Deliverance Information

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​This is probably the most well know case of demonic possession in the Bible. This is not a sermon topic you would hear in most churches…   Here are some of the points that I want to share with you that are often overlooked or never talked about:

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• Jesus performed an exorcism on a naked ​man in a place where dead bodies are close by (graveyard/tombs) in public! Pretty sensational! It really doesn’t get any more sensational than that!

• The demoniac had the demons a long time. They had likely been with him since birth, most likely a case of generational possession.

• The demoniac was naked as result of his possession, which says much about the popular fashions and entertainment of our day.

• The demoniac had no home but the tombs, caves in the hillside. He lived in constant torment. Probably infatuated with death!

• The demons drove him into the wilderness. They isolated him from human contact. Demons like to keep people isolated from society.

• ​The demoniac was violent, fierce, angry and full of rage! Though bound with chains and shackles, he broke them. His demons gave him supernatural strength.

• ​The man was guarded because he self-mutilated and was dangerous. This possession points to a demonic factor in many cases of self-injury. Demons like to influence people to cut!

• ​​The demoniac was capable of crying out to Christ with his will. No matter how powerful his possession, he could still exercise his free will.

• ​The chief spirit was Legion. One particular demon spoke for all the others.

• A legion in the Roman army could number as many as 6000 men, so this man was truly in Satan’s hold. He had many demons.

• ​This guy was most likely dissociated as well… in my opinion no single state of consciousness could handle that many demons.

• Jesus said “Come out of the man, unclean spirit” but they did not, they were stubborn. An example of stubborn, powerful demons not obeying Jesus immediately! If the demons did obey immediately, Mark 5:9 would have said something like: …and the unclean spirits came out of the man. Jesus, being God, already knew the name of the demon, but he asked “What is your name?” anyway. He did that to show us what to do and that it is ok to talk to them.

• Jesus let them talk back! “and they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.” He allowed that to happen to show us that it is ok to let them talk back.

• Demons do not like to be tormented!

• Demons would rather inhibit animals instead of being cast out into nothing.

• Jesus granted the request of the demons to go into a herd of swine. This was a rebuke to the Jews of that area who disobeyed Jewish law by raising pigs. Jesus wanted to teach them a lesson. Those pigs were worth $$$.

• I think the best place to send demons to is where they don’t want to go…. into the Abyss!

• After the demons left, the man was in his right mind!

• After the man was delivered, he wanted to stay close to Jesus.

• Jesus encourages people to share their story of how God healed them and not to keep it a secret!

• There was no “thank you Jesus for helping this man/these men” from the people of that country. They begged Him to depart from their region.

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A look at the demoniac before and after his deliverance:​
BEFORE                                                     AFTER
Had devils - (Luke 8:27)                          Devils were departed - (Luke 8:35).
Among the tombs - (Mark 5:3).                At the feet of Jesus - (Luke 8:35).
No man could tame him  -(Mk 5:4)           In his right mind - (Luke 8:35).
Crying - (Mark 5:5)                                 Prayed to Him by begging - (Mark 5:18).
Cutting himself - (Mark 5:5).                    Go home to your friends - (Mk 5:19).
No clothes - (Luke 8:27)                          Clothed - (Luke 8:35).​

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Luke 8:26-39, Mark 5:1-20 and Matthew 8:28-34 cover the story of the demoniac at Gadera

​(Matthew 8 talks about two men but the focus of these passages are on the exorcism of the man that had Legion)

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LUKE 8:26-39

26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”  29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
30 Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?”
And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him.  31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.
32 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. 33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.
34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.  36 They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  37 Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.
38 Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,  39 “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

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Mark 5:1-20

1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,  3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains,  4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”

8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”  9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?”

And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”  10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.

11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.”  13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.  16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.

18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”  20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.                  

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Matthew 8:28-34

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.