29: As we see from verse 31, it was the demons themselves that cried out. It is important to keep track of exactly who is speaking and when in this passage, especially while reconciling it with Mark and Luke’s accounts.
The demons knew exactly Who Jesus was, as did all demonic forces which Jesus came into contact with. This may seem strange at first. We would normally think that the devil would not want his minions to be declaring the identity of Christ. However, the opposite is always true. The devil, and his cohorts, are full of pride. They feel as if they have a right to this world, and they resent God Almighty and all who have anything to do with him. When faced off directly by demonic forces, you will find no denial of God’s identity. What you will find is a denial of his right to control the universe. Though they cannot resist his will, as we see here, they are not at all happy about it. They will profane the name of the Lord any way they can.
The final part of what the demons here say can be understood by taking two things into account. First, it cannot be known exactly what times or types of punishments may be administered by Almighty God in relation to the fallen angels. We are simply not told all of the details, and God intends, for now, to keep it that way. What we do know is that all demon forces shall be finally judged by Jesus Christ. He is the judge of all. Only those he authorizes may be involved in the judgment of demons. Furthermore, we know that they will all meet their ultimate sentence in the lake of fire with the devil himself. Secondly, we must put the statement into the context of Jesus’ ministry and look at it from their perspective. Jesus was making quite a stir in the supernatural world. Nothing could hinder him. He was invincible, impeccable, and he could not be tricked. The devil himself had tried him and failed miserably. The demon world knew this, and they were worried. In order to get the picture here, one must remember that even the devil doesn’t know everything. Only God Almighty has that luxury. As a result, the devil did not fully understand the purpose of Christ’s visit. His minions and he knew mainly this, Jesus is our enemy. So, this hoard of demons, with Legion as their spokesman, wanted to know what was going on. They wanted to know why the Son of God himself had begun to wipe out their kingdom. They wanted to find out why the time of judgment that they had expected was seemingly being cut short. To put it in a word, they were afraid.
Daily Bible Reading: Nahum 2:1-Habakkuk 3:19
Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:25 “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
Daily Tidbit: It is amazing that those who called themselves reformers were also perpetrators of religious persecution. Though there can be exceptions, the way to find those closest to the truth is to look for they who will be the last to martyr anyone, and the first to be martyred themselves.
Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for today and every day that we have to live for you. I am so thankful for Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. His power over the devil means so much to me. I know that You alone know everything, and I am glad that the enemy is sometimes in the dark. Help me to understand how You deal with him, and how powerful You are. Jesus sure puts fear into the forces of darkness. they do not like him one bit. But, he is to be our focus, not them. Learning more about the Lord Jesus and his life is such a blessing! Oh Father, I can never praise You, or Your Son, enough. Christ, I am so glad that You came to this world for me. I am so glad you shed Your blood on Calvary. I am so glad that you have brought me to the Father by Your salvation. I could never thank You enough. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise Almighty God, Amen.
Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a woman who has gout. Pray for two boys with a rare disease.
Personal Journal Entry #12268