How do you know if someone is demon-possessed? What did Jesus do when He encountered someone who was demon-possessed? In my last post, you learned that the term “demon” is used interchangeably with “evil spirit” or “unclean spirit.” A person who is demon-possessed is controlled by an evil spirit. Evil is immorality, harming others, and being destructive (Dictionary.com 2026). A person who hurts others and is destructive is controlled by an evil spirit.
Because of my family heritage, I had several evil spirits that controlled my thoughts and behavior. Both sides of my family have a history of practicing witchcraft in some form. When you play around with any form of witchcraft (seances, tarot cards, fortune telling, ouija boards, pow wows, voodoo dolls, etc.), you are inviting evil spirits to possess your spirit. Please read my post about the reality of the spirit world. I inherited spirits that passed from one family member to the next. My sin also invited evil spirits to oppress my spirit and influence my thoughts. I am free from all of them through the authority of Jesus Christ.
Demon Deliverance
There are two distinct examples of how Jesus dealt with the demon-possessed. I am looking at two different accounts of the same situation. Each person, Mark, Luke, and Matthew, all witnessed the same account but recorded different perceptions about it. The first account, and most detailed, is when Jesus encountered the Gerasene Demoniac. I will use the Inductive Bible Study method, which focuses on observation, interpretation, and application to study these Scriptures.
Mark 5:1-13 states, “They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. 14The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.”
Matthew 8:28-31 states, “And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29And behold, they cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?’ 30Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31And the demons begged him, saying, ‘If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.’”
Observation:
Demon-possessed people are often fierce, violent, or hostile in nature, and they may be unusually strong. They frighten others with threats and hostile actions.
The other observation I made was that the demons knew who Jesus was right away, which tells me they were angelic beings who once dwelt in heaven with Jesus. They knew He was the Son of God. They also know that the lake of fire was created for them and they would be tormented (2Pet. 2:4).
Interpretation:
John 10:10 states, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” People who are destructive are either demon-possessed or oppressed by demons. I will write about oppression in another post. You can tell if a person is controlled by an evil spirit by the fruit of their behavior and words (Matt. 7:15-20 and Matt. 12:33-35).
Application:
Jesus Christ has the authority to command the demons to leave. If you are a follower of Jesus and He dwells in you through the Holy Spirit, you, too, have the authority to tell the demons to leave in Jesus’ name. There are many more examples throughout the New Testament.
Another Encounter with a Demon-Possessed Man.
Mark records another encounter with a demon-possessed man. Mark 1:23-27 states, “And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.’ 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’”
Luke 4:33-36 gives another account: “And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.’ 35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent and come out of him!’ And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36And they were all amazed and said to one another, ‘What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!’”
Observation:
The unclean spirit knew Jesus was from Nazareth and spoke to Him, asking if He came to destroy” us”, which means there may have been more than one unclean spirit. Or, it could mean the spirit knew their judgment from when all the rebellious angels were thrown out of heaven. In the previous account with demons, they knew Jesus was God and had power over them.
When Jesus rebuked the demon to be silent and cast it out, the strength of the demon threw the man down before coming out of him. Mark said the demon caused the man to convulse, and it cried out loudly before leaving the man.
Interpretation:
Jesus didn’t ask the man if he wanted to be free from the demon. Jesus didn’t send the demon to any specific place either. When a demon leaves a person, it is unpredictable what they will do. When you read accounts of demon deliverance, there is some form of commotion when they leave. Jesus did not speak to the unclean spirit this time. Demons are deceiving spirits, so you should not engage a spirit, but command them to come out.
Application:
You have the authority to command unclean spirits to leave as well, if Jesus is the ruler of your life.
Conclusion:
Demon possession is real, and you will encounter demon-possessed people whether you know it or not. If a demon presents itself, you have the authority through Jesus Christ to command the demon or demons to be gone. I remember when God showed me that I had a spirit of pride. When I prayed and said it was to be gone from my life, I could not breathe; my chest heaved for many seconds before the spirit left. After it was gone, I could breathe so much better, and I felt a weight lift off me. A long time ago, I visited a Franciscan priest who was a spirit-filled, born-again Catholic and had a deliverance ministry. I asked him to pray a deliverance prayer over me to deliver me from any demons I may have had because I had uncontrollable anger. He found one from my mother’s side, and when he commanded it to come out, I felt it leave. Again, I felt a weight lift off me, and I could breathe better.
**********
All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright-protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.
My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.
If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.
Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and the truths behind them. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles. Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.
Hope for Complete Healing 