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1When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

3Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4Jesus said to him, “See that you tell nobody; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

5When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him for help, 6saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”

7Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and tell another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to those who followed, “Most certainly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel. 11I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, 12but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” His servant was healed in that hour.

14When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 15He touched her hand, and the fever left her. So she got up and served him. 16When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

18Now when Jesus saw great multitudes around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side.

19A scribe came and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

21Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”

22But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

23When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. 24Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves; but he was asleep. 25The disciples came to him and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!”

26He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.

27The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

28When he came to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way. 29Behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them. 31The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.”

32He said to them, “Go!”

They came out and went into the herd of pigs; and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea and died in the water. 33Those who fed them fled and went away into the city and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons. 34Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.

Demons and Demon Possession

Demons and Demon Possession

Topical Study | Matt 8:16 | Hershel Wayne House

Malevolent spirits are spoken of several times in the Bible. They are called "demons" in most Bible translations, and likely represent those beings mentioned in the New Testament who fell with Satan (Matt 25:41; Rev 12:7-9) The writings of the apostle Paul speak of such creatures, who live in the upper spiritual regions of the earth (Col 3:10), and who our true enemies (Eph 6:12), over whom the Messiah Jesus triumphed in the cross (Col 3:15). Matthew 12:24 designates Satan was their head. 

In the Old Testament, these spirits are called evil spirits, and their deeds are often used by God to accomplish His own purposes (I Kings 22:20-23), even their leader Satan (Job 1:6-120). Two instances are when God used an evil spirit to judge Abimelech for the murder of the sons of Gideon, and an evil spirit punished King Saul for his disobedience to God (1 Sam 16:14-15).

Another example of the activity of fallen angels is seen in the life and work of the prophet Daniel, as they opposed his prophetic work regarding the end time and his prophesying of it, which relates to the same time of activity at the end of the age before Messiah (Dan 10:12-14).

Rather than the term "evil spirit" the New Testament often used the term "demon," which was already used in the Greek word for a spirit who had interaction with humans. Socrates (469-399 B.C.) uses this Greek term, daimon (δαιμον) in his defense against the charge of atheism by the city fathers of Athens because he rejected the Olympian gods, claiming a personal (daimon) spirit that provided direction. This may be seen in the Apology (93, 101) and in his interaction with Euthyphro [1]

This Greek term for a "personal spirit" with Socrates is identified with the evil spirits in the writing of the New Testament and later literature. In the biblical texts, they control some humans to do their will, while at the same time inflict physical harm and sickness on others, as in Matthew 8:16.

During the earthly ministry of Jesus, demons were especially active.  Jesus cast demons out of those who were possessed (Matt 8:16, 32; Mark 5:1-13). At times, as in Matthew 8:29-31, they acknowledged the identity of Jesus and were anticipating their future judgment. Those possessed were under the complete control of the demons, but they were subservient to the Son of God. 

No evidence exists that demons were in control of the persons who were regenerated during the time of Jesus on earth or after the beginning of the church that is recorded in Acts 2. In the book of Acts, Paul encountered a servant girl who was possessed by a spirit relating to the god Apollo (Greek god of wisdom and knowledge) whose major shrine was at Delphi. After being annoyed by her for some time, the apostle cast the spirit out of her (Acts 16:16-18).

The Apostle gave teaching regarding the influence of demons (principalities and powers) and the work of Satan against Christians, but demon possession of Christians is not a subject broached by him or the other apostles. There is a discussion of the rise of demonic works in the Revelation of John that relates to the end of the present order and the coming of Christ, but not of believers being possessed by them. 

What is especially important to understand is the demonic activity in the life and ministry of Jesus was in view of His coming sacrificial work on the cross, and that which is found in the revelation is in view of His coming in judgment. Though we should be wary of Satan's devices, and those of the fallen angels, we are protected by spiritual forces by the word of God, our faith, and the work of the Holy Spirit (Eph 6:10-18).

[1] Harold North Fowler, Plato (Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Phaedrus), published by Harvard University Press, 1961.