Mark Devotions
[Please do read the passage before (or after) reading the devotion.]
Whether you believe in “evil/unclean spirits” or not, you can be sure that there is evil in the world. There are two kinds of evil, really. The one oppresses us, trying to pressurize/squeeze us from the outside until breathing becomes difficult. This is the Hitler kind of evil that is awful, and yet cannot steal your soul. But there is another kind of evil that works into the soul. This evil works inside transforming the person to becoming an ugly version of what God made that person to be. It may begin voluntarily (i.e. with the person’s consent), but eventually the evil takes over, so that the person becomes a slave of it. And that was what Jesus confronted. The man had so much of evil that had become a part of him that his very identity had changed, and he was an outcaste. But there are no outcastes to God’s powerful Love in Christ. And only He can do something about this kind of evil – even though He may use different means. Here Christ brings freedom to this man by just commanding the evil to leave. It seems so simple, almost unbelievable. But do we really believe that Jesus really does love the hopeless, the helpless that much, and possesses that kind of power that no evil can stand against?
Prayer: I am intimidated by evil, Father – it scares me. Forgive me for thinking that evil has more power than it actually has, and also for not believing that You truly are Almighty. Never let me forget that when You raised Jesus from the dead you conquered Evil’s most potent weapon – death, and the fear that goes with it. I will hide behind your Cross, Jesus, because I know that is where I gain my confidence. Give me the faith that is based on you, the Rock, O Christ, and I know that even “the gates of hell will not be able to stand against it!” Amen.
