is. The people in Gerasenes loved the life they had too much to be bothered with Jesus. And it’s not as if the disciples didn’t struggle with this. At one point Peter rebuked Jesus for saying Jesus was going to be killed. “That will never happen to you.” Based on Jesus reply, I get the impression that Peter was trying to reassure himself that there would be no hard times if he stuck with Jesus.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.  What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matthew 16:24-26)

Or, as Paul would later say it:

Whatever I used to count as my greatest accomplishments, I’ve written them off as a loss because of Jesus, the Anointed One. And more so, I now realize that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday’s garbage compared to knowing Jesus my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside—it’s nothing but a pile of waste—so that I may gain Him…  

I am charging on to gain anything and everything Jesus has in store for me—and nothing will stand in my way because He has grabbed me and won’t let me go.  Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; but there’s one thing I am doing: I’m leaving my old life behind, putting everything on the line for this mission.

I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: to cross the line, to win the prize, and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively in Jesus the Anointed.” (Philippians 3:7-14, excerpted)

___________________________________________________________________________________________

[1] Mark: A Ransom For Many, Welwyn Commentary Series

[2] Matthew 14

[3] NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

[4] https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/a-far-country-decapolis

[5] https://www.mysteriesofthemessiah.net/2016/01/08-06-03-gerasa-in-gadara-demon-possessed-gerasene/ 

[6] 1 Corinthians 10:20

[7] I found both of these stories recounted in “Demon Possession in the Greco-Roman World,” by Alan B. Howell.          

[8] The word used here is used 5 times in the Bible, and it always means failing to listen to what was being said. HELPS Word Studies. https://biblehub.com/greek/3640.htm

[9] ‘He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed’ (Psalm 107:29).

[10] Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

[11] NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

[12] NIV First Century Study Bible

[13] Matthew records two; Jesus only interacted with the one.

[14] “In God’s name.  This language appeared sometimes in magical exorcisms or often in other magical invocations of spirits…What is your name? Magicians often tried to control a spirit by using its name. If the spirits attempted to magically control Jesus in v. 7, they failed; here Jesus demands their name.” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[15] If I am connecting the dots correctly between the locals associating demons with their local gods and the herd being for temple sacrifice, Legion basically says, “Those pigs are ours already. Can we just go into them?”

[16] Why dread? I suspect because their god had been beaten.

[17] “The exercising of authority over demons, in the land ‘under’ another god, was a message. Jesus was saying, (demonstrating) that He had all authority, in any land. And the people there were scared, they recognized this, but more, they realized the significance of this. Centuries earlier, just as God demonstrated His power against the Egyptian gods through Moses and Aaron, so likewise Jesus demonstrated His power against the Greek gods. Little wonder that they asked Him to leave. The Egyptians did the same to Moses.”

 https://www.mysteriesofthemessiah.net/2016/01/08-06-03-gerasa-in-gadara-demon-possessed-gerasene/

[18] Mark: A Ransom For Many, Welwyn Commentary Series

[19] It reminds me a bit of Doubting Thomas, who wouldn’t believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he had more proof, and Jesus gave him more proof.

[20] Ezekiel 47:12; Revelation 22:2

[21] Psalm 34:18; 147:3

[22] Matthew 11:28-30

[23] John 10:10

[24] Matthew 5:45

[25] 1 Peter 3:15

Realms Seen and Unseen (Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 1 Peter 5:8-9)

C. S. Lewis once wrote, 

"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight."

In Message+ last week, we jumped right into a discussion of what it looks like to do spiritual warfare against evil. 

•  Chapter 8’s trumpets had revealed that the dragon’s demonic servants are at work in the world. 

• The 7 letters talked about Satan’s synagogue, throne, and secrets. 

• Chapter 13 ended with the idea that we crush the dragon and his forces by keeping God’s commandments and clinging to Jesus. 

Yet, as some of you noted, there are many other places in Scripture that also talk about other ways in which we do battle against the forces and presence of evil. So let’s talk first about what the Bible unveils about spiritual realities in the unseen realm around us, and second about the ways the Bible shows Christians fighting this spiritual battle.  

First, Christianity teaches a multi-dimensional universe. That is, we are dualists. We believe there are two parts to reality: the physical (or material) and the spiritual (or immaterial).  Some worldviews are monistic – that is, they think the ‘furniture of the universe’ is either all material or all immaterial, but the Judeo/Christian worldview rejects that notion. There are two dimensions that overlap, usually invisibly but sometimes in a way that can be seen. This is the biblical nature of reality. 

