Face to face with demons
"When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him. He ran to meet Jesus and fell down before him. He gave a terrible scream, shrieking, 'Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? For God's sake, don't torture me!' For Jesus had already said to the spirit, 'Come out of the man, you evil spirit.'" Mark 5:6-8 (NLT).
Demons know whether or not you are a Christian. They are aware of the presence of God in someone long before we are. These demons saw Jesus coming while he was still a long way off. The Greek word for the phrase "some distance away" is makrothen, meaning "far away" or "long distance." No normal person could have recognized Jesus at such a distance, for he had never been to Gerasa before. But demons recognized him.
Pastor Malcolm Smith tells of the time when he was in a hotel lobby. Suddenly, a total stranger possessed by a demon verbally assaulted him. The demon said to Smith, "We know who you are! You're one of those Christians." The demon practically spit the word "Christians" out of the man's mouth. Malcolm had never seen or spoken to this man about his Christianity, but the demon inside him knew that he was one. As the demon continued to speak to Smith, he told him that they always knew who Christians were, and how they hated them. To make a long story short, Smith says he cast the demon out.
Demons know who Christians are. By some means unknown to us, they can spot us. Perhaps it is the light of God that they can somehow see in us. We don't know. But they knew Jesus, they knew Malcolm Smith, and they knew the apostles later on. They also told the seven sons of Sceva that they DIDN'T know them, and violently attacked them driving them from a house naked and wounded (Acts 19:14-16).
Demons are not fantasy, they are very real. They have not ceased their evil activities since the time of Jesus and his apostles. They continue to work against all that is holy. They still recognize God's children.
Now notice that the man possessed by demons ran to meet Jesus. While demons are subject to God's power, they were not afraid to run toward the Son of God, therefore, they will not be afraid to run toward you. In fact, they will sometimes be in your presence attempting to thwart you and protect their turf. The demons Jesus encountered liked possessing this man of Gerasa, and came to Jesus in an attempt to keep things as they had been. They even resisted coming out of the man. They wanted to keep him.
Satan does not give up territory easily. He will come right at us, doing all that he can to keep his turf - - in our lives, our church, our work place, our families, or any place. If you are a Christian, he knows you, and will be working against you. Especially, if you are a Christian leader, he hates you! He will do everything in his power to thwart your purposes. Pastors, elders, and other Christian leaders are huge targets for Satan. If you think you can lead for God without devoting yourself to much prayer or encountering evil, you are mistaken. Leaders are especially targeted by Satan and his demonic hoard. Jesus was.
Paul wrote, "We are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6:12). Don't tell me demons don't exist! We fight them daily.
However, Jesus was not afraid, and we should not be either. If we belong to Jesus, the power of God resides in us. "Be strong with the Lord's mighty power" Paul said, "Resist the enemy in the time of evil", stand your ground! (Eph. 6:10, 13a, 14a). How? By putting on God's armor (See Eph. 6:14-18).
If you serve Christ, you will encounter demons. You may not recognize them, but you will encounter them. You will see their activity. Division, strife, violence, rebellion, defiance, law-breaking, hatred, unforgiveness, immorality, greed, and more can indicate their presence. They WILL come against you.
The key is to be boldly unafraid as Jesus was. The demons of Gerasa begged Jesus not to torture them. They knew who was in charge! They still know!
So face evil with confidence in Christ's ability to defeat it. Never fear, for God is with you. Be bold in Jesus' name. Demons tremble at that name.