redemption , and Satan determined to assert his right to control the world . He had succeeded in establishing idolatry in every part of the earth except the land of Palestine . To the only land that had not fully yielded to the tempter ' s sway , Christ came to shed upon the people the light of heaven . Here two rival powers claimed supremacy . Jesus was stretching out His arms of love , inviting all who would to find pardon and peace in Him . The hosts of darkness saw that they did not possess unlimited control , and they understood that if Christ ' s mission should be successful , their rule was soon to end . Satan raged like a chained lion and defiantly exhibited his power over the bodies as well as the souls of men .
The fact that men have been possessed with demons , is clearly stated in the New Testament . The persons thus afflicted were not merely suffering with disease from natural causes . Christ had 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 marshaled 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
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