DAY 17–Jesus Stands Against Evil
Prayer:
God Almighty,
You are powerful and loving.
I’m grateful for Your power in my life.
Help me to walk toward You and away from evil.
Guide me and speak to me through the miracles of Your Son.
Take a few minutes of silence. In your own words, ask God to meet you here.
Reading:
Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon—an evil spirit—began shouting at Jesus, “Go away! Why are You interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One sent from God!”
Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” He ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.
Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this Man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey Him, and they flee at His command!” The news about Jesus spread through every village in the entire region” (
Response:
After reading those verses, what are your first impressions? How do you think the evil spirit recognized Jesus and His power? Write down anything that comes to your mind about this passage.
Insight:
The Book of Luke mentions demons 23 times, which reveals the big picture of the good vs. evil that was taking place then. It’s interesting to note that so many people did not yet see who Jesus really was; yet, this demon recognized Him, calling Him “Jesus of Nazareth” and “the Holy One sent from God.” By naming Jesus, the demon shows the people how significant this battle really was.
The demon asked Jesus if He was going to destroy them. It’s hard to know if the demon meant all demons or just him and the man he had possessed. If he meant all demons, it shows the demon was aware of the power and authority Jesus had over all evil spirits. If he meant himself and the man, it shows the demon thought He had great control over the man—so much that Jesus could not destroy the demon without destroying the man. It really seems to be a challenge to Jesus, who takes it on and destroys the demon without harming the man.
Repeatedly, God’s Word shows that evil can’t stand up to righteousness when righteousness stands strong.
Reflection:
• Why do you think the demon asked Jesus if He was going to destroy them?
• In what way does this scene represent the way Jesus and Satan are both at work in our world, even today?
• How can you “stand strong in righteousness?” What does that mean to you? Read
