What's up with Legion's request to go into the herd of pigs?

The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss but to send them into the herd of pigs. But then all the pigs ran over a cliff and drowned. Did the demons know they would do this? What happened to the demons after the pigs drowned? Was the whole thing a ploy by the demons to avoid the abyss? In other words, did they know the pigs would panic and run over the cliff, at which point they'd be able to go off and possess another person, or did they end up in the abyss anyway?

Very strange story.

I’ve wondered about why they were so desperate to inhabit a body of any kind

it seems like demons can’t participate in the natural world unless they are working through a person or in that case creature of some sort. I think it’s that they want to be part of the fallen world of man so they need to inhabit people and work through thier dominion on earth

just a thought though. I think that spirit can’t operate in the world unless it has a body to host and work through demons have no hands but people who will do their will have hands

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

The person which had devils long time ，he was controlled by the devils and came to Jesus. The devils asked Jesus not to send them to the bottomless pit, but to the pig. Then the pig jumped into the water and drowned. Does the devils also want to baptize and repent?

Interesting thought given what happened it shows us how destructive evil spirits in the world really are to
Ones life and how they influence heavily peoples actions and character. Evil spirit is very real in this world it’s why we need the Holy Spirit to be with us in this world . to keep us safe from the evil around us in this world always seeking to corrupt us and bind us in sin and eventually death

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Be sober, be vigilant;

because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:6-9‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:11-12‬ ‭

we aren’t facing a physical war in the world but a spiritual one those evil spirits are servants of the devil who rebelled in heaven and we’re cast into earth until the end

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him….. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

… And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭12:9, 12, 17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

That’s our our enemy in this world but he’s not after us physically he’s an evil spirit and his angels are evil spirits they influence us and invite us to partake of evil and then get thier roots into us to corrupt us and lead us astray.

for instance heroin , and really any hard drug has an evil spiritual influence and link to it. Just as the addict becomes a different person inside and it shows outside the evil spirit is able to change our heart and mind because we let them in through partaking of thier ways and influences in the world we have that spiritual enemy in this world

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:

but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:15-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the world is so wicked because Satan and his demons are ruining peoples minds and hearts making them dark and servants of darkness in the world rather than acknowledging the light

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

in the end we need the holy spirit to fill us up and guard us against evil spirits in the world seeking to steal our soul and lead us here

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:41‬ ‭KJV‬‬

my point is just that this story really highlights the effect and reality of evil
Spiritual beings warring against us in this world and highlights the need and essential nature of receiving the Holy Spirit and bearing it’s sword and shield to strike down spiritual evil that comes against us

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:16-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

If we take up our armor and weapon and shield it is meant for a spiritual war waged against us in this world by Satan and his angels fallen from heaven working to lead us into sin and death and away from this

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:3-6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

It’s a pretty deep Concept the Bible speaks of a spiritual war happening in this world now for the souls of mankind and Christians are participants according to scripture we should as a church wake to the reality of spiritual truths

The demons probably did not know that the pigs would panic, so after the animals drowned, the demons were sent into the abyss (which they had feared, since eventually they would all go to the Lake of Fire from there). It would be reasonable to conclude that Christ would not allow them to continue to freely roam on earth and take possession of others.

Evil spirits can certainly operate without possessing a host (the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece - Dan 10), but it seems as though they desire more to inhabit a body for reasons I have not yet understood. Perhaps it is because they have more influence in the world with a tangible manifestation.

Do you think their request to go into the pigs was an effort to avoid the abyss and then be able to inhabit another person? For example, they go into the pigs, kill them, then they're free to possess another person.

Scripture tells us what a demon without a host lives in.

“When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came

So it must bring some sorta comfort to have a host.

As for the statement to cast them into the abyss....was actually a tempting of JESUS to do that which was reserved for his second coming.

My guess as to why jesus permitted them to enter the pigs ....possibly so they would not seek another host and to show that even a unclean animal such as a pig would ather die than be their host and how tormented the posessed person was.

