Key Thought

Never lose sight of the underlying truth in this passage: when Satan enters a life, this is his ultimate goal -- isolation, self-inflicted pain, anguish, death, and loss of human identity. While temptations are presented as alluring shortcuts to things we want, the evil one uses them as traps to ensnare us and deceive us into letting him take control. His control comes at first, with a host of pleasures. In the end, however, they lead to all that we see in the man in today's passage. Remember this man the next time temptation knocks. Understand, this is Satan's desire for you, and surrendering to his power through sin is the open door for him to come in and take control.

Today's Prayer

Today's Verses in Context

Jesus and his followers sailed on across the lake. They sailed to the area where the Gerasene people live, across from Galilee. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man from that town came to Jesus. This man had demons inside him. For a long time he had worn no clothes. He lived in the caves where dead people are buried, not in a house. The demon had often seized him. The man had been put in jail, and his hands and feet had been tied with chains. But the man would always break the chains, and the demon inside him would force him to go out to the places where no people lived. Then Jesus commanded the evil spirit (the demon) to come out of this man. The man fell down before Jesus and shouted with a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, don't punish me!" Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" The man answered, "Legion." (He said his name was "Legion" because many demons had gone into him.) The demons begged Jesus not to send them into eternal darkness. On that hill there was a big herd of pigs eating. The demons begged Jesus to allow them to go into the pigs. So Jesus allowed the demons to do this. Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. The herd of pigs ran down the hill and into the lake. All the pigs drowned. The men that were caring for the pigs ran away. The men told the story in the fields and in the town. People went out to see what happened. The people came to Jesus and found the man sitting there at the feet of Jesus. The man had clothes on and was in his right mind again; the demons were gone. The people became afraid. The men that saw these things happen told the other people all about how Jesus made the man well. All the people asked Jesus to go away. They were afraid. So Jesus got into the boat to go back to Galilee. The man that Jesus healed begged to go with Jesus. But Jesus sent the man away, saying, "Go back home and tell people what God did for you." So the man went all over town telling whatJesus had done for him.

— Luke 8:26-39 (ERV)

Comments on "When Satan Enters a Life":

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