Mark 1:22
And they were astonished at His doctrine:
for He taught them as one that had authority,
and not as the scribes.

The scribes couldn't teach as Jesus taught. He had a manifestation of authority they just couldn't stand up to.

Mark 1:23, 24
And there was in their synagogue
a man with an unclean spirit;
and he cried out, saying, Let us alone:
what have we do to with Thee,
Thou Jesus of Nazareth?
art Thou come to destroy us?
I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God.

This man had an unclean spirit. He was demon possessed. The devil was controlling his life. When Jesus began teaching, that devil got stirred up.

Possession -

There's a lot here you can consider about the work of the devil: his greatest desire is to find entrance into someone's body, so he can have a place from which to work - a place where he can do things he couldn't do without a body to work in and through.

From that vantage point, he controls the person he possesses - causing the person to do what the devil wills.

Obsession -

Other times, he will obsess someone. He obsesses his mind, putting something in his mind that goes over and over - to where he may even drive the person completely out of his mind!

In the realm of demon power, demons seek to control men. They seek to lead them, to take their body, and put them into bondage.

Tormenting spirits -

These spirits get a hold of people to torment them mentally and to cause them to break down.

Unclean spirits -

These type of spirits works on the appetites of the body, seeking to control someone through his own appetites.

Drug addicts gets so bound they can't help themselves. Isn't that what the devil likes? Alcoholics are men the devil has got hold of, men who have lost control of themselves.

If someone is being controlled by the devil, more than anything, he should be crying out, How do I get this thing out of my life? I don't want this in my life. I want victory over this!

Once a demon gets control of a person, the only thing that can set him free is the power of God. That's the only thing that can break the yoke and set the captive free.

Confrontation -

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. Here's a confrontation: this man is possessed with a devil; and Christ is filled with the Holy Ghost.

When a Spirit-filled believer, an on-fire believer, meets up with someone who is demon-possessed, there's bound to be some conflict. And that conflict can lead to deliverance - casting the devil out.

Here, the spirit cried out Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth?

That spirit knew who Jesus really was.

Art thou come to destroy us?

They knew that they couldn't come up against the authority of Christ and prevail. They knew that day would come. They lived with that hanging over their heads.

Yes, the day will come when the devil and all his demons will be cast into hell and destruction for eternity. They know that day will surely come.

They're living in a fear. And the unsaved often live in that fear, too, knowing that if they do not accept the Lord and get saved and come to grips with walking with God, the day will come when they will be judged and sent to hell with the devil.

Now, notice here in Mark 1 that it says, Let us alone. That word us would tend to say that there is more than one demon here.

Mark 1:24
Saying, Let us alone;
what have we to do with Thee,
Thou Jesus of Nazareth?
art Thou come to destroy us?
I know Thee who Thou art,
the Holy One of God.

There's a full identity here. They knew Jesus. They knew Jesus as well as we know Jesus, and maybe better. Yes, they knew the Holy One of God.

Here is a man. He is bound, helpless. He is not able to free himself. But he is in the right company. He's in the right place this day.

Mark 1:25
And Jesus rebuked him, saying,
Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

Remember, earlier they had been astonished at His doctrine because He taught them as one having authority? Well, here we find a command, an authority that's imposed upon the devil - and the devil has to obey that authority.

The devil is limited -

Yes, the devil is limited in what he can do to us. He's not at liberty to just do anything he wants to do. God will not suffer him to tempt us above that which we are able to resist. He doesn't have authority over us.

Nowhere in the Scripture is the devil put in charge of us. In no way does he have any authority over us.

Yet he can be brought into the place where we let him have authority.

When a person will not listen to God, wanting to go his own way and do his own thing, that person will be taken of the devil of his own will.

Here Jesus shows us deliverance, and the effect of His authority:

Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

Mark 1:26
And when the unclean spirit had torn him,
and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

That's the result of authority. What could the devil do? The unclean spirit was in this man, and wanted to hurt him on the way out. He's mad, and we see where he tore the man before leaving.

A warning -

Realize that we're not put under any authority of the devil. He can't just come and take us at his will and possess us - we must first open the door.

