The trinity is one of the hardest concepts for unbelievers to understand about the Christian faith so don’t broach the subject initially when you witness for Christ unless you’re asked about it. There’s plenty of time later to discuss the trinity. The Bible itself doesn’t name, declare or define the triune Godhead as such. This name was given by men to better understand the concept. The Bible just speaks about each person in the Godhead as an accepted matter of fact like it’s no big deal. The Bible takes the same approach when stating the Bible is God’s Word. Each person in the trinity is mentioned often in the Bible and we have to pay attention in order to understand which person is being referenced. Probably the best illustration of the triune Godhead is in Mark 1:9-11, at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, where we see all three persons of the trinity present at the same time.
Mark 1:9-11 – It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He (Jesus) saw the heavens parting and the Spirit (Holy Spirit) descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven (God speaking), “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
If anyone ever tells you they don’t believe in the trinity refer them to Mark 1:9-11. We can believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit without knowing everything about them. The same holds true for believing there is one God existing in three persons, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We know God cannot lie and the Bible is the unerring truth of God so by faith we must believe in the trinity even though we may not fully understand it. We won’t have perfect knowledge of the spiritual world until we get to heaven and probably not even then.
Mark 1:23-24 – Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are-the Holy One of God!”
Mark 1:34 – Then He (Jesus) healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
Mark 3:11 – And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him (Jesus), fell down before Him and cried out, saying, You are the Son of God.”
Mark 5:7 – And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”
In Mark, Jesus has several interesting encounters with people who were possessed by demons. In every instance the demons knew Jesus immediately by name as the Son of God and were fearful of being tormented or destroyed which means they recognized Jesus’ authority over them. Since demons are spirit beings that confirms Jesus is also Spirit. In our physical world we can see and recognize people but we can’t see invisible spirit beings but demons can recognize other spirit beings on either side of the veil. Demons are fallen angels who once served Jesus as part of the host of heaven so, of course, they will recognize Jesus as soon as they see him. These encounters Jesus had with demons are well documented and serve as further proof that Jesus is the Son of God.
Mark 9:25 – He (Jesus) rebuked the unclean spirit , saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”
The disciples tried unsuccessfully to remove the demon from this person so they brought him to Jesus. Jesus told them this kind of spirit can only be removed by prayer and fasting. Notice that the demon was deaf so he couldn’t hear the disciples command to come out of the man anyway. Only the Spirit of Jesus could see and know this demon was deaf and dumb and only God’s Spirit and voice of authority could communicate with the demon and cause him to come out of the man. Jesus didn’t need to speak his command to the demon verbally. That was done for the benefit of Jesus’ disciples and those standing nearby so that they would believe and God would be glorified. Demons are much more powerful than human beings and this demon would obey only the command of God himself so the fact that Jesus successfully removed the demon is another proof Jesus is God. When spirit beings like God, the angels and demons look upon us they see more than our physical bodies. Our invisible spirit is like a neon sign to them. They see the real us, our eternal spirit. We each have a unique spirit like nobody else’s in much the same way as our fingerprints are different from anyone else’s on earth. In the spirit world we’ll be recognizable as individuals, who we really are, and not some indiscriminate shimmer of light like some people think.