Dealing With Unclean Spirit in Church

This morning I am continuing my reading from the first chapter in Mark's Gospel - Mark 1:21-28 NIV:

[21] "They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. [22] The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. [23] Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, [24] “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are---the Holy One of God!”

[25] “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” [26] The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

[27] The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching---and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” [28] News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee."

As I was thinking about these verses, I had a couple of insights and thoughts based on experience and teaching concerning oppressing spirits.

1) Most likely the other people didn't know the man had an unclean spirit, for he was allowed inside the synagogue.
2) Often times the type of spirit that shows up in church is a religious spirit. The religious spirit generally wants to distract, cause disruption, and focus on rules rather than relationship.
3) The religious spirit will generally not make itself known unless the presence of God, this time in the person of Jesus, shows up.
4) The religious spirit will always try to distort the word of God, and try to paint a portrait of God that is not accurate.
5) The man with the unclean spirit was in church, and sometimes we think that could never be the case, but churches are filled with many who are oppressed or affected by unclean spirits. What better place to cause disruption and distortion than from the inside.

We see this behavior here, and the man is accusing God of wanting to destroy them all, in other words saying He is an angry God. Its amazing how often we hear these same themes preached in churches today.

Earlier in Nazareth, in Luke's Gospel, we find Jesus first message is one of hope and visitation from Isaiah 61. We don't have a historical record of what Jesus was teaching on here in Capernaum, but my conjecture is that it was something similar, as Jesus was just launching His public ministry and drawing parallels to what was said prophetically. Isaiah has what's known as the Servant of the Lord sections in Isaiah 42, 49, 50 and 53, and I think it's likely that Jesus was reading out of one of these.

Regardless, Jesus came to reveal the Father's heart and in the famous passage from John 3:16-17 we hear this heart: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

I think its safe to say that Jesus wasn't preaching a fire and brimstone message in Capernaum, yet that is what the man with the unclean spirit accused Him of planning. Jesus, in His authority silenced this spirit and set the man free. We need both in the church today - freedom from the bindings of the enemy, whatever they are, and the truth about the Lord preached clearly and without interruption, distraction or distortion.

Lord, we pray that You will be present in Your church and bring freedom and truth to all!