In Luke 4:31-37 Jesus casts out a evil spirit from a man. The story reads,
“Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day. There, too, the people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority.
Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon—an evil spirit—cried out, shouting, “Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.
Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!” The news about Jesus spread through every village in the entire region.”
It’s interesting to think about the contrast of demon possession and being full of the Spirit. Jesus in John 14 talks about how the father is in him and he is in the father. In Colossians 2 Paul says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.”
The point is, that we were created to always be united and connected to God. Jesus says in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” We were made to have the Spirit of God in us.
An evil spirit is a counterfeit to the Holy Spirit. The man possessed with the evil spirit would lose control of his body. The spirit when it saw Jesus began to speak to him. The spirit assumes authority and control over the man whenever it wants. Freedom is taken away when you become a prisoner.
Jesus who was full of the Holy Spirit was in his right mind. While the possessed man was not in his right mind. God created us in his image and likeness on purpose. God has no interest in forcing you to do anything. The Spirit of God works through agreement, where the evil spirit works through force.
Paul says it like this in Ephesians 5:17-18,
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
Getting drunk changes the chemistry in your body and causes you to lose control. That lack of control is a malfunction which is why it leads to debauchery – excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures. God’s will for us is to always be in control. Self Control is a byproduct of living in and with the Spirit of God.
The Spirit of God gives you the keys to the car with a destination and a reason to go there. The devil takes the keys by force and locks the owner in the trunk. It’s interesting to look at the contrast.