Identity Theft

“For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.  And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.” Mark 5: 8-9

Truly, the legion is many.  The unclean spirits of the world seem to begat more unclean spirits.  The unclean spirit in us, seem to begat more unclean spirits; until the evil within becomes who we are.  The Legion is no longing something that is without, or within; it simply is. 

There are some things in our life, both good and bad, that are with us for so long, it becomes our identity.  Issues, situations, and decisions in life that are no longer happening to you, but they are you.  They have been grafted into you, they have marked you so deep that you are lost in them. Beyond the issues and situations, it can be the resulting emotions and emotional baggage that become you. Bitterness, grief, grudges, loneliness; baggage that you have carried with you that is you.  Whether you realize yet or not, you are a legion of nightmares and struggles.  This legion becomes too great for you to face or overcome; therefore, you simply accept it as who you are.  Even more tragic, the people around you accept it.  Jesus met a man such as this.  The scripture tells us that his dwelling was in the tombs and mountains outside of town.  He was full of unclean spirits. These spirits caused him to hurt himself and no doubt hurt others.  No one could bind him or control him. He cried night and day, tormenting himself.  His life is a picture of hopelessness and loneliness. Until Jesus came. When the man saw Jesus, he ran and worshiped him, not to seek comfort or healing like so many before him; but to beg that he not be tormented.  What is strikingly heart wrenching about this story is the inability to discern if it is the devil talking or the man. The devil had been with him for so long it was no longer a sickness or an illness (like in some cases), but his very identity.  The evil had become him, and he the evil. The legion had robbed this man of peace, love, comfort, soundness, but even with all this loss, the legion had taken much more; his identity. If it were not for Jesus, this man would have lived and died as the Legion. Possessed of many devils and destined to live under their torment.  Satan has his legions.  They infiltrate your life, establish themselves in your heart, drive you mad; until all you have is them and they you.  Satan’s legions will linger so long, ingrain so deep, that have become you. They define you, depress you, isolate you, and drive you to hurt yourself.  If this is your story, you are not alone, and all hope is not lost.  You have a Savior.

Never forget, the unclean spirits were in subject to the power of Christ.  Jesus saw what no one else could. He saw a child of God among the Legion.  He called the evil out of that man; and left him clothed and in his right mind.  More than that, he left him with his identity, freedom from the legion.  The people which saw him after Christ banished the legion testified to the fact that he “had” the legion.  There was a marked distinction between the man and the legion.  This man, this child of God, now had freedom.  A freedom which he gladly surrendered back to Christ his Savior.