The Gerasene Demoniac

Luke 8:26–33

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.

1.    In the country of the Gerasenes, east of Galilee, Jesus encountered a naked man who had been living in the desert, and this for a long period.

2.    When this man saw Jesus, he (or a demon within him) wanted Jesus to leave him alone and not torment him and this because Jesus had commanded an unclean spirit to come out of the man.

3.    This possessed man had incredible physical power. When Jesus said, “What is your name?” the answer was “Legion,” meaning many demons had indwelt him. These unclean evil spirits then begged Jesus not to cast them into the abyss, or hell, but rather that He would cast them into some pigs that were feeding nearby. Yes, demons prefer to inhabit flesh, and this is what is called, demon possession.

4.    Jesus, for some unknown reason, allowed this to happen and the startled pigs rushed over a cliff to their death by drowning in a lake.

5.    Is it known by those who engage in what is commonly referred to as “Deliverance Ministry” to experience exactly what Jesus did in Luke’s account.

6.    There is nothing mentioned about how the Gerasene demoniac attracted demonic spirits. It is highly likely that this man had broken the commands found in Deuteronomy 18:9–14, not to engage with those who practice divination, fortune telling, sorcery, magic, or engage with mediums, necromancers, or those who inquire of the dead–these standard occult practices, which are for so many in vogue today, and those who do so are unknowingly inviting evil spirits into their very bodies.