What does Luke 8:28 mean?

Throughout Jesus' ministry, demons are drawn to Him and compelled to identify Him (Mark 1:23–24, 34; Luke 4:41). It's unclear why. They recognize Jesus as God with absolute authority over them. We would think they would run from Jesus, but they don't. In this case, they run toward Jesus (Mark 5:6) and fall at His feet in a sign of submission, then beg for mercy.

Luke records the demons saying, "do not torment me." Luke goes on to say, "And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss" (Luke 8:31). Matthew records them saying, "Have you come here to torment us before the time?" (Matthew 8:29). Scripture seems to indicate that some demons who committed particularly egregious sins are locked into the "abyss." They will be released during the tribulation to torment the people (Revelation 9:1–3, 11; 11:7). These may be the same that Peter describes, saying, "…God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment…" (2 Peter 2:4). Many think these are the demons who took human women and had children with them (Genesis 6:1–4). In the end times, all demons will be sent to the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41). Whether they are talking about the abyss or the lake of fire, these demons do not want to be sent away any earlier than necessary.

Ironically, the demons call Jesus the "Son of the Most High God," inadvertently answering the question the disciples asked after Jesus calmed the storm: "Who then is this?" (Luke 8:25). The Most High God is far above idols, false-gods, and demonic forces. Jesus is His Son, "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" (Hebrews 1:3).