Lastly, this type of manifestation indicates a complete and permanent possession. The devil has taken possession of the body, the soul, and the spirit. It’s the total opposite of the person filled by the Holy Spirit. This was the case of the Gadarene man. He was completely isolated from others and had a violent behaviour. He would hurt himself, cutting himself with stones. I have seen insane people in mental hospitals. They look but don’t see. If you talk to them, you are not sure they’re listening. They don’t understand anything because they’re totally dominated by evil spirits. Maybe you wonder if it is possible for them to be delivered. God has compassion for them also. Just as He delivered the Gadarene, He can deliver others too.
The last evening of a sixty-day crusade in the city of Cordoba in Argentina was coming to an end. As I was descending from the platform, ready to go back to my hotel, some brothers stopped me and asked me if I could pray for a madman. This man was really crazy; he was like the Gadarene demonic. He lived in the mountains, he would speak to himself, he was half-naked and barefoot, his hair was incredibly dirty (he hadn’t taken a bath in three years), and he had long nails. He truly looked like an animal. That last night I was feeling really tired after such a long crusade, and right when I was ready to go, they brought to me this man so I could pray for him. Four stretch-bearers were carrying him.
As I was coming closer, the Holy Spirit said to me, “There are two legions.”
To this I answered, “Lord, I have no strength left and my voice is failing.” But I still laid my hands on him and rebuked every demon saying, “In the name of Jesus, let go of this body.” The man started to run and run until we couldn’t see him anymore, so I declared him free by faith.
Six months later, I returned to the city of Cordoba for a special meeting on the day of Pentecost. Many people gave their testimony, sharing how God had healed and delivered them in our last crusade. Among those people, a very well-dressed man came up to share how God had set him free. At that moment, the leaders of the city told me, “Brother Carlos, do you remember this man?” I had no idea who he was, but as he shared, I was amazed to see the change in him.
I learned that after we had prayed for him six months earlier, the “Gadarene from Cordoba” went running to the middle of a field and just stood there screaming for five whole days. Demons would come out with every cry. On the last day, the man started to walk toward what once had been his home. When his family saw him, they just couldn’t understand what had happened, since he was totally normal again; he was a changed man.
The night I prayed for that man I was very tired, but God doesn’t need our efforts or our abilities. He is sovereign over all.
(From the book Listen to Me, Satan! By Carlos Annacondia in 1998, pg 48-49)