The unclean spirits were pleading with Him greatly, that He would not send them out from there.
This plea of the demons once again confirms Christ’s perfect authority. They are not able to do anything by their own will. In the matter of remaining there or leaving, they depend on Jesus’ permission. Here the limited nature of evil is clearly seen. Satan and his forces, though terrifying for a human being, are never independent masters before God. They can act only within the boundaries that are permitted from above. This is a great comfort for believers, because it shows that the powers of darkness do not govern the world absolutely. Christ is the true Lord. At the same time, their request also reveals their fear. They sense that the time of their authority is limited and that the presence of the Son of God is the condemnation of their condition.