Scripture: St. Matthew 8:28-34 (NKJV)
28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there
met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce,
so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying,
“What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to
torment us before the time?” 30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd
of many swine feeding. 31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us
out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.” 32 And He said to them,
“Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly
the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and
perished in the water. 33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away
into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the
demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And
when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.
Devotion
The idea of demon possession is not merely the stuff of Hollywood horror films
or ghost stories. The work of Satan, the great liar, is very real. We do not
see many “traditional” cases of demon possession in our day and age. However,
it is very common to see poor, tormented souls who seem physically normal and
healthy, but are clearly troubled by dark influences on their spirit.
In the Lord’s Prayer we pray to be delivered from evil, from the power of the
Evil One. That is because everyone in this life is a target for his wicked
efforts. He seeks to hurt and confuse everyone. He works to keep the
unbelievers in their ignorance and loneliness, and to keep Christians off
balance and misdirected. The seriousness of this work against us all is not to
be underestimated. It should never be dismissed as fiction. If the father of
lies can make us believe that he is not a real threat, then our peril is even
greater.
It is only by the Word of God and the work of our Lord Jesus that drives out
the demons and cleanses our spirit. The Truth sets us free from the influence
of “the father of lies.” The Truth tells us that the enemy has been overcome,
and that there is life and forgiveness for those who believe and are baptized.
The dangers of demonic lies are real, but the reality of our salvation in Jesus
Christ crucified is even greater!
We pray: Lord God, forgive us our sins and deliver from evil; through Your
merciful grace in Christ Jesus. Amen.
The Lutheran Herald is a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of
North America. These daily devotions are authored by the bishop, pastors, and
deacons of the diocese. Daily posts are provided by The Reverend Jeffrey A.
Ahonen.
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