“The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and it will defend itself.” Charles Spurgeon
As we move through the Gospel of Mark, one striking pattern emerges—rooted in the Bible’s supernatural worldview: when Jesus teaches with authority, the unseen realm responds. His words don’t merely inform; they confront. They provoke the powers of darkness. Demons don’t accidentally reveal themselves in his presence—they are exposed and forced into the open by the authority of his teaching. And when they are exposed, they are expelled. That was true then. It is still true now.
Paul understood this dynamic. In his final letter to Timothy, his most trusted disciple, he offered instruction for confronting spiritual opposition—not with theatrics, but with truth. In 2 Timothy 2:24–26, Paul writes that when the Lord’s servant teaches with kindness, patience, clarity, love, and boldness, God may grant repentance—a mind liberated from deception—and the person may escape the snare of the devil. In other words, the ordinary way that spiritual bondage is broken is not through spectacle but through faithful teaching of God’s Word, empowered by the Spirit.
The demonic thrives in secrecy and deception. That is his domain. But when truth and love take root in a heart or a community, the darkness loses its grip. The kingdom of God breaks in. The powers retreat. That’s why Spurgeon’s words still resonate: “The Word of God is like a lion… let the lion loose.” When Scripture is faithfully proclaimed, it tears down strongholds, exposes falsehoods, and drives out darkness. This is what we see when Jesus teaches—and what we should expect when we remain faithful to his Word.
This is also why Jesus commands the unclean spirit to be silent. Demons rule through fear, chaos, and domination—what Jesus called “by the sword.” So even when this spirit says something true about who Jesus is, it does so with a disruptive, coercive intent. Jesus, however, came to establish a very different kind of kingdom.
The mystery of the incarnation isn’t that the Messiah came—it’s how he came. Not with armies, but with healing. Not with judgment, but with mercy. Not with manipulation, but with truth. His first coming inaugurated the kingdom of God—a preview and down payment of what is still to come. His second coming will consummate it. We live in the “already” and the “not yet”—in the tension between his first and second coming, between the inauguration of the kingdom and it’s consummation.
That matters. Because in this age, we are not promised the removal of all demonic activity (or even sickness as the next few verses in Mark show). That belongs to the age to come—when Christ returns, when heaven and earth are made one, when judgment is final, and Eden is restored. But what has already been decisively removed is your guilt and shame—the very tools the enemy uses to enslave. If you are in Christ, there is no condemnation. That is not partial—it is absolute.
And if that’s true, then your position in the unseen realm is secure (Ephesians 2:4-7). In Christ, all of God’s power and authority is for you. And if the Most High is for you, nothing in the spiritual realm can ultimately stand against you (Romans 8:31-39). Not demons. Not disease. Not even death. Yes, they can oppose us. Yes, they can afflict us. But they cannot overcome us. In Christ, every assault is repurposed—bent into conformity with God’s good purposes for you (Romans 8:28).
This is the gospel of the kingdom: Jesus is on the throne. The powers are under his feet. He is not against you—he is with you and for you. So stand firm. Be bold. The King is coming. When he does, all that is hidden will be revealed, and all that is broken will be made whole.
Until then, let your confidence rest in Christ. Let the Word out. Let it roar like the lion it is—strong enough to defend itself, powerful enough to drive back the darkness wherever it is heard.