HOLD THY PEACE, AND COME OUT OF HIM

In the course of Jewish synagogue services there was the opportunity given for men to read and comment on the scriptures. As the Lord went into the synagogues on the Sabbath day, He took advantage of this opportunity.

The people who heard noted the difference in the Lord’s teaching because He spoke with authority. The reason for this was two-fold. First, he could speak with authority because they were His words: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God’, 2 Tim. 3. 16. The second reason for His authority was because He expounded the scriptures and not man’s ideas, as the scribes were prone to do. Thus, any person who expounds the word of God and not the ideas of men can speak with similar authority.

One source of opposition to the entrance of the word of God into our hearts is Satan. In a parable that Jesus taught, satanic forces are pictured as birds devouring the good seed of the word of God. Here the demons don’t even wait for the service to end but interrupt the service with a loud voice.

It is instructive to note that the demons that inhabited this man knew who Jesus was and were afraid of Him. It reminds us of James’ words: ‘Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble’, James 2. 19.

This poor man needed to be delivered from the mastery of Satan over him. In a sense each of us begin life under the mastery of Satan for Paul said, ‘the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not’, 2 Cor. 4. 4. It is only the light of the glorious gospel of Christ which can dispel the darkness that Satan has imposed.

This man was delivered that day from the bondage of Satan by the authority and power of the word of God. Only as we come into contact with the word of God can we be delivered.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 11, Paul reminds us we need contact with the word of God on a continual basis. If we would overcome the false apostles and deceitful workers that abound today and who would seek to corrupt our minds from the simplicity and purity that is in Christ then our only resort is to the word of God.