And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, Mar 5:6.

In Mark the fifth chapter we read one of the most blessed illustrations of the power of sin, under which all men are by nature, Eph 2:1-3; and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ delivering a sinner from the power of sin.

In the country of the Gadarenes was a man enslaved by the power of sin and Satan. He came out of the tombs, where he had been night and day, crying and cutting himself with stones; and no man could tame him, but he met Jesus.

"But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him." See the power with which he was delivered when the man's eyes were lifted unto Jesus! "And they come to Jesus, to see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind," M'r 5:15.

Satan, as the strong man armed, held him bound captive under the power of sin, as he does all the descendants of Adam; until Jesus, who was stronger than he, delivered the man from under the power of sin and Satan, Lu 11:21-22. We shall first consider wherein the power of sin and Satan lies; and secondly, wherein the power of Jesus lies to deliver from the power of sin and Satan.

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made," Ge 3:1, and it is most significant that Satan chose to approach the woman in the form of a serpent! This is because of the power of fascination that God has given to the serpent. Fascination causes the victim to become utterly powerless while it is under its captor's gaze.

As long as the eyes of the victim are fixed upon the eyes of the serpent, it has no power to escape and the serpent swallows it alive. Once brought under this hidden power, the victim has no power to escape unless something comes between, allowing the victim to take its eyes off the eyes of the serpent. That is why as long as we have our eyes fixed upon sin and the things of this world, we are under the power of its fascination and have no power against it.

Now we can begin to understand the words of our text. How the man had no power against that power of Satan until he saw Jesus afar off. See what it says. "And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him," and what was the result? He was at Jesus feet, ". . . sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind."

Was not the same true with the Apostle Paul as he was going forth in his mad career destroying the church? We read, ". . . he had seen the Lord [Jesus] in the way," Ac 9:27.

What was the result? "And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Ac 9:6. See how Satan's power of fascination, which is the power of sin, was broken the very moment Paul's eyes were fastened on Jesus.

Jesus said in Joh 12:32, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." There is such a drawing power in that love of our bleeding, dying, crucified Saviour; that as long as our eyes are fixed upon Him, all the Devil's power of fascination is broken.

Peter took his eyes off Jesus and became strong in himself and denied his Lord. Jesus, ". . . turned and looked upon Peter . . . and Peter went out and wept bitterly." Lu 22:56-62.