Just like the seen realm, the unseen realm is populated with beings.  The Old Testament uses language of structure, organization, even courts and forms of government in this realm. Whether this is a down-the-line literal reality or God’s way of using language to help us understand how things work behind the scenes, it’s an inhabited and ordered world.  

At the time the Bible was written, every culture took this for granted. You do not see the Bible taking the time to argue, for example, that God or gods existed. There was no need to convince anyone in the world of that outside of a few sporadic philosophers.[1] 

Homer (in The Iliad) illustrated another very common belief: there was a class of lesser divinities, intermediate beings between the gods and humans called demons (in Greek), which by the time of Jesus were acknowledged even by the Greeks to be bad news. Some philosophers had even begun to argue that they had gotten the Pantheon wrong: there was no way ‘gods’ would be that bad. They must be worshipping demons mistakenly. More on what Paul has to say about that later….

The notion that there was a ‘divine council’ in the heavens was everywhere in Ancient Near East cultures, including Israel. That Yahweh was The Lord of lords, The King of kings and Most High suggested lords, and kings, and beings lower than God but higher than us. The Old Testament is quite comfortable with this. There is a key distinction that drew a sharp line between God’s people and the surrounding cultures: there is only one truly Divine Being, one True God, One Creator, etc. Yahweh was in a category of his own.  No one was like Him. However, a realm of angels both true and fallen, populated with other beings that went by various names was all part of the furniture of the biblical universe. 

As you might expect, people were eager to be on the good side of these beings or recruit them to their side. TONS of literature has survived from the ancient world that references incantations, amulets, spells, wards…anything to use, control or tame this unseen realm.  When God tells his people not to use sorcery or witchcraft to pursue magical powers through contact with or attempted control of these spirits (e.g., Dt 18:10–12)[2] he is probably talking about that kind of thing.  

“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.”[3]

Most of the origin story to these beings is missing from the Biblical text. However, we know a few things.

• They must have been created, as only God is Uncreated.

• God gives them tasks, assignments, and responsibilities. Much like the first humans were given things to do as stewards of God’s physical world, these beings are apparently intended to be stewards of God’s spiritual world.[4]

• Some chose to rebel against God and His plan and fell, and others stayed loyal.[5] The good are the servants of God; the evil are hostile to his government and plan. [6]

• The one behind those who fell is Revelation’s dragon: the Satan, called by many different titles in the Bible. 

• A war has been and is being waged in the unseen realm that spills  over into the seen realm. We have been recruited into it, like it or not. 

 One of the main tools of those beings hostile to God’s government appears to be deception that leads people away from the true God and toward idolatry and the lifestyle that followed.  

“They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods they had not known; to new gods who had recently come along, gods your ancestors had not known about.” (Deuteronomy 32:17)

"They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood." (Psalm 106:37-38)

By the time Jesus arrived, Jewish tradition had a robust body of literature about demons (bad) and angels (good) and how they worked in the world. Think of it as constant commentary being written that filled in the biblical blanks. A lot of the way we think about the unseen realm can be traced back to this more than to simply Scripture.[7] It doesn’t mean those traditions are necessarily wrong, but they are commentary rather than Scripture. 

The NT gospels contain fifty-three references to "daimonia" (going back to Homer’s words in the Iliad). Think of our word “pandemonium.” It comes from that root word. Chaos is everywhere. Luke uses "pneuma ponera" (evil spirit) or "pneuma akatharta" (unclean spirit), which is pretty much the same thing. [8] Angels make 18 appearances in the NT.[9] I suspect there is less said because there was no need to warn about those :)

The human desire to worship these beings remained. Paul echoes the Old Testament:

Therefore, my beloved, stop the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread…  

What pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.  You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? (1 Cor. 10: 14.-22)

Once again, the primary tool seems to be deception, and concerted effort to pull people into a different kingdom with a different Lord. The churches in Revelation that wrestled with “Satan’s throne” and the synagogue of Satan? False teachers. It’s a pattern of concern in the New Testament.[10]  More often than not, we fight by embracing truth: walking in the light ( 1 Jo 1:5-7 ), putting off of the old and joyful putting on the new ( Eph 4:22-29: Col 1:13 ), being transformed ( 2 Cor 5:17 ) as we grow into the full measure of the stature of Christ ( Eph 4:14-16 ).[11] Those are our primary weapons, as we will see when we finish with Ephesians 6.

