Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: What will it take for you to believe in Jesus Christ? I hope not in a tragedy. I hope that you do it by submitting your life to him. Don't wait because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son Jesus Christ that whosoever believe it in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Thanks for joining us today as Raul continues our study of the spiritual realm with an eye-opening look at the reality of Satan and his demon army.

Contemplating how our unseen enemy is constantly at war against us, we'll gain fresh assurance that we have a rescuer and redeemer. When we call on the Lord Jesus with faith-filled repentance, he saves us from sin and also from Satan's power. Here's Raul Ries in Mark chapter 5 with a lesson, The Reality of Demons.

Raul Ries: I don't know if you've ever seen demon possession, but in America we don't see a lot of that. But I've been to Thailand, I've been to South America, I've been all over the place, in China, and I have literally seen demon possessed people. As reading this story here, not the other Gospels, but the Gospel of Mark brings out something that the other Gospels don't bring out. And that is there is a person here that has become demon possessed. And you're going to see the story.

Before we get into the story, I want to give you some facts here that are very important. Satan not only is a real person, but he has demons that hassle people. You're going to see in a moment that when Satan was in heaven, he got kicked out. And when he got kicked out, one-third of the angels followed him, which became demons.

Whenever you see a picture of Satan, you see two horns, a pitchfork, and a long tail. But that's not Satan. Satan is a beautiful creation of God. Michael, Gabriel, and Satan were the archangels of God. Regarding his origin in Isaiah 14, verse 12, he says, "How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How are you cut down to the ground? You have weakened the nations."

"For you have said in your heart..." he's a created being. "For you have said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars.'" The stars are angels. "I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds..." the Shekinah glory of God.

"And I will be like the most high God." He's in trouble now. God, I'm going to kick you out and take your place. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol. Here's God. You're not going to do that. He says to the lowest depths of the pit. Those who see you will gaze at you and consider you saying, "Is this the man who made the earth or the world to tremble, who shook the kingdoms?"

What's interesting is what we call the five "I wills" that I just read to you. I will, I will, I will, I will, and God says, "No you won't." God tells us also when we die and we go to heaven and he comes back at the second coming, he's going to choose from those that were here for the seven-year tribulation period that didn't take the mark of the beast to go into the Kingdom Age for a thousand years.

Christ will be there as the King of Kings. We, the church, will be there with our new heavenly bodies. But those people that go from the second coming into the Kingdom Age, they're going to have flesh and blood bodies. They're going to have children. And the Bible says that if they don't behave as they should behave, God is not going to send rain.

One day they're going to stand before God because Satan, one more time, God takes him after the second coming and puts him into the bottomless pit and locks the gate until the end of the thousand years. He lets him out one more time to see if people are honest and sincere that are not in heaven yet. Believe it or not, Satan takes to hell so many people after they have had Jesus with them. They rebel against him.

In the book of Revelation chapter 20:11 through 15, he actually has a roll call. He has two books. He says if your name is not found written in the Book of Life, then I'm going to cast you into the lake of fire. And who's there? The Antichrist, the false prophet, Satan, and all of his demons. One-third of the angels will be there.

Those that were in hell will be called out of hell because hell goes into the lake of fire. And the Bible says there's going to be a line of people. And when the books are opened, they're going to have their sins printed. Whoever's name was not written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire forever and ever. And all five senses will be there.

Satan has possessed so many people. He gets jealous. And that's why Satan every day is trying to destroy you. You might not get it, but he's trying to destroy you. Satan is always looking not for your strengths, he's looking for your weaknesses. Let's go to the book of Mark as we see what's going to happen here. I want you to know that in the New Testament there are instances of people being demon possessed.

I'll start with Mark chapter 1:23 where he says this. "Now there was a man in their synagogue, the place of worship, that had an unclean spirit and he cried out saying, 'Leave us alone.'" It is not that person who is doing that, but the demons. They know who he is. "Leave us alone. What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the holy one of God."

Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet and come out of him." And when the unclean spirit had convulsed, he cried out with a loud voice and he came out of him. Secondly, chapter 9 of Matthew 32 mentions a dumb man who couldn't speak. "And as they went out, behold, they brought to him a man mute and demon possessed." It doesn't mean that every mute person has a demon or every person that's blind has a demon. That's not what he's teaching here.

"And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke and the multitudes marveled saying, 'It was never seen like this in Israel.'" Thirdly, the Canaanite woman's daughter was demon possessed, Matthew 15:22. "And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to him saying, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David.'" She calls him Lord.

