author: Ryan Hayden Take your Bibles with me and turn to Luke 8. Luke 8. We are going to be reading verses 26-39 this morning and we are going to talk about a very interesting subject today - we are going to talk about the devil, demons and spiritual warfare. The devil, demons and spiritual warfare.

The Bible say is Ephesians 6:12

[!bible] Ephesians 6:12 - KJV 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

There is this unseen warfare that is going on all around us, all the time. There is this battle of spiritual forces. Angels and demons - which are fallen angels - fighting it out.

Angels are real. Demons are real. The devil is real. They are more powerful than us. They are smarter than us. They see things we cannot see.

Throughout the Bible, it speaks of demons or devils doing a work on this earth. Those demons didn't go away. They didn't just disappear. They are just as active today as they were when Christ walked the earth. So I think it is important for us to understand about the power that the devil and demons have. There is no better story to understand that than the one we are looking at today in Luke 8.

Let's go ahead and read verses 26-39 and get our story.

[!bible] Luke 8:26-39 - KJV 26. And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 27. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. 28. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. 29. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) 30. And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. 32. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. 33. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. 34. When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. 35. Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 36. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. 37. Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. 38. Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39. Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

In this story, Jesus and the disciples are continuing their journey across the lake. Remember, Jesus preached to this massive crowd at the beginning of the chapter, and He was so exhausted he said to the disciples, let's go across the lake - and that is when they faced that massive storm where they all thought they were going to die.

Well, the place they were going is called the country of the Gaddarens, sometimes it's called Decapolis. Basically, the Galilee region where Jesus lived and ministered had jewish parts and gentile parts. You could almost divide the sea of Galilee in half and there was a jewish part of the lake and a gentile part of the lake. Jesus wants to go to the gentile part of the lake.

It's possible that Jesus was so tired and overwhelmed by his newfound popularity, that He wanted to go where people didn't know Him so He could rest.

As soon as they land on this other side of the lake, they are met by a madman. This guy comes to them naked - he wore no clothes. He's wild and unkempt. He doesn't live in the city, he lives in tombs and in the wilderness. He's a terror. Why? Because he's possessed with devils.

We just read the story - we know what happens. Jesus heals this man. Jesus casts out the devils. They go into a herd of pigs and the pigs commit mass suicide and the town people ask Jesus to leave.

I think the key idea of this story is power. Power is really a theme of the stories in this chapter. Jesus has just shown power over the sea and the wind - causing the disciples to fear. Here Jesus shows power over the devils - causing these gentiles to fear.

Power. There are three different shows of power we see in this story that we are going to use as our outline this morning:

• There is the power the demons have over men.
• There is the power Jesus has over demons.
• There is the power Jesus has over men.

I'm hoping that by the time we are done you will understand a lot more about demons and the spiritual realm, that you will know we don't have to fear the demons, and most importantly, we will know the power of Christ in our own lives.

Let's pray and we will get into it

So the first kind of power I want to talk about this morning is...

1. The power of demons over man.

In this story, we are confronted with a scary truth. You have this man, and he is a mess, he's naked, he lives outside of society, the book of Mark tells us he cuts himself. He is unrestrained.

And all of this because he's possessed by devils. By demons.

Now, there are a couple of errors we need to be careful not to fall into whenever we talk about demons:

The first error is to just assume they aren't real. We can be the typical modern materialist who thinks "if I can't see it - it isn't real." And apply that to demons.

But as a Bible believer, that attitude presents a problem, because when we start taking that attitude to the Bible, we start cutting out whole parts of it and we are left with a meaningless book.

The second error is to believe in demons but be obsessed with them. There are some Christians who think demons are in everything. Who think they can't brush their teeth every morning without bringing demons or the devil into it.

A very big error we can fall into is to blame all sin on demons. To think that we cannot sin without being demon possessed. Nope. We sin because we are humans who have a sin nature. Demons have nothing to do with it.

Demons are very real. Demon possession is a real thing. And, we can see here, demon's are powerful. This man had so much strength that he could break his restraints - that came from these demons.

Let me give you a quick, million mile overview of angels and demons. Bionically speaking, demons and angels are the same species. Demons are just fallen angels. The devil is a fallen angel.

Basically, the devil led a revolt in heaven and a third of the angels went with him - these are what we call demons.

As far as we know, angels and demons are sexless - they aren't male or female and they do not procreate - so there is a finite number of them.

We know that God has given the devil and his demons limited authority over the earth. We know that demons can posses men and animals - we see that in the garden of Eden when Satan took the form of a serpent and we see it here when the demons took over the man and then the pigs.

So, as angels, demons have power. They have organization. They have the advantage of knowing things we do not know. They have also been on the same mission - opposing God - since the beginning of the world.

But I want you to see what these demons do to people: they torture them. They drive them mad. This man was cutting himself. He was living in the wilderness and in tombs. He was completely deranged. He was ostracized from his society and family. And he was miserable.

That is the end result of following the devil. The devil wants to destroy every spec of human decency and order in your life - because you are made in the image of God - and the devil hates God.

Now, don't get the wrong idea here: I'm not saying every demon possessed person looks like a freak. The Bible tells us that Satan and his angels transform themselves into an angel of light - and that there are some demon possessed people even acting as pastors. Unfortunately, we can't tell just by looking at someone if they are under Satan's control.

Satan and his devils use people in whatever way they can to get back at God - because they hate God. If that means destroying a man like in this story - they do it. If that means destroying a church or a nation with someone who looks good - that's even better.