The New Testament also talks about “demonization,” a catch-all term that covers the influence of demons on the lives of people. Over the centuries, the church has developed lots of language and categories to describe how this might play out differently depending on the level of demonization, but the NT word is much more basic. It just means demons are influencing or manipulating people to varying degrees.[12]

When Jesus is establishing his power and authority over everything, especially over things the people feared, he has what some have called “power encounters” with the demonic. We see this several different times in his ministry. We are not told how these people got demonized, or why. We are just told that they are, and then Jesus frees them. 

The book of Acts only has three incidents involving evil spirits: the fortune-telling slave girl of Philippi (Acts 16:9-21), Simon of Samaria (Acts 8:5-24), and the sons of Sceva (Acts 19:11-17). 

It’s recognized as part of reality, and the incidents recorded seem to serve the purpose of establish Jesus’ power and authority. The point wasn’t to go demon hunting or find one behind every tree; the point is that Jesus is stronger than anything you will encounter.[13] 

As the early church unfolded, this kind of spiritual reality remained part of the ‘furniture’ of the church.  This link[14] will give a ton of info from the first several centuries, as will the summary and the last few pages of your notes.  It was just assumed by all to be a part of ongoing life in the Kingdom of God.  

This kind of confrontation of spirits eventually worked its way into all kinds of ceremonies, beginning to border on the kind of superstition if not outright attempts at magic (especially in the Western church) warned about in the Old Testament.  

Part of what the Reformation challenged was the sense that Catholic ceremonies and rites had become superstition and magic rather than a legitimate, Christ-centered exercise of God’s authority over the spiritual powers of darkness. Like other areas of the Catholic church, their desire was primarily to reform it, though for many it looked so ugly they rejected it all together.[15] 

Over time, there has been an ebb and flow to how different church branches and denominations in different times and places have handled this supernatural element. Many maintained teaching and structure for ‘power encounters’ throughout their existence (Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, Anglican); many of the Reformers put it on a back burner. though there is record of ongoing acknowledgment that strange things from the unseen realm intersected with ours. The renewed interest in the 70s of ‘spiritual warfare’ in the U.S. felt new, but it really just connected us with the broader church experience historically and globally.

* * * *

So that brings us to three key passages looking at what the Bible has to say about doing battle in the unseen realm.  

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12) 

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

 So what is spiritual warfare based on these passages of Scripture?

• the tensions, the conflicts, the ethical options, and the worldview choices which Christians must face

• the spiritual conflict between those who inhabit and/or serve the heavenly and demonic kingdoms

• the fight for truth

Since I talked last week about doing battle by keeping God’s commandments (that’s ‘worldview choices’) and holding to the testimony of Jesus (‘fight for truth’), let’s chat about the spiritual conflict in light of these beings around us. Hollywood can fill our heads with craziness; some Christian practices and teaching go beyond what Scripture in describing what must be happening in the unseen realm and how it must be influencing us and here’s the only way to deal with it… It can become frightening, confusing and overwhelming, none of which should follow when reading Scripture on this issue.

· Don’t ignore it. It’s real, and it’s happening. “There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” (C. S. Lewis). 

· Don’t be afraid. Nothing the Bible tells you about this realm is meant to make you scared. It’s meant to have you be sober-minded and on guard. 

· Pray a lot - “...without ceasing...” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 ) and “...on all occasions...”  (Ephesians 6:18)

· Don’t learn more about evil than about good. (“Whatever things are good...pure...of good report...think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8)

· Study the Bible. Jesus quoted Scripture when tempted by Satan - Matthew 4.

· Don’t crave a glimpse into the unseen realm.. People have told me they think it would be neat to see a deliverance because they want to see the demonic manifest.  That’s a terrible reason. Don’t be fascinated by evil. 

· Keep the commandments of God and trust his testimony. That was our Revelation 13 reminder last week. 

Ephesians 6:11-19

 “Take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the deceit of the devil… take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

· the belt of  truth   biblical accuracy; certainty, sincerity

· the breastplate of righteousness   Moral uprightness, justice

· feet laced with the gospel of peace   shalom; harmony; wholeness

· the shield of faith[16], with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one trust; loyalty; reliance

· the helmet of salvation   deliverance; preservation

· the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

· And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers...” 

And pray for me, that words may be given to me when I open my mouth, to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news [of salvation].”

