I never have quite known what to do with the the New Testament stories about demons or evil spirits. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t raised in the Pentecostal church.
Yet the stories are there and they are trying to tell us something important about human bondage and freedom.
Those living in Biblical times may not have had our modern language or understanding of human nature to describe what demon possession actually was for them:
To be chained to those things that prevent us from living as free human beings.
Indeed, there are some things in life that possess us and hold us hostage. They rob us of our freedoms. You may call it a demon or an evil spirit if you wish and that’s fine by me. But the experience of losing one’s freedom is very real no matter what its name is.
For example, drug and alcohol addiction strip us of our full freedoms as human beings. The demon of addiction owns the person it possesses.
Additionally these demons are very good at stripping away a person’s self-worth. I have a good friend, who is a recovering alcoholic, who told me that he quit drinking because it was robbing him of his own self-worth. He said that it got to the point where he didn’t like who he was becoming.
If you are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction you know your demons are real and you know how they are influencing your own self-image. Sadly most alcoholics that I have known during my lifetime experience a good deal of self-loathing.
Then there are those who suffer from depression or other mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, paranoia, bipolar disorders, or even eating disorders. Without the aid of mental health professionals and modern medications folks who are possessed by such demons are helpless to these destructive powers over their lives.
There is also the less harmful demon such as the “need to always be right.” Who doesn’t like to be right, but when it becomes an obsession it then becomes toxic. Interestingly enough Facebook is fertile ground for those possessed by this demon.
There’s also the “I am in control” demon. We all like to be in control of our lives to some degree and this is fine, even healthy. But when the demon of control is in complete charge of us the need becomes vey toxic.
This demon can lead to physical, mental and manipulative abuse of another person. Victims of abuse know what a controlling demon feels and looks like to them.
So I may not quite know what to do with these demon stories in the Gospels, literally speaking that is, but I know that the kinds of demons (call them what you wish) I’ve mentioned above are real. They are real in terms of the control they have over our lives and the damage they can do to us and to others. There are also others I have not mention.
Look, you must name that which has control over you. This is the first step in any addiction recovery program.
Perhaps this is why Jesus, in the story of the Gerasene demonic (Mark 5), asked what his name was (his name was “Legion”). You see you cannot gain control over that which you do not recognize or know by name. Once the demon identified himself as “legion” Jesus was able to cast him out of the depraved man.
Name your demon, whatever it is. Allow God to set you free, and more importantly, restore the joy he wants you to experience in life!
The chains that bind us can be unlocked and we can live with the freedom God created for us all to enjoy.
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