In Mark 5, Jesus visits the region of the Gerasenes and is immediately confronted by a demon-possessed man who lived among the tombs, cut himself with stones, and could not be kept in captivity (Mark 5:1–5). When Jesus asked the demon what its name was, the demon replied, “My name is Legion . . . for we are many” (verse 9).
In common usage, a legion was the largest unit in the Roman army. At that time, a legion averaged about 5,000 fighting men, though it could have thousands more or fewer. So the term legion refers to any large number of beings; a multitude. When the demon in Mark 5 said that its name was Legion, it meant that the demoniac of the Gerasenes was possessed by a large number of unclean spirits.
Scripture does not say exactly how many demons comprised the Legion within the man. However, when Jesus cast them out, they entered a herd of pigs feeding nearby. Legion caused the pigs to rush down a hillside and into the sea, where they were all drowned (Mark 5:13). The number of pigs killed was “about two thousand.” That detail suggests that Legion was composed of about two thousand demons. The large number of demons may account for the afflicted man’s untamable nature and great strength—strength that was no match for God, of course.
There is one other mention of a “legion” in the context of spirit beings, this time of good angels. When Jesus was being arrested, Peter pulled out a sword and wounded a nearby member of the mob. Jesus healed the wound (Matthew 26:51) and told Peter to put away his sword. The Lord reminded Peter that, if He needed help, He could have God send “more than twelve legions of angels” (verse 53). That might total 60,000 angels, but the exact number wasn’t the point Jesus was making. Rather, it was to remind the terrified disciples that God is always in control of all circumstances, even during the horrible injustice of the murder of His own Son.
It is interesting that the Bible refers to both holy angels and demons as forming legions. Legion is a military term, one that fits the Bible’s descriptions of spiritual warfare in several places (Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 12:7).
How can we stand against such numerous and powerful foes? God completely equips believers for battle against satanic forces: “Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground” (Ephesians 6:13). As Christians, we are “more than conquerors” through Christ (Romans 8:37). Jesus is our Commander. He is the One who dispatched the demons named Legion with just a word. He it is who will some day throw Legion and all the other demons “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41; cf. Revelation 20:10).
Demon Legion In The Bible
Mark 5:1-20
In the Gospel of Mark, there is a story of a man possessed by demons, known as the Demon Legion. This man lived among the tombs and no one could bind him, not even with chains. He would cry out and cut himself with stones. When Jesus arrived, the demons recognized him and begged to be sent into a large herd of pigs nearby. Jesus granted their request, and the demons entered the pigs, causing them to run off a cliff into the sea and drown.
Luke 8:26-39
Similarly, in the Gospel of Luke, the story of the Demon Legion is recounted with a few variations. In this account, the man possessed by the demons lived in the country of the Gerasenes. He had been driven by the demons into solitary places and into chains, but always broke free. When Jesus arrived, the demons also recognized him and begged not to be sent into the abyss. They asked to be sent into a nearby herd of pigs, which Jesus allowed. The demons then caused the pigs to rush down the steep bank into the lake and drown.
Summary
- The story of the Demon Legion illustrates the power of Jesus over demons and evil spirits.
- It shows how even the most tormented and outcast individuals can find deliverance and restoration through Jesus.
- By casting out the demons from the possessed man, Jesus not only freed him from their grip but also demonstrated his authority over the spiritual realm.
Overall, the story of the Demon Legion serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative and liberating power of Jesus in the face of darkness and evil.
How many is a legion of angels in the Bible
How much strength do you think one angel possesses? Today I’d like for us to consider the full impact of Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:53, where He said, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?”
Let’s look at three questions:
- What is a “legion”?
- How many angels would there be in twelve legions?
- What would be the combined strength of this number of angels?
It’s Simple Math
MATTHEW 26:53
Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
In this Bible verse Jesus replies in his own words, as he is being lead away to go before the high priest Calaphas, the scribes and elders, my Father he shall give me more than twelve legions of angels. The total number of exactly how many angels are in one legion has been questioned for centuries. In order to get the answers to questions like this you must understand that sometimes you have to look at the Bible as a puzzle. The answer to this question plus many other unsolved mysteries are spread throughout the Bible written in both the Old and New Testaments. Bits and pieces of the answers we seek to unlock or solve mysteries are written in multiple Bible verses and must be put together like a puzzle.
