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Humble Hero
had so recently glared with insanity now beamed with intelligence
and over-flowed with grateful tears.
The people exclaimed, “What is this? What new doctrine is this?
For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they
obey Him.”
This man had been fascinated by the pleasures of sin and had
thought to make life a grand carnival. He did not dream of becoming
a terror to the world and a disgrace to his family. He thought he
could spend his time in innocent folly. But intemperance and a
failure to take life seriously perverted his nature, and Satan took
absolute control of him. When he would have sacrificed wealth and
pleasure to regain control of his life, he had become helpless in the
grasp of the evil one. Satan had taken possession of all his abilities.
When the poor man was finally in his power, the demon became
relentless in his cruelty. It is like this with everyone who yields to
evil. The fascinating pleasure of the early days ends in despair or
the madness of a ruined life.
The same evil spirit controlled the unbelieving Jews, but with
them he took on an air of piety. Their condition was more hopeless
than that of the demon-possessed man, for they felt no need of Christ
and so were held firmly under Satan’s power.
Christ’s personal ministry on earth was the time of greatest ac-
tivity for the forces of the kingdom of darkness. For ages Satan had
been working to control the bodies and souls of men and women, to
bring sin and suffering on them; then he had blamed all this misery
on God. Jesus was revealing the character of God to them, breaking
Satan’s power and setting his captives free. Love and power from
heaven were moving human hearts, and the prince of evil was angry.
At every step he challenged the work of Christ.
Satan Works Under Disguise
This is how it will be in the final conflict between righteousness
and sin. While new life and power are descending on the disciples
of Christ, a new life is energizing the agencies of Satan. With skill
gained through centuries of conflict, the prince of evil works in
disguise, clothed as an angel of light. Huge numbers are “giving
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heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”
1 Timothy 4:1
.