From Forward Day by Day
Mark 5:8-9 For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”
For us, demon possession is generally considered the stuff of supernatural thrillers and horror films. Many people don’t believe in demons, and even those who believe don’t encounter demons in the regular course of day-to-day life. Why, then, are the many exorcisms portrayed in the gospels relevant to us today?
They matter because even if we don’t believe in demons, we know evils that take over people and drive them to destruction—evils that seem impossible to eradicate. Evils such as substance abuse, war, racism, greed, and the persecution of the weak take over both individuals and entire cultures, and we are not enough to fight them alone.
Whatever we may believe about demons, the gospels’ exorcism stories offer contemporary Christians the greatest possible comfort: though evil sometimes feels impossible to eradicate, Christ still has the power to overcome it.
