Scripture Mondays: Jesus Casts out a Demon

When demons fight authority, authority always wins.

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then 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.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee (Mark 1:21-28).

Unclean spirits know Jesus. They know who he is, at least—the Holy One of God—and they know he spells trouble. As the Letter of James puts it, “Even the demons believe—and shudder” (2:19). They recognize Jesus, but as an enemy, not as Lord or savior. Augustine writes in the City of God that “the demons had much knowledge, but entirely lacked love.”