430
The Great Controversy
darkness. One of the demons controlling the sufferers declared: “My
name is Legion: for we are many.”
Mark 5:9
. In the Roman army a
legion consisted of from three to five thousand men. Satan’s hosts also
are marshaled in companies, and the single company to which these
demons belonged numbered no less than a legion.
At the command of Jesus the evil spirits departed from their vic-
tims, leaving them calmly sitting at the Saviour’s feet, subdued, in-
telligent, and gentle. But the demons were permitted to sweep a herd
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of swine into the sea; and to the dwellers of Gadara the loss of these
outweighed the blessings which Christ had bestowed, and the divine
Healer was entreated to depart. This was the result which Satan de-
signed to secure. By casting the blame of their loss upon Jesus, he
aroused the selfish fears of the people and prevented them from listen-
ing to His words. Satan is constantly accusing Christians as the cause
of loss, misfortune, and suffering, instead of allowing the reproach to
fall where it belongs—upon himself and his agents.
But the purposes of Christ were not thwarted. He allowed the evil
spirits to destroy the herd of swine as a rebuke to those Jews who
were raising these unclean beasts for the sake of gain. Had not Christ
restrained the demons, they would have plunged into the sea, not only
the swine, but also their keepers and owners. The preservation of both
the keepers and the owners was due alone to His power, mercifully
exercised for their deliverance. Furthermore, this event was permitted
to take place that the disciples might witness the cruel power of Satan
upon both man and beast. The Saviour desired His followers to have
a knowledge of the foe whom they were to meet, that they might not
be deceived and overcome by his devices. It was also His will that the
people of that region should behold His power to break the bondage
of Satan and release his captives. And though Jesus Himself departed,
the men so marvelously delivered, remained to declare the mercy of
their Benefactor.
Other instances of a similar nature are recorded in the Scriptures.
The daughter of the Syrophoenician woman was grievously vexed
with a devil, whom Jesus cast out by His word. (
Mark 7:26-30
).
“One possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb” (
Matthew 12:22
); a
youth who had a dumb spirit, that ofttimes “cast him into the fire,
and into the waters, to destroy him” (
Mark 9:17-27
); the maniac who,
tormented by “a spirit of an unclean devil” (
Luke 4:33-36
), disturbed