Sōphroneō

Today we are going to be looking at the story of the man possessed by a legion of demons in the Bible. This man's mind and body were completely overtaken by these demons and the visible evidence was obvious.

"And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones." Mark 5:2-5

Could you imagine seeing someone like this? Someone who was almost animal or beast-like. Too aggressive and scary to approach. Bloody and mangled from his own self-harm.

It's easy to put the emphasis on this man; on the demons within him. We see something completely abnormal taking place within this man. He is known in this town and he is known today as we continue to read his story. But are we reading the story of demons? Or are we reading the story of a man?

As easy as it is to focus on the attention-provoking demons in this story, remember the man suppressed beneath. We cannot overlook the man's transformation he experienced as a result of what Jesus did!

Jesus cast the demons into nearby pigs, who then ran off a cliff to their deaths.

But remember the man.

"So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind." Mark 5:14-15 (emphasis mine).

There he was, sitting and clothed, in his right mind! He experienced complete and total deliverance!

The word "right mind" was translated from sōphroneō which is derived from the words sozo: to save; and phren: the mind. Think about the transformation that man experienced! Not only was he freed from the demons, but now he has a new mind, saved from the torture it was enduring before. He is now in his right mind. Jesus saved his mind.

What is the condition of your mind? Maybe you don't have a legion of demons in you, but maybe your mind is in a place causing inward destruction. The Bible says to renew our minds and take our thoughts captive; making those thoughts submit to the word of God (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Allow your mind to be transformed; to be saved. Take your focus off the anxiety, scattered brain, sinful thoughts, or whatever is plaguing your mind. Instead, focus on the One who can give you sōphroneō. The One who can bring you back to the person you are meant to be, not the person plagued by the enemy. Allow God to transform your mind!

- Erin