“And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And behold, they cried out, saying What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?…” - Mt. 8:28-34

These devils drove these men to live amongst the tombs and in the tombs (see Mk. 5:5). The devils caused them to be untamable and unable to be contained. They caused them seemingly unending emotional distress and led them to self-harm day after day, and night after night. As the testimony goes, these same devils when operating in a herd of swine immediately led these unintelligible creatures to a violent death. What these devils were able to do amongst the soulless swine, they seemed to be gradually working to this end in these men.

These men were in constant emotional distress, you might say very similar to depression; that the spirit that was operating through them was a depressed spirit. Possibly even accompanied by a spirit in whose nature is suicide/suicidal ideation. A spirit of isolation, a morbid spirit, a spirit of self-harm, and according to the text many others (see Mk. 5:9), all operating through these men to bring the men to what I believe would have been an end, their death. Comparably, there was an incident in the life of Jesus where His disciples suggested that fire be commanded down from heaven to consume a village of Samaritans because they would not receive Him. Jesus’ response is telling, He says to His disciples, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.” Here is what I believe to be an accurate translation, “You do not know what spirit is coming out of your spirit”. 

We see many facing some of these conditions as we call them today. While these men were said to be untamable (Mk. 5:4). Possessed by many devils they operated unrestrained. Today we see in close relatives, and in friends, and ourselves symptoms of the presence of depression, of isolation, of suicidal ideation, self-harm, or that of a morbid mentality. If it should become too severe, unbearable, or cause concern from those around, we deem that it is tameable; both diagnosable and psychotropically treatable. That it can be counseled away, that it can be self-helped out, or one can even introduce a new idea (empowerment) and what was there in the foreground can be passively temporarily pushed into the background. May I suggest that we see whether it is instead DELIVERABLE?

In another encounter with Jesus, a father appeals, “Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.” (Mt. 17:15-16). Here was the father’s diagnosis of his son (using ESV Bible): “he has seizures and suffers terribly”. Here are some of the severe highlights of the boys' condition: “often he falls into the fire and often into the water”. This was of great concern to the boy’s father, he feared for his son’s life. And regardless of the father’s diagnosis and the boy’s symptoms, all seemingly incurable after having reached out to Jesus’ disciples, the father would get what he came for when he reached out to Jesus. Jesus demonstrated that it was a matter of deliverance, he strictly charged the devil to depart out of the boy and it did, and the boy was cured. 

May I encourage you when faced with many temptations and afflictions to go to Jesus? You may have told others about all that you are suffering with or your loved ones are suffering through, and just by your telling or they're witnessing what it is your going through, they became discouraged and therefore couldn’t take you to Jesus themselves. You go, if need be go alone. I promise if you tell Jesus he will not then become uncertain of His power to heal. You may have told others who lack the kind of concern or compassion for your cause as you have, and therefore they do not determinedly nor persistently bring your name up before Him in prayer. Go to Jesus, His power is not acquired but is innate, and His concern for you is greater than your concern for yourself. Go to Jesus with it, and leave restored whole.