THE WORST PRISON ON EARTH

“Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” —Mark 5:7

Hidden among any populace are those who would seek to destroy people. But once they are out in the open they are seen for who they really are. They are known by the acts they commit.

So it is with Satan and the fallen angels. They like to remain hidden and not be known. But once their work is out in the open they are also seen for who they really are. The man in the context of the verse above was tormented by many demons he was possessed by. This man could not be contained by shackles or chains. By superhuman strength he would break the chains and shackles. He would also cut himself with stones and cry out.

When Jesus came into contact with this man the demons knew who He was. They also knew something that most people won’t acknowledge. They knew that judgment was going to come upon them one day (Matthew 8:29). As mentioned above, they also knew that Jesus was the Son of the Most High God— something the majority of people on earth does not know.

Here’s what God says about people in the devil’s trap— “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (II Timothy 2:25-26).

According to these two verses- 1- Those who do now know Jesus are being held “captive to do his will.” This is what was happening with the man in the verse above. 2- Those who do not know Jesus are in “the trap of the devil.” The devil is schemer and will use all kinds of bait to entrap people. It could be wealth or poverty, intelligence or lack of intelligence, it could be abilities or lack of abilities… The devil uses all kinds of angles and anything he can to snare people. 3- Those who do now know Jesus need to “come to their senses.” This mean those who do not know Jesus need to recover themselves. They are not who they truly are to be until they come to Jesus and escape from the devil’s schemes. 4- Those who do not know Jesus need to come to “a knowledge of the truth” to escape the lies of the devil. 5- Those who do not know Jesus must come to repentance. They need to turn from their ways and follow God’s ways. 6- Those who do not know Jesus need to be “gently instructed.”

Dear Father, be pleased to work in and through me in such a way as to gently instruct those in the devil’s trap, imprisoned to do his will. Oh, that many would come to a knowledge of who Jesus is, repent of their ways and follow Him. May it be so!