Slideshow image
I enjoy movies where the hero has to go into enemy territory and rescue those captured. Most of the time, these are people who were minding their own business and got caught up in a conflict that had nothing to do with them, but in the midst, the hero comes, defeats the bad guys, and rescues those in captivity. That’s just good stuff. 
I guess the reason I enjoy stories with that scenario is because that is exactly what Jesus has done for us. We see a great example of this in Luke chapter 8. We see in verse 22 that Jesus tells His disciples to get into the boat so that they can go to the other side. What Jesus knew, but His disciples did not know, was that the Lord had a divine appointment to set free one who had been captured by the enemy. On the way, a fierce storm arose, and it was so bad that the boat was filling with water. The Lord slept while all this was going on. How could He sleep through such a storm? Because He said they were going to the other side. There was no try to, or attempt to, they were going to get to the other side. We know that Jesus commanded the storm to be still, and it did. I believe the enemy caused that storm because they did not want Jesus to succeed in delivering the one He was going to. Once again, we see the enemy fail, for we read in verses 26-27, “Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed by demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs.” 
The enemy, when seeing Jesus, came and fell at His feet. They knew they were already defeated; they came not to challenge the Savior, but to beg for mercy. We see this in verse 32, “Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission.” We notice the herd of pigs, unclean animals that the Jew should not be associating with, are in the area. Spiritually, this represents that these people have surrendered to living in an unholy land, yet Jesus came to the rescue. 
Later in verse 35, people came to see this man who was once under the power of evil, was now delivered, and was now sitting at the feet of Jesus. This should speak to us very clearly that the Lord is still in the business of rescuing, going into enemy territory, and freeing those who are in bondage to the evil one. After the resurrection, Jesus gave all His disciples the mission to do the very same thing. We get to be a part of the liberation force that Jesus is sending out. Let us go into enemy territory and seek out the one that is in need, who is in captivity, and through the grace and power of Jesus, set them free with the gospel of truth, love, and hope.