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NOTES FROM CHURCH HISTORY ON THE UNSEEN REALM 

• Justin Martyr (ca. 160 A.D.): “For we do continually beseech God by Jesus Christ to preserve us from the demons which are hostile to the worship of God, and whom we of old time served… For we call Him Helper and Redeemer, the power of whose name even the demons do fear; and at this day, when they are exorcised in the name of Jesus Christ, crucified under Pontius Pilate, governor of Judæa, they are overcome. And thus it is manifest to all, that His Father has given Him so great power by virtue of which demons are subdued to His name, and to the dispensation of His suffering” (Dialogue, 30,3). “He (Christ) said, “I give unto you power to tread on serpents, and on scorpions… and on all the might of the enemy”. And now we, who believe on our Lord Jesus, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, when we exorcise all demons and evil spirits, have them subjected to us (Dialogue 76,6).

• Irenaeus’ (130 - 202) writings include evidence of a Church community actively gathering, praying, and fasting to bring about the raising of a dead member to life.

• Theophilus of Antioch (ca. 180 A.D.) said the Greek poets were inspired by demons. “This is clearly evidenced by the fact that even today demons are exorcised from possessed in the name of the true God, and then the deceiving spirits confess themselves that they are the demons who once worked in the poets…” (Ad Autolycum II,8).

• Cyprian, bishop of Carthage (210-258), was the first to establish an order of exorcists.

• In Hippolytus’ (170-235) conditions for admission for those who want to follow the baptismal instruction we read the following, “If anybody has a demon, then let him not hear the Word from the teacher before he has been cleansed (Apostolic Tradition 16,8). “From the day that they (who are to be baptized) are elected, let there be laying on of hands with exorcism every day. When the day of baptism approaches, let the bishop perform exorcism on each one of them, so that he may be certain that the baptizand is clean. But if there is anybody who is not clean, he should be set aside because he did not hear the instruction with faith. For the alien spirit remained with him.” (Apostolic Tradition, 20,3).

• Tertullian (155-220) marveled of demons that, “at a touch, a breath from us…and they leave the bodies of men at our command.” He tells about a Christian woman who went to the theatre (where people slaughtered and maimed one another as entertainment for the masses) and came back possessed. “In the outcasting, accordingly, when the unclean creature was upbraided with having dared to attack a believer, he firmly replied, “And in truth I did it most righteously, for I found her in my domain””(De spectaculis, 26).

• Origen (184-253): The critic of Christianity, Celsus (ca. 175 A.D.), “asserts that it is by the names of certain demons, and by the use of incantations, that the Christians appear to be possessed of power”. Origen continues, “Hinting, I suppose, at the practices of those who expel evil spirits by incantatons. And here he mainfestly appears to malign the gospel. For it is not by incantations that Christians seem to prevail (over evil spirits), but by the name of Jesus, accompanied by the announcement of the narratives which relate to him; for the repetition of these has frequently been the means of driving demons out of men, especially when those who repeated them did so in a sound and genuinely believing spirit. (Contra Celsum I,6). “If then the Pythian priestess is beside herself when she prophesies, what spirit must that be which fills her mind and clouds her judgment with darkness, unless it be of the same order with those demons which many Christians cast out of persons possessed with them? And this, we may observe, they do without the use of any curious magic, or incantations, but merely by prayer and simple adjurations which the plainest person can use. Because for the most part it is unlettered persons who perform this work: thus making manifest the grace which is in the word of Christ, and the despicable weakness of demons, which, in order to be overcome and driven out of the bodies and souls of men, do not require the power and wisdom of those who are mighty in argument, and most learned in matters of faith” (Contra Celsum, VII,4). (11)

Athanasius (292-373) “And how does it happen, if he is not risen, but is dead, that he expels the false gods who by the unbelievers are said to live, and the demons whom they worship, and persecute and destroy them? For where Christ is mentioned, and faith in him, all idolatry is eradicated, all demonic deceit is revealed, and no demon even tolerates that the name is mentioned, but hurries to flee, as it hears it mentioned. This is not the work of a dead man, but a living and first and foremost God” (Der incarnatione verbi, 32). “It is clear that if Christ were dead, then he would not expel the demons…, for the demons would not obey one who is dead. But when they obviously are chased away at the use of his name, then it should be clear that he is not dead, especially because the demons who see the things that are not visible for humans – should know it if Christ is dead. Then they would simply deny him obedience. But now the demons see exactly what the ungodly do not believe; that he is God, and therefore they flee and fall down for him and say that which they also said when he was in the body, “We know who you are, you the Holy One of God” (De incarnatione verbi, 32). 

