Mark 5:19-20, “Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.”
As many of you know, I really enjoy coaching youth sports. I have an extensive educational background and have been able to obtain quite a bit of experience through the years. When coaching games sometimes an opposing team has an above average player; one that can change the outcome of the game by themselves. When I know this or I notice this, I usually talk to my team to make them aware and ask one of our players to mark them (their responsibility is to cover that player). Why so much attention? Because that one player makes the landscape of the game different.
In a spiritual context, we know by the truth of scripture that there are certain children of God who, by their behavior, affect many more than just themselves. In 1 Timothy 4:16, the Apostle reminds Timothy that his behavior will affect many more than just himself. In Titus 2:2-5, we learn that the aged men and women (parents and grandparents are included in this group) affect more than just themselves with their behavior. With this in mind, I hope we can easily understand why the devil would take more interest in one or a few. The devil knows his bringing down of the one with temptations and troubles could affect many others.
In our study verse, we read about a person tormented by the devil. Matthew 8:28 tells us that there were two. Whether this was a man and his wife, a man, and his brother, or a man and his child, we do not know. But we do know it was two and “many” devils took a lot of interest in them. We know, by the truth of scripture that God has many children on earth. The Lord’s people are the many and are compared to the sand by the seashore and the stars of heaven. If there are a great number of children of God on earth, why did so many devils take interest in these two? The answer may be in the word of the verses previously cited. These two, or at least the one, would be used by God in a mighty way. When the Lord helped them, by delivering them from the power of the devil, he would be found “sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind.” The “right mind” would be used to “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great thing the Lord hath done for thee, and hath compassion on thee.” The effort would bring him or them to Decapolis, which literally means ten cities, to tell this good news. Wow! What an amazing calling and opportunity to tell others about the goodness of God.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the devil is not omnipresent as God is. According to Job 1:7, he goes “to and fro in the earth” to torment and trouble the children of God because he knows he has but a short time (Revelation 12:12). Yes, we know by the truth of scripture that the devil has his minions that work with and for him. When he fell from his first estate, others fell with him (Jude vs 6). And we know the devil will take more interest in some more than others. If you feel the devil and his angels have taken an interest in you, there is good news from scripture for you. (1) The Lord is greater than the devil and all his angels. (2) The Lord cares for all of His children. (3) The Lord is blessing you enough for the devil to take an interest. (4) You are or will have an opportunity to be a precious servant and example to other children of God. (5) Everything will end alright in heaven one day, no matter how difficult the struggle, because if the devil has taken interest in you, it means you belong to God. The devil never fights against the devil. The Lord taught us this lesson in Matthew 12:25-26. So lift up your heads dear children of God, and trust in Him that “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,… (Ephesians 3:20). Lift up your heads and see the service of the Lord and think “whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this…” (Esther 4:14). Amen!