Matthew 8:28
"When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They lived in a cemetary and were so violent that no one could go through that area."
Matthew 8:29
"They began screaming at him, 'Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture before God's appointed time?"
James 2:19
"You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror."
Matthew 25:41
"Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.'"
Matthew 8:30-31
"There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. So the demons begged, 'If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.'"
Matthew 8:34
"Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone."
***The reality of demons***
1 Peter 5:8
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."
Ephesians 6:11-12
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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 the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Two Things You Need to Know:
1) The Devil and Demons are real
2) The Bible says we win
1st mention of Demons in the Bible:
Deuteronomy 32:17
"They offered sacrifices to demons, which are not God, to gods they had not known before, to new gods only recently arrived, to gods their ancestors had never feared."
Last mention of Demons in the Bible:
Revelation 18:2
"He gave a mighty shout: 'Babylon is fallen--that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons..."
Luke 4:18
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free."
Romans 8:38
"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow; not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love."
1 Corinthians 10:21
"You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons."
James 3:10-11
"And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?"
Matthew 12:43
"When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none."
Matthew 16:26
"What do you benefit, if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"
--->The people of the town in Mathew 8:34 rejected Christ, begging Him to leave the region.
As for the pig-hearders...under Jewish law, there was no reason to have pigs. You couldn't eat them, you weren't supposed to touch them.
Leviticus 11:7-8
"The pig has evenly split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean. You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses. They are ceremonially unclean for you."
***In the Old Testament, people who ate pigs weren't considered the best people to hang around with***
Isaiah 65:3-4
"All day long they insult me to my face by worshipping idols in their sacred gardens. They burn incense on pagan altars. At night they go out among the graves, worshipping the dead. They eat the flesh of pigs, and make stews with other forbidden foods."
--->The account in Matthew 8:28-34 reveals that there's a supernatural battle that's being waged for
the souls of people; and if you want to be on the winning side, then you must choose
Joshua 24:15
"...choose today whom you will serve. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord."
