Demons Beware!!!

Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

Reader, how many demon possessed people have you observed in your entire life? If you are an American, chances are, you might answer, "not many, that I am aware of."

But on this one occasion, in Israel, many devil possessed people were brought to Jesus to have Him cast the devils out of them.

Think of it, more possession cases showed up in one day than you have been aware of in your whole life.

The Devil is a sly old fox.

In America, if demon possession was as overt as it is in the 3rd world, observers would have no recourse but to admit that there is an unseen spirit world, hence, good and evil, God and Satan, heaven and hell. They would be confronted with the reality of the unseen and their need to align themselves accordingly. In America, that would mean they might desire to turn to Christ.

In many parts of the 3rd world, the predominant alternative to the demonic is not biblical Christianity, but Catholicism, animism, shamanism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc.

In other words, in the 3rd world and in developing nations, Satan has no rival. He has no reason not to unleash the powers of hell upon a poor, unsuspecting populace. He has free reign to terrorize those with no valid answer, no effective weapon to combat to his evil.

Such was the case in Israel until Jesus came on the scene and wrought terror upon the forces of evil. But from now on, demons would flee at the name of Jesus. Possessed pigs would pile from precipices into the perilous waters. Devils would beg not to be sent to their place before their time.

When the Lord spoke authoritatively, as we are told in the final 2 verses of chapter 7, He not only put the government and religious leaders on notice, but He also served notice on the principalities, powers and rulers of darkness that their free reign of terror was over. Demons beware!