Unclean Spirits

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. 

In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”

Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region. (Luke 4:31-37)

We all have unclean spirits some being called envy, hate, arrogance, and revenge.  They are all demons without the traditional form with horns and twisted mouths.  When they threaten to take us over and control us, we must rely on Jesus’ rebuke they will surely hear: “Be quiet! Come out of him! Come out of her!”  Our problem tends to be they hide behind their shields we give them – shields of resistance to change and transformation.   Jesus can only do so much.  He needs our cooperation.  

Our unclean demons know Jesus comes to destroy them. They rely on us to reveal our horns we keep hidden and twisted mouths that lie and spread hate.  We shouldn’t kid ourselves.  We all have inner struggles of good versus evil with our demons trying to tip the balance in their favor.  Fortunately, the Holy One of God puts his countering thumb on the scale.

Deacon David Pierce