CONQUERORS: When Challenged by Imperiled Families.
In
the name + of Jesus.
Can you imagine the anguish in this man’s voice? “A man approached Jesus and knelt in front of him. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘have mercy on my son because he has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to cure him’” (Matthew 17:14-15). He was desperate for a solution to his son’s torment. He had watched helplessly as his son was throttled by seizures. And what panic he must have had when he saw his son throw himself into a lake to be drowned. Or worse—into fire to be consumed by the flames! This young person seemed to be committed to harming or killing himself. And there was nothing his father could do about it. He had heard that the apostles had the power to cure diseases, but even they provided no relief for this man’s son. Can you imagine the anguish in this father’s voice when he begged Jesus, “Lord, have mercy on my son” (Matthew 17:14)?
We learn later
in Matthew’s account that the boy’s problems were not merely physical. This was demon possession. How this boy came to be possessed by a demon
is not recorded. But when Jesus meets
him, he does not bother to investigate how it happened. Jesus deals with him just as he is. “Jesus answered, ‘Bring him here to me.’ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it went out of
the boy, and he was cured from that hour” (Matthew 17:17-18).
Demon possession
seems to have been prominent in Jesus’ day, likely so that he could demonstrate
his authority over the demons. Today, it
is not unheard of, but it appears to be rare.
You need not fear demon possession; for the Holy Spirit dwells in you,
and the Holy Spirit does not abdicate just because the devil desires you. The only way you could face demon possession
is by inviting the devil into your life through cultic practices or Ouija
boards. Such persistent behavior would
eventually grieve the Holy Spirit and cause him to depart. This would leave vacant space that the devil would
be all too happy to fill.
While demon
possession is rare, what seems to be common today is demon oppression. That is, the devil torments people with spiritual,
mental, or emotional problems. Some of
those problems are legitimate medical issues, such as depression, bipolar
disorder, or schizophrenia. God has
blessed us with medicines for these issues.
But many people are overwhelmed by a spirit of fear, anxiety, or despair.
Why do we face
demon oppression? I venture what I think
is a reasonable guess. We live in a society
where people have stopped giving ear to God’s word. Many grow up without church, without Scripture,
without Jesus’ promises and encouragement.
Since they are not hearing the word of the Lord, another message takes
its place. The devil fills in where the
word of God is absent. So, rather than receiving
comfort, people are filled with a sense of fear. Rather than hope, the devil drives people to
despair. Rather than confidence, the
devil sows seeds of doubt and fear.
Rather than trusting a message that is solid and everlasting, we are deceived
by messages that continually change. We expect
to be found righteous when we adopt the most recent cause, only to find out
that we must adopt the next cause to be righteous, and then the next cause, and
the next. And so it goes. Soon, we are left feeling hollow and hopeless. There is no relief from doubt, fear, anxiety,
or despair.
The man who brought
his son to Jesus went to the right place and uttered the right prayer: “Lord,
have mercy” (Matthew 17:14)! And he
does! Jesus delivered the boy out of the
grasp of the demon with his word. By
that word, Jesus restored him to a sound body and a right mind. By his word, Jesus delivers you from the
devil and all his works and all his ways.
Jesus set you
free from the devil by giving himself into the devil’s hands for you. The sins which taunt us and the grave that
haunts us are taken up by Jesus. Jesus
made himself man to be put to death and to be the substitute for all
mankind. So, when the ancient serpent had
the chance to sink his teeth into the Son of God, he did not waste a
moment. Jesus was pierced to the cross
with the sins of the world upon him, and the devil swallowed him up in death. Jesus was placed in a grave, seemingly
defeated by sin, death, and the devil.
But Jesus rose from the grave on the third day. All sins were put away. Jesus crushed the head of the serpent, and
when a serpent’s head is crushed it is powerless. And the grave had to vomit Jesus out just as
Jonah was vomited out of the giant fish on the third day. Jesus has conquered. He lives and reigns. And he delivers you from the sin, death, and
the devil. Therefore, you are conquerors
with him.
The father came
to the right person with the right prayer.
“Lord, have mercy.” He had to
come to Jesus because the apostles had failed to overcome the demons. Jesus rebuked them; for, he had given them
authority to drive out demons. They failed
to believe that they could do what Jesus gave them authority to do. Jesus told them with such authority that they
could even move mountains if necessary.
Now, you and I
are not apostles. We do not have that
authority. But we do have the word of God. And the word of God does, indeed, drive off
the devil. The word of God does not
merely talk about the forgiveness of sins; it delivers us. The word of God does not merely refer to the resurrection
of the dead; it provides it. The word of
God is your remedy against doubts, fears, anxiety, and despair. For it reveals a Redeemer who loves you, who
created you for a purpose, and who has redeemed you for everlasting glory.
Does this mean
you will never struggle with mental health or emotional problems? Does it mean that you are a poor Christian if
you deal with anxiety or depression? Not
at all. The devil may still oppress
you. But even in your struggles, especially
in your struggles, you have a refuge.
You have a Savior. He keeps you
in his care. You get to call on him in
prayer and to hold him to his promises. And
he promises: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). Not, “whoever believes and has his act
together.” Not “whoever believes and is
emotionally stable.” Not “whoever believes
and is always cheerful.” You are saved
by faith in Jesus alone. He is all you
need to be a conqueror.
And since he has conquered, you are his prize. Since he lives, so will you. We flee to the right person and say the right prayer: “Lord, have mercy.” And he does.
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