April 18
The Man in Satan’s Grip
When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
—Isaiah 59:19
In Mark 5, the Bible tells us of a man who was possessed by demons, had superhuman strength and was able to break chains with his bare hands. This man lived among the tombs and on the mountains. He was a dangerous and a frightening man.
But underneath this horrendous exterior was a tortured soul. It’s a picture of Satan’s ultimate goal. This is really what the devil wants to do. He wants to destroy your life. Although it is true God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life, it also is true that Satan hates you and has a horrible plan for your life. The devil knows his judgment is certain. He knows that Jesus is indeed coming again. Therefore he is pulling out all the stops. He is redoubling his efforts.
The good news is that although the devil will be at work, God will also be at work. The Bible says, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19).
This story had a very happy ending—Jesus came into this poor tortured man's life and made him into an altogether different kind of a person. Jesus cast out the legion of demons, which went into a herd of pigs and ran over a cliff. It was a dramatic transformation for this man.
Jesus can transform your life, too. Let Him lift up a standard against the enemy in your life, today.
Copyright © 2005 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.