perfect understanding of that with which He was dealing , and He recognized the direct presence and agency of evil spirits . A striking example of their number , power , and malignity , and also of the power and mercy of Christ , is given in the Scripture account of the healing of the demoniacs at Gadara . Those wretched maniacs , spurning all restraint , writhing , foaming , raging , were filling the air with their cries , doing violence to themselves , and endangering all who should approach them . Their bleeding and disfigured bodies and distracted minds presented a spectacle well pleasing to the prince of darkness . One of the demons controlling the sufferers declared : " My name is Legion : for we are many ." Mark 5:9 . In the Roman army a legion consisted of from three to five thousand men . Satan ' s hosts also are marshalled in companies , and the single company to which these demons belonged numbered no less than a legion .
At the command of Jesus the evil spirits departed from their victims , leaving them calmly sitting at the Saviour ' s feet , subdued , intelligent , and gentle . But the demons were permitted to sweep a herd of swine into the sea ; and to the dwellers of Gadara the loss of these outweighed the blessings which Christ had bestowed , and the divine Healer was entreated to depart . This was the result which Satan designed to secure . By casting the blame of their loss upon Jesus , he aroused the selfish fears of the people and prevented them from listening to His words . Satan is constantly accusing Christians as the cause of loss , misfortune , and suffering , instead of allowing the reproach to fall where it belongs-- upon himself and his agents .
But the purposes of Christ were not thwarted . He allowed the evil spirits to destroy the herd of swine as a rebuke to those Jews who were raising these unclean beasts for the sake of gain . Had not Christ restrained the demons , they would have plunged into the sea , not only the swine , but also their keepers and owners . The preservation of both the keepers and the owners was due alone to His power , mercifully exercised for their deliverance . Furthermore , this event was permitted to take place that the disciples might witness the cruel power of Satan upon both man and beast . The Saviour desired His followers to have a knowledge of the foe whom they were to meet , that they might not be deceived and overcome by his devices . It was also His will that the people of that region should behold His power to break the bondage of Satan and release his captives . And though Jesus Himself departed , the men so marvellously delivered , remained to declare the mercy of their Benefactor .
Other instances of a similar nature are recorded in the Scriptures . The daughter of the Syrophoenician woman was grievously vexed with a devil , whom Jesus cast out by His word . ( Mark 7:26-30 ). " One possessed with a devil , blind , and dumb " ( Matthew 12:22 ; a youth who had a dumb spirit , that ofttimes " cast him into the fire , and into the waters , to destroy him " ( Mark 9:1727 ); the maniac who , tormented by " a spirit of an unclean devil " ( Luke 4:33-36 ), disturbed the Sabbath quiet of the synagogue at Capernaum--all were healed by the compassionate Saviour . In nearly every instance , Christ addressed the demon as an intelligent entity , commanding him to come out of his
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