He said, "My daughter is severely demon possessed." But he answered her not a word. She was not Jewish; she was a Gentile. "And his disciples came and urged Jesus saying, 'Send her away. She's bugging us for she's following and constantly harassing us.'" But Jesus answered and said, "I was not sent except to the house of the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Then she came and worshiped him. Notice now she's worshiping Jesus, saying, "Lord, please help me." But he answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And she said, "Yes, Lord. Yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which are falling from the master's table." Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith. Let it be known to you as you desire."

Her daughter was healed from that very hour. Her faith was so strong. Demons and the devil are real to the present time. Then why is it that so many people don't believe in demons? Maybe they don't believe in demons because they really haven't seen the harassment and the power of Satan.

God allows things to happen in my life, but he's always there to protect me. God will never give me anything that I can't handle through Jesus Christ. I wonder what you're facing this afternoon, what you're going through. Don't lose hope. There is hope in Jesus Christ. Look at chapter 5 beginning with verse 1. Let's look at the situation.

They came to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to the country of the Gadarenes. Remember, here is Tiberias, Capernaum is behind me, and over here is Gadara where that demon possessed person is going to be. So it's about six miles to Capernaum. Verse 2 says, "And when he had come out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit." Immediately he runs down where Jesus is and he meets him.

He was so fierce that he'd take chains and break the chains like nothing. He would take a knife and actually cut himself because he probably was trying to commit suicide, but he couldn't. Verse 2 says, "And when he had come to the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit." Verse 3. "Who had his dwelling among the tombs and no one could bind him, not even with chains."

He was so fierce. Verse 4 says, "Because he had often been bound with shackles and chains and the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces. Neither could anyone tame him." Can you imagine this person? This is a powerful man who has been possessed by Satan.

Verse 5. "And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones." Verse 6 describes the recognition. "And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him." He's worshiping him now. He's not talking about the person; he's talking about the demons that possess this person. They know they're in trouble.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. For scripture-rich resources to strengthen your faith, visit somebodylovesyou.com. You can also join Raul for Straight Talk on the Somebody Loves You Worldwide YouTube channel every Tuesday at 10 AM West Coast time. Now back to more with Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: Verse 7. "And he cried out with a loud voice and said, 'What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God that you do not torment me.'" Now he's begging Jesus not to torment him. We see him pleading for his spiritual life. Verse 8. "For he said to him, 'Come out of the man, of unclean spirit. Come out of him.'"

Verse 9. "And then he said to him, 'What is your name?'" Jesus knows. He said, "My name is Legion." A Roman legion is 6,000 troops. "My name is Legion," he says, "for we are many." That is plural, not singular. Verse 10. "Also he begged him earnestly that he would not send him out of the country."

Why does he say that again? Because Satan and his demons always have to possess a body. Then he says again in verse 9, when he asked him, "What is your name?" again he answered, "Legion, for we are many." Verse 10. He also begged him earnestly that he would not send him out of the country. Verse 11. "And now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountain."

Pigs were unlawful to have, especially for Jews. "So all the demons begged Jesus saying, 'Send us to the swine that we may enter them.'" Demons are looking for a body to possess, animal or human. Whenever we pray for someone who is demon possessed, we never have anybody who is carnal or anybody who is not a believer in the room; we tell them to leave.

We need people who are spirit-filled. We need people who believe in the power of Satan and they know the power of Satan. When you are praying for that person, the moment you pray for them and the demon is rebuked and wants to come out of that person, immediately he looks for another body, animal or human. It is not a joke concerning Satan and his demons. People do become demon possessed. When someone becomes demon possessed, you will be able to tell; they're not all there.

When you begin to pray for them, everything changes. You feel that power and that strength. In verse 13, he said, "And at once Jesus gave them permission and the unclean spirits went out and entered the pigs, 2,000, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea and drowned in the sea." The pigs drowned, not the demons. Demons don't die. Remember, they are spirits.

Here is a situation where this person who is demon possessed and these demons as they're coming out of his life immediately run into these swine. They possess them and the swine go over the top into the Sea of Galilee and they drown. The pigs drown and the demons are looking for other bodies now.

Verse 14. "So those who fed the swine, they left and they told it to the city and the country and they went out to see what it was that had happened." They were shocked. Verse 15. "And then they came to Jesus and saw the one who had been demon possessed that had a legion sitting and clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid." What happened here?

It's incredible when you see somebody who's set free from demons. They are totally free. To me, it's exciting not just because of the demon possession but because it's awesome when somebody is in the world and they surrender and they give their life to Christ. You begin to see that transformation and that change. It means you give your life to Jesus, you repent, and then he comes into your life and begins to live in and through your life.

