Are demons and possession a figment of imagination?

In today’s Gospel, Mk 5:1-20, Mark’s eyewitness account starts out with Jesus taking a journey by boat to Gerasenes.  He no sooner puts his feet on the shore and he is greeted by a man who was deranged and known to be possessed by evil spirits.  The man was described as possessing super human strength and was uncontrollable, even with chains and shackles.  He was described as walking about day and night tormented and bruising himself with rocks.   This is not the only passage that describes demons and how Jesus dealt with in the Bible.  In this passage, it was not just a demon, but several demons that had taken possession of the man.  They called themselves “Legion” for they were many. 

As stated before, there are numerous accounts of possession in the Bible, and how Jesus and the disciples dealt with them.  In those days it was an accepted fact that demons were prowling about possessing people.  Jesus even charges the disciples with very specific instructions to heal the sick and cast out demons in his name.

Fast forwarding to today’s culture, most people do not even believe that ghosts exist.  They believe that possession is misunderstood mental illness and not a true condition of a person’s soul.  Please consider for a minute, that Jesus had all of the understanding and wisdom of all existence; what is, what was, and what would ever be.   When He healed someone of a physical malady … and he would tell them that they were healed and send them away.   Jesus and the disciples didn’t handle possession as a sickness at all.  Quite the opposite in fact, for the demons went to Jesus and confessed him to be the son of God.  He recognized the difference between being possessed and having an ailment.  When he dealt with a possession, Jesus didn’t say you are sick … now you are healed!  He proclaimed that the people were possessed and healed them as such.  He knew the demons prowling about seeking the ruin of souls because he was there when his father cast Satan and his followers out of heaven!

In Mark’s Gospel, “Legion”, the tormenting oppressor asked Jesus not to torment them … but to send them into the herd of swine that was passing by instead.  Ironic that those who do not believe in showing their victims mercy were seeking mercy!   Jesus did as he was asked and cast the demon out of the man and into the swine herd.  After being possessed, the herd ran off of the cliff and perished.  The ruin of one man was then transformed into the ruin of the animals … and the financial livelihood of the owner of the swine. 

Do not let the Hollywood verions of Satan and the sensationalized perception of possession make you believe that it is all fiction.  Satan is happy that our society has lost the belief in him and those who seek to ruin your soul!  It makes his job much easier to prevent you from getting to Jesus and heaven.  It helps him in his mission!    
Stand firm and make no mistake that what is in the Bible is God’s truth and that doesn’t change!  God’s truth is unchanging despite popular cultural viewpoints. The Angels and Archangels are real!  Satan and the demons are likewise real and their one mission is to lie and deceive you into giving up your redemption from Jesus Christ!  They want to oppress, corrupt and possess your soul.  If you don’t believe the reality of the Truth, you are halfway there.  Guard yourself and put your whole faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.