They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

--Parable verses:
‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬-‭10‬
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Demon-possession is not something to be messed around with, tolerated, or capitalized on. When approached, it is to be confronted and cast out in the name and through the power of Jesus Christ.

Paul writes in his epistles about a demon-possessed girl who was being used by others to foretell the future (Acts 16). When we look at the context of the Bible through stories about the casting out of demons, and direct commands concerning dealing with demons, there is no direction to tolerate demons or “smooth things over” with those who are possessed by them or practicing the dark arts.

How do we handle this in our culture? We sugar-coat these dark arts as “alternative religions”. And as a society, we tolerate them, even promote, some of their practices.

This is a position based on false-truth (or lies). It is first-of -all proud. This is one of Satan’s chief weapons of war. He wants us to think in our own power we can battle him. He wants us over-confident and full of ourselves. Second, he may prey on our heart’s desire to help. So we must also guard against this confusion. We cannot help someone who does not want help.

The people tried to physically subdue this man in irons, so they could ignore the root problem, and just go on with their lives. But his strength and influence grew. He could no longer be subdued and he held these people in fear. Who knows, maybe he was his own sort of “freak show”. I can see the headlines now: “Come see the man who can tear chains apart.”

We are told to stand against the devil and to draw close to God. This brings us into a humble position to receive God’s power that can cast out demons and darkness. This approach is like fighting evil on higher ground with better weapons and more strength.

I think this passage is very telling about dealing with people trapped in sin and evil and things that are in the darkness: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭21‬)

Lord, darkness likes to operate in the shadows. Freedom in you is found by stepping out into the light. Teach me what it means to not only be a person of light, but one who recognizes the darkness and calls it by name. Who goes to you and allows you to work through me to cast out evil and rescue souls for your kingdom!