As you read the Scriptures, you feed the spirit. You begin to develop and grow by the Holy Spirit, and then God can use your life. That's how God works. Again, in verse 15, notice they came to Jesus and they saw what was going on, that the man who had been demon possessed was sitting and clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

Look at verse 16. "And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon possessed and notice and about the swine what happened." He was possessed; now he's not possessed. The demons came out, they went into the pigs, and all this has happened. Verse 17. "And then they began to plead with him to depart from their region."

How can you ask Jesus to leave when you saw a miracle? There are people like that. They don't want anything to do with Jesus, even though they have seen their loved ones be transformed by the Holy Spirit. They have seen their mother who had cancer be healed or their father, and yet they won't believe.

What will it take for you to believe in Jesus Christ? What will it take for you to believe? I hope not in a tragedy. I hope that you do it by submitting your life to him. Don't wait too long. Because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son Jesus Christ that whosoever believe it in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

That's the heart of God here this morning. He concludes this way in verse 18 to 20, with his testimony. "And when he got," verse 18, "into the boat, Jesus, he who had been demon possessed begged Jesus that he might be with him. I want to be your disciple, let me go with you with the 12, I want to go with you."

Jesus has a purpose for his life, as he has a purpose for your life. Verse 19. "However, Jesus did not permit him but said to him, 'Go to your home, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he has compassion on you. Go tell everybody what I've done for you.'"

Isn't that cool? Don't keep it to yourself. Go back to your neighborhood, go back to your parents, and go back to your loved ones who know you. They're going to ask you what happened to you and you're going to say, "This is what happened to me." That's what Christ wants to do in your life. He doesn't want you just to be delivered or healed or for God to save you and for you to sit there for the next 20 years.

If you don't read or pray, you become a carnal Christian, and you never grow or develop spiritually. You remain the same person. But when Christ saves you and you come to Bible study and hear the word of God, you are being taught the word of God. Then every time you come, you begin to grow spiritually.

Pretty soon you find yourself with a desire to read every day and to get involved in some ministry so that God can use your life. You get used by God. You're an instrument of the Lord. Do you not know that you are the temple of the living God and if any man defile the temple of God, God himself shall destroy him?

You cannot be used if you continue in sin. Read Ephesians 4:30. You grieve the Holy Spirit of God. You cannot grieve the Holy Spirit of God and say God is using my life because he's not. How many times do you hear of a pastor or anybody in the church being in an adulterous relationship?

Because he hasn't been caught, nobody has actually spoken about what he is doing. Finally, the woman goes to another pastor and says this is what has been happening for the last six months with this pastor. Once you confront that pastor, he says, "Well, I was going to repent." You were going to repent but you didn't. It's not the same as saying, "I blew it. I've sinned against God. I am so sorry." That is your repentance.

Repentance is recognizing that I've sinned against God. I've grieved the Holy Spirit of God. Now I'm going to reap my consequences because of my sin, which means my wife, my children, my whole family, and my friends. They're not going to trust you until they see true repentance. When they see that change and that transformation, then God can say, "I'm going to use your life. Yes, you fell, but I'm lifting you up." You know why? Because I love you.

Guest (Male): If you've never received God's gift of salvation, it's our sincere prayer that you'll make this important decision today and trust in Christ with true repentance and faith. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's lesson was titled The Reality of Demons.

If you'd like to get an unedited version with much more teaching, we'll be happy to send one to you for a donation of five dollars or more. Just call us at 800-634-9165. We'd also like to tell you about Raul's four-part Heaven and Hell series providing biblical verification of the afterlife. It's available on either CD or flash drive.

If you have questions about what happens when a person dies, this study will provide you with answers and guide you in determining your future. Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order Raul's four-lesson series Heaven or Hell. We'll send you the CD set for eighteen dollars or the thumb drive for ten dollars.

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Together we'll consider the astounding love that sent Jesus to die on a cross and receive the wrath of God for our sin. Here's Raul now with a closing comment from today's lesson.

Raul Ries: We serve a God of love. A God who gives opportunity after opportunity. I beg you by the mercies of God, if you're here, please repent. If you're going out on your wife or your husband, if you're stealing from your employer, or whatever you're doing, repent and return to the Lord.

If you're not a Christian today, repent and come into the kingdom of God and receive eternal life that you'll live forever in the presence of our Lord Savior Jesus Christ.

Guest (Male): This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.