All evil spirits are not demons, but all demons are evil spirits. And many of them present themselves as false gods. So Paul says that idols in fact represent demons (called "devils" in the KJB). What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils [demons], and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. (1 Cor 10:19,20)

well How can a demon kill a person without having a person pick up a hammer or knife or gun or club and using it with thier hands ?

my point is a demon is a spirit spiritual beings can’t operate in a physical world they have to use a physical person to be part of the physical world. So they corrupt people like a greedy person

“Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:3‬ ‭

in peoples minds they can make one mad create many “psychiatric “ conditions , ect they can also create evil thoughts and tempt ones mind and heart ect but it’s the demonic operation with man that is needed for anything evil to actually be done

even in the beginning Satan didn’t force anyone to eat fruit he just tempted tbier thiughts about God and what God said and deceived them. And the. They freely ate the fruit.

this is how evil works man has dominion on earth so both good and evil is done by men on earth.

God being a spirit also works through man on earth. Men spread the gospel work miracles by Gods spirit and power of his word and name , men have done great things for God and with God in scripture because God is with them and in them

all I was meaning was demons don’t have any physical body they can’t murder , steal , rape , attack ect they use people whom invite them in to do those evil things like this situation

“Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. …And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭19:13, 15-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

See I’m just saying in order to beat them the evil spirit had to be working in a physical person because they are spiritual they can’t be manifest in the physical they work through mankind

My Grandpa, when he talked about this scripture, compared it to Luke 11:24. Where Jesus said when a demon is cast out he goes to dry places. so maybe the pigs were trying to get rid of the demons by getting wet? Probably not, but it's interesting to think about

Precious friend, A Very Warm Welcome to Chat.

Please Be Very RICHLY Encouraged, Enlightened, Exhorted, And Edified In
The LORD JESUS CHRIST, And In His Word Of Truth, Rightly Divided!

God's Simple Will!

I'm not sure. Because if that was the case, they could have just asked to be left alone, rather than going into the pigs first. I'm thinking that maybe it has something to do with the fact that pigs are unclean animals, and demons naturally inhabit things that are unclean (the wicked). Another intentional detail may indicate that the demons were as numerous as the pigs they inhabited.

Are you referring to the ranks of demons (rulers, principalities powers, etc), or something outside of the category of demons?

Demons can't swim!

I didn't say anything about killing; I said, "operate".
That's why I said "world", not "physical world".
yep. That's what I was referring to when I spoke of their "operation".
Just as the Holy Spirit can influence someone without inhabiting them, so can evil spirits. But it is much worse if they do inhabit someone.

The demons were sent into the pigs simply because they asked to be sent to them. Next, they killed the pigs meaning they probably didn’t require a flesh and blood body to coexist in the physical world. Where they went after they killed the pigs is a mystery, but I guess they probably just found a new host at some point. To this present day, I suppose Legion is still running amok.

I’ve not meditated on this verse much at all but I’ve noted a few observations:

There is something here about binding on earth as the record states the man could not be bound even by chains. The man was certainly in bondage to the demons yet, with a word, his bondage was loosed.

There is something here about the value of the man vs. that of 2000 pigs. This was no small herd! Yet, the value of the man, to Jesus, outweighed the value of the swine.

There is also something here about the people who, after the pigs were killed and the man saved, begged Jesus to leave their area. It seems that the people valued their commodities more than that of the lives of others. Had they a different heart they could have received the liberty Jesus carried with him.

I remember counseling a very successful lawyer. Long story short: he realized his business ambition was fueled by his unforgiveness for his father. He had a “I’ll show him!” attitude that drove him to be very successful. During our conversation I told him, “If you forgive your father you can be healed of the pain you carry but it is quite likely the energy for your personal success will diminish since it was fueled by the desire to “show up“ your father.” He left wanting to think about it more. I never saw him again.

Welcome!