Lactantius’ (250-325) observed that demons fear Christ but not Jupiter, since Jupiter is “one of them.”

Eusebius of Caesarea, the “Father of Church History” (260-340) records exorcisms and healings of the time and is one of the first leaders to exhort against the use of amulets for these purposes.

Saint Ambrose (339-397) described his personal experience with laying on of hands to produce healings or exorcisms.

Saints Jerome (347-420) and Basil (330-379) both note that while medical care is important, it must be stressed that “physicians labor in vain without God’s aid.” This positive impression likely led to the copying and preservation of ancient medical writings by monks, especially the works of Galen. In turn, the combined forces of faith and medicine led to the establishment of the first hospitals, including Saint Basil of Caesarea’s in Cappadocia in the late fourth century.[i]

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[1] Christians were called atheists at one point because they didn’t believe in enough gods, but it was really unusual to find an atheist who didn’t believe in any gods.  

[2] https://www.olivetree.com/blog/demons-in-the-bible/

[3] Wikipedia, of all place, does a nice summary footnoted well. “‘The Old Testament description of the "divine assembly" all suggest that this metaphor for the organization of the divine world was consistent with that of Mesopotamia and Canaan. One difference, however, should be noted. In the Old Testament, the identities of the members of the assembly are far more obscure than those found in other descriptions of these groups, as in their polytheistic environment. Israelite writers sought to express both the uniqueness and the superiority of their God Yahweh.’ The Book of Psalms (Psalm 82:1), states "God (Elohim) stands in the divine assembly; He judges among the gods (elohim)." Later in this Psalm, the word "gods" is used (in the KJV): Psalm 82:6 – "I have said, Ye [are] gods; and all of you [are] children of the most High." Instead of "gods", another version has "godlike beings", but here again, the word is elohim/elohiym (Strong's H430).This passage is quoted in the New Testament in John 10:34. In the Books of Kings (1 Kings 22:19), the prophet Micaiah has a vision of Yahweh seated among "the whole host of heaven" standing on his right and on his left. He asks who will go entice Ahab and a spirit volunteers. This has been interpreted as an example of a divine council. The first two chapters of the Book of Job describe the "Sons of God" assembling in the presence of Yahweh. Like "multitudes of heaven", the term "Sons of God" defies certain interpretation. This assembly has been interpreted by some as another example of divine council.  ‘The role of the divine assembly as a conceptual part of the background of Hebrew prophecy is clearly displayed in two descriptions of prophetic involvement in the heavenly council. In 1 Kings 22:19–23... Micaiah is allowed to see God (elohim) in action in the heavenly decision regarding the fate of Ahab. Isaiah 6 depicts a situation in which the prophet himself takes on the role of the messenger of the assembly and the message of the prophet is thus commissioned by Yahweh.”

[4] What are we told in the Bible about angels when they appear to people? Virtually nothing. Jacob’s vision of a ladder, and his wrestling match…nothing.  The angel to Mary and Joseph…nothing.  The angels appearing to the shepherds…nothing.  The angel that saved Daniel…nothing.  They announce Jesus’ birth, and rescue Peter from jail. All that mattered was why God sent them to say or do what they said or did. There is also no physical description of demonic creatures, though they are compared to certain animals in the OT. If the Bible didn’t find it necessary to give us details, we probably ought not worry about that kind of information too much. 

[5] "And the angels that did not keep their own positions but left their proper dwelling have been kept by him in eternal chains in the nether gloom until the judgment of the great day. " Jude 6

[6] Old Testament Word Studies: Angels, etc. Demons. P. A. D. Nordell. 

[7] Some of these books (Enoch, for example) are referenced by Peter and Jude. 

[8] Why should a spirit be described as unclean? Because not all of them are, such as the Holy Spirit. (Baker Evangelical Dictionary Of Biblical Theology)

