This is our second sermon focusing on Jesus’ mighty display of his miraculous power and authority in the synagogue of Capernaum. In our previous sermon, Jesus amazed the congregation to the point of astonishment and fear when they realized that Jesus was no ordinary man. His teaching that day far surpassed the Jewish religious leaders, demonstrating that he has sovereign authority over all the realm of knowledge.
But then, in the presence of the stunned congregation, another fearful occurrence erupted! A demon in possession of a man in the crowd spoke through that hapless human victim. The demon compounded the fear in the sanctuary when he recognized Jesus as the Holy One of God and expressed his own fear of God’s Son.
Jesus was in complete control of the situation in the sanctuary and over the demon inside the man. He commanded the demon to leave his victim. The poor man was convulsed by the demon who, using the man’s body, cried out with a loud voice. But it was of no use! The evil spirit had no choice but to obey the words and authority of God’s Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus!
By this, Jesus proved his total authority over the spiritual realm. The goal of this sermon is to help us have great courage and confidence, because the same sovereign Lord who has power over the spiritual realm also dwells in the Christian believer in the person of the Holy Spirit. And, as the apostle John states: Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
Read the full sermon transcript below!
We return this morning to our series of sermons taken from the New Testament Gospel of Mark. We are working our way through this book of the Bible, a sermon at a time, until, Lord willing, we will cover the entire book.
In previous sermons, we noted that Mark’s purpose for writing his record of the life and ministry of Jesus was to explain and demonstrate to the world of his day—some two thousand years ago—that the long-awaited Messiah had come and that Jesus is him!
The Jewish people had longed, yearned, and prayed for millennia that God would send his promised Messiah—also called the Christ—to deliver them from their terrible woes. They knew he was coming, but they knew not who he would be nor the true nature of his life and works.
They were expecting a political leader who would establish Israel as a kingdom and cast off the oppression of the Roman Empire under which they suffered. What the Almighty God sent to them was a Messiah beyond their imagination. He sent his own Son, Jesus, to be the Messiah with a far greater mission than the Jewish people thought.
Jesus came not to free Israel from the power of Rome, but to free the world from the power of sin and guilt. He came to set us free from the condemnation we otherwise would bear as people who sin against God and his law. He came to set up not a political kingdom but to establish and rule over God’s worldwide kingdom of salvation and peace. He came to release the world from the power of sin and destruction and all the wickedness and sorrow it causes, overseeing the increase of his kingdom in the world until that glorious day of his return.
But somehow those people of ancient Israel—just like people in our own day—had to see and know, had to understand and be convinced, that Jesus was and is God’s mighty Son and is the Messiah—the Christ—the Savior. So Mark writes his gospel record to prove that the Messiah and Savior has come and that he is Jesus—Jesus the Christ.
How does Mark go about that daunting task? By recording the evidence. So far, we have learned how God sent John the Baptist preaching to the people the good news that the Messiah was arriving, and that John identified Jesus to be the Christ. John also baptized Jesus, whereby Jesus was not only baptized with water but also anointed with the Holy Spirit to inaugurate his ministry as Messiah. And God the Father spoke from heaven, identifying Jesus as his own Son. Then Jesus spent forty days and nights out in the desert fasting and praying, engaged in spiritual warfare against the devil. But the devil had to admit he was no match for the divine Messiah, and he left defeated.
Then Jesus called his first disciples—Simon and Andrew, James and John—by the Sea of Galilee and worked a miracle in their presence by filling their nets with a great haul of fish, even after those master fishermen had failed. All these occurrences and mighty works—and the ones like them that followed—were to validate the fact that Jesus is the Messiah—the Christ.
Now we arrive at our second sermon that focuses on Jesus’ mighty presence and authority demonstrated one Sabbath Day in the synagogue. Our first sermon at that setting covered verses 21-22; this morning, we will focus on verses 23-28.
In our previous sermon, we saw Jesus and his disciples entering the Jewish synagogue on the Sabbath Day. There in the assembly of the people and their exalted Jewish religious leaders—the most accomplished and expert teachers in the world—Jesus taught with such profound wisdom and extensive knowledge that the people were astonished (v.22): And they were astonished at his teaching. Jesus’ knowledge excelled even the Jews own Rabbis.
When those people heard Jesus teach, they knew they were witnessing something supernatural, and they were somewhat fearful and uneasy. Jesus, the divine Son of God, spoke with authority from God and proved that he had all authority in and over the realm of knowledge, which you can see further in verse 22: And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
In this morning’s sermon, we see Jesus proving his authority again, this time by casting an evil spirit out of a demon-possessed man. And what impression was left upon the people after their witnessing Jesus’ mighty command over the spirit world? I am giving you a little sneak preview (v. 27): And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
In our discussion this morning, we will learn about Jesus’ complete authority over the spiritual realm. Our Lord has total authority and power over the enemy, Satan, and his evil demonic spirits. This passage of Scripture is very important to you because the devil and his evil spirits are still very much at work in the world and desire to ruin us. But, as the Bible shows us this morning, Jesus has the power to set us free and, by his power working in and through us, to help us have victory over all the forces of hell.
