Confusion & Confession....
In the 2025 State of the Theology survey from Ligonier Ministries, the following statement was presented for a response: Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God. Of the 798 responses received by evangelical Christians, 53% strongly disagreed, 9% somewhat agreed, 4% were unsure, 12% somewhat agreed and 22% agreed. Given that only 53% of the responses were correct, it is obvious there is much confusion, even among people of faith, about who Jesus is. However, as we will see in today's passage, there is another group of beings who fully understand (are not confused) and confess who Jesus is: The demons.
In Mark 1:21-22, what the people heard being taught in the synagogue was vastly different than their normal experience. Why? Because Jesus Himself was teaching. This meant that the teaching was absolute and not arbitrary, direct and not evasive, concrete and not esoteric, objective and not subjective and clear and not confusing. Most importantly, as the living Truth, Jesus’ teaching was rooted in truth; thus, it was in direct contrast to the “enlightened” teaching typically given by the Jewish scribes and pharisees who were considered the teachers and experts of the Old Testament law.
Now, while Jesus was teaching, a demon who was residing inside of a man spoke (Mark 1:23-26). This demon absolutely knew that Jesus was the Son of God. We know this because of what Mark records in verse 24 when the demon states the following: “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.” In response, Jesus dispels the demon by simply stating “Be silent, and come out of him!” (Mark 1:25). Notice that Jesus did not dispel this demon by using incantations, smoke or oil. He also did not do so by screaming or yelling. This exorcism was able to occur simply for who Jesus is, the Holy One of God. In today’s passage, we see three responses (two negative and one positive) to Jesus’ teaching. The first negative response is….
Confession: a Demon’s Rebellion
Should not all confessions be something we celebrate? The answer is not when the confession contains a spirit of rebellion. The demons knew exactly who Jesus was (Mark 1:23-26) and they knew why He came. As 1 John 3:8 states, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil”. However, while there will be ultimate victory over the devil and his realm, there is spiritual warfare in the meantime. Notice that, as the demon exited from the man he was residing in, that his body was shaken and torn. However, Jesus Himself was not touched. Friend, we must not overlook that while Satan and his demons can damage or even destory the creation, they cannot destroy the creator.
Now, in this specific case, the demonic activity presented itself in a dark and straightforward manner. However, that is not always the case. As stated in 2 Corinthians 11:14, Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Furthermore, demonic activity was not restricted to the time of Jesus’ ministry on Earth. It also occurs today. Some examples of this are as follows: transgender ideology which is an assault on the image of God 2) perverse sexuality that is an assault on the sanctity of marriage and the reflection of Christ His bride and 3) the many world philosophies that directly contradict the teachings of God’s word. Furthermore, as we know from studying this passage, merely confessing Jesus and recognizing Him as God (as the demons do) is not enough. To truly be in God's Kingdom, we must confess, submit and worship Jesus as our Lord, Savior and King!...
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