Faith is not by sight

And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. (Mark 5:2-10)

The man in Mark 5:2-10 had a horrible life and a traumatic situation, but when Jesus came along, everything changed. Jesus knew that the man was possessed and commanded the unclean spirits to come out of him. When Jesus said this, the man fell to the ground, and the demons left him.

In this passage, we learn that faith is not about seeing with our physical eyes. It is about trusting in God's power and believing that He is greater than any obstacle we may face. The man with the unclean spirit had no control over his situation, but he recognized Jesus as the Son of the Most High God. He believed Jesus had the power to heal him, and he ran to Him for help.

This account of the madman of Gadarene teaches us several things. First and foremost, it reminds us that there is power in the name of Jesus. No matter how many demons or evil spirits or problems or issues may be around us, the name of Jesus can command every demonic force to leave. But this story also teaches us something else - something that is maybe even more important. It teaches us we must have faith in Jesus, even when we cannot see the results immediately in this physical realm.

Like the man with the unclean spirit, we must believe that Jesus has the power to heal, deliver and set us free from any situation that the world’s system or the enemy brings our way. We are called to trust in Him and have faith that He will make a way where there seems to be no way. Sometimes, we may be tempted to look for physical evidence God has answered our prayers, but we must remember that faith is not about what we see. It is about what God has said.

Practical Application

Instead of looking for immediate results or confirmation with your eyes, simply trust in God's power and promises. The devil will try to deceive you with theatrics and make you doubt the effectiveness of your prayers and God’s Word. Stand on His Word and stand on your faith. God’s promises are true.

Psalm 72:9; Luke 4:41