How can we know this? We know it because the Bible tells us so in 1 John 4:4: He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. In other words, the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ who lives within the true Christian—is infinitely greater and more powerful than all the evil spirits combined in all the world and in hell.
The Reality of Spiritual Opposition
Let us now work through our Scripture passage, focusing first on the reality of spiritual opposition. Having just taught in the synagogue, teaching the congregation on the Sabbath Day, Jesus has shown his superior knowledge and authority, and the congregation is sitting there fearfully amazed at this extraordinary man. When, in the middle of the shock and awe among the congregation, a demon who was in possession of a man spoke through him using the man’s body and voice (vv. 23-24): 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
This shows us that demonic activity is real and that the devil’s workers of wickedness can show up virtually anywhere. Think about it, where did this demon show up—at church! He spoke out, revealing himself right in the middle of the worship service!
Imagine the shock! The people were already anxious about Jesus’ supernatural knowledge of God and heavenly things. Then they learned that one of Satan’s evil spirits was in the sanctuary with them.
Does that surprise you? It really should not. Jesus was revealing truth about himself and God the Father. Where truth from God and his Holy Word is proclaimed, the wicked opponents of truth will oppose it. The devil is the enemy of God and his people, and opposes any good that God’s people try to accomplish. The devil is the enemy of the Christian, the enemy of the church, and the enemy of God and his kingdom ruled by Christ.
We would be naïve and terribly mistaken to think that the enemy is going to remain idle and inactive while the truth of Christ and his kingdom is being proclaimed and moving forward through the works of the citizens of Christ’s kingdom—which is all true followers of Jesus.
An interesting thing happened in the 20th century. The evangelical and Reformed church seemed to divide into two camps regarding the matter of spiritual forces. Some moved into an extreme position consisting of professing Christians who believed in an overabundance of demonic activity. Any bad thing that happens—physical illness, natural disasters, and so forth—is attributed to evil spirits. A dangerous idea that undermines any sense of personal responsibility.
On the other hand was a movement to the opposite extreme position that the devil and demonic activity are no longer active in this modern world. Some scientists, philosophers, theologians, and the general population insisted that only what is visible and observable can be considered true and real. A commentator I referenced summarized the problem with his mistaken idea: “The greatest achievement of the powers of evil would be to persuade us that they do not exist.”
Going backward into history prior to the 20th and 21st century errors, we find the historic view of Christianity and the church. Our forefathers knew and believed that the devil and evil workers are very present in this world. But they also knew that truth is the greatest weapon against them and the one they fear the most. I know of no one, apart from our Lord Jesus, who summed it up better than the great 15th-century reformer Martin Luther in his classic hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. Listen to Luther’s powerful words:
And though this world, with devil-filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure,
For lo! His doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.
So, is the active presence of the enemy Satan a reality in today’s world? Yes! Can demonic spirits still possess people? Yes! Although it is not as common in areas of the world where the church and the gospel of Christ are very present. It is very common in remote regions of the world where the gospel and the church have not taken root. But, yes, evil spirits still influence human beings, oppress human beings, and, yes, sometimes even possess human beings.
But know this! A true follower of Jesus, a Christian filled with the Holy Spirit, a true believer in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells, can never be possessed by an evil spirit because he is God’s possession!
The born-again Christian belongs to Jesus Christ, was purchased by Jesus’ own blood, and belongs to him as his own treasured possession. The devil can and does attack the Christ follower, but he can never possess him, for the Christ follower is sealed by Christ’s own Holy Spirit, a seal placed upon us by God and that cannot be broken (2 Corinthians 1:21-22): 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
So, yes, Satan and his followers are quite active in the world today. Yes, they can and do attack Christ’s followers. And, yes, they can cause us great harm, which is the reason that we must never let down our guard. When Paul wrote to the church of Ephesus about spiritual warfare, he instructed them how to triumph in that battle (6:18, NRSV): Pray in the Spirit at all times…keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
Demonic spirits can harm us, especially if we let our guard down and are not walking and praying in the Spirit. They can harm us, but they can never ultimately defeat us. Our King Jesus has triumphed, and in him so shall we!
The Devil and His Demons Know Jesus
Our next two points are briefer, so let’s move forward into another interesting truth that we can learn from Jesus’ being confronted by that demonic spirit in the tabernacle, which is that the devil and his demons know Jesus. That demonic spirit immediately knew who Jesus was and that Jesus’ presence was big trouble for him (vv. 23-24): 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
The demonic spirit residing in that poor, unfortunate, possessed man called God’s Son by his name—Jesus of Nazareth. He identified who and what Jesus was and is—the Holy One of God. Jesus had been sent by God the Father into this world to establish his kingdom of salvation, peace, and power. That Jesus had come to this world sealed the doom of Satan and all evil spirits. That demon knew it, which is obvious by the second question he asked of Jesus (v. 24): “Have you come to destroy us?”
