And they begged Him, saying, “Send us into the pigs, so that we may enter into them.”
The demons ask to enter the pigs because they cannot move about and act on their own without Christ’s permission. This again testifies that even the powers of darkness are under His authority. Yet in these words the nature of evil is also revealed. It always seeks a place to take bodily form, to act, and to destroy. For evil it is not enough to remain inactive. Its essence is to corrupt. This request of the demons also expresses their malice toward those around them, because wherever they go, they bring turmoil and loss. Nevertheless, even in their evil purpose they are dependent on Christ’s word.