On your Mark
Deep evil
Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an
evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you
come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” “Be
quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit shook the man
violently and came out of him with a shriek. (Mark 1:23-26, NIV)
How do you fight deep evil?
When a bully comes along, taunts and hits a weaker child on
the playground, you can do something about that.
When a maniac gains control of a nation, terrorizes and
seeks world control, armies come together in justice to defeat him.
But, who can help a person possessed by an evil spirit? Who
can deliver the person trapped and dominated by an agency not his or her own?
There are evils so deep only God can deliver.
Mark gives us several accounts of that deep evil. Later, in
Mark 5, Jesus frees a man bound by a legion of demons — a man so wild he
lived among the tombs and was often bound with ropes and chains. But this
possessed man in the Capernaum synagogue had a lighter case of demonic
possession. He did not live away from people. Others would have even thought
him normal; after all, he attended synagogue along with everyone else.
In the presence of Jesus, the deep evil came spilling out.
The man knew two things about Jesus — His identity (the Holy One of God)
and His mission (to destroy the devil and his demons).
Perhaps you have never witnessed demonic possession. Maybe
you think it’s simply a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia or some other mental
illness. Jesus took demonic possession as fact and gave a treatment for it
— deliverance!
This passage in the Gospel always sets me to wondering
whether in our own church meetings there are people who come Sunday after
Sunday, go through the motions of worship and hearing the Word, but the evil in
them never comes out because there’s no powerful presence of Christ in the
service.
Is there deep evil in you? Oh, you may not be possessed by a
spirit other than your own. But are you dealing with things in your life that,
despite your best efforts, you cannot control or get free from? Bulimia?
Anorexia? Pornography? Addiction to alcohol, nicotine, prescription or illegal
drugs, to name a few? Our society is full of people who deep down cry out to be
free from denigrating and life-controlling destructive behaviors.
Jesus’ goal for you is totally different than the devil’s.
The devil wants to destroy you, to completely ruin your life. Jesus wants to
save you, to set you free; and the good news of Jesus is that He not only wants
to eradicate the deep evil in you — He also has the power to do so.
Multiplied millions of people alive today have been set free
by Jesus. There is no bondage He cannot break, no evil strong enough to resist
His power.
How do you tap into that power? Go to the Source —
Jesus — and ask Him to help you! He cares for you!
GEORGE O. WOOD is general superintendent of the Assemblies
of God.
E-mail your comments to tpe@ag.org.