What did that evil spirit mean by that question? We can gain some insight by considering another time when Jesus did battle with the forces of hell. The devil and his angels know their future and dread it, because their final destination is hell forever. Jesus spoke in Matthew 25:41 of the day of judgment when those who are not welcomed into heaven on judgment day will be cast into the place of which Jesus will say on that great day: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
The devil and his demonic spirits know Jesus; they know of their future when Jesus will cast them into hell forever, and they fear him like they fear no other. James wrote of this in James 2:19: You believe there is one God. You do well. [But] even the demons believe—and tremble! They are terrified of Jesus because they know their future, and they cannot escape it because of his awesome power and authority. What is the future of the devil, of demonic spirits, and of all evil doers who follow them? The Bible describes it in Revelation 12:9 and 14:10-11: So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever.
The demonic spirits know Jesus; they tremble with fear at his presence and his very name, but they cannot stand against him because when Jesus Christ died on the cross and then rose from the dead, the doom of Satan and all his followers was sealed forever.
But two things were accomplished by Jesus’ death on the cross and his glorious resurrection. The doom of Satan and all wicked spirits was sealed forever. And the blessed future of all who follow Jesus was sealed forever, too. Jesus gave his life on the cross to pay the penalty of our sin. If we trust in him and his sacrificial death on the cross as the means of God’s forgiveness of our sin, then we receive the gift that Jesus called eternal life—forgiveness of all our sins completely and life in heaven with God and all our Christian brothers and sisters forever and forever.
We have reason to beware the devil and his angels, but we have no reason to fear what they can do to us beyond our present life. Those who repent of sin and trust in Jesus for forgiveness are safe and secure in God’s arms now and forever. Evil can harm us in this life, but evil can never destroy us completely, because for the Christian to die in this world is to enter life forever in heaven with the Lord.
The Power of Jesus’ Word
Now moving ahead, let us consider our next point, which is the power of Jesus’ word. This ties together Mark’s efforts, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to present Jesus as what he came to be and is: God’s Son with all the authority and power of heaven at his command, who came to this world to establish his kingdom of justice, righteousness, and peace by reconciling the world with God the Almighty.
How, then, did Jesus that day show forth his mighty power? By his Holy Words. He spoke and taught, and the people were amazed. Now he speaks again, proving his power over the entire realm of the devil and, as we shall see later, the entire world. How does Jesus’ life-changing, world-changing, soul-saving work of salvation and redemption go forth? By his powerful word (1:23—27a):
23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
When Jesus spoke the word, commanding that evil spirit to leave that man, that foul demon had no choice. Apparently, he attempted to resist because the man inhabited by the demon began having convulsions and loudly screaming. But that wicked minion of hell stood no chance against Jesus and had no choice but to leave that formerly possessed man.
Jesus’ word is as powerful as he himself. Just how much authority and power reside in Jesus’ word? All of it! All authority and power belong to Jesus to use at his will. In fact, it was by Jesus’ word that the entire world was made.
Consider Hebrews 1:2: He [God] has spoken to us by his Son…through whom also he created the world. Consider also Psalm 33:6, 9: By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
What does that mean? It means that at the very beginning, when God Almighty created all things, and gave the commands: “Let there be light, and there was light. Let there be a sky…and it was so. Let there be lights in the sky.” Meaning the sun, moon, stars, and the rest. Let there be lights in the sky…and it was so. Let us make mankind in our image…so God created mankind in his image.”
That is how much authority the word of Jesus possesses and executes. God the Father commanded the creation. Jesus, the Son, spoke the word to create. And the Holy Spirit brought it to be and made it beautiful. Jesus said of himself in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
So, what does that mean for you and the presence and power of darkness in the world? It means that, yes, we need to be aware of the potential for danger. And we need to be, like Paul said in our earlier passage, praying always in the Spirit so that we are walking day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment in step with the Holy Spirit who ensures that Jesus’ all-encompassing power will overcome the devil and all his schemes and guard and protect us.
As our closing thought, what else does the all-encompassing, all-powerful, all-mighty, all-authoritative word mean for you regarding the safety of your life and soul in God’s hands? It means this: Jesus Christ, who cannot lie and none of whose words can ever fall to the ground, said this of you, Christian (John 10:27-29):
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
And he said this about you (John 6:39-40): 39 “And this is the will of him [God] who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Do you need to beware of the enemy? Yes. Can you withstand him and even overcome him by Jesus’ authority and power? Yes. Because if you belong to Jesus, then he, by his Holy Spirit, lives in you. And what did the apostle John say about that, as we noted earlier? Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
Do you need to tremble with fear over the devil? No. Why not? What did James say about the devil and demons? They believe in God, and they tremble at his presence or even the mention of his mighty name.
Do you need to fear the devil overcoming you? No. Why not? Because if you are born from above by the Holy Spirit with saving faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin and are living a life of daily repentance in obedient love for your Savior, then you belong to Jesus and nothing or no one can ever change that—now and forever.
If you belong to Jesus, you cannot be overcome by the demons of hell or the devil. No. You can and will and already have overcome them (Revelation 12:11): And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. That is you! Now go forth from here and live like it! Let all things be done to Christ’s glory. He has conquered. Now let us follow him! Amen.