“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’ And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.’ And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.” (Mark 1:35-39)
As Jesus began His earthly ministry He launched an assault on Satan and his forces. He did this not in some arena in great city with millions watching Him in person or by live video feed, but in an obscure backwater of the mighty Roman Empire known as Galilee. He attacked by preaching the truth: the Kingdom of God had arrived in Him, bringing freedom and liberation from sin. He demonstrated this loving the people He came to save with acts of healing and deliverance. He came to deliver not the high and mighty, nor the self-righteous and self-reliant, but the miserable and humble people whom they oppressed. These wretched people flocked to Him for help with their troubles, illness and demonic oppression.
The miracles Jesus performed, the signs and wonders He wrought were powerful demonstrations of His authority and power that showed that He came from God. The most powerful of His works was His preaching. He gave people hope as He spoke of God’s coming permanent deliverance from sin, sickness, death and the devil for it was Jesus who had come to reconcile the world to God. This would happen on the cross as Jesus took offered Himself as the sacrifice for the sins of all.
The world needs to know that Gospel of reconciliation. The Words and authority of God have been entrusted to us to bring that message to the billions in our world oppressed and enslaved by Satan. And we do this not with displays of signs and wonders but with acts of love, mercy, and compassion as servants of our Lord Jesus Christ.