In a recent survey four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan “is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” An additional two out of ten Christians (19%) said they “agree somewhat” with that perspective. A minority of Christians indicated that they believe Satan is real by disagreeing with the statement: one-quarter (26%) disagreed strongly and about one-tenth (9%) disagreed somewhat. The remaining 8% were not sure what they believe about the existence of Satan.
These survey results indicate that many contemporary Christians are badly formed. If they referred to Scripture, perhaps they would learn the reality of things. There are evil spirits, they are intent on our destruction, they work on us subtly day after day, with the sole purpose of turning us away from our Creator God, so that instead of being saved by the blood of Christ we are lost forever into the clutches of Satan and his demons.
Today, many don't want to consider these realities; more fool them. The following Gospel message spells out the reality of evil in our world. We must be always on our guard, what Satan offers us can be attractive on the surface, but that is simply a lure to move us away from our path to God.
Let us not be fooled.
St Michael the Archangel help us all.
Gospel – Mark 5:1-20
1 Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes.
2 When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
3 The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
4 In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
5 Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
6 Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
7 crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
8 (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
9 He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
10 And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.
11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
12 And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
13 And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned.
14 The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened.
15 As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear.
16 Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine.
17 Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
19 But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
20 Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
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