Where Real Power Comes From
When we think about power, our minds often go to something like horsepower.
A Dodge Viper: 600 HP
A Ferrari: 612 HP
A Bentley: 621 HP
A Lamborghini: 632 HP
But the fastest of them all? The Hennessey Venom F5. With 1,600 horsepower, it can rocket from 0–60 mph in just two seconds. That’s power!
But horsepower isn’t the only way people measure strength or greatness. Some chase records just to prove they can.
Niek Vermeulen from the Netherlands collected over 6,290 airline sickness bags from airlines all over the world.
Nataraj Karate stuffed 650 straws into his mouth (hands off!) in India.
A team in the UK built the fastest motorized toilet that reached 70 mph.
And Donald Gorske? He’s eaten over 28,000 Big Macs since the 1970s.
Impressive? Maybe. Silly? Definitely. But they all show something about human nature: we crave power, we crave recognition, we want to be the best.
The Problem with Power
Here’s the irony: mankind can harness the power of the universe… but struggles to control himself.
We want to be strong, to outdo each other, but in the end we’re often left empty. And even worse, we forget that there’s a spiritual power at work in this world—an enemy who seeks to destroy us.
Ephesians 6:12 reminds us:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Satan is real. He has power. And yet, his power doesn’t even come close to that of our Lord.
A Story of Power Encounter
In Matthew 8:28–9:1, we read the story of two men possessed by demons. They were so fierce that no one dared pass their way.
When they saw Jesus, they cried out:
“What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
Even the demons knew exactly who Jesus was. They recognized His authority. They trembled at His power.
With one word—“Go”—Jesus cast them out. The men were freed, the demons fled, and the world saw a glimpse of true power.
Here’s what’s striking: the people of the city didn’t rejoice. Instead, they begged Jesus to leave. Why? Because He messed with their livelihood—the pigs were gone. Jesus disrupted their comfort.
And yet the man who had been freed wanted nothing more than to follow Him. But Jesus gave him a different mission:
“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” (Luke 8:39)
The man went away telling everyone how Jesus had changed his life.
Lessons in Power
This story teaches us several things:
Demons believe in Jesus—but belief without surrender means nothing. Even Satan believes in God’s existence, Christ’s deity, the truth of Scripture, and the final judgment. But that doesn’t save him. James 2:19 reminds us, “Even the demons believe—and tremble!”
No one is beyond God’s reach. These men were outcasts, hopeless, written off by society. But Jesus saw them, loved them, and freed them.
Society doesn’t have the answers. People tried chaining the men, but chains couldn’t fix what only Christ could heal.
Jesus offers real hope. Where Satan seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus comes to give life—and life abundantly (John 10:10).
Where Do You Stand?
We all have three options when it comes to where we put our hope:
In Satan—and find destruction.
In Society—and find disappointment.
In Jesus—and find freedom.
The people in that city asked Jesus to leave. The healed man begged Him to stay. Those are still the only two options today: either say, “Jesus, stay with us,” or “Jesus, go away.”
So let me ask: Is Jesus at home in your heart?
Real power isn’t found in engines, records, or achievements. It’s found in the One who can calm storms, cast out demons, forgive sins, and transform lives. And that same power is available to you today—through Jesus Christ.
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