Let's look at what makes these things possible, like this man right here: somewhere, somehow, he gave himself over to something which opened the door for demon possession.

That's one thing we want to see - the way must be made before someone can be possessed.

Someone goes out there to get on this new thing. He wants to get a high on something, such as drugs or alcohol.

He gets high and it feels good! And so he starts indulging in it more and more.

Well, how far can someone go down that road? The devil has gained entrance in many by tempting them, by alluring them, by working on them, until he gets them into the place where he actually can possess them.

And once the devil possesses a person, that person is going to have a nightmare day after day.

The person who is bound by drugs is going to be driven to those drugs, so that he is addicted. That drug habit will only get worse and worse and worse. Every time the demand for more drugs comes into his body, he will have to get out there and get more cash to buy another fix.

People get under such a bondage and such a control that they can't help themselves. All they can do is participate. They are driven to steal! to rob! to mug!

You see, their habit is bigger than their ability to pay. So it just takes them down, down - until they finally crash somewhere. It's an awful life.

The same is true with those who get bound on liquor. They get so bound that they have got to have it, regardless.

The alcoholics on the street are driven. All they do all day is look for nickels, dimes, quarters. They're begging on the street to get just enough to go to the liquor store.

Giving the devil an opening -

It's demon possession. It's demon control. And once again, it's through these appetites. Through the body craving these things.

Beware of anything that leaves a great craving in your body.

Some things may not seem dangerous to people, but those very things can get them really bound.

Look at the bondage that cigarettes often bring.

People get bound on nicotine - to where, no matter what they do, they just can't stop smoking. And some of them will need deliverance from it if they're going to find victory.

Bear in mind that when people play around with these things they may find themselves controlled by them - because they have opened the door to demon possession.

Realize that some need deliverance from spirits that have a hold of them, as well as from cravings.

Mark 1:27
And they were all amazed, inasmuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him.

You see, that's how authority works. And Jesus had that authority.

Those unclean spirits had to reckon with that authority. They could not resist the authority that comes with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The devil can be brought into subjection and commanded to go when authority is taken over him.

That authority brings him to the place where he has to obey.

Recognize there is an authority. And it's in the name of Jesus. That authority is given: In My name shall they . . .

When we take the name of Jesus Christ as a realm of authority, and command the devil in that name - he has to obey.

Authority in His Name - see Acts 9:13-17

Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?

These seven men didn't have that authority. They had the Name, but they didn't have the authority. They didn't have that identity with Jesus.

In the work of God, when authority is given to us, it brings an anointing. And that anointing works the authority which is there.

So the authority is given in Jesus' Name. The authority is in Him, and it's in His name that we're commanding.

The gift of discerning of spirits -

Understand that it's the Spirit of God who gives a gift to discern spirits.

With the gift of discerning of spirits we can recognize what spirits are possessing someone, and in that realm can proceed to cast them out.

You need discernment to know by the Spirit of God what you're dealing with. And if you know by the Spirit, you won't mind speaking up and saying, You devil, I know you're there. Come out in the name of Jesus Christ!

That God-given authority comes from above, exercising power in the Name of Jesus, casting out devils to set the captive free.

Luke 13:11-13
And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And He laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

A spirit of infirmity -

I believe this woman was what we'd call a church-going woman. I don't believe she was a bad woman. But she had a spirit of infirmity - a spirit that will make a person sick - and will keep him sick.

Through this infirmity, this woman had been brought to where she was doubled right over.She could in no wise straighten herself up. The devil had bound her for eighteen long years with this infirmity. She could not get well. She just could not get over it. It steadily grew worse.

Now, Jesus laid His hands on her and said, Be loosed of thine infirmity. When He loosed her, He was loosing her from the devil's possessing of her.

These things all have to be dealt with. I thank God He gives the gift of discerning of spirits, that we can discern by the Spirit of God to know what we're dealing with.

We find another account of demon possession in Mark 9:14-29. Here Jesus dealt with the unbelief that was in the heart of a man whose son needed deliverance.

This father wanted to see his son set free. He had tried everything he could to get deliverance for his son. But thus far, nothing was able to help him.

He seemed to show that he had somewhat of an interest. But he was filled with unbelief. In that realm of unbelief, what could he do? what could he accomplish?

