Luke 4:31-37 - Authority of Jesus Over Demons

Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." 37 And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.   Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth and had been rejected. He didn’t throw in the towel and quit, but “He went down to Capernaum”. He went down to a dark place where demons, evil, and wickedness abound. “Where sin abound, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20). And in this region of darkness and shadow of death “a great light has sprung up” (Matthew 4:13-17). Jesus came down to where we are so that we could be where He is!  “That where I am there you may be also” (John 14:3).   Luke wants us to know that Jesus has authority of the demons of this world. Jesus continues His ministry of teaching the people on the Sabbaths in the synagogues and they are astonished because of the authority of His word. And of all places, in the place of worship where the Word of God is being honored and read there is a man with a spirit of an unclean demon. The demon now speaks through this man to Jesus!   Isn’t it interesting that Luke 4 begins with Jesus being tempted by the devil himself in the wilderness. Yes, we live in the wilderness of sin in this world and the temptations of the devil are all around us. But now there is confrontation with a demon in the synagogue, in the place of worship. Even today in our churches and ministries where the Word of God is being taught, where people are worshiping, fellowshipping and praying, there can be demon possessed people who are going to speak up in opposition to the truth! And I’m sure there are a lot of pastors who could name these kind people who are in their church.   Jesus is confronted by this demon who said, “I know who you are”. This reminds me of what James said, “Even the demons believe and tremble” (James 2:19). And they know that the presence of Jesus with His Word is enough to drive them away. This demon says, “Leave us alone”. That is exactly the attitude of the lost world with their unclean spirits of selfishness, greed, immorality, and jealousness. They don’t want to hear the truth about their sin and judgment to come.   We need to be reminded what a demon is. From the Bible we learn that when Satan was cast out of heaven it appears that a third of the angels went with him (Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28; Revelation 12:3-4). Lucifer, a fallen angel, becomes Satan, comes to earth and takes the scepter of ruler of the world from Adam and now with his fallen angels who are called demons, he is the prince and power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). Demons are the “spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:11-13). Jesus said that hell was created for “the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).   Jesus rebukes this demon and tells him to be quiet and come out of the man. The demon responded by throwing the man down in the midst of the people. It appears that demons do have supernatural power given them by Satan. But the power and word of Jesus is greater. The demon came out of the man and did not hurt him.   Today we need to know that demons are real, and they can still possess people and cause great harm and opposition to the Gospel and to those who are in ministry. But we also should be reminded that, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). And, “Greater is He who in in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).   Jesus still has authority over demons and my friend you can trust Jesus today to protect you and provide deliverance for you!   God bless!