Jesus Casts Out Demons

After calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus and the disciples arrived on its eastern shore. They came ashore in “the country of the Gadarenes” (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) or “Gergesenes” (Matthew 8:28).

This was in the area of the Decapolis (“ten cities”), a region built by the Greeks and Romans and inhabited mainly by gentiles.

In the weeks before this moment, Jesus had demonstrated His authority over disease, death and the forces of nature. Here He would show His authority over the forces of darkness.

Immediately after stepping out of the boat, Jesus encountered two demon-possessed men (Matthew 8:28).

Before going any further, we must consider the challenging topic of demonic possession.

The demonic realm and possession

The Bible indicates that Lucifer, who became Satan, was able to convince one-third of the angels to join him in rebelling against God. These angels became known as demons. Like their master, they were cast out of heaven and now dwell on earth, trying to influence human beings to rebel against God—just as they did.

Satan and the demons primarily operate through deception, misleading the majority of the world through false ideas and wrong thinking (Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 12:9). However, deception is not the same as possession. While most people, past and present, have been deceived, only a much smaller number have experienced direct possession.

Keeping our minds focused on God requires mental discipline and intentional effort to think spiritually. Those who do this will experience spiritual peace and will not need to fear dark influences. The Old Testament describes examples of people being influenced by demons, but it doesn’t seem to describe many instances of direct possession. One possible example is the “distressing spirit” that sometimes influenced King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14-15; 18:10-11).

The clearest biblical examples of possession are found in the accounts of Jesus’ ministry. 

Though demonic possession still occurs today, it seems the demonic realm was particularly active during Jesus’ time on earth. It’s possible the demons were attempting to counterfeit His righteous works with spectacles of their own, seeking to distract people from Him. These beings are driven by vanity, arrogance and deceitful mischief.

Demonic possession occurs when a demon infiltrates a person’s mind, seizing control over his or her speech and actions. This doesn’t happen randomly; rather, it usually occurs when individuals, knowingly or unknowingly, expose themselves to dark spiritual influences, creating a mental opening for demonic influence.

Demons possessing a person manifest their presence in different ways. In the New Testament, we read examples of them causing bizarre behavior, self-harm, manipulating the senses, provoking seizure-like episodes and other forms of violent and erratic behavior. 

(Unfortunately, over the years, some have mistakenly labeled medical conditions as possession. Physical ailments such as epilepsy or mental illness should not be equated with demonic possession. Making such judgments carelessly is unwise, unhelpful and, in most cases, incorrect.)

What kinds of activities can make a person vulnerable to demonic influence?

Any activity that empties the mind or involves surrendering mental control can create an opening for demonic influence. This includes mind-altering drugs. Therefore, it is essential that we maintain full control of our thoughts and avoid drugs and meditation techniques that promote detachment from thought and self-awareness.

Losing self-control through unbridled rage or any form of uncontrolled emotionalism can also be dangerous. 

Additionally, participating in any aspect of the occult can serve as a gateway to demonic influence. Parents should be especially vigilant in preventing their children from dabbling in these activities, including Ouija boards, horoscopes, tarot cards or entertainment that glorifies demons, witchcraft or the occult. 

While these activities do not automatically lead to possession, we should avoid anything connected to spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:11).

For more insight on these topics, download our free booklet The Spirit World: Facts and Fallacies. 

The demon-possessed man

Returning to the account, Jesus encountered a man with “an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him . . . neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones” (Mark 5:2-5). 

(Matthew mentions two demon-possessed men, but it seems Mark and Luke focus only on Jesus’ interaction with the one who was more vocal.) 

Luke points out that the possessed man had been driven to the wilderness, disconnected from others (Luke 8:29).

As Jesus approached, He calmly and authoritatively “commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man” (verse 29, emphasis added). Notice that Jesus didn’t have to fight—He simply issued a command. This was a demonstration of His unquestioned authority. 

Neither human beings nor righteous angels have authority over these corrupt beings. Only two beings can command outright obedience from them—God the Father and the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus was exercising His divine authority over these fallen angels.

Knowing they were powerless to resist, the demons begged Jesus not to send them to a place of total restraint where they would be unable to move freely or have influence. 

The account then makes clear that many demons were involved:

“My name is Legion; for we are many” (Mark 5:9). It seems there were at least 2,000 demons in this man (verse 13). Interestingly, a legion was a Roman military unit, perhaps indicating that these beings saw themselves as an organized force doing battle against God’s plan.

Jesus casts the demons into pigs

Jesus had already commanded them to depart from the man’s mind, but had not yet decreed where they would go. 

Jesus later made an interesting statement about demons leaving a person: “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none” (Matthew 12:43). This suggests that demons, when cast out, depart in an agitated and restless state, desperately wandering in search of someone new to influence or inhabit. 

There was a large herd of swine feeding nearby, which is not surprising since it was a gentile region. “So all the demons begged Him, saying, ‘Send us to the swine, that we may enter them’” (Mark 5:12). 

Instead of sending them to a place of total restraint, Jesus allowed the demons to enter the swine. This caused the swine to go berserk and hurl themselves into the water to their death. It must have been an amazing and troubling sight to behold. 

Why swine? 

Pigs are labeled as unclean in the Bible, meaning they are not to be eaten by people (Leviticus 11:7). It shouldn’t surprise us that unclean spirits desired and were permitted to enter unclean animals. This also shows that Jesus viewed swine as unclean.

It’s interesting to note that in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, the younger son’s sinful and spiritually unclean lifestyle ultimately left him feeding swine (Luke 15:13-16).

Jesus respected and upheld the biblical food laws, and Christians striving to walk as He walked do the same. 

“In his right mind”

After these events, the man was totally free of the demons’ influence. When people came to see what had happened, they found him “sitting and clothed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15). 

This demonstrated Christ’s absolute authority over the demonic realm. But it also showed another theme of His ministry—when Jesus entered a situation marked by chaos and disorder, His involvement restored order and peace. 

Jesus found this man totally out of control—naked, living among the dead and exhibiting deranged and destructive behavior. But when Jesus left, the man was fully clothed, in his right mind and ready to rejoin society. He could now intelligently articulate “what great things Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39).

Fortify your mind

Hopefully, no one reading this will ever experience what this man did. However, we are all vulnerable to Satan’s deceptive influence. 

To guard against this, we must always maintain firm control of our minds. Christians should actively fill their minds with godly thoughts (Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:2) and avoid allowing their minds to drift into emptiness, dark thinking or unrestrained emotions. 

Isaiah wrote, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You” (Isaiah 26:3). Keeping our minds focused on God requires mental discipline and intentional effort to think spiritually. Those who do this will experience spiritual peace and will not need to fear dark influences.

The most important key to keeping our minds firmly fortified against dark influences is to be “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1). God’s Spirit helps us develop “a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7) and empowers us to . . .

Walk as He walked.