When the disciples tried to cast this devil out, they failed. And yet Jesus was able to cast it out. Later the disciples came and asked, Master, why couldn't we cast this devil out?

That was a good question.

More than prayer -

Jesus answered - This kind can come out by nothing but by prayer and fasting. Jesus is saying that in some cases it takes more than just praying for someone if victory is to come.

He's saying, For some, you're going to have to get yourselves prepared with some of that old-time fasting and prayer if you're going to have the power and anointing to set them free.

These spirits were different in what they did - and different in how they would be driven out, coming out by nothing but by prayer and fasting.

If we're not prepared we'll probably go on and on, never stopping to think that what we might need is to stop and say, Look, I think I'm going to draw aside. I'm going to get on my face before God and seek God for that anointing.

Why could the disciples cast out other devils and they couldn't cast these devils out?

All devils are not the same. Some are much harder to deal with.

When there is a struggle, look to see if the problem is with you -

Is my problem the work of the devil?

Or is my problem the absence in my life of staying filled up with the Spirit and staying fired up for God and walking clean and holy?

Am I dabbling in things that I shouldn't be dabbling in? Am I doing things which the Bible tells me not to do?

The devil looks every day to get something in you. He's tries to get in. He gnaws at you and gnaws at you, trying to get you to do the wrong thing. Just start giving in to him - and the next thing you know he'll see where he can drive the wedge in a little deeper.

Watch what you say!

Some folks would never think that some of the things they do or say are of any danger to them.

Matthew 12:37
For by thy words thou shalt be justified,
and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Some of the shady things that some people say who call themselves Christians! Why do they talk like that? Because they are like that on the inside.

What's wrong with looking?

Matthew 5:27, 28
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Why would anybody want to look? because they like what they see! That's why they keep looking.

It's time to come to the place where you'll turn your eyes, and stop looking - knowing that if you like it, you'll open yourself up to be bound with an old lust spirit.

But what's in a look?

Ask yourself where does it lead to, when you give in to see something about a man or a woman that puts a lustful thought in your mind.

This is where a lot of failure comes. We let down. We don't hold to our standards. There are a lot of things in which we have to discipline ourselves to say No, I won't do that. That's not a right thing. I won't do it.

Too often, though, the saying is, It must be all right - after all, others are doing it.

The generation in which you are living is almost a nudist generation. People are wearing the minimum that the law would allow; and if the law would tolerate it they would be out there totally naked!

Why do they want to show so much?

It's hot outside! I can't stand the heat!

Listen, I'm going to tell you the truth. The heat is not out there. The heat is in the heart, driving people because of their lust. It's demon spirits that are undressing this generation.

Why would a woman want to dress in a way that exposes her body. What's wrong with her?

She's not only out there like that because she's bound, but she's also out there to be a snare to others.

If you want to live a holy life, the way you dress is important. You're not out there to be a signboard.

On a hot day you might take your jacket off, or wear a short-sleeved shirt - but you shouldn't take your clothes off just because it's hot!

Christians! are we going to resist what the Holy Spirit teaches about holiness and righteousness in the Scriptures?

Though there is a parade of nudity going down the street, do we have to go out and look at it?

Be careful what you listen to!

You should also be careful what you listen to - and what you don't listen to.

Don't listen to the ungodly things that some are saying. If you do, it may tend to leave lingering thoughts in your mind that shouldn't be there.

Live close to the Lord - and stay free!

Our lifestyle can really be an enemy to our souls. Living a lifestyle in which we are not living in a close, holy walk with God gives the devil many opportunities to sneak up and try to get a hold somehow.

If the devil can't find anything in you, he's got nothing to work on. So get rid of those things that are in you which shouldn't be there.

It may be something outward, something before you that's causing you problems; or it may be something inward, something in your heart.

People who walk in holiness and live a holy life are not going to be tossed around by some evil spirit.

To be a holy person is to have a Christian lifestyle.

It's a walk in the Spirit, a walk in victory. It's a walk that deprives the devil of a handle with which to get a hold in you.

The devil has no inroad when you don't do any of those things which he normally uses to control somebody.

Galatians 5:16
This I say then,
Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.