So do Satan and his devils have power? Of course they do. But their power is destructive. It destroys lives, it turns men into a shadow of what God intended.

If that scares you, then hold on, because there is a second power at work in this story and it is a greater power. Let's talk about...

2. Jesus' power over demons

If you look closely at this story, you see that the demons were terrified of Jesus. They came right to Jesus as soon as He came to the area and worshiped Him. They bowed down before Jesus.

They begged Jesus not to send them into the deep. Do you know what "the deep" refers to? I always thought it was the sea - but that's not it. It refers to the lake of fire, the abyss prepared for the devil and his angels.

Listen to a few verses from the book of Revelation:

[!bible] Revelation 9:11 - KJV 11. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Notice it talks about "the bottomless pit" - this is where these demons are judged. Listen to another verse from Revelation:

[!bible] Revelation 20:10 - KJV 10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

In Matthew's account of this story, the demons say

[!bible] Matthew 8:29 - KJV 29. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

And that tells us that demons know their judgment is coming. They know that Jesus has already won. And so here Jesus shows up and the demons in this man are terrified.

Why because Jesus has power and authority over demons. He has completely conquered them. He can with a word banish them to the bottomless pit.

And so as we talk about demons, I want you to know this: if you have Christ, if you have the Holy Spirit - than He that is in you is greater than all the demons in the world.

You don't have to fear demon possession if you are possessed by Christ. You have been redeemed from the devil and you are now God's property. The devil cannot touch you without God's permission. Demons cannot mess with you without God's permission.

I love what 1 John 4:4 says to us:

[!bible] 1 John 4:4 - KJV 4. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

So we've talked about the power of demons over men, we've talked about the power of Jesus over demons, but there is one more thing in this story I want you to think about and that is...

3. The power of Jesus to redeem man

You see, this man was possessed by many devils. He lived a horrible life. He was a terror to everyone.

When the demons told Jesus their name was "legion" they were referring to a Roman legion - an army group of 6,000 men. I believe it is Mark that tells us that the pigs the demons were sent into was a herd of 2,000. So this man had thousands of demons possessing him. He was as bad a case as they come.

But then He met Jesus and Jesus didn't just show His power to banish demons, He showed his power to transform and rescue the lives of those who have been wrecked by demons.

When the townspeople came to Jesus, mad because 2,000 of their pigs died, they were terrified when they saw this man - "sitting, and clothed and in his right mind."

Church, that is what happens when people come to Christ - He redeems them. He transforms them. The most far gone, the most deranged, the most wicked men and women out there can have their lives transformed by the power of Christ if they come to Him.

I want to read you a few verses from 1 Corinthians. Listen to this:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - KJV 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

That's bad news. But listen to verse 11:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 6:11 - KJV 11. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Jesus can take people from the gutter to glory. He can redeem and transform the lives of anyone who comes to Him.

And anybody means anybody. If God can take a raving Christian hating mad man like Saul of Tarsus and turn him into the greatest missionary evangelist who ever lived, God can change anybody.

Conclusion

In this story, we see Satan’s power to destroy, Jesus’ power to defeat him, and Jesus’ power to make us new. Where do you stand with that power today?

So I want to wrap up my message today with some questions. Questions you should ask yourself. In light of the fact that demons exist, that Christ has power over them and Christ can transform you, can I ask you:

• Have you ever felt the crushing power of sin and Satan in your life?

Have you fallen prey to the lies of the devil. The false promises that say if you just do this, you'll be happy and fulfilled - only to see your life get worse and worse.

The Bible says that those who haven't trusted Christ, who aren't saved are under Satan's power.

[!bible] Ephesians 2:1-2 - KJV

1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Is that you today? If it is, Jesus has power over the devil and his demons, and Jesus has power to transform you.

Don't think He won't accept you. John 6:37 says that those who come to Christ He will in no wise cast out.

Let me ask you a second question:

• Has Jesus proven His power by transforming you and setting you free from what once held you?

If you, like most of us in here today, claim to be set free, claim to be redeemed by Christ - does your life show His power? Or do you still live like the devil is your boss?

Imagine how silly it would be for this man to go back to the devils after meeting Jesus - but we are prone to the same thing.

Let me ask you one more question and I'm done - in this story the man wants to come with Jesus - but Jesus tells him to go home and tell his family, tell his friends what Jesus had done for him. So he does, he publishes it abroad throughout Decapolis.

So here is the question Christian:

• Do the people in your life know what Jesus has done for you?

Folks, this story in Luke 8 isn’t just a wild tale from 2,000 years ago—it’s a mirror for us today. The devil’s power is real, and it’s destructive. It can chain us, torment us, and drag us into the tombs of despair. But Jesus’ power is greater—infinitely greater. He doesn’t just cast out demons; He redeems lives. He takes the broken, the bound, and the lost, and He makes them whole. He did it for this man, and He can do it for you.

So let me leave you with this: Where are you in this story? Are you still wrestling under the power of sin and Satan, feeling the weight of those chains? Jesus is here today—His power hasn’t faded. Come to Him, trust Him, and let Him set you free. Or maybe you’ve been redeemed, but you’re living like the devil still has a hold on you. It’s time to stand in the victory Christ has already won. And if He’s changed your life, don’t keep it quiet—go home, go to your friends, your family, your coworkers, and tell them what great things Jesus has done for you.

The man in this story went from a legion of demons to a living testimony. What’s your story going to be? Let’s bow our heads and pray.