To get the answer to how many angels are in one legion let’s take a look at REVELATION 14:1.3
REVELATION 14:1,3
1 And I looked, and, lo, a lamb stood on Mt. Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beast, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
The answer to how many angels are in one legion is simple math if you know how to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
The Answer is 12,000 Angels per 1 Legion
In the book of Matthew, Jesus says 12 Legion.
12 Legion X 12,000 Angels = 144,000 Angels
It is important to know the answers to these questions, because the answers reveal the full might that was available to Jesus had He requested supernatural help in the Garden of Gethsemane. Actually, when we take into account the power that was already demonstrated in the Garden and then add the potential assistance and impact of twelve legions of angels, it becomes obvious that there was no human force on earth strong enough to take Jesus against His will. The only way He was going to be taken was if He allowed Himself to be taken! This is why He later told Pilate, “…Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above…” (John 19:11).
Let’s begin with our first question: What is a “legion”? The word “legion” is a military term that was taken from the Roman army. A legion denoted a group of at least 6,000 Roman soldiers, although the total number could be higher. This means that anytime we read about a legion of anything, we can know it always refers to at least 6,000 of something.
An amazing example of this is found in Mark 5:9, where the Bible tells us that the demon-possessed man of the Gadarenes had a legion of demons. That means this man had an infestation of at least 6,000 demons residing inside him!
Let’s now contemplate the second question: How many angels would there be in twelve legions? Since the word “legion” refers to at least 6,000, it means a legion of angels would be at least 6,000 angels. However, Jesus said the Father would give Him “more than” twelve legions of angels if He requested it. Because it would be pure speculation to try to figure out how many “more than” twelve legions would be, let’s just stick with the figure of twelve legions to see how many angels that entails.
One legion is 6,000 angels, so if you simply multiply that number by twelve, you’ll discover that twelve legions of angels would include a minimum of 72,000 angels. But Jesus said the Father would give Him more than twelve legions of angels; therefore, you can conclude that there were potentially many additional thousands of angels available to Jesus the night He was arrested!
Finally, let’s look at our third question: What would be the combined strength in this number of angels? Angels are powerful! In fact, Isaiah 37:36 records that a single angel obliterated 185,000 men in one night. So if a single angel had that kind of power, how much combined strength would there be in twelve legions of angels?
Since a single angel was able to obliterate 185,000 men in one night, it would mean the combined strength in a legion of 6,000 angels would be enough to destroy 1,110,000,000 men (that is, one billion, one hundred ten million men) — and that’s just the combined power in one legion of angels!
Now let’s multiply this same number 185,000 by twelve legions, or at least 72,000 angels, which was the number of angels Jesus said was available to Him on the night of His arrest. When we do, we find that there was enough combined strength at Jesus’ disposal to have annihilated at least 13,320,000,000 men (that is, thirteen billion, three hundred twenty million men) — which is more than twice the number of people living on the earth right now!
Jesus didn’t need Peter’s little sword that night. Had He chosen to do so, Jesus could have summoned 72,000 magnificent, mighty, dazzling, glorious, overwhelmingly powerful angels to the Garden to obliterate the Roman soldiers and the temple police who had come to arrest Him. In fact, the combined strength in twelve legions of angels could have wiped out the entire human race! But Jesus didn’t call on the supernatural help that was available to Him. Why? Because He knew it was time for Him to voluntarily lay down His life for the sin of the human race.
Learn a lesson from Jesus and from the apostle Peter. Jesus didn’t need Peter’s undersized, insignificant sword to deal with His situation. What good would a single sword have been against all the troops assembled in the Garden that night anyway? Peter’s actions were a perfect example of how the flesh tries in vain to solve its own problems but cannot. Jesus had all the power that was required to conquer those troops.
As you face your own challenges in life, always keep in mind that Jesus has the power to fix any problem you’ll ever come across. Before you jump in and make things worse by taking matters into your own hands, remember the story of Peter!The next time you’re tempted to “grab a sword and start swinging,” take a few minutes to remind yourself that Jesus can handle the problem without your intervention. Before you do anything else, pray and ask the Lord what you are supposed to do. Then after you receive your answer and follow His instructions, just watch His supernatural power swing into action to solve the dilemma you are facing!