[9] https://jesusalive.cc/angels-in-new-testament/

[10] From Possession and Exorcism in the Literature of the Ancient Church and the New Testament, Dr. Oscar Skarsaune “Let me begin with Tertullian, his Apologeticum (Defense, written 197 A.D.: the book is regarded as the most outstanding book within the Latin apologetical literature prior to Augustine). Tertullian constructs this book as a commentary on two accusations that are directed against the Christians: (1) “You do not worship the gods”; and (2) “You do not offer sacrifices for the emperors”. The first half of the books, ch. 10-27, is a comment on the first accusation, and the answer is short and pointed: “We do not worship your gods, because we know that there are no such beings” (“Deos vestros colere desinimus, ex quo illos non esse cognoscimus”, Apol. 10,2) Tertullian then starts with the critique of Greek mythology which for a long time ago had become customary within parts of the ancient philosophy, and which had been taken over by the Jewish and Christian apologetical tradition. One notices soon, however, that Tertullian intentionally steers towards a climax, which comes in ch. 23-27. Here the common critique against polytheism is left for – I believe – a specifically Christian motif. The saying “your gods do not exist” does not mean that the Greek-Roman gods are mere phantoms due only to human projection. In the Greek-Roman cults one related to real powers, who do exist, but they are not what they purport to be. They are not gods. They are demons. “And we affirm indeed the existence of certain spiritual essences; nor is their name unfamiliar. The philosophers acknowledge there are demons” (Apol. 22,1). The activity of the demons consists in deceiving human beings, tricking them into worshiping the demons as gods. In this way they lead people away from the true God. Tertullian gives this bold assertion, which probably sounded quite provocative in the ears of a reader in antiquity, a rather surprising basis in Ch. 23ff. Let me quote an excerpt: “But thus far we have been dealing only in words; we now proceed to a proof of facts, in which we shall show that under different names (god and demon) you have real identity. Let a person be brought before your tribunals, who is plainly under demoniacal possession (daemone agi). The wicked spirit, bidden to speak by a follower of Christ, will as readily make the truthful confession that he is a demon, as elsewhere he has falsely asserted that he is a god. Or, if you will, let there be produced one of the god-possessed (de deo pati), as they are supposed, ….if they would not confess, in their fear of lying to a Christian, that they were demons, then and there shed the blood of the most impudent follower of Christ…. The truth is… that neither themselves nor any others have claims to deity, you may see at once who is really God, and whether that is He and and He alone whom we Christians own; as also whether you are to believe in Him, and worship Him, after the manner of our Christian faith and discipline.But at once they (the demons) will say, Who is this Christ … is he not rather up in the heavens, thence about to come again… All the authority and power we have over them is from our naming the name of Christ, and recalling to their memory the woes with which God threatens them at the hands of Christ as Judge, and which they expect one day to overtake them. Fearing Christ in God, and God in Christ, they become subject to the servants of God and Christ. So at our touch and breathing, overwhelmed by the thought and realization of those judgment fires, they leave at our command the bodies they have entered… It has not been an unusual thing, accordingly, for those testimonies of your deities to convert men to Christianity (“haec testimonia deorum vestrorum Christianos facere consuerunt”; Apol. 23,4-18) (6)

[11] Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary Of Biblical Theology

[12] “Someone once said, ‘Does it really matter whether the demon is tempting me from across the room, sitting on my shoulder, or inside my head?’ And the answer is no, it probably doesn’t matter. What matters is how you respond to it.” (Sam Storms)

[13] The exorcism is a sign event which with evidence for all demonstrates that the house of the strong one has been robbed by the one who is stronger; that Christ has conquered Satan and all his army. It is obvious that Christian exorcism made a deep impression on people in antiquity, both Christians and non-Christians. I once again would remind of Tertullian’s words: “It has not been an unusual thing for these testimonies of your deities to convert men to Christianity.” In the exorcism one saw before one’s very eyes that the name of Jesus had power over the strongest that one had known so far. The exorcism functions so to speak as a “miracle of confrontation”, where the demons loudly are forced to proclaim who Jesus really is, and that he is their superior…When Jesus expels demons from tormented people, it is visible evidence that the power of Satan is broken. Satan is bound by Jesus, and Jesus is plundering his house; that is, reconquering and reestablishing that which the Devil has destroyed. Hence, Jesus’ conclusion, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matt. 12:28). (Possession and Exorcism in the Literature of the Ancient Church and the New Testament, Dr. Oscar Skarsaune)

[14] “Spiritual warfare in early church history.” https://www.trustworthyword.com/sw-church-history

[15] “Although some Protestants stopped exorcising in any way, others continued to do so, but ‘reformed’ their exorcisms. Protestants began to speak of ‘dispossession’ rather than ‘exorcism’, with its negative connotations of Roman Catholic ritualism.” (https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/a-history-of-anglican-exorcism-deliverance-and-demonology-in-church-ritual/introduction?from=search)

 [16] "A strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God." (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

[i] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6699044/. Book Review: Healing in the Early Church: The Church’s Ministry of Healing and Exorcism from the First to the Fifth Century